Catholic Saints & Feasts of the Liturgical Year

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January 23: Saint Marianne Cope, Virgin—USA Optional Memorial

1838–1918
Patron Saint of lepers, outcasts, those with HIV/AIDS, Hawaii
Canonized October 21, 2012, by Pope Benedict XVI
Liturgical Color: White

Quote:
I am hungry for the work and I wish with all my heart to be one of the chosen ones, whose privilege it will be to sacrifice themselves for the salvation of the souls of the poor Islanders…. I am not afraid of any disease, hence, it would be my greatest delight even to minister to the abandoned “lepers.” ~Letter of Mother Marianne Cope

Prayer:
Saint Marianne, you were a martyr in spirit, laying down your life for those in need of your love and affection. You embraced the outcast wholeheartedly with joy and gratitude. Please pray for me, that I may also seek out the outcasts in our world and help them come to know the love and mercy of our glorious God. Saint Marianne, pray for me. Jesus, I trust in You.

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Image via Sisters of Saint Francis Archive

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January 22: Saint Vincent, Deacon and Martyr—Optional Memorial
Celebrated January 23 in the USA
Late Third Century–c. 304
Patron Saint of vinegar makers, wine makers, brickmakers, and sailors
Pre-Congregation canonization
Liturgical Color: Red

Quote:
We have been watching a magnificent spectacle with the eyes of faith, the holy martyr Vincent everywhere victorious. He was victorious in his words, victorious in the pains he endured; victorious in his confession, victorious in his tribulations; victorious when burned with fire; victorious when submerged in the waves. When his flesh, which was a kind of tribute to the victorious Christ, was thrown into the sea from the boat, it silently said, “We are cast down, but not lost.” ~Sermon of Saint Augustine

Prayer:
Saint Vincent, in the face of persecution and torture, you remained courageous, even fixated on the love of Christ. You conquered the evil one by your fidelity and were crowned with glorious martyrdom. Please pray for me, that I may also receive that crown through my daily sacrifices of love. Saint Vincent, pray for me. Jesus, I trust in You.

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Image via Wikimedia Commons

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January 22: Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children—USA Memorial

Moved to January 23 when January 22 is a Sunday
Liturgical Color: White or Violet

Quote:
God our Creator, we give thanks to you, who alone have the power to impart the breath of life as you form each of us in our mother’s womb; grant, we pray, that we, whom you have made stewards of creation, may remain faithful to this sacred trust and constant in safeguarding the dignity of every human life… ~Collect for today’s Mass

Prayer:
Most precious Lord, You dwelt within the womb of your dear mother, sanctifying the womb, and elevating the dignity of all human life. I pray today for the full legal protection of every unborn child. I also pray that every heart that supports abortion will be changed so as to experience the freedom that comes from living in the Truth. I offer to You, this day, all my sufferings and sacrifices to help atone for every violation against human dignity committed through acts of abortion. Please bring healing, hope, and freedom to all. Mother Mary, pray for me. Jesus, I trust in You.

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January 21: Saint Agnes, Virgin and Martyr—Memorial

c. 291–c. 304
Patron Saint of those seeking chastity and purity, engaged couples, rape victims, gardeners, young girls, and Girl Scouts
Pre-Congregation canonization
Liturgical Color: Red

Quote:
He who chose me first for Himself shall receive me. Why are you delaying, executioner?…She stood, she prayed, she bent down her neck. You could see the executioner tremble, as though he himself had been condemned, and his right hand shake, his face grow pale, as he feared the peril of another, while the maiden feared not for her own. ~De Virginibus, Saint Ambrose

Prayer:
Saint Agnes, at a tender age you gave your life to Christ, choosing Him alone as your Spouse. Your fidelity to Christ was unwavering, showing you preferred death over betrayal. Please pray for me, that I may also choose Christ as the Spouse of my soul and be faithful to Him even until death. Saint Agnes, pray for me. Jesus, I trust in You.

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Image: "Saint Agnes" by Domenichino

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January 20: Saint Sebastian, Martyr—Optional Memorial

c. 255–c. 288
Patron Saint of archers, pinmakers, athletes, against epidemics, and of a holy death
Pre-Congregation canonization
Liturgical Color: Red

Quote:
The Lord Jesus, Whom I serve, has raised me, as it were, from the dead, for this very purpose, that once more I might meet you, and protest, in the presence of all the people here assembled, that you are guilty of the most cruel injustice, when you persecute His servants, whom you know to be innocent. Repent, therefore, of your crimes before it is too late. ~The Acts of the Early Martyrs, Fastré S.J.

Prayer:
Saint Sebastian, you received the glorious crown of martyrdom twice. Your courage and fidelity to Christ in the face of persecution was unwavering. Your encouragement of the persecuted was heroic. Please pray for me, that I may have your same unwavering courage and thus equally fulfill God’s will, no matter how high the cost. Saint Sebastian, pray for me. Jesus, I trust in You.

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Saint Sebastian and Madonna with Saints by The Sodom