This Day In Catholic History

This Day In Catholic History November 30

2011-11-23T13:23:00.000-08:00

60 - Saint Andrew the Apostle, is martyred during the reign of Nero. Early writers state that Andrew preached in Cappadocia, Galatia, and Bithynia, then in the land of the anthropophagi and the Scythian deserts, afterwards in Byzantium itself, where he appointed St. Stachys as its first bishop, and finally in Thrace, Macedonia, Thessaly, andAchaia. It is generally agreed that he was crucified by order of the Roman Governor, Aegeas or Aegeates, at Patrae in Achaia, and that he was bound, not nailed, to the cross, in order to prolong his sufferings. The cross on which he suffered is commonly held to have been the decussate cross, i.e. in the form of an X, now known as St. Andrew's. -Catholic Encyclopedia

722 – In Rome, Pope Gregory II consecrated Saint Boniface as a regional bishop. Boniface then returned to his missionary labors in Thuringia and Hessia. A native of England, he became known as the Apostle of Germany.

740 - St Winnebald arrived in Thuringia on 30 November, 740, and was ordained priest. With his brother, St Willibald, he founded the double monastery of Heidenheim in 752; Winnebald was placed as abbot over the men, and his sister, St Walburga, governed thefemale community. Winnebald's body was found incorrupt eighteen years after his death. His name is mentioned in the Benedictine Martyrology.

1090 – Birth of Medieval historian William of Malmesbury. William's authority as a historian is invaluable for the contemporary reign of Stephen, and his records of the earlier Norman kings. Drawing from St Bede, he helped develop the use of cause and effect in historical method.

1215 - The Fourth Lateran Council closed under Innocent the Third. It was this council that made first official use of the term "transubstantiation" with reference to the Eucharist.

1466 - Birth of Andrea Doria, Genoese statesman, mercenary commander, and admiral. He was the foremost naval leader of his time, serving popes and princes. He waged successful expeditions against Ottoman Turks and Barbary pirates.

1554 – England was restored to Catholicism during the reign of Queen Mary and her husband Philip II of Spain. The Houses of Parliament, through the king and queen, petitioned for reconciliation with the Holy See on St. Andrew's day, November 30. The Pope’s representative, Cardinal Pole, formally pronounced absolution, the king and queen and all present kneeling to receive it - newadvent.org.

1900 - Playwright, poet Oscar Wilde died at the age of 46. He converted to Catholicism on his deathbed.

1979 - Pope John Paul II becomes the first pope in 1,000 years to attend an Orthodox mass. - historynet.com

This Day In Catholic History November 29

2011-11-23T13:22:00.000-08:00

963 - Saint Ethelwold was consecrated Bishop of Winchester by Saint Dunstan. WithDunstan and Oswald of Worcester, he worked zealously in combating the general corruption occasioned by the Danish inroads. Expelling the unworthy, rebuilding and restoring, to the rebellious he was "terrible as a lion", to the meek "gentler than a dove". -newadvent.org

1596 - English martyr Ven. William Knight was put to death for the Faith at York. With him also suffered Venerables George Errington of Herst and William Gibson of Ripon. Sentenced to be hanged, drawn, and quartered, they suffered their martyrdom with joy and fortitude. - newadvent.org

This Day In Catholic History November 28

2011-11-23T13:20:00.000-08:00

1199 - During a tournament at Ecry-sur-Aisne, Count Thibaud de Champagne and a great many knights took the cross. - newadvent.org

1290 - Death of Eleanor of Castile at Harby, Nottinghamshire, England. She was the queen consort of Edward I of England and daughter of Ferdinand III of Castile. At her marriage (1254) she brought to Prince Edward the territories of Ponthieu and Montreuil and claims to Gascony. She went with Edward on the crusade of 1270-72 to the Holy Land, where she supposedly saved his life after he had been wounded. On their return they were both crowned (1274), Henry III having died in 1272. After her death Edward had crosses erected to mark the stages of her funeral procession from Nottinghamshire toLondon. Of the 12 so-called Eleanor Crosses—at Lincoln, Grantham, Stamford, Geddington, Northampton, Stony Stratford, Woburn, Dunstable, St. Albans, Waltham, Westcheap, and Charing—those at Geddington, Northampton, and Waltham are extant, though partially restored. ~ "Eleanor of Castile." The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2008. Retrieved August 06, 2010 from Encyclopedia.com:http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-EleanorCa.html

1503 - Giuliano della Rovere is crowned Pope Julius II. He led military efforts to prevent French domination of Italy and restablished the Pontifical States. He was an important patron of the arts, patron of Michelangelo and other artists, including Bramante and Raphael. He commissioned Michelangelo’s paintings in the Sistine Chapel and Raphael’s frescoes in the Vatican. - britannica.com

1520 - Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan reached the Pacific Ocean after passing through the South American strait that now bears his name. - nytimes.com

1582 - English martyr Blessed James Thompson hanged at Knavesmire.

1712 - Elector Frederick Augustus II (1733-63), was received into the Catholic Church at Bologna, Italy, while heir-apparent. With this conversion, the ruling family of Saxony once more became Catholic. - newadvent.org

1729 - Natchez Indians massacre most of the 300 French settlers and soldiers at Fort Rosalie, Louisiana - historynet.com. At the outbreak of the Natchez war, the Natchez suddenly attacked the French garrison in their country (Natchez, Miss.), slaughtering several hundred persons, including the Jesuit Father Paul Du Poisson, and carrying off most of the women and children. - newadvent.org

This Day In Catholic History November 27

2011-11-23T13:19:00.000-08:00

511 - Clovis, king of the Franks, dies and his kingdom is divided between his four sons. One of the first Germanic kings to convert to Catholicism. He ruled much of Gaul from 481 to 511, a key period during the transformation of the Roman Empire into Europe. He was the first major Germanic Catholic king, and Pope John Paul II celebrated a mass in Reims in 1996 in honour of the 15th centenary of his baptism. - britannica.com

1095 - Pope Urban the Second solemnly proclaimed the First Crusade at the Council of Clermont in France. Urban's twin purpose was to relieve the pressure by the Seljuk Turks on the Eastern Roman Empire, and to secure free access to Jerusalem for Christian pilgrims.

1970 - Pope Paul VI, visiting the Philippines, was slightly wounded at the Manila airport by a dagger-wielding Bolivian painter disguised as a priest.

1983 - The revised Code of Canon Law, signed by Pope John Paul II in January, took effect.

Commemoration:

St. James Intercisus, 5th century Persian martyr

St. Secundinus, 5th century, sent from Gual to assist St Patrick in Ireland. First bishop of Dunslaughlin in Meath, and then auxillary bishop of Armagh.

This Day In Catholic History November 26

2011-11-23T13:16:00.000-08:00

579 - Pelagius II succeeded Benedict I as pope. Pelagius was of Gothic descent. He was consecrated as Pope Benedict I’s successor on Nov. 26, 579. His pontificate was continually troubled by the Lombards who were threatening the Italian peoples, for whom the papacy was responsible. Unable to obtain help from the Byzantine emperor, Pelagius became the first pope to appeal to the Catholic Franks. In a letter (580) to the Frankish bishop of Auxerre he declared it was the Franks’ duty as Christians to defend Rome and Italy against the Lombards.

Pelagius II. (2009). In Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved from Encyclopædia Britannica Online: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/449080/Pelagius-II

1504 - Death of Isabella I, Queen of Castile.

1539 - The monastery at the Fountains Abbey in England was surrendered to the crown. It was the richest of the Cistercian houses, prior to the time of the Dissolution of all monasteries in England, under the reign of Henry VIII.

1858 - Birth of Saint Katharine Drexel, American founder of Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament

1859 - The second group of Franciscans from Germany, consisting of six friars, arrived at Teutopolis, Illinois. During the years 1860-1876, a new group of friars came from Germany each year, except in 1861, 1868, and 1874.

1970 - During a 10-day visit to the Philippines, Pope Paul VI was attacked by a knife-wielding man in Manila. The pontiff was unhurt and continued his journey.

Commemoration:

St Catherine of Alexandria (c. 310) martyr. Patroness of students, teachers, librarians and lawyers.

Saint Conrad (934-975) Bishop of Constance

Saint Leonard of Port Maurice (1676-1751) preacher and ascetic writer

Blessed Santiago Alberione (1884-1971) priest, evangelist

This Day In Catholic History November 25

2011-11-23T13:15:00.000-08:00

1277 - Nicholas III was elected pope of the Roman Catholic church.

1386 – Birth of Blessed Elizabeth of Reute, mystic, Third Order Franciscan, at Waldsee in Swabia, of John and Anne Acheer; died 25 November, 1420.

1177 - Baldwin IV of Jerusalem and Raynald of Chatillon defeat Saladin at the Battle of Montgisard.

1609 – Birth of Henrietta Maria de Bourbon, French wife of King Charles I of England

1881 - Pope John XXIII was born Angelo Roncalli near Bergamo, Italy.

Commemoration: St. Catherine of Alexandria, patron of maidens, mechanics and philosophers.

This Day In Catholic History November 24

2011-11-23T13:14:00.000-08:00

380 - Theodosius I held his triumph at Constantinople, having concluded a victorious peace with the Goths. As Roman Emperor he stamped out the last vestiges of paganism, put an end to the Arian heresy in the empire, and pacified the Goths.

496 - Pope Anastasius II elected. A false tradition associated him with heretical opinions.Dante (Inferno XI, 8) depicted him in the sixth circle of hell among the heretics.

642 - Pope Theodore I was consecrated. Of Greek descent, he was born in Jerusalem. He spent much of his pontificate combatting Monothelitism, a heresy which persisted in the East.

1531 - The second Peace of Kappel brought an end to the Kappel Wars during the SwissReformation. Kappel Wars, (1529 and 1531), two conflicts of the Swiss Reformation. The name derives from the monastery of Kappel, on the border between the cantons of Zürich and Zug. The first conflict arose when five Roman Catholic member states of the Swiss confederacy, Lucerne, Uri, Schwyz, Unterwalden, and Zug, formed the Christian Union, which allied itself with Austria to prevent Zürich from spreading Protestantism over the common lordships (territories ruled by the Swiss confederates jointly). Zürich thereupon launched an expedition against the Christian Union, but the fighting was negligible, and an armistice signed at Kappel on June 26, 1529, was followed by an agreement whereby the Roman Catholic districts renounced their Austrian alliance and conceded freedom of religion in the common lordships. The five Roman Catholic confederates, however, soon felt that Protestantism was in fact being forced on the Thurgau (one of the lordships), and in October 1531 they suddenly declared war against Zürich. Zürich’s hastily raised troops, under Jörg Göldli, were defeated in the Battle of Kappel (Oct. 11, 1531), and Zürich’s Protestant leader, Huldrych Zwingli, was killed. The second Peace of Kappel (Nov. 24, 1531) upheld the claims of Roman Catholicism throughout the controversial areas. - Encyclopædia Britannica

1713 - Birth of Spanish missionary to western America, Father Junipero Serra. Beginning in 1769 he established nine of the first 21 Franciscan missions founded along the Pacific coast, and baptized six-thousand Indians before his death in 1784.

1838 - Canadian Sulpician missionary Franois Blanchet first arrived in the Oregon Territory at the age of 43. The "Apostle of Oregon" spent 45 years establishing churches in the American Northwest.

This Day In Catholic History November 23

2011-11-23T02:09:00.000-08:00

912 - Birth of Otto I, the Great, duke of Saxony (as Otto II, 936–961), German king (from 936), and Holy Roman emperor (962–973). Otto strengthened the Church and advanced Christianity throughout his lands. He attempted to subordinate the Church to the state. He repulsed and decisively defeated a Hungarian invasion (pagan Magyars) of Christian Germany in 955. This defeat (the Battle of Lechfeld) facilitated the Christianizing and civilizing of the Hungarian people. His use of the Church to help order the Empire brought about a renewal of culture. - Encyclopedia Britannica

1654 - French mathematician Blaise Pascal underwent a profound religious conversion. - Metro Networks

1970 - Pope Paul the Sixth issued a decree barring cardinals over the age of 80 from voting for a new pope. - Metro Networks

Religious Observances:

Roman Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran: Memorial of St. Clement the First. Saint Clement I, byname Clement Of Rome, Latin Clemens Romanus (born , Rome?—died 1st century ad, Rome; feast day November 23), first Apostolic Father, pope from 88 to 97, or from 92 to 101, supposed third successor of St. Peter. According to the early Christian writer Tertullian, he was consecrated by Peter. Bishop St. Irenaeus of Lyon lists him as a contemporary of the Apostles and witness of their preaching. Bishop Eusebius of Caesarea dates his pontificate from 92 to 101. His martyrdom is legendary, and he has been hypothetically identified with the Clement mentioned in Phil. 4:3. The authorship of the Letter to the Church of Corinth (I Clement), the most important 1st-century document other than the New Testament, has been traditionally ascribed to him. Still extant, it was written to settle a controversy among the Corinthians against their church leaders and reveals that Clement considered himself empowered to intervene (the first such action known) in another community’s affairs. - Encyclopedia Britannica

Memorial of St. Columban, Irish monk, abbot. Saint Columban, Latin Columbanus (born c. 543, Leinster [Ireland]—died Nov. 23, 615, Bobbio [Italy]; feast day November 23), abbot and writer, one of the greatest missionaries of the Celtic church, who initiated a revival of spirituality on the European continent. Educated in the monastery of Bangor, County Down, Columban left Ireland about 590 with 12 monks (including Saints Attala, Gall, and Columbanus the Younger) and established himself in the Vosges Mountains at Annegray, then in Gaul. For the disciples who came to follow his rule, Columban built the nearby monasteries of Luxovium and Fontaines [Encyclopedia Britannica]. Saint Columban was born in Ireland before the middle of the sixth century. He was well trained in the classics and theology. After entering the monastic life, he went to France and founded many monasteries which he ruled with strict discipline. After being forced into exile, he went to Italy and he found favor with the king of the Lombards. In his last years he established the famous monastery of Bobbio.

