The saints are our friends in heaven — examples of holiness and powerful intercessors before God.
Saint of the Day
St. Junípero Serra
Feast: July 1 · Apostle of California; patron of vocations
St. Junípero Serra was a Spanish Franciscan friar who left a distinguished academic career to become a missionary in the New World. Beginning in 1769, he founded the first of the California missions, tirelessly proclaiming the Gospel along El Camino Real. Despite poor health and a chronically wounded leg, he traveled great distances to baptize, teach, and care for the indigenous peoples he loved. Canonized by Pope Francis in 2015, he is honored as the Apostle of California. His zeal continues to inspire missionary discipleship throughout the Americas.
St. Junípero Serra, zealous apostle of the Gospel, kindle in us a missionary heart to bring Christ to all. Amen. (Siempre adelante!)
Patrons of Our Parish & People
The Immaculate Conception
December 8
Patroness of the United States; our parish's patronal feast
The Immaculate Conception is the title under which we honor the Blessed Virgin Mary, who, by a singular grace of God and in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, was preserved free from original sin from the first moment of her conception. This dogma was solemnly defined by Pope Pius IX in 1854. Mary's purity prepared her to become the Mother of the Redeemer and the model of perfect discipleship. As Patroness of the United States, she is invoked for the protection and renewal of our nation. This feast is the patronal celebration of our parish.
Our Lady of Guadalupe
December 12
Patroness of the Americas
In December 1531, the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to St. Juan Diego, a humble indigenous convert, on the hill of Tepeyac near Mexico City. She asked that a church be built on that site and left her miraculous image imprinted on his tilma, which is venerated to this day. Her appearance, with the features of a mestiza woman, brought millions to the faith and is a sign of God's tender closeness to the poor and humble. Proclaimed Patroness of the Americas, she is deeply beloved, especially within the Hispanic community. Her image continues to inspire devotion, conversion, and hope.
St. Joseph
March 19
Patron of the Universal Church, of workers, and of a happy death
St. Joseph was the chaste spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the foster father of Jesus Christ. A just man and a humble carpenter of Nazareth, he obediently followed God's will revealed in dreams, protecting and providing for the Holy Family. Though Scripture records no words of his, his faithful, silent service makes him a model of fatherhood and trust in Providence. He is honored as Patron of the Universal Church, of workers, and of a happy death, having died in the presence of Jesus and Mary. The faithful turn to him for protection of families and the grace of a holy passing.
St. Benedict of Nursia
July 11
Father of Western monasticism; patron of Europe
St. Benedict, born around 480 in Nursia, Italy, is honored as the father of Western monasticism. Withdrawing from a corrupt world to live as a hermit, he gathered disciples and founded the great monastery of Monte Cassino. His Rule, marked by the motto Ora et Labora — pray and work — balanced prayer, labor, and community life, and shaped Christian Europe for centuries. He is the patron of Europe and is invoked against evil through the famous Saint Benedict Medal. Locally, the San Benito River and county bear his name, joining our region to his enduring witness.
More Holy Men & Women
St. Juan Diego
December 9
Patron of indigenous peoples
St. Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin was a humble Aztec convert to the Catholic faith, born in 1474 near present-day Mexico City. In December 1531 the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to him at Tepeyac, asking that a church be built and leaving her image upon his tilma as a sign for the bishop. Through his simple obedience, millions came to faith in Christ. Canonized by Pope St. John Paul II in 2002, he is honored as a model of humility and trust in God. He shows that the Lord chooses the lowly to accomplish great things.
St. Junípero Serra
July 1
Apostle of California; patron of vocations
St. Junípero Serra was a Spanish Franciscan friar who left a distinguished academic career to become a missionary in the New World. Beginning in 1769, he founded the first of the California missions, tirelessly proclaiming the Gospel along El Camino Real. Despite poor health and a chronically wounded leg, he traveled great distances to baptize, teach, and care for the indigenous peoples he loved. Canonized by Pope Francis in 2015, he is honored as the Apostle of California. His zeal continues to inspire missionary discipleship throughout the Americas.
St. Thérèse of Lisieux
October 1
The Little Flower; patroness of missions; Doctor of the Church
St. Thérèse Martin entered the Carmelite convent of Lisieux at the age of fifteen and lived a hidden life of prayer and sacrifice. Known as the 'Little Flower,' she taught the 'Little Way' of spiritual childhood — trusting in God with total confidence and doing small things with great love. She died of tuberculosis in 1897 at the age of twenty-four, offering her sufferings for the salvation of souls. Her autobiography, The Story of a Soul, has guided countless people to holiness. Declared a Doctor of the Church, she is also a patroness of the missions.
St. Peter Julian Eymard
August 2
Apostle of the Eucharist
St. Peter Julian Eymard, a French priest of the nineteenth century, devoted his entire life to the love and adoration of the Most Blessed Sacrament. He founded the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament and the Servants of the Blessed Sacrament to promote Eucharistic devotion and perpetual adoration. He longed for all to encounter the living presence of Christ in the Eucharist and to draw their strength from Him. Canonized in 1962, he is honored as the 'Apostle of the Eucharist.' His witness invites us to adore Christ truly present in the Blessed Sacrament.
The Sacred Heart of Jesus
Feast of the Sacred Heart (movable)
Devotion to the love of Christ
The Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus honors the boundless, merciful love that Christ pours out for all humanity. The Heart of Jesus, pierced on the Cross, is the living symbol of His total self-gift and His thirst for our love in return. This devotion was greatly spread through the visions granted to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque in the seventeenth century. The faithful consecrate themselves and their families to the Sacred Heart and make reparation for sin. Celebrated on a movable date in June, it calls us to trust in His infinite mercy.
St. Francis of Assisi
October 4
Founder of the Franciscans; patron of ecology and animals
St. Francis of Assisi, born in 1181 to a wealthy merchant family, renounced his inheritance to embrace radical poverty and follow the Gospel literally. He founded the Order of Friars Minor and inspired countless men and women to live for Christ and serve the poor. Filled with joy, he saw all creation as a reflection of God and praised the Lord in his Canticle of the Sun. He bore the wounds of the stigmata, conformed in body to the crucified Christ he loved. He is honored as the patron of ecology, animals, and peacemakers.
