Monday 20th, The Irish Martyrs. Seventeen Irish martyrs, men and women, cleric and lay, put to death for the Catholic faith between 1579 and 1654 were beatified by Pope St. John Paul II in 1992. Six Catholics of Irish birth or connection executed for the faith in England had already been beatified in 1929 and 1987.
Tuesday 21st, St Aloysius Gonzaga joined the Jesuits and as a model novice he worked in the plague hospital and caught the fever himself, dying in 1591 at the age of twenty-three. Patron saint of young people.
Wednesday 22nd, Ss. John Fisher (1469-1535) and Thomas More (1478-1535) John Fisher was Bishop of Rochester. His love of truth brought about his death. Thomas More, the first commoner to become Lord Chancellor of England, suffered martyrdom also under Henry VIII, is the patron saint of lawyers and those in public life.
Thursday 23rd, The Nativity of St. John the Baptist. We rejoice at the coming of St. John the Baptist, a man of self-denial, integrity of life and purpose, and an uncompromising prophetic voice. John means ‘The Lord has shown favour’.
Friday 24th, The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus (World Day of Prayer for Priests). ‘The term ‘Sacred Heart of Jesus’ denotes the entire mystery of Christ: Son of God, uncreated wisdom, infinite charity, principle of the salvation and sanctification of mankind’ (Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy, 166)
Saturday 25th, The Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Celebrated the day after The Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart, the closeness of the two celebrations ‘is in itself a liturgical sign of their close connection: the mysterium of the Heart of Jesus is projected on and reverberates in the Heart of his Mother, who is also one of his followers and a disciple’ (Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy, 174)