This Day In Catholic History November 22

2011-11-22T02:43:00.000-08:00

365 - Death of antipope Felix II in Porto, near Rome. Felix was antipope from 355 to 365. Originally an archdeacon, Felix was irregularly installed as pope in 355 after the emperor Constantius banished the reigning pope, Liberius. In May 357 the Roman laity, which had remained faithful to Liberius, demanded that Constantius recall the true pope. The Emperor planned to have Felix and Liberius rule jointly, but Felix was forced to retire to Porto when Liberius returned. - Encyclopædia Britannica

498 - St Symmachus was elected pope by a majority of the Roman clergy at the Lateran Basilica. He was born in Sardinia. Apparently a Christian convert, Symmachus was an archdeacon in the Roman Church when elected to succeed Pope Anastasius II. Concurrently, a minority had elected, with the support of a strong Byzantine party, the archpriest Laurentius. Both candidates were consecrated on Nov. 22, 498, and their respective parties appealed to the Ostrogothic king Theodoric the Great, whose decision favoured Symmachus. The Pope held a Roman synod on March 1, 499, which decided that only a majority vote triumphs. Symmachus was pope from 498 to 514. He died July 19, 514 in Rome. His Feast day is July 19. - Encyclopædia Britannica

1220 - Pope Honorius III crowned Holy Roman Emperor Frederick in St. Peter's, on the promise that Frederick would uphold the rights of the Church, and promote a crusade. After promising to go to the aid of the Fifth Crusade within nine months, Frederick II is crowned emperor by Pope Honorius III. - historynet.com

1542 - New laws are passed in Spain giving Indians in America protection against enslavement. -historynet.com

1633 - English Catholic Cecil Calvert sent two ships named the Ark and the Dove from Ireland to establish a colony in America as a refuge for fellow Catholics. His work later earned Lord Calvert the nickname, "Colonizer of Maryland." - Metro Networks

Commemoration:

St. Cecilia, virgin, martyr, patroness of music. One of the most famous Roman martyrs of the early church and historically one of the most discussed. According to a late 5th-century legend, she was a noble Roman who as a child had vowed her virginity to God. When she was married against her will to the future saint Valerian, then a pagan, she told him that an angel of God wished her to remain a virgin. He promised to respect this wish if he were allowed to see the angel. She replied that he would if he were baptized. On his return from baptism he found Cecilia talking to the angel. She then converted his brother Tiburtius, who also saw the angel. Both men were martyred before she was. She distributed her possessions to the poor, which enraged the prefect Almachius, who ordered her to be burned. When the flames did not harm her, she was beheaded. Cecilia was buried in the catacomb of St. Callistus, near Rome. At the beginning of the 9th century, Pope St. Paschal I discovered her relics in the catacomb of St. Praetextatus and had them moved to Rome, to a basilica in Trastevere that now bears her name. She became the patron saint of musicians and music; in art she is often represented playing the organ. - Encyclopædia Britannica

This Day In Catholic History November 21

2011-11-21T12:04:00.000-08:00

1417 - Martin V was crowned pope in the great court of the episcopal palace of Constance. Born Oddone Colonna, he was made Cardinal Deacon of San Giorgio in Velabro in 1402. At the Council of Constance he was, after a conclave of three days, unanimously elected pope on on 11 November, 1417 by the representatives of the five nations (Germany, France, Italy, Spain and England) and took the name Martin V in honor of the saint of Tours whose feast fell on the day of his election. Being then only subdeacon, he was ordained deacon on 12, and priest on 13, and was consecrated bishop on 14 November. - Catholic Encyclopedia

1520 - Ferdinand Magellan first entered the straits now named for him though he himself called them Canal de Todos los Santos (All Saints' Channel). At the end of three weeks he reached the open sea on the other side. As he found a very favourable wind, he gave the name of Mar Pacifico. - Catholic Encyclopedia

1551 - The first Christian missionary to Japan, Francis Xavier, departed from the country this day, having made perhaps some 2,000 converts. - History Today

1584 - Irish martyrs, Gelasius O'Cullenan, Eugene Cronius and Hugh or John Mulcheran (? Eoghan O'Maoilchiarain) — hanged, 21 November, at Dublin. - Catholic Encyclopedia

1800 - With three companions, Ven. Madeleine-Sophie Barat made her first consecration, 21 November, 1800, the date which marks the foundation of the Society of the Sacred Heart.

Commemoration:

Feast of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Memorial of Pope St. Gelasius I (496)

St Amelberga (900), Benedictine abbess of Susteren, Netherlands.

St Albert of Louvain (1193), Cardinal and knight

This Day In Catholic History October 7

2011-10-07T02:09:00.000-07:00

336 - Death of Pope St. Mark. St. Mark was by birth a Roman, and served God with such fervor among the clergy of that Church, that, advancing continually in sincere humility and the knowledge and sense of his own weakness and imperfections, he strove every day to surpass himself in the fervor of his charity and zeal, and in the exercise of all virtues. The persecution ceased in the West, in the beginning of the year 305, but was revived a short time after by Maxentius. St. Mark abated nothing of his watchfulness, but endeavored rather to redouble his zeal during the peace of the Church; knowing that if men sometimes cease openly to persecute the faithful, the devil never allows them any truce, and his snares are generally most to be feared in the time of the calm. St. Mark succeeded St. Sylvester in the apostolic chair on the 18th of January, 336. He held that dignity only eight months and twenty days, dying on the 7th of October following. He was buried in a cemetery in the Ardeatine Way, which has since borne his name. ~ Lives of the Saints, by Alban Butler, Benziger Bros. ed. [1894]

1391 - St. Bridget of Sweden was canonized by Pope Boniface IX. - Catholic Encyclopedia Saint Bridget of Sweden c.1300-1373, Swedish nun, one of the great saints of Scandinavia. She was a noblewoman at court and the mother of eight children. After her husband's death she founded (1346) the Order of the Most Holy Savior (the Brigettines). In 1349 she went to Rome, where she founded hospices for pilgrims, the poor, and the sick. She labored for the reform of religious life in Italy and for the return of the pope from Avignon to Rome. Her account of her numerous visions was widely read during the Middle Ages. St. Bridget is patron of Sweden. She is also called Birgitta. Feast: July 23 (formerly Oct. 8). - Columbia Encyclopedia

1506 – Pope Julius II issued a Bull deposing and excommunicating Giovanni Bentivoglio and placing the city of Bologna under interdict. Trouble had been brewing at Perugia and Bologna, two cities that belonged to the Papal States. At Perugia the Baglioni and at Bologna the Bentivogli were acting as independent despots. The warlike Julius II personally directed the campaign against both, setting out at the head of his army on 26 August, 1506. Perugia surrendered without any bloodshed on 13 September, and the popeproceeded towards Bologna. Bentivoglio fled, and Julius II entered Bologna triumphantly on 10 November. – Catholic Encyclopedia

1571 - Allied Christian forces defeated the Ottoman Turks during a naval engagement at the Battle of Lepanto. A Christian fleet of 200 galleys, carrying 50,000 men under the command of Don Juan of Austria, met the Ottoman fleet in the Straits of Lepanto, destroyed it completely, and liberated thousands of Christian galley slaves. The pope, considering that the victory had saved Christendom, by way of commemorating it instituted the feast of the Holy Rosary, which is celebrated on the first Sunday of October. - Catholic Encyclopedia

1678 - Ven. Richard Langhorne, English martyr, was arrested for a second time and was committed to Newgate without any previous examination; he was kept in solitary confinement for eight months. – newadvent.org

1867 - The Wanderer was first published in St. Paul, Minnesota. - catholichistory.net

1979 - Pope John Paul II concluded his weeklong tour of the United States with a Mass on the Washington Mall.

1995 - Pope John Paul the Second celebrated Mass in New York's Central Park with 130-thousand people.

Today the Church celebrates:
Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary
Commemoration of St. Mark, pope († 336)

October 7th, 1571: The Battle of Lepanto

2011-10-07T02:08:00.000-07:00

Battle of Lepanto , Oct. 7, 1571, naval battle between the Christians and Ottomans fought in the strait between the gulfs of Pátrai and Corinth, off Lepanto (Návpaktos), Greece. The fleet of the Holy League commanded by John of Austria (d. 1578) opposed the Ottoman fleet under Uluç Ali Pasha. The allied fleet (about 200 galleys, not counting smaller ships) consisted mainly of Spanish, Venetian, and papal ships and of vessels sent by a number of Italian states. It carried approximately 30,000 fighting men and was about evenly matched with the Ottoman fleet. The battle ended with the virtual destruction of the Ottoman navy (except 40 galleys, with which Uluç Ali escaped). Approximately 15,000 Turks were slain or captured, some 10,000 Christian galley slaves were liberated, and much booty was taken. The victors, however, lost over 7,000 men. Among the allied wounded was Cervantes, who lost the use of his left arm. Lepanto was the first major Ottoman defeat by the Christian powers, and it ended the myth of Ottoman naval invincibility. It did not, however, affect Ottoman supremacy on the land, and a new Turkish fleet was speedily built by Sokollu, grand vizier of Selim II. Nevertheless, the battle was decisive in the sense that an Ottoman victory probably would have made the Ottoman Empire supreme in the Mediterranean.

"battle of Lepanto." The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2008. Retrieved October 06, 2011 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-Lepanto.html

This Day In Catholic History October 6

2011-10-06T08:35:00.000-07:00

891 - Formosas

was elected pope. Formosus , c.816-896, pope (891-96), probably a Roman; successor of Stephen VI. Under Pope Nicholas I he had been bishop in Bulgaria, where he pursued a rigorous Romanizing campaign. Recalled to his diocese of Porto, he became influential in the church. He was excommunicated by Pope John VIII for leading the party that opposed John's coronation of Charles the Bald. Later, he was restored and was subsequently elected pope. Involved in the dispute over the imperial power, he sided against the dukes of Spoleto, whose growing power was menacing the papacy. However, he was forced to crown Guido, duke of Spoleto, and his son Lambert. Formosus encouraged the German claimant, Arnulf , to invade Italy and crowned (896) him emperor. After Formosus' death, the Spoletos came into power. He was succeeded by Boniface VI. Formosus' grave was desecrated, and his pontificate declared invalid. In 897 he was reinterred, and Pope John XI validated his acts. - Columbia Encyclopedia

1101 – Death of St Bruno, confessor, ecclesiastical writer, and founder of the Carthusian Order. He was born at Cologne about the year 1030. – Catholic Encyclopedia

1552 - Birth of Matteo Ricci, an Italian Jesuit who was sent as a missionary to China in 1583.

1588 – John Hewett, English martyr; son of William Hewett of York; executed at Mile End Green.

1848 – Conclusion of the German Catholic Congress of Mainz 3-6 October. Thenceforth the General German Catholic Congresses sought to prove and intensify the devotion of German Catholics to their Church, to defend the rights of the Church and the liberties ofCatholics as citizens, to preserve the Christian character of the schools, and to further theChristian spirit in society. – Catholic Encyclopedia

1791 – Death of St. Mary Frances of the Five Wounds of Jesus, of the Third Order of St. Francis, b. at Naples, 25 March, 1715. Before her birth St. John Joseph of the Cross, O.F.M., and St. Francis de Geronimo, S.J., are said to have predicted Mary's future sanctity. - Catholic Encyclopedia

1979 - Pope John Paul II became the first pontiff to visit the White House, where he was received by President Jimmy Carter.

Memorial of St. Bruno, Priest (c. 1030-1101)
Memorial of Blessed Marie-Rose Durocher, Canadian virgin.

This Day In Catholic History October 5

2011-10-06T08:31:00.000-07:00

869 - The Fourth Council of Constantinople opens in the Cathedral of Saint Sophia, under the presidency of the legates of Adrian II. - Catholic Encyclopedia

1562 - The University of Douai was formally inaugurated with a public procession of theBlessed Sacrament, and a sermon was preached in the town market-place by the Bishopof Arras. ToEnglish Catholics, the name Douai will always be bound up with the college founded byCardinal Allen during the reign of Queen Elizabeth, where the majority of theclergy wereeducated in penal times, and to which the preservation of the Catholic religion in England was largely due. Several other British establishments were founded there — colleges for the Scots and the Irish, and Benedictine and Franciscan monasteries — and Douai became the chief centre for those who were exiled for the Faith. - Catholic Encyclopedia

1588 - English martyr Ven. William Hartley executed at Tyburn. John Harrison, alias Symonds, a letter carrier, was also executed.

1689 - Pietro Vito Ottoboni was elected Pope Alexander VIII. Alexander maintained the condemnation of the Gallican Articles of 1682, which restricted papal authority, and he opposed Jansenism. He was also known for his blatant nepotism and worldly outlook. - Encyclopedia Britannica

1793 - The revolutionary government in France abolishes Christianity.

Commemoration:

St. Placid, Martyr (6th century) & his companions, martyrs.

