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Saturday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Francis de Sales, 1567-1622; born in Savoy, France, and as bishop devoted his work to implementing the decrees of the Council of Trent; also co-founded the Visitandines, with St. Jane Francis de Chantal; among his most read and revered writings are Introduction to the Devout Life and the Treatise on the Love of God Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/24/26 Gospel: Mark 3:20-21

Friday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Marianne Cope, 1838-1918; born in Germany, emigrated to Utica, New York, and joined the the Sisters of the Third Order of Saint Francis in Syracuse, New York; she was twice elected provincial; in 1835, along with six other sisters, she went to Hawaii to take charge of the receiving station outside of Honolulu for people suspected of having leprosy; in 1888, Mother Marianne and two sisters went to Molokai to open a home for “unprotected women and girls” there; she took charge of the home that Saint Damien de Veuster had established for men and boys; her sisters have attracted vocations among the Hawaiian people and still work on Molokai Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/23/26 Gospel: Mark 3:13-19

Thursday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/22/26 Gospel: Mark 3:7-12

Wednesday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Agnes, virgin and martyr, 291-304; venerated since the Fourth Century in Rome; various early legends make it difficult to discern details of her martyrdom, but she was young and heroic; after her death, Constantine's daughter erected a basilica over her grave; she is mentioned in the Roman Canon of the mass, and early Church Fathers praised her virtue Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/21/26 Gospel: Mark 3:1-6

Tuesday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of Pope St. Fabian, 200-250; a Roman layman who came to the city as a new pope was about to be elected; a dove landed on his head, it was taken as a sign, and Fabian was elected unanimously; he led the Church for 14 years and died a martyr’s death during the persecution of Decius Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/20/26 Gospel: Mark 2:23-28

Monday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Henry of Uppsala, 1100-1156; an Englishman who accompanied Cardinal Nicholas Breakspear to Sweden and Norway in 1151; there he was made the bishop of Uppsala, Sweden; he accompanied King St. Eric of Sweden on a military campaign to Finland, never leaving that land again; Henry was murdered in Finland in 1156 by an excommunicate named Lalli Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/19/26 Gospel: Mark 2:18-22

Second Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/18/26 Gospel: John 1:29-34

Saturday of the First Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Anthony, the Abbot, 251-356; born in Egypt, and felt called to give away all his possessions, follow Christ, and become a hermit; his spirituality attracted many followers; during the Arian controversy, St. Anthony supported the Nicene party and became friends with St. Athanasius, who would later write The Way of St. Antony Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/17/26 Gospel: Mark 2:13-17

Friday of the First Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Sulpicius, 576-646; the son of wealthy parents; he renounced the idea of marriage and devoted himself to good works, especially caring for the poor; when he became Bishop of Bourges in 624, he fought for the rights of his people against King Dagobert's minister, Lullo; known for austerity and holliness; he is reported to have converted all the inhabitants of Bourges to Christianity with his holiness and charity; resigned his bishopric late in life to devote himself to the poor Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/16/26 Gospel: Mark 2:1-12

Thursday of the First Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Arnold Jansen, 1837-1909; born in Germany, ordained in 1861, and served as a parish priest; in 1875 he founded the Society of the Divine Word, to provide priests and lay brothers for the missions; he also founded the Servant Sisters of the Holy Ghost for the missions in 1889 Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/15/26 Gospel: Mark 1:40-45

Wednesday of the First Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: Grandmother of Sts. Basil and Gregory of Nyssa; she was trained in the faith by St. Gregory Thaumaturgis; during the persecution instituted by Emperor Diocletian, Macrina and her husband had to flee Neocaesarea, in Pontus; they lived on the shores of the Black Sea, and Macrina died in about 340 A.D. Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/14/26 Gospel: Mark 1:29-39

