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Wednesday of the Second Week of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Stanislaus of Cracow, 1030-1079; born near Cracow and ordained in Gnesen, after which he became known as a powerful preacher and spiritual advisor; named bishop of Cracow in 1072; denounced the cruelties and injustices of King Boleslaus the Bold; Stanislaus was murdered by the king himself Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/10/24 Gospel: John 3:16-21

Tuesday of the Second Week of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Acacus; bishop of Amida, Mesopotamia; sold sacred vessels of the church to aid victims of the Persian persecution; King Bahram V was so impressed that he ordered the cessation of persecutions of Christians; St. Acacus died in 425 A.D. Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/9/24 Gospel: John 3:7-15

Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord Monday of the Second Week of Easter Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/8/24 Gospel: Luke 1:26-38

Second Sunday of Easter - Divine Mercy Sunday Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/7/24 Gospel: John 20:19-31

Saturday in the Octave of Easter Saint of the Day: Pope St. Celestine I; elected pope in 422; founder of the papal diplomatic service; battled heresies of Novationism, Nestorianism, and Pelagianism; believed to have sent Palladius to evangelize Ireland in 431; died in 432 A.D. Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/6/24 Gospel: Mark 16:9-15

Friday in the Octave of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Ethelburga; wife of King St. Edwin of Northumbria, England, daughter of St. Ethelbert of Kent; Ethelburga converted King St. Edwin, and when he died, she founded a convent at Lyminge; she served as abbess until her death in 647 A.D. Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/5/24 Gospel: John 21:1-14

Thursday in the Octave of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Benedict the Moor, 1524-1589; born a slave near Messina, Italy; when freed, he became a solitary, settling with other hermits; later became a Franciscan lay brother, serving as a cook at St. Mary's Convent near Palermo; against his will, he was appointed superior, then became novice master; asking to be relieved of the responsibility, he returned to his position as cook; he was known for holiness, miracles, and fame as a confessor; he died at the convent Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/4/24 Gospel: Luke 24:35-48

Wednesday in the Octave of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Vulpian; a Syrian, he was executed at Tyre, Lebanon, in 304 A.D., during the persecutions of the Emperor Diocletian; tradition holds that he was sewn into a leather sack with a snake and a dog and hurled into the sea Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/3/24 Gospel: Luke 24:13-35

Tuesday in the Octave of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Appian, 286-306; born in Lycia, and studied at Berytus, modern Beirut; went to Caesarea, with Eusebius; protested an order to sacrifice to the Roman gods, and was arrested and thrown into the sea with weights on his feet; tradition holds that an earthquake occured immediately after his execution, bringing his body back to the shore Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/2/24 Gospel: John 20:11-18

Monday in the Octave of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Hugh of Grenoble, 1053-1132; named bishop of Grenoble in 1080; attempted a massive reform of his diocese, but became discouraged, and left to become a Benedictine; called back by Pope St. Gregory VII; Hugh gave St. Bruno the land on which the Grande Chartreuse was founded, thus starting the Carthusians Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/1/24 Gospel: Matthew 28:8-15

Easter Sunday Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/31/24 Gospel: John 20:1-9

Holy Saturday Saint of the Day: St. John Climacus, 525-606; Syrian or Palestinian, he lived for many years as a hermit on Mount Sinai; he wrote "The Ladder of Perfection" to provide a comprehensive treatise on the ideal of Christian perfection and the virtues and vices of the monastic life; he was elected abbot of the monks on Mount Sinai at the age of 70, and died there Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/30/24 Gospel: Mark 16:1-7

Good Friday - The commemoration of the Passion and Death of the Lord Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/29/24 Gospel: John 18:1-19:42

Holy Thursday Saint of the Day: St. Venturino of Bergamo, 1304-1346; Dominican who became a brilliant preacher; in 1335, he announced his intention to make a pilgrimage to Rome; Pope Benedict XII feared that Venturino would try to crown himself pope, and forbade the pilgrimage, as did the Dominicans; Venturino was unaware of the bans, and made his way to Rome, and then to Avignon, where he was arrested and imprisoned until 1343; helped to organize a crusade against the Turks, who were then menacing Europe Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/28/24 Gospel: John 13:1-15

Wednesday of Holy Week Saint of the Day: St. Rupert, 660-717; born to a noble Frankish family; appointed bishop of Worms, Germany; he took over the deserted town of luvavum about 697, which was renamed Salzburg, Austria, and founded a church, a monastery, and a school; brought in groups of missionaries; and established a nunnery at Nonnberg; died at Salzburg; venerated as the apostle to Bavaria and Austria Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/27/24 Gospel: Matthew 26:14-25

Tuesday of Holy Week Saint of the Day: St. Margaret Clitherow, 1555-1586; born in Middleton, England; married John Clitherow, and entered the Catholic Church; she harbored fugitive priests, for which she was arrested; she was condemned to be pressed to death Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/26/24 Gospel: John 13:21-33, 36-38

Monday of Holy Week Saint of the Day: St. Dismas, the "good thief"; a pious, unsubstantiated legend has Dismas and his partner, Gestas, robbing the Holy Family on their way to Egypt; but Dismas buys off Gestas so that they will not be harmed; and Jesus prophesies that the two will be crucified with him in Jerusalem, but that Dismas will accompany him to paradise Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/25/24 Gospel: John 12:1-11

Palm Sunday of the Lord's Passion Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/24/24 Gospel: Mark 15:1-39

Saturday of the Fifth Week of Lent Commemoration of St. Turbius de Mongrovejo, 1538-1606; born in Mayorga, Spain; became a lawyer, and, eventually chief-judge of the court of the inquisition at Granada; appointed archbishop of Lima, Peru, in 1580; following ordination and consecration, he arrived in Peru in 1581; he aided the poor and defended the rights of Indians suffering under Spanish occupation; he founded schools, churches, hospitals, and the first seminary in the New World; he also mastered several Indian dialects Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/23/24 Gospel: John 11:45-56

Friday of the Fifth Week of Lent Saint of the Day: St. Nicholas Owen, 1550-1606; born in Oxford, England; became a carpenter, and built hiding places for Jesuit priests; became a Jesuit lay brother, and was arrested in 1594, and tortured, but refused to reveal the names of Catholic colleagues; ransomed by a wealthy Catholic; arrested again in 1606, and tortured to death; one of the 40 martyrs of England and Wales Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/22/24 Gospel: John 10:31-42