St. Flora of Beaulieu, Virgin (c. 1300-1347)

St. Mary Faustina Kowalska, Virgin (1905-1938)

This Day In Catholic History October 4

2011-10-04T08:07:00.000-07:00

1209 - Pope Inncoent III crowned German king Otto IV emperor in the Basilica of St. Peterat Rome. By the charter of Speyer (Mar., 1209), Otto confirmed his earlier acknowledgment (1201) of the papacy's rights to the Papal States and his promise of aid in upholding papal suzerainty over Sicily. He also conceded the freedom of episcopal elections and the unrestricted right of appeal to the pope. However, no sooner was he crowned emperor (Oct., 1209) at Rome than he reverted to the Hohenstaufen policy of dominance over Italy. He seized (1210) the lands left to the church by Matilda of Tuscany. Only when he invaded Apulia and prepared to attack Sicily, however, did Innocent III excommunicate him (1210). Prompted by the pope and by King Philip II of France, some of the German nobles revolted and elected the Hohenstaufen, Frederick of Sicily (later Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II ), as king. In the ensuing war Otto was supported by the nobles of the Lower Rhine and of the northeast, as well as by his uncle King John of England, but he was defeated (1214) at Bouvines by Philip II of France. The pope declared him deposed in 1215. ~ Columbia Encyclopedia

1226 - The body of St Francis of Assisi (d. Oct. 3, 1226) was, on 4 October, borne in triumphant procession to the city (Assisi), a halt being made at St. Damian's, that St. Clare and her companions might venerate the sacred stigmata now visible to all, and it was placed provisionally in the church of St. George (now within the enclosure of the monastery of St. Clare), where the saint had learned to read and had first preached. Many miracles are recorded to have taken place at his tomb. Francis was canonized atSt. George's by Gregory IX, 16 July, 1228. On that day following the pope laid the first stone of the great double church of St. Francis, erected in honour of the new saint, and thither on 25 May, 1230, Francis's remains were secretly transferred by Brother Elias and buried far down under the high altar in the lower church. Here, after lying hidden for six centuries, like that of St. Clare's, Francis's coffin was found, 12 December, 1818, as a result of a toilsome search lasting fifty-two nights. This discovery of the saint's body is commemorated in the order by a special office on 12 December, and that of his translation by another on 25 May. His feast is kept throughout the Church on 4 October, and the impression of the stigmata on his body is celebrated on 17 September. ~ Catholic Encyclopedia

1511 - The so-called Holy League was formed for the purpose of delivering Italy from French rule. In the beginning the League included only the Pope Julius II, the Venetians, and Spain, but England joined it on 17 November, and was soon followed by the emperor and by Switzerland. Under the leadership of the brilliant Gaston de Foix the French were at first successful, but after his death they had to yield to the superior forces of the League, and, being defeated in the bloody battle of Ravenna on 11 April, 1512, they were driven beyond the Alps. Bologna again submitted to Julius II and the cities of Parma,Reggio, and Piacenza were added to the Ecclesiastical States. - Catholic Encyclopedia

1542 - Birth of St Robert Bellarmine, distinguished Jesuit theologian, writer, and cardinal, at Montepulciano.

1588 - Irish martyr Peter Miller, B.D., Diocese of Ferns, was tortured, hanged, and quartered.

1609 - Birth of François Le Mercier, one of the early missionaries of New France

1636 - During the Thirty Years War, Saxon and Imperial troops attempted to drive the remainder of Swedish forces from Germany but were defeated by the Swedish general, Baner, at Wittstock.

1860 - A novitiate was established at St. Francis Friary, Teutopolis, Illinois and the first brother novice was admitted to the First Order. The first cleric novices, three in number, with another brother novice, entered the novitiate on December 18, 1862. - TheFriars.org

1965 - Pope Paul VI makes the first papal visit to the United States, celebrating mass in Yankee Stadium before departing. Pope Paul VI became the first reigning pontiff to travel to North America when he flew to New York and addressed the U.N. General Assembly.

Religious Observances:

Roman Catholic, Anglican: Memorial of St. Francis of Assisi (1182-1226) friar, confessor.

This Day In Catholic History October 3

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959 - Death of St. Gerard of Brogne, Abbot. Saint Gerard was of a noble family of the county of Namur, France. An engaging sweetness of temper, and a strong inclination to piety and devotion, gained him from the cradle the esteem and affection of every one. Having been sent on an important mission to the Court of France, he was greatly edified at the fervor of the monks of St. Denis, at Paris, and earnestly desired to consecrate himself to God with them. Returning home he settled his temporal affairs, and went back with great joy to St. Denis'. He had lived ten years with great fervor in this monastery, when in 931 he was sent by his abbot to found an abbey upon his estate at Brogne, three leagues from Namur. He settled this new abbey, and then built himself a little cell near the church, and lived in it a recluse until God called him to undertake the reformation of many monasteries, which he did successfully. When he had spent almost twenty years in these zealous labors, he shut himself up in his cell, to prepare his soul to receive the recompense of his labors, to which he was called on the 3d of October in 959. ~ Lives of the Saints, by Alban Butler, Benziger Bros. ed. [1894]

1226 - Saint Francis of Assisi died at the little chapel Portiuncula, i.e. a little portion (of land). St. Francis of Assisi, who died this day in 1226, founded the Franciscan order and stressed the need to imitate the life of Jesus, drawing followers with his evangelical zeal, consecration to poverty, charity, and charisma.

1458 - Saint Casimir, Prince of Poland, was born in the royal palace at Cracow. He led a virtuous life and had a special devotion to the Blessed Virgin. He was Grand Duke of Lithuania and died while on journey there in 1484. After his death he was venerated as a saint, because of the miracles wrought by him. Sigismund I, King of Poland, petitioned the pope for Casimir's canonization.

1858 - German friars from the Franciscan Province of the Holy Cross in Paderborn, Westphalia formally took charge of St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Teutopolis, Illinois. - thefriars.org

Honoured Today:

Sts. Ewald and Ewald (Or HEWALD) Martyrs in Old Saxony about 695. They were two priests and natives of Northumbria, England. Both bore the same name, but were distinguished as Ewald the Black and Ewald the Fair, from the difference in the colour of their hair and complexions. According to the example of many at that time, they spent several years as students in the schools of Ireland. Ewald the Black was the more learned of the two, but both were equally renowned for holiness of life. They were apparently acquainted with St. Willibrord, the Apostle of Friesland, and were animated with his zeal for the conversion of the Germans. The two Ewalds are honoured as patrons in Westphalia, and are mentioned in the Roman Martyrology on 3 October. Their feast is celebrated in the dioceses of Cologne and Münster. - Catholic Encyclopedia

This Day In Catholic History October 2

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313 – Pope Miltiades presided over a synod of eighteen bishops from Gaul and Italy assembled in the Lateran Palace to consider the Donatist controversy. After 3 days they decided in favor of Cæcilian, whose election and consecration as Bishop of Carthage was declared to be legitimate.

1187 - Saladin captured Jurasalem from the Crusaders.

1535 - After stopping at Quebec a month prior, Jaques Cartier, the discoverer of Canada, went up the St. Lawrence and on this day reaced the Native village of Hochelaga which he named Montreal (Mount Royal). - HistoryNet

1538 - Birth of Saint Charles Borromeo, cardinal and archbishop who was one of the most important figures of the Counter-Reformation in Italy.

1756 - Birth of Daniel Barber, soldier of the American Revolution, Episcopalian minister and Catholic convert, at Simsbury, Connecticut.

1798 - Birth of St. Mother Theodore Guérin (1798-1856), French-American religious leader who supervised the founding of a number of Catholic schools in Indiana. She died May 14, 1856, at St. Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana and was canonized in 2006.

1881 - Fr. Michael McGivney met with several parishioners to form the nucleus of theKnights of Columbus. - CatholicHistory.net

1904 - Birth of English novelist and Catholic convert Graham Greene (The Power and The Glory, The Heart of the Matter).

Memorial of the Guardian Angels

This Day In Catholic History October 1

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787 - The fourth session of the Second Council of Nicea was held. In it the secretaries of the council read a long series of citations from the Bible and the Fathers in favour of the veneration of images. - Catholic Encyclopedia

965 - John, Bishop of Narni, was crowned as Pope John XIII. He was bishop of Narni, Papal States, when chosen pope on Oct. 1, 965, by Emperor Otto I, and as pope he strongly supported Otto’s ecclesiastical and political policies. A pious and learned man, he died Sept. 6, 972.

1273 - Rudolf of Hapsburg was chosen emperor. With Rudolf began a period of national peace for Germany which was to last for two hundred years. - Catholic Encyclopedia

1415 - In Bohemia, a league of Catholic lords was formed in response to the Hussites. It consisted mostly of the southern and northern gentry accessible to German influence. - Catholic Encyclopedia

1529 - Marburg Colloquy, the first council of Protestants, began this day. It failed to resolve the differences between Zwingli and Luther.

1555 - Giovanni Pierluigi Palestrina, the greatest composer of liturgical music of all time, was appointed choir master to St. John Lateran.

1688 - Charles Carroll, emigrated from England to Maryland because of the persecution ofCatholics. He obtained considerable grants of land and was made attorney-general under the third Lord Baltimore. - Catholic Encyclopedia

1979 - Pope John Paul II began his first trip to the United States. - nytimes.com

2000 - Pope John Paul II named three people to be canonized into sainthood. American socialite Katharine Drexel was among them. - metronetworks

Commemoration:
Bl. John Robinson, English martyr from Ferrensby, Yorkshire, executed at Ipswich 1588
Bl. Robert Widmerpool, English martyr from Nottingham, executed at Canterbury 1588
Bl. Robert Wilcox, English martyr, born at Chester, executed at Canterbury 1588
St. Ralph Crockett, English martyr, born at Barton on the Hill, in Cheshire, executed atChichester 1588
St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus
St Remigius, (437 - 533) Apostle of the Franks, Archbishop of Reims

This Day In Catholic History September 19

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1525 - The Turks, who had been advancing farther and farther up the Danube, appeared before Vienna on this day. The heroism of the besieged, who abandoned all the suburbs of Vienna in order to concentrate for the protection of the inner city, forced Sultan Suleiman to abandon the siege in the middle of October and to withdraw after murdering 2000 prisoners. – Catholic Encyclopedia

1544 - King Francis I, of France, and Emperor Charles V of Austria sign a peace treaty at Crespy, ending 20 years of war. Antagonism with France was a distraction for Charles who was attempting to resolve religious division in Germany while defending Europe from the Turks.

1737 - Birth of Charles Carroll, Catholic American patriot leader; signer of the Declaration of Independence. Until 1765 Carroll attended Jesuit colleges in Maryland and France and studied law in France and England. Before and during the American Revolution, he served on committees of correspondence and in the Continental Congress (1776–78), where he was an important member of the Board of War.

1846 – Our Lady of La Salette appeared before two shepherd children at about three o'clock in the afternoon in full sunlight, on a mountain about three miles distant from the village of La Salette-Fallavaux.

September 3rd, 590: Saint Gregory is Consecrated pope

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On this day in 590, St Gregory the Great was seized, carried to the Basilica of St Peter, and there consecrated pope. Gregory was the 64th pope and he ruled 14 years. He never ceased to regret his elevation. However, his pontificate became a perfect model of ecclesiastical rule. St Gregory’s administration is credited for converting the heathen Anglo-Saxon tribes in England, chiefly through the work of St Augustine of Canterbury. Gregory also assisted in the conversion of the Germanic Lombards of Italy, and the Goths of France and Spain from Arian heresy.

From Daily Gospel:

Saint Gregory the Great, Pope and Doctor of the Church (540 - 604)

Gregory was a Roman of noble birth, and while still young was governor of Rome. On his father's death he gave his great wealth to the poor, turned his house on the Cœlian Hill into a monastery, which now bears his name, and for some years lived as a perfect monk.

The Pope drew him from his seclusion to make him one of the seven deacons of Rome; and he did great service to the Church for many years as what we now call Nuncio to the Imperial court at Constantinople. While still a monk the saint was struck with some boys who were exposed for sale in Rome, and heard with sorrow that they were pagans. "And of what race are they?" he asked. "They are Angles." "Worthy indeed to be Angels of God," said he. "And of what province?" "Of Deira," was the reply. "Truly must we rescue them from the wrath of God. And what is the name of their king?" "He is called Ella." "It is well," said Gregory; "Alleluia must be sung in their land to God." He at once got leave from the Pope, and had set out to convert the English when the murmurs of the people led the Pope to recall him. Still the Angles were not forgotten, and one of the Saint's first cares as Pope was to send from his own monastery St. Augustine and other monks to England.

On the death of Pope Pelagius II., Gregory was compelled to take the government of the Church, and for fourteen years his pontificate was a perfect model of ecclesiastical rule. He healed schisms; revived discipline; saved Italy by converting the wild Arian Lombards who were laying it waste; aided in the conversion of the Spanish and French Goths, who were also Arians; and kindled anew in Britain the light of the Faith, which the English had put out in blood.

He set in order the Church's prayers and chant, guided and consoled her pastors with innumerable letters, and preached incessantly, most effectually by his own example.

He died A. D. 604, worn out by austerities and toils; and the Church reckons him one of her four great doctors, and reveres him as St. Gregory the Great.