Tuesday of the First Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Hilary of Poitiers, 315-368; as bishop of Poitiers, France, he battled Arianism, which denied the divinity of Christ; the emperor ordered all bishops of the west to sign a condemnation of Athanasius--the great defender of the faith in the east--but Hilary refused, and was exiled to Phrygia; he attempted a debate with the heretical bishop who had exiled him, but he was, instead, sent home, where his people welcomed him Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/13/26 Gospel: Mark 1:21-28

Monday of the First Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. John of Ravenna, 477-494; Bishop of Ravenna, Italy, who saved his people from the fury of Attila the Hun; served as bishop from 452 to 494; also faced the Ostrogoths, under King Theodoric the Great, who invaded the region and became the chief political power in the years following the final deposition of the Roman emperors in the West in 476 Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/12/26 Gospel: Mark 1:14-20

Feast of the Baptism of the Lord - Final Day of the Christmas Season Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/11/26 Gospel: Matthew 3:13-17

Saturday after Epiphany Saint of the Day: St. Gregory of Nyssa, 335-394; part of a family which gave many years of service and five saints to the Church; he became bishop of Nyssa in 371; during a trip to Jerusalem, he was forced to defend his Christology, although he was then and is now well-known for his Trinitarian theology; in 394, he attended a synod in Constantinople and is thought to have died shortly after that when mention of him in church records ceases Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/10/26 Gospel: John 3:22-30

Friday after Epiphany Saint of the Day: St. Marciana of Mauretania; virgin martyr of Mauretania, was ac­cused of vandalizing a statue of the goddess Diana; after torments, Marciana was gored by a bull and mauled by a leopard in the amphitheater of Caesarea, also in Mauretania, in 303 A.D.; she is invoked to cure wounds Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/9/26 Gospel: Luke 5:12-16

Thursday after Epiphany Saint of the Day: St. Severinus of Noricum; Fifth Century monk, hermit, and founder; evangelized the region of Noricum (part of modern day Austria), establishing a number of monasteries along the Danube River; he gave aid and comfort to the many refugees and victims of the invasion of the region by Attila and the Huns; he was known for his preaching and prophecies; Severinus died in 482 A.D. Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/8/26 Gospel: Luke 4:14-22

Wednesday after Epiphany Optional Memorial of St. Raymond of Penafort, 1175-1275; born in Spain, a relative of the king of Aragon; co-founded the Order of Our Lady of Ransom, dedicated to saving poor Christians captured by the Moors; went with King James to Majorca; he ordered King James to cease his scandalous behavior, but he did not; Raymond left Majorca by spreading his cloak upon the water, tying up one corner of it to a stick for a sail, standing on the cloak and sailing for six hours to Barcelona; King James repented; Raymond was 100 years old at his death Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/7/26 Gospel: Mark 6:45-52

Tuesday after Epiphany Optional Memorial of St. Andre Bessette, 1845-1937; entered the Congregation of the Holy Cross, and was given the humble job of doorkeeper at Notre Dame College in Montreal, along with duties as sacristan, laundry worker and messenger; when he heard someone was ill, he visited to bring cheer and to pray with the sick person; when an epidemic broke out at a nearby college, André volunteered to nurse, and not one person died; after Holy Cross authorities bought property on Mount Royal, Andre raised $200 to build a small chapel and welcome visitors;  by 1931, there were gleaming walls, but money ran out; “Put a statue of Saint Joseph in the middle. If he wants a roof over his head, he’ll get it”; The magnificent Oratory on Mount Royal took 50 years to build; the sickly boy who could not hold a job died at 92 Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/6/26 Gospel: Mark 6:34-44

Monday after Epiphany Memorial of St. John Neumann, 1811-1860; came to America and joined the Redemptorists, and faithfully served the poor in Buffalo, New York; became bishop of Philadelphia in 1852, and established over 50 churches, 100 schools and began the building of a cathedral; he is the first American bishop to be canonized Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/5/26 Gospel: Matthew 4:12-17, 23-25