St. Gemma Galgani (March 12, 1878 to April 11, 1903)

St. Gemma Galgani, born on March 12, 1878 in Camigliano, Italy, was a beautiful modern day saint. Her family moved to Lucca one month later. St. Gemma Galgani studied at St. Zita School. She was a mystic who received the stigmata. She contracted spinal meningitis at age 20 and was cured through the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
St. Gemma Galgani died from tuberculosis on Holy Saturday, April 11, 1903 at age 25. Her remains are in the Passionist Monastery in Lucca. She is the patron saint of pharmacists and her feast day is April 11. Canonized: 1940
Her incredible story is told in depth on this Web site.

St. Zosimus of Siracusa (c. 570 to 660)

Long before everyone you met called themselves a bard, one of my friends, Alberto, would say "I'm a poet," when asked his occupation.
This was nearly 20 years ago. He had a degree in English and worked the night shift for a pharmaceutical company. The whole thing sounded funny at the time. Maybe because he was from Italy (Siracusa, Sicily) and I could picture a Giancarlo Giannini-type character in some wacky movie.
"You have to experience excruciating pain in order to be a good writer, Marilyn," he would say to me.
Well, I didn't agree with him, but I let him do his "poet speak" thing anyway.
That was until the day he read me his piece about menstruation. Then, I decided he'd make a better acquaintance than friend.
One of my biggest regrets about my three vacations to Italy, is that I never made it to Sicily. I was warned that I'd be mugged or attacked because I was a female travelling alone. I heard the same thing about Naples but I went anyway. It would have taken a long time to get to Sicily which is the only reason I didn't go.
St. Zosimus served as the bishop of Siracusa in 649. He was born in Sicily in c.570. At age seven, he was taken from the family farm to live at the monastery of Saint Lucy (Santa Lucia). While there his job was to guard saint's tomb.
In his years before becoming bishop, St. Zosimus was a monk then an abbot. His mission was to teach and help the poor.
St. Zosimus died in 660. His feast day is March 30.

St. Mark the Apostle (1st century AD to April 25, 68)

One of the most exciting times in Italy for me was when I arrived in Piazza di San Marco in Venice, Italy to see Basilica di San Marco.
It was built around 829 as a temporary place to hold the relics of St. Mark the Apostle (also called the Evangelist). The basilica in its present form was built in 1063 and consecrated in 1094.
St. Mark the Apostle was born in the 1st century AD in Judea and is the author of the second Gospel in the New Testament. St. Mark's writings focused on the ministry of Jesus from his baptism to the Resurrection and, most importantly, the last two weeks of his life.
St. Mark died on April 25, 68 in Alexandria, Egypt. Around 829, two Venetian merchants took his relics from Alexandria to Venice. They covered them in pork to prevent Muslims from stealing them. To this day, the relics are in Basilica di San Marco. St. Mark's feast day is April 25.

St. Alkelda (? to March 28, c.800)

St. Alkelda is the stuff of legends. She may have been a princess or was it a nun? Either way, she was born in Yorkshire, England. St. Alkelda was strangled by pagan Viking women. It is said she died in a Danish raid on March 28, c.800.

St. Rupert (c.660 to March 27, 710)

St. Rupert founded the city of Salzburg, Austria and started salt mining there. In artwork, he is often shown holding a vessel of it.
St. Rupert was born c.660 to a noble Frankish family. He became the bishop of Worms, Germany and helped spread the Roman Catholic faith throughout the country.
He is called the Apostle of Bavaria and Austria. St Rupert founded St. Peter's Church and Abbey and Nonnburg convent in Salzburg. He died on March 27, 710. His feast day is March 27 and he is the patron saint of salt miners.

St. Margaret Clitherow (1556 to March 25, 1586)

St. Margaret Clitherow was born Margaret Middleton in York, England to Protestant parents in 1556. She married John Clitherow in 1571 and had three children. At age 18, she became a Roman Catholic and held Masses at home. She was arrested for sheltering priests there and refused to plead the case.
St. Margaret Clitherow was crushed to death on Good Friday (March 25), 1586. Her right hand was taken as a relic and is in the Bar Convent in York. She is one of the Forty Martyrs of England. Her feast day is March 26 and she is the patron saint of converts. Canonized: 1970.

The Annunciation (March 25)

"Can you imagine today a 15-year-old girl from Fox Point telling her parents that she was pregnant but didn't have sex? And, that she was pregnant with the Son of God?" Father McCaffrey asked us one Saturday afternoon during Mass at St. Joseph's Church in Providence.
It was the Annunciation, a Feast of Solemnity in the Roman Catholic Church. And, I think it was supposed to get us thinking about how Mary must have felt telling her parents that she had a visit from an angel.
March 25 was when the Gabriel the Archangel appeared to Mary and told her she would give birth to the Son of God and to name the baby Jesus.
"The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee and the power of the Most High shall overshadow thee. And therefore also the Holy which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God."
According to the Bible, this happened during the sixth month of pregnancy of Mary's cousin Elizabeth who was carrying John the Baptist.