Lives of the Saints, by Alban Butler, Benziger Bros. ed. [1894]

This Day In Catholic History June 30

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1139 - Death of Saint Otto, Bishop of Bamberg. His greatest service was his missionary work among the Pomeranians. Efforts to convert them to Christianity through Polish priests and through an Italian Bishop, Bernard, proved futile. Duke Boleslaus III then appealed to Otto, and it is due to Otto that the undertaking partook of a German character. ~ Catholic Encyclopedia

1520 - Spanish conquistadors fight their way out of Tenochtilan as the Aztec revolt. Known to the Spanish as La Noche Triste, or "the Night of Sadness," Aztec Emperor Montezuma II was killed in the fighting, and a vessel carrying Aztec treasure and Spanish soldiers was lost in Lake Texcoco. In 1521 Hernando Cortes returned and captured Tenochtitlan, the seat of the Aztec Empire.

1581 - Venerable Edward Stransham set off this day for the English mission along with his future fellow-martyr, Nicholas Woodfen, of London Diocese. In 1583 Stransham came back to Reims with twelve Oxford converts. He was arrested in Bishopgate Street Without, London, 17 July, 1585, while saying Mass, and was condemned at the next assizes for being a priest. ~ Catholic Encyclopedia

1646 - English martyr Ven. Philip Powel hanged, drawn, and quartered at Tyburn.

1679 - English martyr Ven. Thomas Whitbread martyred at Tyburn. The English Jesuit martyr Ven. William Barrow, John Fenwick, John Gavan, and Anthony Turner were executed along with him.

1832 - The first Miraculous Medals were struck this day and with their distribution the devotion spread rapidly. The devotion commonly known as that of the Miraculous Medal owes its origin to Zoe Labore, a member of the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul, known in religion as Sister Catherine [Note: She was subsequently canonized], to whom the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared three separate times in the year 1830. ~ Catholic Encyclopedia

1963 - Cardinal Giovanni Battista Montini was enthroned as Pope Paul VI.

Religious Observances:

Memorial of the 1st Martyrs of the Church of Rome

These “proto-martyrs” of Rome were the first Christians persecuted en masse by the Emperor Nero in the year 64, before the martyrdom of Saints Peter and Paul. Nero was widely believed to have caused the fire that burned down much of Rome in the same year. He blamed the fire on the Christians and put them to death, many by crucifixion, by feeding to the wild animals in the circus, or by being tied to posts and lit up as human torches. These martyrs were called the “Disciples of the Apostles” and their firmness in the face of their gruesome deaths were a powerful testimony that led to many conversions in the early Roman Church. ~ catholicnewsagency.com

Their death is recorded by the pagan writer, Tacitus in his Annales (15, 44), and also by Pope Clement I in his letter to the Corinthians chapters 5-6). ~ dailygospel.org

This Day In Catholic History October 13

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1307 - Members of the Knights Templar are arrested throughout France by the order of King Philip the Fair. The Templars, Poor Knights of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon, were a religious military order of knighthood established at the time of the Crusades that became a model and inspiration for other military orders. Originally founded to protect Christian pilgrims to the Holy Land, the order assumed greater military duties during the 12th century. ~ Encyclopedia Britannica

1536 - The 'Pilgrimage of Grace', a religious rising in the north of England, broke out on this day, immediately following the failure of the Lincolnshire Rising. Robert Aske, a London barrister of good Yorkshire family, who had been to some extent concerned in the Lincolnshire rising, put himself at the head of nine thousand insurgents and marched on York, which he entered. There he arranged for the expelled monks and nuns to return to their houses; the king's tenants were driven out and religious observance resumed. The subsequent success of the rising was so great that the royal leaders, the Duke of Norfolk and Earl of Shrewsbury, opened negotiations with the insurgents at Doncaster, where Aske had assembled between thirty and forty thousand men. As a result of this, Henry VIII authorized Norfolk to promise a general pardon and a Parliament to be held at York within a year. - Catholic Encyclopedia

1917 - October 13th is the day the Miracle of the Sun occurred before 70-thousand witnesses in Fatima and beyond in 1917. The date also marks the last apparition of the Blessed Mother, when she asked for conversion, penance, prayer and especially for the recitation of the rosary. The Virgin Mary appeared to three shepherd children near Fatima, Portugal. Six visions had occurred between May and October, each on the 13th of the month. The final vision attracted more than 50-thousand pilgrims and journalists and other observers from around the world.

Commemoration:
Anglican and Roman Catholic: St. Edward the Confessor, King of England (1066).

October 12, 633: St. Edwin Slain in Battle

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The first Christian King of Northumbria, born about 585, son of Ælla, King of Deira, the southern division of Northumbria; died 12 October, 633. Upon Ælla's death in 588, the sovereignty over both divisions of Northumbria was usurped by Ethebric of Bernicia, and retained at his death by his son Ethelfrid; Edwin, Ælla's infant son, being compelled until his thirtieth year to wander from one friendly prince to another, in continual danger from Ethelfrid's attempts upon his life. Thus when he was residing with King Redwald of East Anglia, Ethelfrid repeatedly endeavoured to bribe the latter to destroy him. Finally, however, Redwald's refusal to betray his guest led in 616 to a battle, fought upon the river Idle, in which Ethelfrid himself was slain, and Edwin was invited to the throne of Northumbria. On the death of his first wife, Edwin, in 625, asked for the hand of Ethelburga, sister to Eadbald, the Christian King of Kent, expressing his own readiness to embrace Christianity, if upon examination he should find it superior to his own religion. Ethelburga was accompanied to Northumbria by St. Paulinus, one of St. Augustine's fellow missionaries, who thus became its first apostle. By him Edwin was baptized at York in 627, and thenceforth showed himself most zealous for the conversion of his people. In instance of this, Venerable Bede tells how, at their royal villa of Yeverin in Northumberland, the king and queen entertained Paulinus for five weeks, whilst he was occupied from morning to night in instructing and baptizing the crowds that flocked to him. By Edwin's persuasion, moreover, Eorpwald, King of East Anglia, son of his old friend Redwald, was led to become a Christian. In token of his authority over the other kings of Bretwalda, Edwin used to have the tufa (a tuft of feathers on a spear, a military ensign of Roman origin) borne publicly before him, and he received tribute from the Welsh princes. Under him the law was so respected, that it became, as the Venerable Bede attests, a proverb that "a woman might travel through the island with a babe at her breast without fear of insult". St. Edwin was slain on 12 October, 633, in repelling an attack made on him by Penda, the pagan King of Mercia, who, together with the Welsh prince Cadwallon (a Christian only in name), had invaded his dominion. Perishing thus in conflict with the enemies of the Faith, he was regarded as a martyr and as such was allowed by Gregory XIII to be depicted in the English College church at Rome. His head was taken to St. Peter's church at York, which he had begun. His body was conveyed to Whitby. Churches are said to have been dedicated to him at London and at Breve in Somerset.

Source: CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: St. Edwin

This Day In Catholic History October 12

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633 - Death of Saint Edwin, the first Christian King of Northumbria, in the battle of Heathfield. St. Edwin was slain on 12 October, 633, in repelling an attack made on him by Penda, the pagan King of Mercia, who, together with the Welsh prince Cadwallon (a Christian only in name), had invaded his dominion. Perishing thus in conflict with the enemies of the Faith, he was regarded as a martyr and as such was allowed by Gregory XIII to be depicted in the English College church at Rome. - newadvent.org

1492 - Land (most likely San Salvador) was sighted in the Caribbean from the Pinta, one of the three ships that participated in Christopher Columbus's historic first voyage. The expedition led by Christopher Columbus lands on Guanahani, an island in the Bahamas. Columbus claims the island for Spain and renames it San Salvador (Holy Savior). (Old Style calendar; Oct. 21st New Style), Christopher Columbus arrived with his expedition in the present-day Bahamas. At 2 a.m. on 12 October the land was seen plainly by one of the Pinta's crew, and in the forenoon Columbus landed on what is now called Watling's Island in the Bahama group, West Indies.

1518 - German Protestant reformer Martin Luther refused to recant the 95 theses he posted the previous October on the chapel door at Wittenberg Castle, before Cardinal Thomas Cajetan. - MetroNetworks

1576 - Rudolf II, the king of Hungary and Bohemia, succeeded his father, Maximillian II, as Holy Roman Emperor [1]. Rudolf's ill health and unpopularity prevented him from restraining the religious dissensions that eventually led to the Thirty Years’ War (1618–48). The eldest surviving son of the emperor Maximilian II and Maria, who was the daughter of the emperor Charles V, Rudolf was crowned king of Hungary in 1572 (as Rudolf) and of Bohemia in 1575 (as Rudolf II) [2]. He moved the imperial capital to Prague, which became a brilliant centre of the Renaissance. His opposition to Protestantism caused conflict in Bohemia and Hungary [3].
1. historynet.com
2. Encyclopedia Britannica
3. World Encyclopedia

1792 - The first recorded celebration of Columbus Day in the United States took place. Organized by the Society of St. Tammany, also known as the Columbian Order, it commemorated the 300th anniversary of Columbus' landing. - MetroNetworks

1891 - Birth of Saint Edith Stein - German scholar and Carmelite nun, executed by Nazis because of Jewish background 8/9,10/1942. - nytimes.com On This Day

1975 - Pope Paul VI canonized an Irish archbishop, Oliver Plunkett, who was executed by British in 1681. - CNN Almanac

Commemoration:
St. Maximilian of Lorch, martyr (+284)
St. Edwin, King of Northumbria (c. 585-633)
St. Wilfrid, Bishop of York (634-709)
Nuestra Señora del Pilar (Our Lady of the Pillar)

This Day In Catholic History October 11

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1521 – Pope Leo X conferred the title "Fidei Defensor," or Defender of the Faith, upon England's Henry VIII. Three popes and 13 years later, Henry severed all ties with Rome to establish the Church of England.

1531 – During Switzerland’s 2nd Civil War, Catholics defeat Protestant forces at the Battle of Kappel. Protestant leader Zwingli was killed in the battle. Protestant troops under Jörg Göldli were defeated by Roman Catholic troops at the Battle of Kappel during the Swiss Reformation.

1540 – Holy Roman Emperor Charles V placed his son Philip in charge of Milan.

1551 - The 13th Session of the Council of Trent opened, during which major decisions were reached regarding the Catholic doctrine of the Eucharist.

1779 - Polish nobleman Casimir Pulaski died from wounds received fighting for American independence at the battle of Savannah, Georgia two days previous.

1914 - During World War I, the Cathedral of Notre Dame suffered minor damage during an air raid on Paris.

1962 – 1st session of Vatican Council II opens. The Second Vatican Council, announced by Pope John XXIII in 1959, opened this day in 1962, lasting for three years. Pope John XXIII convened the first session of the Roman Catholic Church's 21st Ecumenical Council, better known as Vatican II.

1998 - Pope John Paul II canonized the first Jewish-born saint of the modern era: Edith Stein, a Catholic nun killed at Auschwitz. - nytimes.com On This Day

2009 - Pope Benedict XVI canonized five new saints of the Roman Catholic Church. They include Belgian priest Father Damien, who ministered to lepers in the 19th Century on the Hawaiian island of Molokai. Also elevated to sainthood was Dominican friar Francisco Coll Guitart, who preached in Spain in the 1800s. Fellow Spaniard Brother Rafael Arnaiz Baron, who was a Trappist monk, was the only 20th Century figure to be canonized. Frenchwoman Jeanne Jugan, also known as Marie de la Croix, was sainted for her work with the poor and elderly before her death in 1879. The pontiff also canonized Zygmunt Felinski, who was the archbishop of Warsaw when Poland rebelled against imperial Russia in 1863. He was exiled to Siberia for 20 years before returning to Poland where he died in 1895. - MetroNetworks

Commemoration:
Maternity of Our Lady
St. Tarachus and his Companions, Martyrs († 304)
St. Firminus (543), Bishop of Uzes
Blessed Angela Truszkowska (1825-1899)
Feast of Blessed John XXIII, pope from 1958-1963

October 11, 1531 Battle of Kappel

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This day in 1531 Protestant troops under Jörg Göldli were defeated by Roman Catholic troops at the Battle of Kappel during the Swiss Reformation. The Kappel Wars, (1529 and 1531), were two conflicts of the Swiss Reformation. The name derives from the monastery of Kappel, on the border between the cantons of Zürich and Zug.

The first conflict arose when five Roman Catholic member states of the Swiss confederacy, Lucerne, Uri, Schwyz, Unterwalden, and Zug, formed the Christian Union, which allied itself with Austria to prevent Zürich from spreading Protestantism over the common lordships (territories ruled by the Swiss confederates jointly). Zürich thereupon launched an expedition against the Christian Union, but the fighting was negligible, and an armistice signed at Kappel on June 26, 1529, was followed by an agreement whereby the Roman Catholic districts renounced their Austrian alliance and conceded freedom of religion in the common lordships.

