- December 3, 2023
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2024 Spring On-Air Appeal – May 6-10 – Call 1-877-711-8500!
Juan Diego was a native of Mexico, born in the Year of Our Lord 1474. A humble farm laborer, he was married but had no children, and became a widower sometime after his conversion to Catholicism at age 50. On Saturday, December 9th, 1531, near Mexico City, Juan Diego received a vision of Our Lady, who asked for the local bishop to build a shrine there. The next day, the bishop was unconvinced by Juan Diego’s story, but he agreed to wait for a sign, which Our Lady promised the visionary on Monday. However, Juan Diego was called upon to care for his sickly uncle the entire next day, and on Tuesday, December 12th, he attempted to avoid the site of the apparition, out of embarrassment. But Our Lady appeared nonetheless, curing Juan Diego’s uncle, and providing the requested miracle: a great bouquet of roses, gathered into Juan Diego’s tilma, or cloak, despite it being the middle of December. As the roses spilled out of the tilma in front of the bishop, the famous and miraculous image of Our Lady of Guadalupe was revealed on the cloth. Juan Diego lived the rest of his life as a holy hermit near the shrine, dying in 1548.
AT Gray, in Burgundy, St. Peter Fourier, Canon Regular of Our Saviour, and founder of the Canonesses Regular of Our Lady for the education of girls. Because of his brilliant virtues and miracles Leo XIII placed him in the catalogue of Saints.
At Toledo, in Spain, the birthday of the holy virgin Leocadia, a martyr, in the persecution of the emperor Diocletian. By Dacian, prefect of Spain, she was condemned to a cruel imprisonment, where she was pining away, when, hearing of the barbarous tortures of blessed Eulalia and the other martyrs, she knelt down to pray, and yielded up her undefiled spirit to Christ.
At Carthage, St. Restitutus, bishop and martyr, on whose feast St. Augustine delivered a discourse to the people in which he set forth his praises.
Also, in Africa, the holy martyrs Peter, Successus, Bassian, Primitivus and twenty others.
At Limoges, in France, St. Valeria, virgin and martyr.
At Verona, during the persecution of Diocletian, St. Proculus, bishop, who was buffeted, scourged with rods and driven out of the city. Being at length restored to his church, he rested in peace.
At Pavia, St. Syrus, first bishop of that city, who was renowned for miracles and virtues worthy of an apostle.
At Apamea, in Syria, blessed Julian, bishop, who was distinguished for holiness in the time of Severus.
At Perigueux, in France, the holy abbot Cyprian, a man of great sanctity.
At Nazianzus, St. Gorgonia, sister of blessed Gregory the Theologian, who has related her virtues and miracles.
℣. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
℟. Thanks be to God.
