Our Class Saints

Each class at The Rosary has a dedicated saint. A saint is a person just like you and me that God gave them special graces to in order for them to do special things. All the saints were holy men and women. Some of the saints could work miracles, some could heal, some had the ability to be in two places at once. God knew these people, as He knows us, and gave them these abilities because God knew these people would do His Will.  Each class is able to take inspiration from their own class saint and talk to them in prayer.

Reception: Saint Jude

Feast Day – 28^th October

St. Jude is the Patron Saint of Hope and impossible causes and one of Jesus’ original twelve Apostles.

He preached the Gospel with great passion, often in the most difficult circumstances. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, he made profound differences in people's lives as he offered them the Word of God. The Gospel tells us that St. Jude was a brother of St. James the Less, also one of the Apostles. They are described in the Gospel of Matthew as the "brethren" of Jesus, probably cousins. St. Jude is often confused with Judas Iscariot who betrayed Jesus.

"But you, beloved, build yourselves up in your most holy faith; pray in the Holy Spirit. Keep yourselves in the love of God and wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life."

(Jude 20-21)

Here Reception have created a display for St Jude asking him to prayer for them as they start their journey at the Rosary School.

St. Martin de Porres was born in Lima, Peru on December 9, 1579. Martin was the illegitimate son to a Spanish gentlemen and a freed slave from Panama, of African or possibly Native American descent. At a young age, Martin's father abandoned him, his mother and his younger sister, leaving Martin to grow up in deep poverty. After spending just two years in primary school, Martin was placed with a barber/surgeon where he would learn to cut hair and the medical arts.

As Martin grew older, he experienced a great deal of ridicule for being of mixed-race. In Peru, by law, all descendants of African or Indians were not allowed to become full members of religious orders. Martin, who spent long hours in prayer, found his only way into the community he longed for was to ask the Dominicans of Holy Rosary Priory in Lima to accept him as a volunteer who performed the most menial tasks in the monastery. In return, he would be allowed to wear the habit and live within the religious community. When Martin was 15, he asked for admission into the Dominican Convent of the Rosary in Lima and was received as a servant boy and eventually was moved up to the church officer in charge of distributing money to deserving poor.

Martin grew to become a Dominican lay brother in 1603 at the age of 24. Ten years later, after he had been presented with the religious habit of a lay brother, Martin was assigned to the infirmary where he would remain in charge until his death. He became known for encompassing the virtues need to carefully and patiently care for the sick, even in the most difficult situations.

Martin was praised for his unconditional care of all people, regardless of race or wealth. He took care of everyone from the Spanish nobles to the African slaves. Martin didn't care if the person was diseased or dirty, he would welcome them into his own home.

Martin's life reflected his great love for God and all of God's gifts. It is said he had many extraordinary abilities, including aerial flights, bilocation, instant cures, miraculous knowledge, spiritual knowledge and an excellent relationship with animals. Martin also founded an orphanage for abandoned children and slaves.

Saint Francis of Assisi was a Catholic friar who gave up a life of wealth to live a life of poverty establishing the Franciscan Order of friars and the women's Order of the Poor Ladies. 

Francis was born in Assisi, Italy in 1182 to a wealthy family and had a very priviledged upbringing. As a young boy he loved to learn and sing songs and his father hoped he would be a businessman. However at the age of nineteen he went to battle against the nearby town of Perugia where he was captured and taken prisoner. He was held prisoner in a dungeon for a year before his father paid the ransom and he was set free. Over the next few years Francis began to see visions from God that changed his life. The first vision was when he was sick with a high fever. At first he thought that God had called him to fight in the Crusades. However, he had another vision that told him to help the sick. Finally, when praying in a church, Francis heard God tell him to "repair my church, which is falling in ruins." Franci slistened to God, giving all his money to the church. His father became very angry with him for doing this so Francis then left his father's home and took a vow of poverty.

Francis lived his life of poverty and preached to people about the life of Jesus Christ and so people began to follow him. By 1209, he had around 11 followers. He had one basic rule which was "To follow the teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ and to walk in his footsteps".

Francis was known for his love of nature and animals. There are many stories about Saint Francis and his preaching to animals. It is said that one day he was talking to some birds when they began to sing together. Then they flew into the sky and formed the sign of a cross. It was also said that Francis could tame wild animals. One story tells of a vicious wolf in the town of Gubbio that was killing people and sheep. The people of the town were frightened and didn't know what to do. Francis went to the town to confront the wolf. At first the wolf growled at Francis and prepared to attack him. However, Francis made the sign of the cross and told the wolf not to hurt anyone else. The wolf then became tame and the town was safe.
 