The five Roman Catholic confederates, however, soon felt that Protestantism was in fact being forced on the Thurgau (one of the lordships), and in October 1531 they suddenly declared war against Zürich. Zürich’s hastily raised troops, under Jörg Göldli, were defeated in the Battle of Kappel (Oct. 11, 1531), and Zürich’s Protestant leader, Huldrych Zwingli, was killed. The second Peace of Kappel (Nov. 24, 1531) upheld the claims of Roman Catholicism throughout the controversial areas. ~ Encyclopedia Britannica

October 10, 644 Death of Saint Paulinus, Missionary to Northumbria

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Saint Paulinus, (b. 584?, Rome [Italy]—d. 644, Rochester, Kent, Eng.; feast day October 10), Italian missionary who converted Northumbria to Christianity, became the first bishop of York, and was later made archbishop of Rochester. In 601 Paulinus was sent with St. Mellitus (later first bishop of London) and St. Justus (later first bishop of Rochester) to England by Pope St. Gregory I the Great to assist Archbishop St. Augustine of Canterbury in his mission of converting England to Christianity. Paulinus was consecrated bishop at Kent (625) by Justus (then fourth archbishop of Canterbury) and escorted the daughter of King Aethelberht (Ethelbert) of Kent to the Northumbrian king Edwin. Paulinus converted and baptized Edwin (627), who made him first bishop of York, after which Paulinus’ missions spread throughout Northumbria. When in 632 Edwin was slain by the Anglo-Saxon kings Caedwalla and Penda, Paulinus fled to Kent, where he became bishop of Rochester. He became archbishop in 634, when he received the pallium (i.e., symbol of metropolitan jurisdiction) from Pope Honorius I. ~ Encyclopedia Britannica

This Day In Catholic History October 10

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644 - Death of St. Paulinus, Archbishop of York, Italian missionary who converted Northumbria to Christianity, became the first bishop of York, and was later made archbishop of Rochester [1]. He was a Roman monk in St. Andrew's monastery at Rome, and was sent by St. Gregory the Great in 601, with St. Mellitus and others, to help St. Augustine and to carry the pallium to him. He laboured in Kent — with the possible exception of a mission to East Anglia before 616 — till 625, when he accompanied Ethelburga (Aethelburh), the sister of King Eadbald of Kent, when she went to the Northumbrian Court to marry King Edwin, then a pagan. Before leaving Kent, he was consecrated bishop by St. Justus, Archbishop of Canterbury. He was successful in converting Edwin and large numbers of his people, the king's baptism taking place on 12 April, 627. With the assistance of St. Edwin, he established his see at York and began to build a stone church there. His apostolic labours in instructing and baptizing the people of the north country were unceasing, and tradition perpetuates his ministry at Yeavering, Catterick Bridge, Dewsbury, Easingwold, Southwell, and elsewhere, while his own name is preserved in the village of Pallingsburn in Northumbria. On the defeat of St. Edwin in 633, Paulinus carried the queen and her children safely to Kent; and, as the heathen reaction under Penda made missionary work impossible in Northumbria, he devoted himself to the Diocese of Rochester, then vacant. It was after his flight that he received the pallium from Rome (634), sent to him as Archbishop of York. Though Anglican writers have disagreed among themselves as to whether he was justified in leaving his archbishopric, Catholic writers, following St. Bede, have held that he had no choice and was the best judge of what was advisable under the circumstances. St. Bede describes him as tall and thin, with a slightly stooping figure; he had black hair and an aquiline nose and was of venerable and awe-inspiring aspect. He was buried in his church at Rochester, and, on the rebuilding of the cathedral, his relics were translated by Archbishop Lanfranc to a silver shrine where they lay till the Reformation. His festival is observed in England on 10 Oct., the anniversary of his death [2].
1. Encyclopedia Britannica
2. Catholic Encyclopedia

732 - Battle of Tours, also called Battle of Poitiers , (October 732), victory won by Charles Martel, the de facto ruler of the Frankish kingdoms, over Muslim invaders from Spain. Following an invasion of France by Abd-er-Rahman and a force of 65,000 Saracens, Charles Martel and a force of Frankish infantry defeated the invaders at the battle of Tours. There were no further Muslim invasions of Frankish territory, and Charles’s victory has often been regarded as decisive for world history, since it preserved western Europe from Muslim conquest and Islāmization.

1227 - Execution of St. Daniel and Companions, Friars Minor and martyrs; dates of birth unknown; died 10 October, 1227. The martyrdom of St. Berard and his companions in 1219 had inflamed many of the religious of the Order of Friars Minor with the desire of preaching the Gospel in heathen lands; and in 1227, the year following St. Francis's death, six religious of Tuscany, Agnellus, Samuel, Donulus, Leo, Hugolinus, and Nicholas, petitioned Brother Elias of Cortona, then vicar-general of the order, for permission to preach the Gospel to the infidels of Morocco. The six missionaries went first to Spain, where they were joined by Daniel, Minister Provincial of Calabria, who became their superior. They set sail from Spain and on 20 September reached the coast of Africa, where they remained for a few days in a small village inhabited mostly by Christian merchants just beyond the walls of the Saracen city of Ceuta. Finally, very early on Sunday morning, they entered the city, and immediately began to preach the Gospel and to denounce the religion of Mahomet. They were soon apprehended and brought before the sultan who, thinking that they were mad, ordered them to be cast into prison. Here they remained until the following Sunday when they were again brought before the sultan, who, by promises and threats, endeavoured in vain to make them deny the Christian religion. They were all condemned to death. Each one approached Daniel, the superior, to ask his blessing and permission to die for Christ. They were all beheaded. St. Daniel and his companions were canonized by Leo X in 1516. Their feast is kept in the order on the thirteenth of October. ~ Catholic Encyclopedia

Commemoration:

St. Francis Borgia, Priest (1510-1572)
St. Ghislain

October 10, 732 - Frankish Victory at the Battle of Tours.

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At Tours, France, Charles Martel kills Abd el-Rahman and halts the Muslim invasion of Europe [1]. Following an invasion of France by Abd-er-Rahman and a force of 65,000 Saracens, Charles Martel and a force of Frankish infantry defeated the invaders at the battle of Tours [2]. In 732 Abd-er-Rahman, Governor of Spain, crossed the Pyrenees at the head of an immense army, overcame Duke Eudes, and advanced as far as the Loire, pillaging and burning as he went. In October, 732, Charles met Abd-er-Rahman outside of Tours and defeated and slew him in a battle (the Battle of Poitiers) which must ever remain one of the great events in the history of the world, as upon its issue depended whether Christian Civilization should continue or Islam prevail throughout Europe. It was this battle, it is said, that gave Charles his name, Martel (Tudites) "The Hammer", because of the merciless way in which he smote the enemy[3]. At the Battle of Tours near Poitiers, France, Frankish leader Charles Martel, a Christian, defeats a large army of Spanish Moors, halting the Muslim advance into Western Europe. Abd-ar-Rahman, the Muslim governor of Córdoba, was killed in the fighting, and the Moors retreated from Gaul, never to return in such force.Charles was the illegitimate son of Pepin, the powerful mayor of the palace of Austrasia and effective ruler of the Frankish kingdom. After Pepin died in 714 (with no surviving legitimate sons), Charles beat out Pepin's three grandsons in a power struggle and became mayor of the Franks. He expanded the Frankish territory under his control and in 732 repulsed an onslaught by the Muslims.Victory at Tours ensured the ruling dynasty of Martel's family, the Carolingians. His son Pepin became the first Carolingian king of the Franks, and his grandson Charlemagne carved out a vast empire that stretched across Europe [4]. The Battle of Tours, also called Battle of Poitiers, (October 732), victory won by Charles Martel, the de facto ruler of the Frankish kingdoms, over Muslim invaders from Spain. The battlefield cannot be exactly located, but it was fought somewhere between Tours and Poitiers, in what is now west-central France. Abd-ar-Raḥmān, the Muslim governor of Córdoba, had invaded Aquitaine (present southwestern France) and defeated its duke, Eudes. Eudes appealed for help to Charles, who stationed his forces to defend the city of Tours from the northward progress of the Muslims. According to tradition, the Muslim cavalry attacks broke upon Charles’s massed infantry, and after Abd-ar-Raḥmān was killed in the fighting, the Arabs retired southward. There were no further Muslim invasions of Frankish territory, and Charles’s victory has often been regarded as decisive for world history, since it preserved western Europe from Muslim conquest and Islāmization. The victory also served to consolidate Charles’s leadership of the Franks, and he was able to assert his authority in Aquitaine, where Eudes swore allegiance to him [5].

1. historynet.com
2. CNN Almanac
3. Catholic Encyclopedia
4. history.com
5. Encyclopedia Britannica

This Day In Catholic History October 9

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1047 – Death of Pope Clement II, at Aposella, near Pesaro, Romagna. Pope from 1046 to 1047. Born in Saxony, his original name was Suidger. Of noble birth, he was bishop of Bamberg, in Germany, when in 1046 he accompanied the German king Henry III on an expedition to Italy, where Henry found three rival popes (Sylvester III, Benedict IX, and Gregory VI), supported by rival Roman families, claiming the papacy. Having had all claimants deposed, Henry selected Suidger as pope. He was consecrated on December 25 and immediately crowned Henry as Holy Roman emperor. In 1047 Clement convoked the Council of Rome that passed strong decrees against simony (i.e., the buying or selling of a church office) and began a period of reform that was carried on by his successors. His sudden death soon after returning from a trip to Germany was attributed to poisoning by Benedict’s supporters. Benedict then reappeared in Rome and installed himself as pope. - Encyclopedia Britannica

1201 - Birth of Robert de Sorbon, French theologian, founder of the Sorbonne, d. 8/15/1274. Robert de Sorbon, (born October 9, 1201, Sorbon, near Rethel, France—died August 15, 1274, Paris), French theologian, confessor to King Louis IX, and founder of the Sorbonne, a collegiate building that became identified with the University of Paris. Born into a poor rural family, Sorbon was educated in Reims and in Paris, where his piety and diligence drew the patronage of the comte d’Artois and King Louis IX. In 1251 he became canon of Cambrai. His importance and influence with the king grew until 1258, when he was appointed canon of Paris and chaplain to the court. Sorbon began to teach in about 1253, and in 1257 he obtained property upon which, with the aid of the king, he founded the Maison de Sorbonne, a theological college for poor students. The Sorbonne received official sanction from the pope in 1259 and rapidly grew into a major European centre of learning and the core of the University of Paris. Sorbon himself was chancellor of the university from 1258 and continued to advocate widespread access to higher education and to write numerous religious tracts and commentaries. - Encyclopedia Britannica

1238 – Christians regained Valencia from Islam. Valencia was in the power of the Moors for more than five centuries. The Cid (Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar) reconquered it for the first time on 15 June, 1094, turned nine mosques into churches, and installed as bishop the French monk Jérôme. On the death of the Cid (July, 1099), his wife, Doña Ximena, retained power for two years, when Valencia was beseiged by the Almoravids; although the Emperor Alfonso drove them from the city, he was not strong enough to hold it. The Christians set fire to it, abandoned it, and the Almoravid Masdali took possession of it on 5 May, 1109. Jaime the Conqueror, with an army composed of French, English, Germans, and Italians, laid siege to Valencia in 1238, and on 28 September of that year forced a surrender. 50,000 Moors left the city and on 9 October the king, followed by his retinue and army, took possession. The principal mosque was purified, Mass was celebrated, and the "Te Deum" sung. The see was re-established, ten parishes being formed in the city; the Knights Templar and Hospitallers who had helped in the conquest, also Dominicans, Franciscans, Augustinians, Mercederians, and Cistercians, opened houses. The Church of San Vincente outside the walls was rebuilt and beside it a hospital. - Catholic Encyclopedia

1253 – Death of Robert Grosseteste at Buckden, Buckinghamshire. He was Bishop of Lincoln and one of the most learned men of the Middle Ages. He introduced into the world of European Christendom Latin translations of Greek and Arabic philosophical and scientific writings. His philosophical thinking—a somewhat eclectic blend of Aristotelian and Neoplatonic ideas—consistently searched for a rational scheme of things, both natural and divine. Grosseteste was educated at the University of Oxford and was chancellor of Oxford from about 1215 to 1221. From 1229 or 1230 to 1235 he was first lecturer in theology to the Franciscans, on whom his influence was profound. The works of his pre-episcopal career, include a commentary on Aristotle’s Posterior Analytics and Physics, many independent treatises on scientific subjects, and several scriptural commentaries. His career as a bishop (during which he translated, among other works, Aristotle’s Nichomachean Ethics from the Greek) was remarkable for his ruthless pursuit of three abiding principles: a belief in the supreme importance of the cure of souls, a highly centralized and hierarchical conception of the church, and a conviction of the superiority of the church over the state. – Encyclopedia Britannica, Catholic Encyclopedia

1596 - Ruthenian Bishops embrace union with Rome with the Union of Brest.

1776 - A group of Spanish missionaries settled in present-day San Francisco. Spanish missionaries dedicated the first mission chapel on the northern California coast at Yerba Buena. The city which grew up around the mission changed its name to San Francisco in 1847 - MetroNetworks.

