SEPTEMBER FEASTS AND CELEBRATIONS
Pope Francis dedicates the month of September for the cry of the earth.
Let us pray that each of us listen with our hearts to the cry of the Earth and the victims of
environmental disasters and the climate crisis, making a personal commitment to care for the world
we inhabit.
MEMORIAL OF SAINT GREGORY THE GREAT, POPE AND DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH
Pope Saint Gregory the Great was a Benedictine monk in Rome and founded six monasteries. He was ordained a priest, becoming one of the pope’s seven deacons. He served six years in the East as a papal representative in Constantinople and was elected pope at age 50.
Pope Saint Gregory the Great is known for his reform of the liturgy. It is disputed that he was largely responsible for the revision of the “Gregorian” chant. His book Pastoral Care which was read for centuries after his death, spoke about the duties and qualities of a bishop. Pope Saint Gregory the Great is considered one of the great fathers of the Western Church.
MEMORIAL OF SAINT PETER CLAVER, PRIEST
As a young Jesuit, Peter Claver left his Spanish homeland to become a missionary in the colonies of the New World. Sailing to Cartagena, a rich port washed by the Caribbean, he was ordained a priest. Slaves poured into the port of Cartagena each year. It was Claver, a predecessor of Jesuit Father, Alfonso de Sandoval, who devoted himself to the service of the slaves, bringing them food and medicine. He assured the slaves of their human dignity. Saint Peter Claver instructed and baptized an estimated 300,000 slaves.
Peter Claver was canonized in 1888. It was Pope Leo XIII who declared him the worldwide patron of missionary work among black slaves.
MEMORIAL OF SAINT JOHN CHRYSOSTOM, BISHOP AND DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH
Saint John Chrysostom was ordained a priest at 21 and distinguished himself as an outstanding preacher. He was devoted to serving the poor. Saint John Chrysostom became a bishop in Constantinople. He called for steps to share wealth with the poor. Saint John Chrysostom was banished and after several years in exile, he died in the year 407. His final words were "Glory to God for all things."
As a doctor of the Church, Saint John Chrysostom is the patron saint of preachers.
FEAST OF THE EXALTATION OF THE HOLY CROSS
This feast celebrates the discovery of the cross on which Jesus had died. St. Helena, the mother of Roman Emperor Constantine, went to Jerusalem to look for the holy places of Jesus' life. Among those was the Temple of Aphrodite. Tradition says it was built over Jesus' tomb. Constantine ordered the Basilica of the Holy Sepulcher to be built there. During the process, excavators found three crosses. Legend has it that the cross of Jesus was identified when a dying woman was healed upon touching the cross. That cross was immediately regarded as an object of veneration.
This feast day is celebrated on the same day as the dedication of the Basilica of the Holy Sepulcher.
MEMORIAL OF SAINTS CORNELIUS, POPE, AND CYPRIAN, BISHOP MARTYRS
Saint Cornelius was elected pope after 14 months of persecution of the Church. Before his election, the Church was governed by a college of priests. During his two-year term as pope, Cornelius dealt with the issue in the Sacrament of Penance. During the persecution, many denied their faith. Saint Cornelius ordered a restoration of penance and welcomed back people to the Church. Persecutions resumed after the restoration attempt. Cornelius was then arrested and deported. He died due to his exile and imprisonment.
Saint Cyprian was a bishop and friend of Saint Cornelius. He died a martyr. Saint Cyprian proposed that those who sacrificed to idols during the persecution of the Church receive the Eucharist only at death. As for those who claimed they had sacrificed, he recommended they return to the Church after a period of penance. He was exiled by the emperor and when recalled for trial, he refused to leave the city. Saint Cyprian insisted that his people witness his martyrdom.
MEMORIAL OF SAINTS ANDREW KIM TAE-GON, PRIEST, AND PAUL CHONG HA-SANG, AND COMPANIONS, MARTYRS
As he had, Andrew Kim, a native-born Korean priest, arranged for Korean missionaries to enter the Yellow Sea to Shanghai. He suffered the consequences of this and was arrested, tortured, and beheaded. His father, Ignatius Kim, was also martyred.
Like Andrew Kim, Paul Chong lost many family members to martyrdom. He risked his life, making repeated journeys to China to find priests who would come to Korea and serve the young Church. He was martyred in 1839.
When John Paul II visited Korea in 1984, he canonized both Andrew Kim and Paul Chong-Ha-Sang, as well as 98 other Koreans and three French missionaries who had been martyred from 1839-1867.
9/21 - FEAST OF SAINT MATTHEW, APOSTLE AND EVANGELIST
A Jewish tax collector, Saint Matthew was chosen as one of Jesus' twelve apostles. Many thought of him as not holy enough to be a close follower of Jesus because of his occupation. He was considered a sinner. Matthew admitted his sins and was open to recognizing the truth of Jesus.
He is known as one of the four evangelists and author of the Gospel of Matthew.
MEMORIAL OF SAINT PIUS OF PIETRELCINA, PRIEST
Upon joining the Capuchin Franciscans, Francesco Forgione took the name Pio. He was ordained in 1910 and was drafted in World War I. He was discharged and assigned to the friary in San Giovanni Rotondo after having tuberculosis.
On September 20, 1918, Padre Pio had a vision of Jesus. After the vision, he had the stigmata in his hands, feet, and side. Following what happened, the authenticity of the stigmata came into question. Padre Pio temporarily was not permitted to celebrate Mass publicly or hear confessions.
Many came to visit, receive penance, and attend Mass celebrated by Padre Pio. The House for the Alleviation of Suffering was a hospital that was established because of his tremendous care for the sick.
Several people have reported cures they believed were received through his intercession. Padre Pio died on September 23, 1968, and was beatified in 1999.
MEMORIAL OF SAINT VINCENT DE PAUL, PRIEST
Saint Vincent De Paul was the leader of the Congregation of the Mission, also known as the Vincentians. These were priests who vowed to live a life of poverty and obedience. They were devoted to people in smaller towns and villages. Saint Vincent De Paul established confraternities of charity for the spiritual and physical relief of the sick and poor of each parish.
He invited the wealthy to fund his missionary projects. Saint Vincent De Paul founded several hospitals and collected relief funds for the victims of war. He also established seminaries.
Saint Vincent De Paul is known as the patron of charitable society, including of course the St. Vincent De Paul Society. He died in 1660 and was canonized in 1736.
MEMORIAL OF SAINT JEROME, PRIEST AND DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH
Saint Jerome is important for having made a translation of the Bible from Hebrew to Latin, which became known as the Vulgate. He was a Master of Latin, Greek, Hebrew, and Chaldaic. The Council of Trent called for a new and corrected edition of the Vulgate and declared it to be the authentic text used in the Church. Saint Jerome traveled extensively in Palestine and made devotional trips to each spot of Jesus' life. Spending five years in the desert of Chalcis, he gave himself to penance, prayer, and study. He settled in Bethlehem and died there. Saint Jerome is buried in the Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome.