MEMORIAL OF SAINT ETHELDREDA (AUDREY), VIRGIN; SAINT MARY OF OIGNIES, RELIGIOUS AND SAINT JOSEPH CAFASSO, PRIEST ~ FEAST DAY: JUNE 23RD Today, we celebrate the Memorial of Saint Etheldreda (Audrey), Virgin; Saint Mary of Oignies, Religious and Saint Joseph Cafasso, Priest. Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary and all the Saints on this feast day, we humbly pray for the sick, especially those who are sick with diseases of the throat, seizures and those suffering from cancers and other terminal diseases, we pray for their divine healing. We also pray for all expectant mothers and those seeking for the fruit of the womb. We pray for the poor and needy, for justice, peace and unity in our families and our world. And we continue to pray for the Church, the Clergy, with special intention for all Priests, for persecuted christians, for the conversion of sinners, and Christians all over the world.🙏🏽
SAINT ETHELDREDA (AUDREY), VIRGIN: St. Etheldreda or Audrey (636-679) is the most popular of Anglo-Saxon women saints, an Anglo-Saxon queen and founder of a double monastery at Ely, who took a vow of celibacy despite being married twice. St. Etheldreda was born c. 636 near Newmarket, Suffolk. This holy virgin was the third daughter of Annas, the saintly King of East Anglia. Three of her sisters, Sexburga, Ethelburga, and Withburga, are numbered among the Saints. To comply with the desire of her parents she married Prince Tonbert, but she remained a virgin, for they lived in perpetual continence, it was said that the marriage was never consummated. After three years, her husband died and she was widowed. She lived a secluded life of contemplation for five years. She had taken a perpetual vow of virginity, but married again, this time for reasons of state. The Saint’s fame reached the ears of Egfrid, the King of Northumberland, who extorted her consent to marry him.
With her second husband she lived, as she had done with the first, more as his sister than as his wife, devoting her time to the exercises of devotion and charity. Her young husband soon grew tired of living as brother and sister and began to make advances on her. She continually refused. He eventually attempted to bribe the local bishop, Saint Wilfrid of York, to release St. Audrey from her vows. Saint Wilfrid refused, and helped Audrey escape. She fled south, with her husband following. They reached a promontory known as Colbert’s Head, where a heaven sent seven day high tide separated the two. Eventually, Audrey’s husband left and married someone more willing, while Audrey took the veil, after twelve years of weddedlife, upon the advice of St. Wilfrid and more or less with her husband’s consent, she embraced the religious life. She retired to the monastery of Coldinghan near Berwick, where she lived in obedience to the Abbes, St. Ebba. In the year 672, St. Etheldreda returned to the Isle of Ely and founded a monastery, the great abbey of Ely, where she lived an austere life. Her life henceforward was one of great austerity and perfection. She became a model of virtue to all he Sisters. Suffering were her delight. She thanked God when, in her last sickness, she had much to suffer, she had an enormous and unsightly tumor on her neck, which she gratefully accepted as Divine retribution for all the necklaces she had worn in her early years. After the lingering illness she expired in peace on June 23, 679 at her monastery in 679 where she had been abbess for seven years. She’s Patron Saint of throat and neck complaints.
PRAYER: Lord God, You showed heavenly gifts on St. Etheldreda. Help us to imitate her virtues during our earthly life and enjoy eternal happiness with her in heaven. Amen 🙏🏽
SAINT MARY OF OIGNIES, RELIGIOUS: St. Mary of Oignies (1167-1213) was born in Belgium (Nivelles in the diocese of Liege) to a wealthy family in 1167. But while still very young, she rejected everything childish or vain — games, beautiful clothing, ornaments. From her early youth Mary felt called to the religious life, but she entered into an arranged marriage to a virtuous young lord at age 14. despite her desire to be a nun. Her holy life caused admiration in her spouse and decided him to follow her examples; and together they resolved to practice continence for life, to distribute their wealth to the poor and consecrate themselves to works of piety. She convinced her husband to live chastely, and to turn their home into a leper hospice, after giving away much of her fortune to the poor as she could, St. Mary spent her days caring for lepers. The demon tried every artifice to make them relent in their holy resolution, but failed. They drew down on themselves the most abundant blessings, as well as sarcasms and insults from the worldly.
