Saint Anthony of Padua 1195-1231

 

Between the ages of 15 to 26,Fernando Martins carried out his religious life a monastery in Coimbra, Portugal. Five Franciscans who had been staying in the town were martyred in Morocco while spreading the Christian faith. Their relics were ransomed and returned to Coimbra. Fernando was so moved by their heroics and selfless acts, that at the age of 26,he left the Augustinians and joined the Franciscans with the intention of glorifying God in the same way.   http://waldronsaints.com/saint-anthony-of-padua-1195-1231.html

Saint Andre Bessette 1845-1937

 

Alfred Bessette was the 8th of 12 children born to a poor French-Canadian couple south of Montreal. His parents died a few years apart, making him an orphan at the age of 12.Alfred was sickly and under educated, but had strong faith at a young age. He was adopted by his uncle and spent the majority of his youth working on the farm more