Be Not Afraid

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Important Feast Days in April  

April 5
St. Vincent Ferrer

A most wonderful Christian hero was St. Vincent Ferrer. He was born in Valencia, Spain, in 1350. He had a special devotion to the Blessed Mother. Whenever anyone spoke of her, it made him very happy. When he was seventeen, Vincent entered the Dominican order. He was very intelligent and did well in his studies. He was handsome too, but he wasn't proud or boastful.
First, Father Vincent taught at different colleges. Then he became a well-known preacher. The Dominicans are called the Order of Preachers. For twenty years, Father Vincent preached all over Spain and France. Although there were no microphones in those days, his voice could be heard from a great distance. Many people were converted just by listening to him. Even a well-known rabbi, Paul of Burgos, became a Catholic. He then became a priest and eventually bishop of Cartagena, Spain.
Many Catholics were so impressed by Vincent's sermons and example of holiness that they became more fervent. Catholics who were not practicing their faith often changed. They became fervent for the rest of their lives.
St. Vincent counted on God. He also asked for the prayers and penance of many people for the success of his sermons. He knew it was not his words or his talents that won people over. That is why he prayed before every sermon. But it is said that one time, when he knew that a very important person was going to listen to him, he worked harder than usual on his sermon. He ran out of time to pray. This sermon which he had prepared so carefully did not affect the nobleman much at all. God let that happen to teach Vincent not to count on himself. Another time, this same important person came to listen to Father Vincent preach. But this time the priest did not know it. He prayed and counted on God, as usual. The nobleman listened to the sermon and was greatly impressed by what he heard. When Vincent was told, he said: "In the first sermon it was Vincent who preached. In the second sermon, it was Jesus Christ."
St. Vincent died in 1419. He was proclaimed a saint by Pope Nicholas V in 1455.

April 13
St. Martin

St. Martin was a priest of Rome who had a reputation for being well-educated and holy. He became pope in July, 649. When people were arguing over the truths about Jesus, Pope Martin called a meeting of bishops. This meeting was the Council of the Lateran. It explained clearly what we believe about certain truths. However, some Christians were not pleased about it. Pope Martin knew the Council's explanations were true. It was his duty as pope to teach people the truth.
Some powerful men did not appreciate Pope Martin's activities. One such person was Emperor Constans II of Constantinople. He sent his soldiers to Rome to capture Martin and bring him to Constantinople. The soldiers kidnapped the pope. They took him right out of the Lateran Cathedral and snuck him onto a ship. Pope Martin got sick, but they continued their journey. In October, 653, he was put in jail in Constantinople for three months. He was given only a little food and water each day. He wasn't even allowed to wash himself. Pope Martin was put on trial, publicly humiliated and condemned to death. But then he was sent back to the same prison for three more months. Patriarch Paul of Constantinople pleaded for the pope's life. So instead of death, the pope was sentenced to be exiled. Pope Martin was put on a ship that took him across the Black Sea. In April, 654, it landed on the Russian peninsula called the Crimea.
Pope Martin was shocked at the neglect he suffered from those who were in charge of his captivity. He wrote his own account of those sad days. The pope said that he felt very bad to be forgotten by his relatives and members of the Church in Rome. He knew they were afraid of the emperor. But at least, he said, they could have sent supplies of corn, oil and other basic needs. But they did not. They abandoned the pope because of fear. 
The pope's exile lasted two years. He died around 656. Because of his terrible sufferings, he was proclaimed a martyr. He is the last of the popes so far to be considered a martyr.