St. Luke was an evangelist and is the author of the third Gospel and the Acts of the Apostles. He is the patron saint of painters and physicians. St Luke is believed to have been a Greek Gentile from Antioch (modern Turkey) who converted and was one of the seventy who worked with St Paul travelling to Rome converting Jews and pagans to Christianity. He is thought to have painted many images of Jesus and Mary.

When we read the Gospel of St Luke we learn about the women in Jesus' life and their importance and hear the beautiful words "Hail Mary full of grace" spoken at the Annunciation and "Blessed are you and blessed is the fruit of your womb Jesus" spoken by Elizabeth. Forgiveness and God's mercy to sinners was also important to Luke and we reflect on these ideas as we read about the Prodigal Son welcomed back by the overjoyed father and the story of the forgiven woman disrupting the feast by washing Jesus' feet with her tears. Throughout Luke's gospel, Jesus takes the side of the sinner who wants to return to God's mercy. From reading St Luke's gospel we know he loved the poor and wanted the door to God's kingdom opened to all. He respected women, and saw hope in God's mercy for everyone.

St. Rose of Lima was born in 1586 in Lima, Peru to Spanish colonists, and named Isabel Flores de Olivia. She was  exceptionally beautiful, in fact her beauty was so great that she called "Rose," a name that remains with her to this day. According to legend, a servant had a vision where her face turned into a rose. At her confirmation in 1597, she officially took the name of Rose. From an early age, Rose wanted to become a nun, often praying and fasting in secret. She performed secret penances, some of which were painful and severe and performed daily adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, taking daily communion. Her parents wanted her to marry but Rose was determined to enter the convent and become a nun and when she turned 20 years of age she was allowed to join the Third Order of St Dominic. She dedicated her life to prayer, fasting and penance. 

Year 3: Saint Joseph and Saint Jerome

St. Joseph was the husband of Mary, the mother of Jesus. It is believed that he was a carpenter or woodworker and according to the Gospel of Matthew, a “righteous man,” meaning he was an observant Jew who obeyed God’s law.

Joseph was engaged to Mary, but when he discovered that she was pregnant with Jesus, he decided to call off the marriage—but “quietly. However, the angel of the Lord told him in a dream that he should go ahead with the marriage because Mary’s child was conceived by the Holy Spirit. This was the first of four divinely inspired dreams that are recorded in the Gospel of Matthew; for this reason, he is sometimes called “the dreamer.” After each of these dreams, “he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him” 

Through his love and care for Jesus and Mary, Saint Joseph showed his love for God. Because he trusted God, Saint Joseph allowed Him to work in his life. Trusting God can be very hard, especially when we cannot see how our story will end or why God is asking us to do something. We can pray to Saint Joseph to help us trust God just as he did.

St Jerome was the first person to translate the Bible so that all people could understand it. It took him a long time and he was reluctant to do it but the final product ended up as the standard version for more than 1,000 years. St Jerome was Pope Damasus’ secretary. The pope decided it was time to prepare a proper Bible with all the books, and turned the job over to Jerome. At first, Jerome was reluctant. He knew how much work would be involved, and he knew anyone who dared to rewrite the word of God would be thoroughly scrutinised and criticised from many quarters. But he accepted the responsibility, and since he was a scholar he did it thoroughly. He consulted existing Latin copies to help him find the best wording for his version of the New Testament, but he didn’t stop there. To get the most accurate text, he also examined the original Greek manuscripts, which varied slightly from one to another. And for the Old Testament he went back to the original Hebrew and Aramaic. Jerome actually moved to Bethlehem and spent the rest of his life there so he could learn as much about the language and culture of the patriarchs as he could, and, after working on his project for 20 years, he finally finished it in the fifth year of the fifth century, a date that became a landmark in Church history.

The result of his labors was a Bible that was accurate, easy to read and designed for the people. 

Saint Thomas More was an English writer, lawyer, and statesman who had many important jobs including Speaker of the House of Commons, Lord Chancellor and advisor to the King Henry VIII. 

When King Henry left the Roman Catholic Church because the Pope would not give him a divorce from his first wife, he started The Church of England. More was a devout Catholic, so he did not accept the King as head of the Church. Because of this, he was arrested and executed for treason. He was thought of as a martyr and made a saint by the Roman Catholic Church in 1935. His feast day is on 22 June and he is the patron of lawyers and politicians. 

Saint Peter, who was also known as Simon Peter of Cephas, was one of the apostles of Jesus and is also considered to be the first Pope. Saint Peter, named Simon at birth, was a fisherman from the village of Bethsaida in Galilee. Peter and his brother Andrew were fishermen before Jesus called them to follow him. Like most Jewish boys, Peter would have been taught about the history and customs of his people. He would have learned about Scripture, and the promise that God had made to send a Savior. When Jesus came along saying, "Come and follow me, and I will make you fishers of men", Peter left the life he knew and followed Jesus. He was there during the major events of Jesus’ ministry and

was one of the first to see him alive after the Resurrection. Peter’s given name was Simon, but Jesus gave him the name "Peter." The name means "rock." Jesus entrusted Peter with a very special task. He appointed him the leader of the Church. Jesus said, "You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church" (Matthew 16:18). Peter received the Holy Spirit with the other disciples at Pentecost. The gifts of the Holy Spirit enabled him to carry out the mission of Jesus to witness to the Gospel. He encouraged the early Christians to spread the Gospel message to people of all nations.

