St Ralph Sherwin Feast Day 1st December Saint Ralph Sherwin was born at Rodsley, Derbyshire (19 October 1550), and was educated at Eton College. He was a talented classical scholar and was nominated by Sir William Petre from Ingatestone to one of the eight fellowships which he had founded at [...]

c. Early First Century–c. 100 December 27—Feast Third Day in the Octave of Christmas Liturgical Color: White Patron Saint of authors, loyalty, and friendship Outside of Christianity, there are few reasons to believe God is love Saint Jerome, while living in Palestine in the late 300s, relates a touching anecdote [...]

Saint Lucy of Syracuse, Virgin and Martyr December 13—Memorial Liturgical Color: Red Patron Saint of virgins, the blind, and Syracuse, Sicily A garden enclosed, no man would lock her in his embrace Today’s saint is one of only eight women (Mary included) commemorated in Eucharistic Prayer I: “Felicity, Perpetua, Agatha, [...]

The tradition of a midnight Vigil on the eve of Christmas began in the East, and was observed in the late fourth century in Jerusalem by a Christian woman named Egeria on the night of January 5. The tradition reached the Western world in the year 430 under pope Sixtus [...]