April 21
St.  Anselm

Anselm was born in northern Italy in 1033. From his home he could see the Alps mountains. When he was fifteen, Anselm tried to join a monastery in Italy. But his father was against it. Then Anselm became sick. Not long after he got better, his mother died. He was still young and rich and clever. Soon he forgot about wanting to serve God. He began to think only of having good times.
After a while though, Anselm became bored with this way of life. He wanted something better, something more important. He went to France to visit the holy Abbot Lanfranc of the famous monastery of Bec. Anselm became Lanfranc's very close friend and the abbot brought him to God. He also helped Anselm decide to become a Benedic-tine monk. Anselm was then twenty-seven.
Anselm was a warm-hearted man who loved his brother monks dearly. Even those who first resented him soon became his friends. He became the abbot in 1078. When he had to leave Bec to become archbishop of Canterbury in England, he told the monks that they would always live in his heart.
The people of England loved and respected Anselm. However, King William II persecuted him. Anselm had to flee into exile in 1097 and in 1103. King William even forbade Anselm to go to Rome to ask the pope's advice. But Anselm went anyway. He stayed with the pope until the king died. Then he went back to his diocese in England.
Even in the midst of his many duties, St. Anselm always found time to write important books of philosophy and theology. He also wrote down the many wonderful instructions he had given the monks about God. They were very happy about that. He used to say: "Would you like to know the secret of being happy in the monastery? Forget the world and be happy to forget it. The monastery is a real heaven on earth for those who live only for Jesus." St. Anselm died on April 21, 1109. He was declared a great teacher or Doctor of the Church by Pope Clement XI in 1720.

April 29
 St. Catherine of Siena

Born in 1347, this well-known saint is the patroness of Italy, her country. Catherine was the youngest in a family of twenty-five children. Her mother and father wanted her to be happily married. However, Catherine wished only to be a nun. To prove her point, she cut off her long, beautiful hair. She wanted to make herself unattractive. Her parents were very upset and scolded her frequently. They also gave her the heaviest housework to do. But Catherine did not back down. Finally, her parents stopped opposing her.
St. Catherine was very honest and straight forward with Jesus. Once she asked him, "Where were you, Lord, when I had such shameful temptations?" And Jesus answered, "Daughter, I was in your heart. I made you win with my grace." One night, many people of Siena were out on the streets celebrating. Jesus appeared to Catherine who was praying alone in her room. With Jesus was his Blessed Mother. She took Catherine's hand and lifted it up to her Son. Jesus put a ring on the saint's finger and she became his bride.
In Catherine's time, the Church had many problems. There were fights going on all over Italy. Catherine wrote letters to kings and queens. She even went to beg rulers to make peace with the pope and to avoid wars. Catherine asked the pope to leave Avignon, France, and return to Rome to rule the Church. She told him it was God's will. He listened to St. Catherine and did what she said.
Catherine never forgot that Jesus was in her heart. Through her, Jesus helped the sick people she nursed. Through her Jesus comforted the prisoners she visited in jail.
This great saint died in Rome in 1380. She was just thirty-three. She was proclaimed a saint by Pope Pius II in 1461. In 1970, Pope Paul VI declared St. Catherine a Doctor of the Church. She received this great honor because she served Jesus' Church heroically during her brief lifetime.

April 30
St. Pius V

This holy pope was born in Italy in 1504. He was baptized Anthony Ghislieri. He wanted to become a priest, but it seemed as though his dream would never come true. His parents were poor. They had no money to send him to school. One day, two Dominicans came to his home and met Anthony. They liked him so much that they offered to educate him. And so at the age of fourteen, Anthony joined the Dominican order. That is when he took the name "Michael." Eventually, he became a priest. Then he became a bishop and cardinal.
Courageously he defended the teachings of the Church against those who opposed them. He continued to live a life of penance. When he was sixty-one, he was chosen pope. He took the name Pope Pius V. He had once been a poor shepherd boy. Now he was the head of the whole Catholic Church. Yet he remained as humble as ever. He still wore his white Dominican habit, the same old one he had always worn. And no one could persuade him to change it.
As pope, Pius V had many challenges to face. He drew strength from the crucifix. He meditated every day on the sufferings and death of Jesus. At this time, the Turks were trying to conquer the whole Christian world. They had a great navy on the Mediterranean Sea. A Christian force went to battle them at a place called Lepanto, near Greece. From the moment the army set out, the pope prayed the Rosary. He encouraged the people to do the same. Thanks to the help of the Blessed Mother, the Christians won a great victory. In gratitude to Mary, St. Pius V established the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary. We celebrate it each year on October 7.
Pope Pius V died in Rome on May 1, 1572. His feast is celebrated today because May 1 is the feast of St. Joseph the Worker. Pius V was proclaimed a saint by Pope Clement XI in 1712.