Catholic saints-JUNE-30

• First Martyrs of the See of Rome
• Bl. Raymond Lull
• St. Martial
• St. Airick
• St. Basilides
• St. Bertrand
• St. Vincent Yen
• St. Theobald
• St. Clotsindis
• St. Erentrudis
• St. Eurgain
• St. Lucina
• St. Marcian
• St. Ostianus
• First Martyrs of Rome
• Bl. Philip Powell

Catholic saints-JUNE-29

• St. Peter, First Pope
• St. Paul
• Sts. Salome & Judith
• St. Cassius
• St. Cocha
• St. Mary

Catholic saints-JUNE-28

• St. Irenaeus
• St. Almus
• St. Argymirus
• St. Austell
• St. Benignus
• St. Vincenza Gerosa
• St. Theodichildis
• St. Crummine
• St. Egilo
• St. Heimrad
• St. John Southworth
• St. Paul I, Pope
• St. Plutarch

John Paul II photogallery & wallpapers

Pope John Paul II-Short Biography & photogallery

His Holiness John Paul II

Pope John Paul II (Latin: Joannes Paulus PP. II, Italian: Giovanni Paolo II, Polish: Jan Pawel II), born (18 May 1920 – 2 April 2005) served as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death almost 27 years later. His was the second-longest pontificate. Only Pope Pius IX served longer. He was the only Polish Pope, and was the first non-Italian Pope since Dutch Pope Adrian VI in the 1520s.

Short Biography

Karol Józef Wojtyla, known as John Paul II since his October 1978 election to the papacy, was born in the Polish town of Wadowice, a small city 50 kilometers from Krakow, on May 18, 1920. He was the youngest of three children born to Karol Wojtyla and Emilia Kaczorowska. His mother died in 1929. His eldest brother Edmund, a doctor, died in 1932 and his father, a non-commissioned army officer died in 1941. A sister, Olga, had died before he was born.He was baptized on June 20, 1920 in the parish church of Wadowice by Fr. Franciszek Zak, made his First Holy Communion at age 9 and was confirmed at 18. Upon graduation from Marcin Wadowita high school in Wadowice, he enrolled in Krakow's Jagiellonian University in 1938 and in a school for drama.

The Nazi occupation forces closed the university in 1939 and young Karol had to work in a quarry (1940-1944) and then in the Solvay chemical factory to earn his living and to avoid being deported to Germany.

In 1942, aware of his call to the priesthood, he began courses in the clandestine seminary of Krakow, run by Cardinal Adam Stefan Sapieha, archbishop of Krakow. At the same time, Karol Wojtyla was one of the pioneers of the "Rhapsodic Theatre," also clandestine.

After the Second World War, he continued his studies in the major seminary of Krakow, once it had re-opened, and in the faculty of theology of the Jagiellonian University. He was ordained to the priesthood by Archbishop Sapieha in Krakow on November 1, 1946.Shortly afterwards, Cardinal Sapieha sent him to Rome where he worked under the guidance of the French Dominican, Garrigou-Lagrange. He finished his doctorate in theology in 1948 with a thesis on the subject of faith in the works of St. John of the Cross (Doctrina de fide apud Sanctum Ioannem a Cruce). At that time, during his vacations, he exercised his pastoral ministry among the Polish immigrants of France, Belgium and Holland.

In 1948 he returned to Poland and was vicar of various parishes in Krakow as well as chaplain to university students. This period lasted until 1951 when he again took up his studies in philosophy and theology. In 1953 he defended a thesis on "evaluation of the possibility of founding a Catholic ethic on the ethical system of Max Scheler" at Lublin Catholic University. Later he became professor of moral theology and social ethics in the major seminary of Krakow and in the Faculty of Theology of Lublin.

On July 4, 1958, he was appointed titular bishop of Ombi and auxiliary of Krakow by Pope Pius XII, and was consecrated September 28, 1958, in Wawel Cathedral, Krakow, by Archbishop Eugeniusz Baziak.On January 13, 1964, he was appointed archbishop of Krakow by Pope Paul VI, who made him a cardinal June 26, 1967 with the title of S. Cesareo in Palatio of the order of deacons, later elevated pro illa vice to the order of priests.Besides taking part in Vatican Council II (1962-1965) where he made an important contribution to drafting the Constitution Gaudium et spes, Cardinal Wojtyla participated in all the assemblies of the Synod of Bishops.

