Oh When the Saints…“We are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses”

(Hebrews 12:1)

Most likely to fly away:St. Joseph Cupertino was born in Italy. He was not considered very intelligent, but was asked the only question he really knew well in order to become a priest. During St. Joseph’s prayers, he would get caught up in ecstasies that would leave him soaring above others.

Most likely to stub her toe:St. Teresa of Avila decided to enter the convent when she read the writings of St. Jerome. While she was first in the convent, St. Teresa struggled with gossip and being very selfish. After a while, through God’s grace she began to realize the need to live more simply. St. Teresa helped to restore the Carmelites – her order. They became the Descaled Carmelites – or the shoeless Carmelites.

Most likely to give up the shirt on his backSt. Maximilian Kolbe was a German who lived in Poland during the Second World War. He was taken to the concentration camps, where after one of the prisoners escaped, ten men were chosen to go to the starvation bunker. One man, upon being chosen, cried out, “My family!” St. Maximilian stepped forward and took this man’s place.

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Most likely to shave her headSt. Clare of Assisi was the first woman to join St. Francis. Her love for the poor and the Lord led her to a life of prayer and solitude. When she went to join St. Francis, St. Clare’s hair was cut off as symbol of giving herself to God. When an army attacked the convent where St. Clare and the sisters were living, her intercession is credited to having saved them and the town.

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Most likely to climb a mountainBlessed Pier Giorgio Frassati was born to wealthy Italian family. He loved the Lord, greatly and began to pray and live a life of humble charity. All who knew him were impressed by his love for the poor, adventure and prayerfulness. Bl. Pier Giorgio was an athlete and loved the outdoors. The picture of him mountain climbing was the last one taken. The inscription, written by Pier Giorgio, says “to the top” in Italian.

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Most likely to fight for herselfSt. Maria Goretti was twelve years old when her neighbor tried to assault her. She fiestly said she would rather die than give in and become impure. The neighbor, Alexander, grabbed a knife and began to stab her repeatedly. While St. Maria lay in the hospital, she forgave her attacker. Years later, while Alexander was serving his 30 year sentence, he saw a vision of St. Maria Goretti forgiving him. When Alexander was released, he received forgiveness from her family and was present at her canonization.

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Most likely to laughSt. Philip Neri was born in Italy and always had a great sense of humor. A man of great prayer, he began an Oratory for people to come and learn more about becoming a follower of Christ. St. Philip Neri also had a great sense of humility. He once shaved half of his beard off to help him learn this virtue more. Most of all, though, St. Philip Neri was joyful. One time someone overheard this saint caught up in Adoration laughing. He was heard saying, “Lord, I can’t take it… all this joy!”

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Most likely to see Jesus in othersWhen St. Elizabeth was greeted by Mary, she immediately recognized the presence of the Lord in Mary. Meanwhile, Elizabeth was extremely virtuous when it came to faithfulness and patience. She had waited for a long time to have a child. When St. Elizabeth finally did, she gave birth to St. John the Baptist.

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Most likely to open his mouth firstSt. Peter was the first to recognize that Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of the Living God. He was also the one who denied him three times, even after saying that he’d rather die than deny Christ. After the Resurrection, St. Peter showed his remorse and ran out into the water to meet Jesus. Jesus, after forgiving him, left him in charge of the Church. St. Peter died in Rome as a martyr, or witness to the faith.

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Most likely to be drastic St. Rose of Lima was extremely beautiful. She was so beautiful that her mother would often show her off to others. St. Rose, who did not want to be noticed in such a way, would often do things to take away from her beauty. One time she rubbed pepper into her face until it became red and blistered. Another time St. Rose stuck herself with a pin when her mother crowned her with roses. She remained very faithful in prayer and acts of love to those around her.

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Most likely to defy deathBlessed Pope John Paul II was born in Poland in between WWI and WWII. He was a young college student when WWII broke out in Europe. Bl. Pope John Paul II entered a secret seminary during the war after the death of his father – the only remaining member of his family. It was during this time that he was hit by a car and left to die. However, someone saw and got him medical attention. Bl. Pope John Paul II also had an assassination attempt go amiss after he was elected Pope. One of his key messages was, “do not be afraid!”

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Most likely to win a battleSt. Joan of Arc was an illiterate French peasant who saw visions of Jesus Christ. These visions told her to go restore the French prince to his throne. Winning over many, including the heir to the French throne, Joan led soldiers into battle. She demanded they attend Mass and pray before every battle. In an effort to defeat her, the English accused her of witchcraft. Joan was abandoned by the heir to the French throne because he made a deal with the British to retain his throne if he gave her up. As a result, Joan was burned at the stake. All the while she kept professing the one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church.

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