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Saturday of the Third Week of Easter Memorial of St. Catherine of Siena, 1347-1380; entered the Dominican Third Order at 18; became very influential, publicly; worked for the crusade against the Turks, and for Church unity during the Great Schism Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/29/23 Gospel: John 6:60-69

Friday of the Third Week of Easter Optional Memorial of St. Peter Chanel, 1803-1841; born in France, and joined the Marists after ordination; went as a missionary to Futuna Island, northeast of Fiji, where he learned the language and maintained a serene and gentle spirit, plus endless patience; when the chieftain's son asked to baptized, the chieftain ordered Fr. Peter to be clubbed to death; but within two years after Peter Chanel's death, the entire island became Catholic, and has remained so Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/28/23 Gospel: John 6:52-59

Thursday of the Third Week of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Zita, 1212-1278; became a housekeeper for a rich weaver in Lucca, Italy, at the age of 12, and remained with the family for the rest of her life; found time every day to attend mass and recite prayers, as well as carry out her household duties; her employers eventually gave Zita free reign over her working schedule, and she busied herself with viists to the sick and imprisoned; sought out by important people; patroness of domestic workers Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/27/23 Gospel: John 6:44-51

Wednesday of the Third Week of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Cletus; third Bishop of Rome, succeeding St. Linus; reigned from 76 to his death in 89 A.D.; styled by authoritative sources as a martyr; buried near St. Linus on the Vatican Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/26/23 Gospel: John 6:35-40

Feast of St. Mark, evangelist, died circa 68 A.D. Tuesday of the Third Week of Easter Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/25/23 Gospel: Mark 16:15-20

Monday of the Third Week of Easter Optional Memorial of St. Fidelis of Sigmaringen, 1577-1622; lawyer-turned-Franciscan Capuchin monk; as a missionary to Switzerland, he was so successful that local Protestants claimed that he was a spy for the Austrian emperor; also served as head of the Congregation for the Spreading of the Faith; stabbed to death in a church in 1622 Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/24/23 Gospel: John 6:22-29

Third Sunday of Easter Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/23/23 Gospel: Luke 24:13-35

Saturday of the Second Week of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Tarbula; sister of bishop and martyr St. Simeon the Persian; she was accused of practicing witchcraft and causing the wife of the anti-Christian Persian king, Shapur, to become ill; she was condemned and executed in 345 A.D. Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/22/23 Gospel: John 6:16-21

Friday of the Second Week of Easter Optional Memorial of St. Anselm, 1033-1109; joined the monastery of Bec in Normandy, was elected prior, and eventually abbot; his theological works are compared to those of St. Augustine, best-known being "Why God Became Man"; appointed archbishop of Canterbury in 1093, but went into exile over disagreements with King William Rufus; returned to England at the request of Henry I, but disagreed with him over the king's insistence on investing England's bishops; spent another three years in exile in Rome; his care and concern extended to the very poorest people, and he opposed the slave trade Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/21/23 Gospel: John 6:1-15

Thursday of the Second Week of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Agnes of Montepulciano, 1268-1317; entered the monastery of Montepulciano at age 9; commissioned by Pope Nicholas IV to assis in the foundation of a new convent in Procena; returned to Montepulciano, where she governed until her death; noted for visions and miracles Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/20/23 Gospel: John 3:31-36

Wednesday of the Second Week of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Alphege of Canterbury, 954-1012; abbot, then bishop of Winchester, and finally archbishop of Canterbury; martyred by Danish invaders Office of Readings and Mornng Prayer for 4/19/23 Gospel: John 3:16-21

Tuesday of the Second Week of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Apollonius the Apologist; Roman senator, denounced as a Christian by one of his slaves; he was arrested, and ended up in a debate in the senate; despite his eloquent defense, Apollonius was condemned and beheaded in 185 A.D. Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/18/23 Gospel: John 3:7-15

Monday of the Second Week of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Stephen Harding, 1059-1134; born in Dorset, England, and became a traveling scholar, settling at the abbey of Molesme in Burgundy; later worked with St. Robert of Molesme and St. Alberic to found a new monastery at Citeaux; Stephen guided the community over a period of great growth, and wrote the Carta Caritatis, an important Cistercian document Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/17/23 Gospel: John 3:1-8

Second Sunday of Easter - Divine Mercy Sunday Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/16/23 Gospel: John 20:19-31

Saturday in the Octave of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Hunna; a Seventh Century noblewoman who devoted herself to the poor of Strasbourg, France, even washing the poor; known as the "holy washerwoman"; died 679 A.D.; patron of laundresses; Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/15/23 Gospel: Mark 16:9-15

Friday in the Octave of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Lydwine, 1380-1433; broke a rib in in ice skating accident and never recovered; she experienced visions of heaven, hell, purgatory, apparitions of Christ, and the stigmate; patron of the chronically ill, and of ice skaters Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/14/23 Gospel: John 21:1-14

Thursday in the Octave of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Martin I; elected pope in 649, when a heresy which held that Christ had no human will was popular in the East; the emperor sent troops to Rome to seize Martin and bring him to Constantinople; Martin was tortured, but saved from execution by the pleas of the patriarch of Constantinople; Martin died shortly thereafter, in 655 Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/13/23 Gospel: Luke 24:35-48

Wednesday in the Octave of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Sabas the Goth, 334-372; a Goth who converted to Christianity; survived several persecutions, but was seized by Gothic soldiers who ordered him to eat meat sacrificed to idols; Sabas was drowned in the Mussovo River Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/12/23 Gospel: Luke 24-13-35

Tuesday in the Octave of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Stanislaus of Krakow, 1030-1079; born of noble parents near Krakow, Poland; ordained at Gnesen, and became known for his preaching and spiritual advice; denounced the cruelties of King Boleslaus the Bold, and excommunicated him; the king killed him while he was celebrating mass Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/11/23 Gospel: John 20:11-18

Monday in the Octave of Easter Saint of the Day: st. Michael de Sanctis, 1591-1625; joined the Trinitarian Friars at Barcelona in 1603; later joined the reformed group of Trinitarians; ordained, and served as superior of the house in Valladolid; known for his sanctity and ecstacies during mass; many miracles were attributed to him after his death, at the age of 35; patron of cancer patients Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/10/23 Gospel: Matthew 28:8-15