The Cardinals elected him Pope at the Conclave of 16 October 1978, and he took the name of John Paul II. On 22 October, the Lord's Day, he solemnly inaugurated his Petrine ministry as the 263rd successor to the Apostle. His pontificate, one of the longest in the history of the Church, lasted nearly 27 years.Driven by his pastoral solicitude for all Churches and by a sense of openness and charity to the entire human race, John Paul II exercised the Petrine ministry with a tireless missionary spirit, dedicating it all his energy. He made 104 pastoral visits outside Italy and 146 within Italy. As bishop of Rome he visited 317 of the city's 333 parishes.He had more meetings than any of his predecessors with the People of God and the leaders of Nations. More than 17,600,000 pilgrims participated in the General Audiences held on Wednesdays (more than 1160), not counting other special audiences and religious ceremonies [more than 8 million pilgrims during the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000 alone], and the millions of faithful he met during pastoral visits in Italy and throughout the world. We must also remember the numerous government personalities he encountered during 38 official visits, 738 audiences and meetings held with Heads of State, and 246 audiences and meetings with Prime Ministers.His love for young people brought him to establish the World Youth Days. The 19 WYDs celebrated during his pontificate brought together millions of young people from all over the world. At the same time his care for the family was expressed in the World Meetings of Families, which he initiated in 1994.

John Paul II successfully encouraged dialogue with the Jews and with the representatives of other religions, whom he several times invited to prayer meetings for peace, especially in Assisi.Under his guidance the Church prepared herself for the third millennium and celebrated the Great Jubilee of the year 2000 in accordance with the instructions given in the Apostolic Letter Tertio Millennio adveniente. The Church then faced the new epoch, receiving his instructions in the Apostolic Letter Novo Millennio ineunte, in which he indicated to the faithful their future path.

With the Year of the Redemption, the Marian Year and the Year of the Eucharist, he promoted the spiritual renewal of the Church.He gave an extraordinary impetus to Canonizations and Beatifications, focusing on countless examples of holiness as an incentive for the people of our time. He celebrated 147 beatification ceremonies during which he proclaimed 1,338 Blesseds; and 51 canonizations for a total of 482 saints. He made Thérèse of the Child Jesus a Doctor of the Church.He considerably expanded the College of Cardinals, creating 231 Cardinals (plus one in pectore) in 9 consistories. He also called six full meetings of the College of Cardinals.He organized 15 Assemblies of the Synod of Bishops - six Ordinary General Assemblies (1980, 1983, 1987, 1990, 1994 and 2001), one Extraordinary General Assembly (1985) and eight Special Assemblies (1980,1991, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1998 (2) and 1999).

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Catholic Saints- JUNE-27

• St. Cyril of Alexandria
• St. Emma
• St. Laszlo
• St. Anectus
• St. Arialdus
• St. Zoilus
• Bl. Thomas Toan
• St. Samson
• St. Crescens
• St. Deodatus
• St. Ferdinand of Aragon
• St. John of Chinon
• St. Joseph Hien

Catholic Saints- JUNE-26

• St. Anthelm
• St. Vigilius
• Bl. Teresa Fantou
• St. Salvius
• St. Corbican
• St. David
• St. Hermogius
• St. Jane Gerald, Blessed
• St. John & Paul
• St. John of the Goths
• St. Marie Magdalen Fontaine
• St. Maxentius
• St. Pelagius
• St. Perseveranda
• St. Josemaria Escriva de Balaguer

Catholic Saints- JUNE-25

• St. William of Vercelli
• St. Prosper of Aquitaine
• St. Adalbert
• St. Selyf
• St. Dominic Henares
• St. Eurosia
• St. Gallicanus
• St. Gohardus
• St. Maximus of Turin
• St. Moloc
• St. Molonachus

St. William of Vercelli-Feastday: June 25

St. William of Vercelli

Feastday: June 25

William was born at Vercelli, Italy, in 1085. After the death of his parents, he was cared for by relatives, but at the age of 14 he set out as a poor pilgrim for Spain. Not satisfied with the hardships such a journey entailed, he had two iron bands fastened around his body. Upon returning to Italy in 1106, he began leading a penitential life as a hermit. To this period belongs William’s first miracle, the restoration of sight to a blind man. The cure made him famous and to avoid being acclaimed as a wonder-worker, he left the area to stay with St. John of Matera. They were kindred spirits and became close friends.After a while, William went to the mountains where he attempted to live as a hermit, but was soon joined by disciples. He formed them into a community and from the church, which he built in 1124, under the name Our Lady, the mountain has derived its present name of Monte Vergine.