1845 - Churchman John Henry Newman made his celebrated conversion from Anglicanism to Catholicism. Newman was cofounder of the Oxford Movement in England. - MetroNetworks

1958 - Pope Pius XII died, 19 years after he was elevated to the papacy. - nytimes.com

Commemoration:

Roman Catholic, Anglican: Memorial of Saint Denis, missionary and the first bishop of Paris. He was killed for the faith by pagans on the “Montmartre” – the mount of martyrs - in 258 along with Eleutherius and Rusticus, a priest and a deacon. He is the patron saint of France

Memorial of St John Leonardi, confessor

Today the Church celebrates:
St. Louis Bertrand, Dominican (1526-1581)
St. John Leonardi, Priest (c. 1541-1609)
Bl. John Henry Newman, priest, founder of a religious community, theologian († 1890)
St. Dionysius and his Companions, Martyrs

This Day In Catholic History October 8

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451 – The Council of Chalcedon, Fourth Ecumenical Council, held from 8 October until 1 November inclusive, at Chalcedon, a city of Bithynia in Asia Minor. Its principal purpose was to assert the orthodox Catholic doctrine against the heresy of Eutyches and the Monophysites, although ecclesiastical discipline and jurisdiction also occupied the council's attention. – NewAdvent

939 - At Andernach, Emperor Otto I defeated the rebellious dukes Geselbert of Lotharingia and Eberhard of Franconia. From 1167 to 1801 the city belonged to the archbishopric of Cologne. In 1815 it passed to Prussia. - Columbia Encyclopedia

1202 – Soldiers of the Fourth Crusade begin transport down the Adriatic on Venetian ships. The Venetians had pledged themselves to transport the entire Christian army and to furnish the fleet with provisions for nine months, for 85,000 marks. When the crusaders were unable to pay the sum, the Venetians proposed to bear the financial expenses themselves on condition that the crusaders would first assist them in the conquest of the city of Zara. The crusaders yielded to their demands and the fleet started down the Adriatic on 8 October, 1202. Zara had scarcely been reduced when Alexius Comnenus arrived at the camp of the crusaders and pleaded for their help to replace his father, Isaac Angelus, on the throne of Constantinople from which he had been deposed by his cruel brother Alexius. In return he promised to reunite the Greek with the Latin Church, to add 10,000 soldiers to the ranks of the crusaders, and to contribute money and provisions to the crusade. The Venetians, who saw their own commercial advantage in the taking of Constantinople, induced the crusaders to yield to the prayers of Alexius, and Constantinople was taken by them in 1204. Isaac Angelus was restored to his throne but soon replaced by a usurper. The crusaders took Constantinople a second time on 12 April, 1204, and after a horrible pillage, Baldwin, Count of Flanders, was proclaimed emperor and the Greek Church was united with the Latin. The reunion, as well as the Latin empire in the East, did not last longer than two generations. When Pope Innocent learned that the Venetians had diverted the crusaders from their purpose of conquering the Holy Land he expressed his great dissatisfaction first at their conquest of Zara, and when they proceeded towards Constantinople he solemnly protested and finally excommunicated the Venetians who had caused the digression of the crusaders from their original purpose. Since, however, he could not undo what had been accomplished he did his utmost to destroy the Greek schism and latinize the Eastern Empire. - NewAdvent Catholic Encyclopedia

1690 - Belgrade is retaken by the Turks. - historynet.com

1776 - San Francisco de Asis was founded, one of 21 California missions established by or under tha administration of Junípero Serra for the purpose of converting all the natives on the coast as far as Sonoma in the north.

Today the Church celebrates:

St. Demetrius, Martyr († c. 306)

This Day In Catholic History October 7

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336 - Death of Pope St. Mark. St. Mark was by birth a Roman, and served God with such fervor among the clergy of that Church, that, advancing continually in sincere humility and the knowledge and sense of his own weakness and imperfections, he strove every day to surpass himself in the fervor of his charity and zeal, and in the exercise of all virtues. The persecution ceased in the West, in the beginning of the year 305, but was revived a short time after by Maxentius. St. Mark abated nothing of his watchfulness, but endeavored rather to redouble his zeal during the peace of the Church; knowing that if men sometimes cease openly to persecute the faithful, the devil never allows them any truce, and his snares are generally most to be feared in the time of the calm. St. Mark succeeded St. Sylvester in the apostolic chair on the 18th of January, 336. He held that dignity only eight months and twenty days, dying on the 7th of October following. He was buried in a cemetery in the Ardeatine Way, which has since borne his name. ~ Lives of the Saints, by Alban Butler, Benziger Bros. ed. [1894]

1391 - St. Bridget of Sweden was canonized by Pope Boniface IX. - Catholic Encyclopedia Saint Bridget of Sweden c.1300-1373, Swedish nun, one of the great saints of Scandinavia. She was a noblewoman at court and the mother of eight children. After her husband's death she founded (1346) the Order of the Most Holy Savior (the Brigettines). In 1349 she went to Rome, where she founded hospices for pilgrims, the poor, and the sick. She labored for the reform of religious life in Italy and for the return of the pope from Avignon to Rome. Her account of her numerous visions was widely read during the Middle Ages. St. Bridget is patron of Sweden. She is also called Birgitta. Feast: July 23 (formerly Oct. 8). - Columbia Encyclopedia

1506 – Pope Julius II issued a Bull deposing and excommunicating Giovanni Bentivoglio and placing the city of Bologna under interdict. Trouble had been brewing at Perugia and Bologna, two cities that belonged to the Papal States. At Perugia the Baglioni and at Bologna the Bentivogli were acting as independent despots. The warlike Julius II personally directed the campaign against both, setting out at the head of his army on 26 August, 1506. Perugia surrendered without any bloodshed on 13 September, and the pope proceeded towards Bologna. Bentivoglio fled, and Julius II entered Bologna triumphantly on 10 November. – Catholic Encyclopedia

1571 - Allied Christian forces defeated the Ottoman Turks during a naval engagement at the Battle of Lepanto. A Christian fleet of 200 galleys, carrying 50,000 men under the command of Don Juan of Austria, met the Ottoman fleet in the Straits of Lepanto, destroyed it completely, and liberated thousands of Christian galley slaves. The pope, considering that the victory had saved Christendom, by way of commemorating it instituted the feast of the Holy Rosary, which is celebrated on the first Sunday of October. - Catholic Encyclopedia

1678 - Ven. Richard Langhorne, English martyr, was arrested for a second time and was committed to Newgate without any previous examination; he was kept in solitary confinement for eight months. – newadvent.org

1867 - The Wanderer was first published in St. Paul, Minnesota. - catholichistory.net

1979 - Pope John Paul II concluded his weeklong tour of the United States with a Mass on the Washington Mall.

1995 - Pope John Paul the Second celebrated Mass in New York's Central Park with 130-thousand people.

Today the Church celebrates:
Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary
Commemoration of St. Mark, pope († 336)

This Day In Catholic History October 6

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891 - Formosas

This Day In Catholic History October 5

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869 - The Fourth Council of Constantinople opens in the Cathedral of Saint Sophia, under the presidency of the legates of Adrian II. - Catholic Encyclopedia

1562 - The University of Douai was formally inaugurated with a public procession of theBlessed Sacrament, and a sermon was preached in the town market-place by the Bishopof Arras. ToEnglish Catholics, the name Douai will always be bound up with the college founded byCardinal Allen during the reign of Queen Elizabeth, where the majority of theclergywereeducated in penal times, and to which the preservation of the Catholic religion in Englandwas largely due. Several other British establishments were founded there — colleges for the Scots and the Irish, and Benedictine and Franciscan monasteries — and Douai became the chief centre for those who were exiled for the Faith. - Catholic Encyclopedia

1588 - English martyr Ven. William Hartley executed at Tyburn. John Harrison, alias Symonds, a letter carrier, was also executed.

1793 - The revolutionary government in France abolishes Christianity.

Commemoration:

St. Placid, Martyr (6th century) & his companions, martyrs.

St. Flora of Beaulieu, Virgin (c. 1300-1347)

St. Mary Faustina Kowalska, Virgin (1905-1938)

This Day In Catholic History October 4

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1209 - Pope Inncoent III crowned German king Otto IV emperor in the Basilica of St. Peter at Rome. By the charter of Speyer (Mar., 1209), Otto confirmed his earlier acknowledgment (1201) of the papacy's rights to the Papal States and his promise of aid in upholding papal suzerainty over Sicily. He also conceded the freedom of episcopal elections and the unrestricted right of appeal to the pope. However, no sooner was he crowned emperor (Oct., 1209) at Rome than he reverted to the Hohenstaufen policy of dominance over Italy. He seized (1210) the lands left to the church by Matilda of Tuscany. Only when he invaded Apulia and prepared to attack Sicily, however, did Innocent III excommunicate him (1210). Prompted by the pope and by King Philip II of France, some of the German nobles revolted and elected the Hohenstaufen, Frederick of Sicily (later Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II ), as king. In the ensuing war Otto was supported by the nobles of the Lower Rhine and of the northeast, as well as by his uncle King John of England, but he was defeated (1214) at Bouvines by Philip II of France. The pope declared him deposed in 1215. ~ Columbia Encyclopedia

1226 - The body of St Francis of Assisi (d. Oct. 3, 1226) was, on 4 October, borne in triumphant procession to the city (Assisi), a halt being made at St. Damian's, that St. Clare and her companions might venerate the sacred stigmata now visible to all, and it was placed provisionally in the church of St. George (now within the enclosure of the monastery of St. Clare), where the saint had learned to read and had first preached. Many miracles are recorded to have taken place at his tomb. Francis was canonized at St. George's by Gregory IX, 16 July, 1228. On that day following the pope laid the first stone of the great double church of St. Francis, erected in honour of the new saint, and thither on 25 May, 1230, Francis's remains were secretly transferred by Brother Elias and buried far down under the high altar in the lower church. Here, after lying hidden for six centuries, like that of St. Clare's, Francis's coffin was found, 12 December, 1818, as a result of a toilsome search lasting fifty-two nights. This discovery of the saint's body is commemorated in the order by a special office on 12 December, and that of his translation by another on 25 May. His feast is kept throughout the Church on 4 October, and the impression of the stigmata on his body is celebrated on 17 September. ~ Catholic Encyclopedia

1511 - The so-called Holy League was formed for the purpose of delivering Italy from French rule. In the beginning the League included only the Pope Julius II, the Venetians, and Spain, but England joined it on 17 November, and was soon followed by the emperor and by Switzerland. Under the leadership of the brilliant Gaston de Foix the French were at first successful, but after his death they had to yield to the superior forces of the League, and, being defeated in the bloody battle of Ravenna on 11 April, 1512, they were driven beyond the Alps. Bologna again submitted to Julius II and the cities of Parma, Reggio, and Piacenza were added to the Ecclesiastical States. - Catholic Encyclopedia

1542 - Birth of St Robert Bellarmine, distinguished Jesuit theologian, writer, and cardinal, at Montepulciano.

1588 - Irish martyr Peter Miller, B.D., Diocese of Ferns, was tortured, hanged, and quartered.

1609 - Birth of François Le Mercier, one of the early missionaries of New France

1636 - During the Thirty Years War, Saxon and Imperial troops attempted to drive the remainder of Swedish forces from Germany but were defeated by the Swedish general, Baner, at Wittstock.

1860 - A novitiate was established at St. Francis Friary, Teutopolis, Illinois and the first brother novice was admitted to the First Order. The first cleric novices, three in number, with another brother novice, entered the novitiate on December 18, 1862. - TheFriars.org

1965 - Pope Paul VI makes the first papal visit to the United States, celebrating mass in Yankee Stadium before departing. Pope Paul VI became the first reigning pontiff to travel to North America when he flew to New York and addressed the U.N. General Assembly.

Religious Observances:

Roman Catholic, Anglican: Memorial of St. Francis of Assisi (1182-1226) friar, confessor.

This Day In Catholic History October 3

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959 - Death of St. Gerard of Brogne, Abbot. Saint Gerard was of a noble family of the county of Namur, France. An engaging sweetness of temper, and a strong inclination to piety and devotion, gained him from the cradle the esteem and affection of every one. Having been sent on an important mission to the Court of France, he was greatly edified at the fervor of the monks of St. Denis, at Paris, and earnestly desired to consecrate himself to God with them. Returning home he settled his temporal affairs, and went back with great joy to St. Denis'. He had lived ten years with great fervor in this monastery, when in 931 he was sent by his abbot to found an abbey upon his estate at Brogne, three leagues from Namur. He settled this new abbey, and then built himself a little cell near the church, and lived in it a recluse until God called him to undertake the reformation of many monasteries, which he did successfully. When he had spent almost twenty years in these zealous labors, he shut himself up in his cell, to prepare his soul to receive the recompense of his labors, to which he was called on the 3d of October in 959. ~ Lives of the Saints, by Alban Butler, Benziger Bros. ed. [1894]

1226 - Saint Francis of Assisi died at the little chapel Portiuncula, i.e. a little portion (of land). St. Francis of Assisi, who died this day in 1226, founded the Franciscan order and stressed the need to imitate the life of Jesus, drawing followers with his evangelical zeal, consecration to poverty, charity, and charisma.

1458 - Saint Casimir, Prince of Poland, born in the royal palace at Cracow.

1858 - German friars from the Franciscan Province of the Holy Cross in Paderborn, Westphalia formally took charge of St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Teutopolis, Illinois. - thefriars.org

Honoured Today:

Sts. Ewald and Ewald (Or HEWALD) Martyrs in Old Saxony about 695. They were two priests and natives of Northumbria, England. Both bore the same name, but were distinguished as Ewald the Black and Ewald the Fair, from the difference in the colour of their hair and complexions. According to the example of many at that time, they spent several years as students in the schools of Ireland. Ewald the Black was the more learned of the two, but both were equally renowned for holiness of life. They were apparently acquainted with St. Willibrord, the Apostle of Friesland, and were animated with his zeal for the conversion of the Germans. The two Ewalds are honoured as patrons in Westphalia, and are mentioned in the Roman Martyrology on 3 October. Their feast is celebrated in the dioceses of Cologne and Münster. - Catholic Encyclopedia

This Day In Catholic History October 2

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313 – Pope Miltiades presided over a synod of eighteen bishops from Gaul and Italy assembled in the Lateran Palace to consider the Donatist controversy. After 3 days they decided in favor of Cæcilian, whose election and consecration as Bishop of Carthage was declared to be legitimate.

