Saints O'the Day

June 6

Alexander of Fiesole M (RM)

Died near Bologna in 590. Alexander, bishop of Fiesole in Tuscany, Italy, was a fierce defender of the Church against the heresy of the kings of Lombardy. His opponents waylaid him near Bologna and drowned him in the Reno River (Benedictines).

Bertrand of Aquileia BM (AC)

Born near Cahors, 1260; died 1350; cultus approved by Pope Benedict XIV. Bertrand became dean of the cathedral chapter of Angouleme, from which position he was raised to the patriarchate of Aquileia. He died defending the rights of the Church (Benedictines).

Eustorgius II of Milan B (RM)

Died 518. Saint Eustorgius was a Roman priest who was named bishop of Milan in 512. He spent vast amounts of money ransoming members of his flock who had been taken prisoner by the barbarian invaders (Benedictines).

Blessed Gerard of Tintorio (AC)

Died 1207; cultus approved in 1582. Gerard, a young citizen of Monza in Lombardy, Italy, was a man of means, but not wealthy. He expended his worldly treasure in founding a hospital, where he served the sick, especially lepers (Benedictines).

John of Verona B (RM)

7th century. Saint John succeeded Saint Maurus as bishop of Verona (Benedictines).

Norbert

Willibald (RM)

Died 786; feast day was formerly July 7.

The life of St. Willibald had been despaired of as a child and he had been cured, so it was believed, by being placed at the foot of a market cross where his royal parents had prayed and made a vow that if his life were spared it should be dedicated to the service of God. As a result, when five years old, he was placed for education in a monastery. Later he accompanied his father and brother to the Holy Land, and at one point was arrested as a spy and imprisoned. After an absence of six years he settled in the great monastery of Monte Cassino, where he was appointed sacristan and for eight years acted as porter.

At the end of that time he was sent to join his uncle Saint Boniface in Germany, where he was ordained priest and became bishop of Eichstaett. It was a hard and rough task in a barbarous land, for it was pioneering work demanding great qualities of energy and evangelism. During that period he lived in the abbey ruled by his brother, and afterwards by his sister, where he found a welcome retreat from the cares of his work, but was no less diligent in his pastoral oversight. "The field which had been so arid and barren soon flourished as a very vineyard of the Lord."

For over 50 years he labored for God in a foreign land and no story of missionary enterprise is more exhilarating than that of this faithful prince, who, whether as porter of a monastery or bishop of a diocese, served the needs of men and to the glory of God. And thus these three children of the good Saxon King Richard came to be numbered among the saints.