St. Catherine of Sweden (c.1330 to March 24, 1381)

When I was 34-years-old, I found myself in the unfortunate situation of being unwed and pregnant. It happened either just before a breakup with a long-term boyfriend or at the beginning of a relationship with a new guy.
At the same time, out of nowhere, my mother was diagnosed with terminal cancer. So, my priority was taking care of my mother and coming to terms with her death.
Since I had no idea when I conceived, I had to make a choice. I'm not happy to write about this and it took a very long time to before I could face the results of my decision. All I can say is that I could not have provided a child with a proper upbringing as a single mother.
After the procedure (I had to go through it twice, because it didn't work the first time), I went to my gynecologist for a follow-up exam. He told me that I should be on the birth control pill to which I replied, "I'm never going to have sex again."
Dr. Fink said that because I was young and good looking, he guaranteed that I'd change my mind since I'd most naturally meet someone and fall in love.
Dr. Fink was a few years younger than myself and I found it odd that whenever he examined me, he'd get embarrassed and his face would turn red. Afterall, his job was working with female anatomy.
But, the strangest thing was that when he finished his residency at Brown and was going to set up practice in Florida that he invited me along. Although he was physically attractive in an odd sort of way, I declined the offer.
My mother was diagnosed with "non-life-threatening cancer," yet my instincts told me it was terminal. She saiid it was minor and that she'd have the chemotherapy where she wouldn't lose her hair. I didn't believe it and cried hysterically. My brothers tried to console me and my and dad did, too.
I said it only once, "Mom, it's not true; you're going to die!"
I had a premonition. However, for the next year, until her very last day in this world, I acted like everything was fine.
Right after I had the abortion, someone still unknown to me today, called my mother and asked her if she knew where I was on such and such a day. The woman said I had done something terrible and she wanted my mother to know, although never told her what it was.
My mother confronted me, concerned I had worked in a porno film.
"I'm in the Screen Actors Guild," was my response. "I'm not an adult film star."
She was not convinced and after several days of nagging me about it, I finally told her what happened. I also asked if she could get me special help from God when she got to the other side, since I had committed a serious sine in the Roman Catholic Church.
"What? That's it?," she said. "That's nothing, At least you're not dying from cancer."
I guess an abortion was minor in comparison to what my mom was going through. I spoke with a professional a few times about both situations and she miraculously guided me through it. I'm not even sure what she said to me but whatever it was it made me strong and resilient. I got through my mother's death and with my own dilemma found peace.
St. Catherine of Sweden was born c. 1330. Her mother was St. Bridget of Sweden. At age 13, she married Lord Eggert van Kyran and they took a vow of chastity. In 1349, she joined her mother on a trip to Rome and immediately thereafter her husband died.
Together the mother and daughter made pilgrimages and helped the poor. St. Catherine of Sweden became the head of the Brigittine convent at Vadstena Abbey in Sweden that her mother founded.
She died on March 24, 1381 and is the patron saint against abortion and against miscarriage. St. Catherine of Sweden's feast day is March 24.

St. Thomas the Apostle (1st century AD to Dec. 21, 72)

"Don't ever forget what your grandfather went through to get to this country." Those were my mother's last words to me before she passed away on Aug. 2, 1999. It wasn't "I love you or I'll see you again someday." It meant something to her that I remember her dad.
I heard stories about him being in steerage on the boat trip from Italy to the United States when he was 5 or 6-years-old around 1909. He worked as a stone mason and studied by candlelight. It paid off. My grandfather, who became an American citizen, graduated from the architecture program at the Rhode Island School of Design in 1926, something I consider amazing for that time.
He was a registered architect and my younger brother followed in his footsteps going to the same college and getting the same degree.
St. Thomas the Apostle, also known as Doubting Thomas, is the patron saint of architects. He was born in Galilee in the 1st century AD. He was a follower of Jesus and did not believe the Apostles who had seen the risen Christ on Easter Sunday.
Eight days later, that changed. St. Thomas the Apostle saw the second apparition of Jesus. He put his fingers into the open wounds and said "My Lord and my God."
When you find it hard to believe, think of St. Thomas but also know that believing is seeing. The Apostle was stabbed to death on Dec. 21, 72. His relics are in Ortona, Italy and his feast day is July 3.

St. Katharine Drexel (Nov. 26, 1858 to March 3, 1955)

St. Katharine Drexel devoted her life to helping Native Americans and African Americans. She was born on Nov. 26, 1858 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to a well-to-do family. She founded what was originially called Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament for Indians and Colored People. (It is now called Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament). In 1915, St. Katharine Drexel founded Xavier University in New Orleans, Lousiana.
She died on March 3, 1955 and is the patron saint of racial justice. Canonized: 2000. Her feast day is March 3.