Peter bravely accepted suffering for the sake of Christ as well. He was imprisoned for preaching the Gospel. When he was released, he continued his mission. Then he went to Rome to preach the Gospel there. When a persecution of Christians broke out, Peter was arrested and killed.

Saint Peter was not perfect. He made mistakes, but he learned from them. Peter listened to Jesus and learned that Jesus’ message was God loves us and wants us to love him and others.

Year 5: Saint Pius and Saint Bernadette

Saint Pius was the two hundred and fifty ninth pope who believed that simplicity of life, and humility of heart were the highest wisdom and the indispensable conditions of a perfect Christian life. He lived his life with Christ at the centre and in his will said he was born poor, lived in poverty and wished to die poor. He understood that material things do not bring happiness, only God.

Saint Bernadette Soubirous was born on January 7, 1844 into a very poor family.  She had a pleasant personality, very poor health, and bad asthma.  Bernadette helped her mother around the house and took care of her siblings.  She once said, “I was nothing and of this nothing God made something great.”

When she was only 14 years of age she saw a vision of a beautiful lady dressed in white. Immediately she knelt and said the Rosary. The authorities and clergy did not believe Our Lady would appear to a poor, young girl and ridiculed Bernadette but she remained determined, loving, and courageous despite the hardships. Eventually the Church accepted that Our Lady had appeared to Bernadette. At 22 years of age, Bernadette joined the order of the Sisters of Charity of Never and spent the rest of her life in prayer and helping the sick. Saint Bernadette is forever remembered for her perseverance in suffering, childlike trust, and humility.  She is the patron Saint of shepherds and shepherdesses and of people who are persecuted or ridiculed for their faith.

Year 6: Saint Therese of Lisieux and Saint Gerard Majella

Thérèse Martin was born in France on January 2, 1873, the last of nine children, four of whom died in infancy. After losing her mother to breast cancer at the age of four, Thérèse became a very sensitive child, crying over almost anything. But under the loving guidance of her father and four older sisters, she grew in holiness and wisdom far beyond her years.

By May 1887, Thérèse was determined to enter the Carmelite community at Lisieux. After overcoming objections from Church officials over her young age, the fifteen-year-old Thérèse entered the convent where she would live for the rest of her life with three of her sisters who also became Carmelite nuns. Over the remaining nine years of her life there, Thérèse blossomed in strength and holiness. After a long struggle with tuberculosis, she died on September 30th, 1897, at the age of 24. Her last words were the story of her life:

"My God, I love you!" 

Prayer

Oh Saint Therese pick me a flower from heaven

And send it to me as a message of love

Saint Gerard Majella is known as the 'mothers' saint'. Born in Italy to a family of seven, he grew up in a poverty with a great respect for the poor. As he was just 12 when his father passed away, he was forced to grow up fast. Shortly after his father's death, his mother sent him away to live with his uncle and learn to become a tailor, like his father. After a few years of working as a sewing apprentice, Majella took on a job with the local Bishop of Lacedonia as a servant. He wished to join Capuchin monastery but was turned down and told his health was not well enough for such a strenuous life. However, Saint Gerard Majella did not give up and in 1749, at the age of 23, he joined the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer and just three years later became a professed lay brother.

saint Gerard Majella lived with the three vows of Poverty, Chasity and Obedience. He stayed close with the poor and worked very many different jobs. He served as sacristan, gardener, porter, infirmarian, and tailor. However, because of his great piety, extraordinary wisdom, and his gift of reading consciences, he was permitted to counsel communities of religious women. Majella was often called on by the poor and the sick. Wherever his presence was demanded he graciously presented himself. He was there to "do the Will of God. 

Majella became ill with tuberculosis but his only desire was to live in God's will. His one last request was that a small placard be placed on his door stating, "Here the will of God is done, as God wills, and as long as God wills." Majella was told the Will of God wanted him to get better, and almost at once he became well. However, this only lasted for a month and quickly he became very ill once again. St. Gerard Majella died of disease on October 16, 1755 at the age of 29, living in the religious life for six years.

O Saint Gerard Majella

Thank you for dedicating your life to helping mothers and babies. When you were on earth you truly fulfilled God’s message. We ask that you keep us in your prayers as prepare to leave the Rosary school and move onto pastures anew.

Amen.