1187 - Saladin captured Jurasalem from the Crusaders.

1535 - After stopping at Quebec a month prior, Jaques Cartier, the discoverer of Canada, went up the St. Lawrence and on this day reaced the Native village of Hochelaga which he named Montreal (Mount Royal). - HistoryNet

1538 - Birthday of Saint Charles Borromeo, bishop, d. 11/3/1584

1756 - Birth of Daniel Barber, soldier of the American Revolution, Episcopalian minister and Catholic convert, at Simsbury, Connecticut.

1798 - St. Mother Theodore Guérin (1798-1856) born this day.

1881 - Fr. Michael McGivney met with several parishioners to form the nucleus of the Knights of Columbus. - CatholicHistory.net

1904 - Birth of English novelist and Catholic convert Graham Greene (The Power and The Glory, The Heart of the Matter).

Memorial of the Guardian Angels

This Day In Catholic History October 1

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787 - The fourth session of the Second Council of Nicea was held. In it the secretaries of the council read a long series of citations from the Bible and the Fathers in favour of the veneration of images. - Catholic Encyclopedia

965 - John, Bishop of Narni, was crowned as Pope John XIII. He was bishop of Narni, Papal States, when chosen pope on Oct. 1, 965, by Emperor Otto I, and as pope he strongly supported Otto’s ecclesiastical and political policies. A pious and learned man, he died Sept. 6, 972.

1273 - Rudolf of Hapsburg was chosen emperor. With Rudolf began a period of national peace for Germany which was to last for two hundred years. - Catholic Encyclopedia

1415 - In Bohemia, a league of Catholic lords was formed in response to the Hussites. It consisted mostly of the southern and northern gentry accessible to German influence. - Catholic Encyclopedia

1529 - Marburg Colloquy, the first council of Protestants, began this day. It failed to resolve the differences between Zwingli and Luther.

1555 - Giovanni Pierluigi Palestrina, the greatest composer of liturgical music of all time, was appointed choir master to St. John Lateran.

1688 - Charles Carroll, emigrated from England to Maryland because of the persecution of Catholics. He obtained considerable grants of land and was made attorney-general under the third Lord Baltimore. - Catholic Encyclopedia

1979 - Pope John Paul II began his first trip to the United States. - nytimes.com

2000 - Pope John Paul II named three people to be canonized into sainthood. American socialite Katharine Drexel was among them. - metronetworks

Commemoration:
Bl. John Robinson, English martyr from Ferrensby, Yorkshire, executed at Ipswich 1588
Bl. Robert Widmerpool, English martyr from Nottingham, executed at Canterbury 1588
Bl. Robert Wilcox, English martyr, born at Chester, executed at Canterbury 1588
St. Ralph Crockett, English martyr, born at Barton on the Hill, in Cheshire, executed at Chichester 1588
St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus
St Remigius, (437 - 533) Apostle of the Franks, Archbishop of Reims

This Day In Catholic History September 30

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430 - Death of Latin Father St. Jerome. Jerome spent the last half of his life rendering the Scriptures into the contemporary Latin of his day, sometimes referred to as "vulgar," from the title "Latin Vulgate" sprang. Jerome also prepared commentaries on nearly every book of the Bible. - MetroNetworks

653 - Death of St. Honorius of Canterbury, Archbishop who helped convert the people of Kent, England to Christianity. He was probably a Benedictine and came to England with Saint Augustine in 596 or 601. - New Catholic Dictionary

1897 - St. Thérèse of Lisieux, known as the Little Flower of Jesus, died this day at Lisieux. Saint Thérèse of Lisieux, also called Saint Teresa of the Child Jesus, or the Little Flower, original name Marie-Françoise-Thérèse Martin (b. January 2, 1873, Alençon, France—d. September 30, 1897, Lisieux; canonized May 17, 1925; feast day October 1), Carmelite nun whose service to her Roman Catholic order, although outwardly unremarkable, was later recognized for its exemplary spiritual accomplishments. She was named a doctor of the church by Pope John Paul II in 1997. - Encyclopedia Britannica

1943 - Pius the 12th issued the encyclical "Divino Afflante Spiritu," which encouraged Catholic scholars to devote more attention to biblical exegesis in their teachings and writings. One of the long-term effects of this encyclical was the publication in 1970 of the New American Bible. - MetroNetworks

1952 - The complete Old and New Testament of the Revised Standard Version of the Bible was first published by Thomas Nelson and Sons. - MetroNetworks

Religious Observances Anglican, Roman Catholic, Lutheran:Memorial of St Jerome, patron of scholars/librarians

This Day In Catholic History September 29

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1803 - The first Roman Catholic Church in Boston was formally dedicated. Catholics had not been permitted any religious freedom within this predominantly Puritan colony prior to the Massachusetts Constitution of 1780. - MetroNetworks

1963 - The second session of the Second Vatican Council opened in Rome. - NYTimes

1970 - The New American Bible was published by the St. Anthony Guild Press. It represented the first English version Roman Catholic Bible to be translated from the original Biblical Greek and Hebrew languages. The Rheims-Douai Version of 1610 had been based on Jerome's Latin Vulgate. - MetroNetworks

1979 - Pope John Paul II addressed a crowd of more than 1 million in Dublin to make impassioned appeal for peace in Northern Ireland.

Religious Observances Roman Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran: Feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel, Raphael & all angels

This Day In Catholic History September 28

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1238 - James of Aragon, 'Jaime the Conqueror', this day captured Valencia, Spain, from the Arabs. With an army composed of French, English, Germans, and Italians, James laid siege to Valencia in 1238, and on 28 September of that year forced a surrender. - Catholic Encyclopedia

1542 - Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo of Portugal, sailing under the Spanish flag, sailed into San Diego Bay. While exploring the northwest shores of Mexico, Cabrillo became the first European to reach California. - American Memory

1607 - Samuel de Champlain and his colonists return to France from Port Royal Nova Scotia. - historynet.com

Memorials: St. Lorenzo Ruiz & Companions and St. Wenceslaus

This Day In Catholic History September 27

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1514 - The Spanish crown granted explorer Juan Ponce de Leon the title Military Governor of Bimini (an island in the Bahamas) and Florida. With this title and the implied permission it contained to colonize those regions, Ponce de Leon sailed for Florida in 1521. - American Memory

1540 - The Jesuit order, founded by St. Ignatius of Loyola, was approved this day by Pope Paul III. Pope Paul III officially approved the Society of Jesus through the encyclical "Regimini militantis ecclesiae." The organization is a body of priests organized by Ignatius of Loyola in 1534 for missionary work. Today, the Jesuits constitute the largest Catholic teaching order in the United States. - Encyclopedia Britannica

1660 - St. Vincent de Paul, founder of the Congregation of the Mission, which preaches to and cares for the poor, died this day in Paris at the age of 79. Saint Vincent De Paul, (b. April 24, 1581, Pouy, now Saint-Vincent-de-Paul, Fr.—d. Sept. 27, 1660, Paris; canonized 1737; feast day September 27), French saint, founder of the Congregation of the Mission (Lazarists, or Vincentians) for preaching missions to the peasantry and for educating and training a pastoral clergy. Educated by the Franciscans at Dax, Fr., he was ordained in 1600 and graduated from the University of Toulouse in 1604. He was allegedly captured at sea by Barbary pirates but escaped. He spent a year in Rome, then went to Paris, where he remained permanently. - Encyclopedia Britannica

1696 - Birth of St. Alfonso Liguori, Italian theologian at Marianella, Kingdom of Naples—d. Aug. 1, 1787, Pagani; canonized 1839; feast day August 1), Italian doctor of the church, one of the chief 18th-century moral theologians, and founder of the Redemptorists, a congregation dedicated primarily to parish and foreign missions. In 1871 he was named a doctor of the church by Pope Pius IX. In 1950 he was named patron saint of moralists and confessors by Pope Pius XII. - Encyclopedia Britannica

Memorial of St Vincent de Paul, priest, patron of charitable works

This Day In Catholic History September 26

2010-09-26T04:10:00.001-07:00

1815 - The Holy Alliance of Russia, Austria, and Prussia was formed, after the final defeat of Napoleon. Emperor Francis I of Austria, King Frederick William III of Prussia, and Tsar Alexander I of Russia, signed a treaty by which they united in a "Holy Alliance." Although a political act, the treaty in its wording is a statement purely religious in character. Having in mind the great events of the fall of Napoleon, and in gratitude to God for the blessings shown to their people, the three monarchs declared their fixed resolution to take as the only rule of their future administration, both in internal and foreign affairs, the principles of the Christian religion -- justice, love and peace. They declared that, far from being of value only in individual life, Christian morality is also the best guide in public life. Accordingly the rulers declared their fraternal feeling towards one another, in virtue of which they would not only give support to, but abstain from war with, one another, and would guide their subjects and their armies in a fatherly manner. They declared that they would administer to guide three great branches of the Christian family of nations; the rightful Lord of the nations, however, remains the One to whom belongs all power, our Divine Saviour, Jesus Christ. They also recommended their subjects with the most tender solicitude to strengthen themselves daily in the principles and practice of the duties which the Saviour taught, because this was the only way to attain the enduring enjoyment of that peace which arises from a good conscience, and which is lasting. - Catholic Encyclopedia

1832 - Death of missionary Bishop Edward Fenwick, first bishop of Cincinnati (1822–1832). A Maryland native, Fenwick worked in the mission country of Ohio and built the first Catholic church in that state, St. Joseph near Somerset, in 1818. At the time of his consecration by Bishop Benedict Flaget as the first bishop of the diocese of Cincinnati, his jurisdiction included Ohio, Michigan, and the rest of the old Northwest Territory [CatholicHistory.net]. First Bishop of Cincinnati, brother of Benedict Joseph Fenwick, born Leonardstown, Maryland, 1768; died Wooster, Ohio, 1832. His ancestors settled in Maryland with Leonard Calvert. Having joined the Dominicans at Bornheim, Belgium, he became the founder of the order in the United States, establishing Saint Rose's Convent in Washington County, Kentucky, 1806. Here Saint Thomas College was opened in 1807. He resigned as superior in 1814 to do missionary work in Ohio. In 1818 he built Saint Joseph's, near Somerset, the first church in Ohio, with a Dominican convent nearby. Named Bishop of Cincinnati, 1821, he was consecrated, 13 January 1822, at Saint Rose's, by Bishop Flaget. His diocese included, besides Ohio, Michigan and the Northwest Territory. Having moved Christ Church, a small plank structure, from the outskirts of Cincinnati to the site of the present Saint Francis Xavier's College, and started a seminary, he went abroad for funds. On his return he laid the corner-stone of old Saint Peter's Cathedral, 1826, and by 1829 opened the Athenaeum, a college and seminary, dedicated to Saint Francis Xavier. In 1831 he founded the "Catholic Telegraph." He was stricken with cholera in the midst of one of his many missionary journeys through his diocese [New Catholic Dictionary].

Today's Saints:

Sts. Cosmas & Damian, Martyrs († c. 283)

This Day In Catholic History September 25

2010-09-25T02:55:00.001-07:00

623 - Death of Saint Finbar, Bishop and patron of Cork, at Cloyne. He evangelized Gowran, Coolcashin, and Aghaboe, and founded a school at Eirce. - Catholic Encyclopedia

1066 - Tostig, earl of Northumbria, and Harald III, king of Norway, were killed in an attempt to depose Tostig's brother, King Harold II of England at the Battle of Stamford Bridge. - Encyclopedia Britannica

1396 - Christian forces led John the Fearless of Nevers and King Sigismund of Hungary are routed by the Sultan Bajazet I’s Ottoman army at the Battle of Nicopolis. This Turkish victory over an army of European crusaders brought an end to massive international efforts to halt Turkish expansion into the Balkans and central Europe [Encyclopedia Britannica]. Sigismund, King of Hungary, alarmed at the progress of the Turks, sent an embassy to Charles VI, and a large number of French lords, among them the Count of Nevers, son of the Duke of Burgundy, enlisted under the standard of the cross and, in July 1396, were joined at Buda by English and German knights. The crusaders invaded Servia, but despite their prodigies of valeur Bajazet completely routed them before Nicopolis, 25 September, 1396 [Catholic Encyclopedia].

1493 - Columbus started on his second voyage to the Indies from Cadiz, with three large vessels and thirteen caravels, carrying in all about 1500 men. On his first trip, he had heard about other, smaller islands lying some distance south of Hispaniola, and said to be inhabited by ferocious tribes who had the advantage over the Arawaks of being intrepid seafarers, and who made constant war upon the inhabitants of the Greater Antilles and the Bahamas, carrying off women and children into captivity. They were believed to practice cannibalism. These were the Caribs and the reports about them were true, outside of some exaggerations and fables like the story of the Amazons. Previous to the arrival of Columbus the Caribs had driven the Arawaks steadily north, depopulated some of the smaller islands, and were sorely pressing the people of Hispaniola, parts of Cuba, Porto Rico, and even Jamaica. Columbus wished to learn more about these people. The helpless condition of the Arawaks made him eager to protect them against their enemies. - Catholic Encyclopedia

1513 - Spanish conquistador and explorer Vasco Nunez de Balboa led an expedition across the Isthmus of Panama to reach the Pacific Ocean. Standing “silent, upon a peak in Darién,” on the Isthmus of Panama, they became the first Europeans to sight the Pacific Ocean. Balboa was head of the first stable settlement on the South American continent (1511) - Encyclopedia Britannica

1555 - The Peace of Augsburg was signed, resolving bitter disputes between Protestants and Catholics in the German states. Its wider significance meant that both the political unity of Germany and the medieval unity of Christendom was permanently dissolved. - MetroNetworks

Commemoration:
St. Hermann Contractus
St. Finbar, Bishop (6th century)
St. Elzear and Blessed Delphina
Bl. Herman the Cripple

This Day In Catholic History September 24

2010-09-24T07:32:00.001-07:00

787 - The Second Nicene Council opened under Pope Hadrian I. Nicea II condemned iconoclasm which is described as the belief that the veneration of Christian images and relics is idolatry. - MetroNetworks

1583 - Birth of Albrecht Wallenstein, Bohemian statesman and general who commanded imperial armies in the Danish and Swedish phases of the Thirty Years' War, d. 2/25/1634

1827 - Catherine Elizabeth McAuley established her House of Mercy, consisting of a school and a home for working mothers. She later added an employment agency and an orphanage. She subsequently founded the Sisters of Mercy in Dublin. The congregation was introduced to England and rapidly spread throughout the world.

