Confident his son would follow in his footsteps as a lawyer, François de Sales de Boisy never anticipated the greatness the young Francis was to achieve.

St. Barbara understood that being a Christian is a gift worth the sacrifice of everything dear: exterior beauty, family relationships and even life itself.

St. Hubert, the patron saint of hunters, is honored among sport hunters as one of the first to promote ethical hunting practices.

Jesus entrusted Margaret Mary Alacoque with one of the most important missions in the Church: spreading devotion to his Sacred Heart.

This saint earned his “golden-mouthed” surname with his incredible preaching skills, which ultimately led to him falling out of favor with Church and political leaders because he called for reform.

Edith Stein was born in Poland in 1891 to a devout Jewish family. She gave up practicing the Jewish faith as a teenager and began to pursue a degree in philosophy.

During his lifetime, Anthony encouraged the faithful to commit to 40 hours of continuous prayer before the Eucharist.

Clotilde was a Christian princess, born in the fifth century, who hailed from Burgundy, France; she married Clovis, chief of the pagan warrior Franks.

Feast: May 21

Margaret of Castello is a model not only for undying faith in the Lord, but also that all life has value.

Although this saint was born into nobility, he dedicated his life to the King above all kings.

Twin sister of St. Benedict, she became the patron saint of the Benedictine nuns.

Opposition and exile didn’t stop this saint from setting the record straight at a time when heresy was the norm.

Patron of missions and co-founder of the Jesuits

St. Margaret of Scotland was renowned for her care for the poor and marginalized.

Teresa was ultimately guided by her literal burning love for God, and she paved her own way.

Sept. 29 is the feast of the archangel Raphael. His name means “God has healed.”

The mother of Constantine the Great had humble beginnings, but rose to great importance in Christian history.

Andrew of Phú Yên, Vietnam, became a student of Alexandre de Rhodes, a French Jesuit missionary, at the insistence of his mother.

Despite illness and suffering, St. Marguerite Bays still asked, “What can we do to love God more?”

The saint behind saints, John of Ávila is the little-known influence behind Spanish mystics such as Teresa of Ávila.

St. Marie of the Incarnation always trusted in the providence of God, despite all obstacles.

Benedetta died on March 21, 1858, but her example of courage and fidelity to God’s will live on.

Not too many saints are known for fighting demons and their hermit lifestyles, but St. Anthony the Abbot is one.

St. Olympias was orphaned and widowed, and she still managed to serve God and the poor.