King Roger II of Naples, benefited greatly from William’s counsel and help. William’s influence on the Kind was resented by some of the court who tried to discredit him. They tried to lure him into sin and caused him to suffer a trial by fire. William persevered and was unharmed. King Roger continued to patronize William’s foundations.

St. William died June 25, 1142, at Nussio, Italy. His feast day is celebrated on June 25.


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St. John the Baptist-Feastday: June 24

St. John the Baptist
Feastday: June 24

John the Baptist was the son of Zachary, a priest of the Temple in Jerusalem, and Elizabeth, a kinswoman of Mary who visited her. He was probably born at Ain-Karim southwest of Jerusalem after the Angel Gabriel had told Zachary that his wife would bear a child even though she was an old woman. He lived as a hermit in the desert of Judea until about A.D. 27. When he was thirty, he began to preach on the banks of the Jordan against the evils of the times and called men to penance and baptism "for the Kingdom of Heaven is close at hand". He attracted large crowds, and when Christ came to him, John recognized Him as the Messiah and baptized Him, saying, "It is I who need baptism from You". When Christ left to preach in Galilee, John continued preaching in the Jordan valley. Fearful of his great power with the people, Herod Antipas, Tetrarch of Perea and Galilee, had him arrested and imprisoned at Machaerus Fortress on the Dead Sea when John denounced his adultrous and incestuous marriage with Herodias, wife of his half brother Philip. John was beheaded at the request of Salome, daughter of Herodias, who asked for his head at the instigation of her mother. John inspired many of his followers to follow Christ when he designated Him "the Lamb of God," among them Andrew and John, who came to know Christ through John's preaching. John is presented in the New Testament as the last of the Old Testament prophets and the precursor of the Messiah. His feast day is June 24th and the feast for his beheading is August 29th.

source:-http://www.catholic.org


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St. Joseph Cafasso-Feastday: June 23

St. Joseph Cafasso

Feastday: June 23

Joseph Cafasso was born at Castelnuovo d'Asti in the Piedmont, Italy, of peasant parents. He studied at the seminary at Turin, and was ordained in 1833. He continued his theological studies at the seminary and university at Turin and then at the Institute of St. Franics, and despite a deformed spine, became a brilliant lecturer in moral theology there. He was a popular teacher, actively opposed Jansenism, and fought state intrusion into Church affairs. He succeeded Luigi Guala as rector of the Institute in 1848 and made a deep impression on his young priest students with his holiness and insistence on discipline and high standards. He was a sought-after confessor and spiritual adviser, and ministered to prisoners, working to improve their terrible conditions. He met Don Bosco in 1827 and the two became close friends. It was through Joseph's encouragement that Bosco decided his vocation was working with boys. Joseph was his adviser, worked closely with him in his foundations, and convinced others to fund and found religious institutes and charitable organizations. Joseph died on June 23 at Turin and was canonized in 1947. His feast day is June 23rd.

source:-http://www.catholic.org

Tags:-St. Joseph Cafasso,Saint from italy,Saint of italy,St. Joseph Cafasso feast day,June 23 saint,saints,catholic saints,Saints of church

Catholic Saints- JUNE-24

• St. John the Baptist
• St. Kundegunda
• St. Amphibalus
• St. Bartholomew of Fame
• St. Theodulphus
• St. Germoc
• St. Faustus and Companions
• St. John of Tuy
• Bl. Joseph Yuen
• St. Rumold
• St. Orentius

Catholic Saints- JUNE-23

• St. Joseph Cafasso
• Saint Ethelreda (Audrey)
• St. Agrippina
• St. Walhere
• St. Thomas Garnet
• St. Etheidreda
• St. Hiduiphus
• St. James of Toul
• St. John
• St. Libert
• St. Moelray
• St. Peter of Juilly

Catholic Saints- JUNE-22

• St. Thomas More
• St. Aaron
• St. Alban
• St. Nicetas
• St. John Fisher
• St. Consortia
• St. Eberbard
• St. Flavius Clemens
• Martyrs of Ararat
• St. Paulinus of Nola