St. Mary had the gift of tears, and could not look at a crucifix without breaking into a torrent of tears or being ravished in ecstasy. When a priest told her to cease these exhibitions, she asked God to make him understand that it is not possible for a creature to arrest tears which the Holy Spirit obliges to well up. And the priest, that same day while saying his Mass, began to shed so many tears that the altar cloths and his vestments were wet with them. She had a great devotion to Saint John the Evangelist and conversed with him as well as with her Guardian Angel. Noted for visions, especially of Saint John and her guardian angel, ecstacies, prophecies, and psychic gifts; she ate no meat, dressed exclusively in white, may have been a stigmatist, and reported cut off pieces of her flesh to rid herself of desire for the world. By vision and revelation she often knew the temptations and secrets of the hearts of the persons who consulted her. She converted many, obtained graces by her prayers for the living and especially for the dead, for whom she offered prayers and sacrifices, and suffered various illnesses with invincible patience. Her many visitors made her life of contemplation difficult, and she decided to change her residence. Later in life, with the permission of her husband, she moved into a hermit‘s cell near the Augustinian house at Oignies, France and spent the rest of her life there, where she lived in retreat amidst her heavenly favors and conversations, praying for souls in Purgatory, and giving advice to would-be spiritual students. She saw the place destined for her in heaven, and gave up her holy soul surrounded by angelic songs of bliss on June 23, 1213. The faithful who have addressed her were so impressed with the value of her intercession that her relics became the object of great respect. Buried at Oignies, her remains in 1609 were placed in a silver reliquary in its parish church of Our Lady; in 1817 they were transferred to the Church of Saint Nicolas at Nivelle, near her birthplace. She’s Patron Saint of women in labor and against fever.
St. Mary of Oignies, Religious ~ Pray for us 🙏🏽
SAINT JOSEPH CAFASSO, PRIEST: St. Joseph Cafasso (1811–1860) was born in Castelnuovo d’Asti, Italy, to a peasant family near the city of Turin. Four years later, one of his most famous students St. John Bosco (feast day – March 31) was born in the same town. St. Joseph was born with a physical deformity of the spine, which caused him to grow into a stunted and crippled man for life. But he had loving parents who were willing to make big sacrifices so Joseph could study in Turin to become a priest. Discerning a call to Holy Orders, he entered the seminary in Turin where he later met another famous saint—John Bosco. St. Joseph talked to him at the church in 1827 when John was twelve. St. Joseph taught St. John Bosco and encouraged him in his mission to minister to the town’s impoverished street youth. At that time Joseph was studying at the seminary to become a priest. After they talked, the excited John ran all the way home. “Mom, Mom,” John called, “I met him, I met him!” “Who?” his mother asked. “Joseph Cafasso, mother. He’s a saint, I tell you.” Mrs. Bosco smiled and nodded gently.
In 1833, St. Joseph was ordained a priest. He began his priestly work and went to an excellent school of theology (religious studies) for priests. When Father Cafasso graduated, he became a theology professor at the college in Turin. He taught many young priests over the years. They could tell that he really loved them. St. Joseph was an excellent professor of moral theology, as well as a famed preacher and confessor. He performed his duties so well that he became known as the “Priest’s Priest.” He spent entire days preaching in prisons, offering comfort to the prisoners, hearing their confessions, and even advocating to improve the poor conditions of the prison. For this work he also earned the name, “Priest of the Gallows.” Father Cafasso was known as the priest who believed in the gentle and loving mercy of God. His kindness gave people courage and hope. He guided many priests, religious and lay people. He helped John Bosco begin his great priestly work with boys and guided him in starting his religious order known as the Salesians. Father Cafasso directed other founders, too.
There were many social needs in Father Cafasso’s time. One of the most urgent was the prison system. Prison conditions were disgusting and he worked hard to improve them. But what most moved Father Cafasso was the custom of hanging in public, prisoners sentenced to death. Father Cafasso went to them and heard their confessions. He stayed with them, telling them of God’s love and mercy until they died. He helped over sixty prisoners who repented and died in the peace of Jesus. Father Cafasso called them his “hanged saints.” Father Cafasso also became the pastor of St. Francis Church in 1848. He was a wonderful example for people to follow promoting devotion to the Blessed Sacrament. He also did some great works in the Church. Father Cafasso died on June 23, 1860. His faithful friend, St. John Bosco, preached the homily at his funeral. The life of this saint was marked by kindness and understanding of the people of his time. St. Joseph Cafasso is the Patron Saint of prisoners, prisons, and prison chaplains. His feast day is June 23rd.
PRAYER: We humbly ask you, almighty God, that at the intercession of blessed Joseph Cafasso you may multiply your gifts among us and order our days in peace. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen🙏🏽