Feast of Our Lady of Ransom also known as Our Lady of Mercy

This Day In Catholic History September 23

2010-09-23T01:54:00.001-07:00

1122 - The Concordat of Worms was reached between Pope Callistus II and Holy Roman Emperor Henry V. The agreement settled the Investiture Controversy over who had the right - bishop or emperor - to choose replacement clergy for vacant positions. - MetroNetworks

1588 - William Way, English priest and martyr, hanged, bowelled, and quartered at Kingston-on-Thames. - Catholic Encyclopedia

1595 - Spain launched an intensive missionary campaign in the American Southeast. During the next two years, about, 15-hundred American Indians were converted to the Catholic faith. - MetroNetworks

Commemoration:

St Linus, 2nd pope, martyr

St. Pio of Pietrelcina

St. Thecla, Virgin & Martyr (1st century)

St. Constantius

This Day In Catholic History September 22

2010-09-22T18:51:00.001-07:00

530 - Pope Felix IV died, having named Boniface II as his successor. Saint Felix IV, (d. Sept. 22, 530, Rome; feast day January 30), pope from 526 to 530. He was elected on July 12 as the choice of Theodoric the Great, king of the Ostrogoths, who had imprisoned Felix’ predecessor, St. John I, and who died shortly after Felix’ consecration. The new pope ended the controversy over grace at the second Council of Orange (529) by condemning Semi-Pelagianism, which maintained that the beginning of faith results from human effort rather than grace (see Orange, councils of; Semi-Pelagianism). Felix converted a pagan temple at Rome into the Church of SS. Cosmas and Damian. To avoid a disputed succession, Felix named the archdeacon Boniface (Pope Boniface II) as his successor. - Encyclopedia Britannica

1601 - The first Catholic priests of the newly established Christian Church in Japan -- Sebastian Chimura and Aloysius Niabara -- were ordained in their hometown of Nagasaki. - MetroNetworks

1609 - Spain's Philip III issued a royal order for deportation of the Moriscos (Christians of Moorish ancestry). - Britannica

1915 - Xavier University, the only Catholic, historically black college in the United States, was founded in New Orleans, Louisiana. St Katharine Drexel of Philadelphia and her Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament, a religious community dedicated to the education of African Americans and Native Americans, established Xavier as a high school in 1915. A normal school was added in 1917, the four-year college program in 1925.

1980 - Solidarity, the Polish trade union and political party that became a hotbed of resistance to Soviet control, was founded this day in 1980 when delegates of 36 unions met and united under the leadership of Lech Walesa. - Britannica

Commemoration:

St. Maurice and Companions

St Thomas of Villanova, bishop of Valencia, confessor

This Day In Catholic History September 21

2010-09-22T18:48:00.001-07:00

937 – Otto the Great founded a Benedictine monastery at Magdeburg , which was dedicated to Sts. Peter, Maurice, and the Holy Innocents.

1054 – Death of Herman Contractus (Herimanus Augiensis, Hermann von Reichenau) chronicler, mathematician, and poet; on the island of Reichenau, Lake Constance .

1415 - Birth of Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor from 1452 and German king from 1440 who laid the foundations for the greatness of the House of Habsburg in European affairs. Frederick travelled to Italy, he received the Lombard crown (1452) and, on March 19, 1452, became the last emperor to be crowned by a pope. It was from his reign onward that the Habsburgs saw themselves as Christian Europe’s first line of defense against Islām, a role they were to play for more than three centuries. - Britannica

1457 – The town of Frieburg granted its new university its own jurisdiction and immunity from taxation for its members. The foundation of the university Freiburg is indebted to Archduke Albrecht VI of Austria, who was entrusted by his brother, Emperor Frederick III, with the government of the Further Austrian territories. The idea was first conceived by Mechtild, the accomplished wife of Albrecht, and it was at her suggestion that he resolved to found the university, having obtained the sanction of Callistus III in the Bull of 20 April, 1455 . The revenue of the university was ensured by the foundation of several benefices, and the incorporation of the cathedral parish of Freiburg, together with the parishes of Breisach, Ensisheim, and other places, in the new institution (Deed of 28 August, 1456), this endowment being approved by Frederick III. The town also made considerable contributions. – Catholic Encyclopedia

1645 – Birth of Louis Joliet, a discoverer and the son of a wagon-maker, at Quebec,Canada.

1676 - Benedetto Odescalchi was elected Pope. He took the name of Innocent XI. He was loved for his deep piety, charity, and unselfish devotion to duty. Immediately upon his accession he turned all his efforts towards reducing the expenses of the Curia. The whole of his pontificate was marked by a continuous struggle with the absolutism of King Louis XIV of France. – Catholic Encyclopedia

1745 – At the Battle at Preston Pans – The Catholic Bonnie Prince Charles defeats the English army.

1774 - St. Alphonsus Liguori fell into a clairvoyant trance at Arienzo and was present in spirit at the death-bed in Rome of Pope Clement XIV. His intercession healed the sick; he read the secrets of hearts, and foretold the future. At three different times in his missions, while preaching, a ray of light from a picture of Our Lady darted towards him, and he fell into an ecstasy before the people. In old age he was more than once raised in the air when speaking of God.

1820 - In Cork, Ireland, John England was consecrated as the first bishop of Charleston, South Carolina. - CatholicHistory.Net

Anglican, Roman Catholic, Lutheran: Feast of St. Matthew, apostle, evangelist.

This Day In Catholic History September 20

2010-09-22T18:46:00.001-07:00

1378 - Robert of Geneva was chosen pope, and on this day the Western Schism began [Catholic Encyclopedia]. The election of Robert of Geneva as anti-pope by discontented cardinals created a great schism in the Catholic Church [HistoryNet].

1519 - Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan set out from Spain on a voyage to find a western passage to the Spice Islands in Indonesia. - NYTimes

1537 - Carthusian martyr, Blessed Thomas Johnson, died in Newgate gaol, London. The last of nine London Carthusians to die of starvation in prison in 1537. He died 20 September, after nearly 5 months of barbaric treatment. - newadvent.org

1561 - Queen Elizabeth of England signs a treaty at Hamptan Court with French Huguenot leader Louis de Bourbon, the Prince of Conde. The English will occupy Le Harve in return for aiding Bourbon against the Catholics of France. - HistoryNet

1565 - Pedro Menendez de Aviles of Spain captures and destroys the French Huguenot settlement at Fort Caroline in Florida. It was the first instance of warfare between European powers in America. The French had established Ft Caroline the previous year in 1564. The Huguenots were regarded as heretics and their settlement a threat to Spanish shipping along the Florida coast. Aviles was sent to establish a Spanish colony in Florida and drive out the French. He founded Saint Augustine September 8, 1565 and two weeks later attacked the French settlement. The setback convinced the French to concentrate their colonial efforts to the north in Canada, namely Quebec and Nova Scotia. Saint Augustine is the oldest continually populated city in the United States today. –History.com

1604 - After a two-year siege, the Spanish retake Ostend, the Netherlands, from the Dutch. - HistoryNet

1870 - Italian troops took control of the Papal States, leading to the unification of Italy – NYTimes. Italian troops occupied Rome, leading to the eventual incorporation of Rome into the Kingdom of Italy and the limiting of papal governing authority to the Vatican itself and a small district around it. - Britannica

Commemoration:

Sts. Andrew Kim Taegon, Paul Chong Hasang, and Companions, Korean martyrs

Sts. Eustachius and Companions, Martyrs († 2nd century)

This Day In Catholic History September 19

2010-09-22T08:42:00.001-07:00

This Day In Catholic History September 18

2010-09-22T08:40:00.001-07:00

52 - Birth of Marcus Ulpius Trajan the Emperor of Rome. He was the third Roman emperor to rule, after Nero and Domitian, who persecuted the Early Church. During Trajan's reign, the apostolic father Ignatius of Antioch was martyred, in AD 117.

1437 – Pope Eugene IV transferred the Council of Basle to Ferrara. The Council was called by Pope Martin V a few weeks before his death in 1431 and then confirmed by Pope Eugenius IV. Meeting at a time when the prestige of the papacy had been weakened by the Great Schism (1378–1417), it was concerned with two major problems: the question of papal supremacy and the Hussite heresy. (The Hussites were followers of the Bohemian religious Reformer Jan Hus.) - Encyclopedia Britannica

1502 - Christopher Columbus landed at Costa Rica on his fourth and last voyage to the New World.

1678 - French explorer René Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle inaugurated an expedition by sending forward from Fort Frontenac in a brigantine of about ten tons burden a detachment of his followers under the command of Pierre de St-Paul, Sieur de la Motte-Lussiére, a French military officer, with directions to establish a post on the Niagara River near Lake Erie and to make preparations for the building of a ship for the navigation of the Great Lakes. Missionary priest Father Louis Hennepin and two other Récollet Fathers, Gabriel de la Ribourde and Zénobe Mambré were directed by the superior of their order to accompany the expedition. - Catholic Encyclopedia

1759 - The French formally surrendered Quebec to the British during the French and Indian War. The subsequent peace settlement of 1763 would bring a large Catholic population into Britain's North American Empire.

1786 - Synod of Pistoia, held 18 to 28 September, 1786, by Scipio de’ Ricci, Bishop of Pistoia and Prato. It marks the most daring effort ever made to secure for Jansenism and allied errors a foothold in Italy. Peter Leopold, created Grand Duke of Tuscany in 1763, emulated the example of his brother, Emperor Joseph II, in assuming to control religious affairs in the domain. Imbued with Regalism and Jansenism he extended a misguided zeal for reform to minutest details of discipline and worship. - Catholic Encyclopedia

1860 - Victor Emmanuel defeated the papal army at Castelfidardo. On 6 February, 1860, Victor Emmanuel had demanded the annexation of Umbria and the Marches and, when Pius IX resisted this demand, made ready to annex them by force. After a further victory at Ancona on 30 September, Emmanuel deprived the pope of all his possessions with the exception of Rome and the immediate vicinity. – Catholic Encyclopedia

1907 - The Modernist theories were analyzed and condemned as "the synthesis of all the heresies" in the Encyclical "Pascendi Dominici gregis" by Pope Pius X.

Commemoration of St Joseph of Cupertino

This Day In Catholic History September 17

2010-09-17T02:08:00.001-07:00

530 - Pope Boniface II is elected. In calling him the son of Sigisbald, the "Liber Pontificalis" makes first mention of a pope's Germanic ancestry. - Catholic Encyclopedia

1187 - Jerusalem capitulated to Saladin, and Tyre, Antioch, and Tripoli were the only places in Syria that remained to the Christians. - Catholic Encyclopedia

1224 - During an extended period of prayer and fasting, St. Francis of Assisi received the stigmata, crucifixion scars of Christ, on Mount Alvernia, in Italy. Francis founded the Franciscans in 1209. - MetroNetworks

1285 - Pope Honorius IV issues a constitution in which he inculcates that no government can prosper which is not founded on justice and peace, and he passes forty-five ordinances intended chiefly to protect the people of Sicily against their king and his officials. In case of any violation of these ordinances by the king or his officials, the people were free to appeal to the Apostolic See for redress. The king, moreover, was bound to observe the ordinances contained in this constitution under pain of excommunication. - Catholic Encyclopedia

1374 - The Polish nobility and their king, Louis I, signed the Pact of Koszyce. - Britannica

1480 - Their Catholic Majesties, Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain, appointed, at first for Seville, the two Dominicans Miguel de Morillo and Juan de San Martin as inquisitors. - Catholic Encyclopedia

1549 - Pope Paul III suspended the Council of Trent after Charles V forbade the Spanish and German prelates to go to Bologna. - Britannica

1577 - The Peace of Bergerac between Henry III of France and the Protestants curtailed the liberties formerly accorded them by the Edict of Beaulieu. The discontent produced by the Peace of Beaulieu (6 May, 1576), which restored the government of Picardy to the Protestant Prince de Condé and gave him Péronne to hold as a security, induced d'Humieres, a Catholic who commanded the city of Péronne, to form a league of gentry, soldiers, and peasants of Picardy to keep Condé from taking possession of the city. - Catholic Encyclopedia

1595 - The Holy See solemnly absolved Henry IV, thereby sealing the reconciliation between the French monarchy and the Church of Rome. - Catholic Encyclopedia

1631 - Battle of Breitenfeld, the first major Protestant victory of the Thirty Years’ War, in which the army of the Roman Catholic Habsburg emperor Ferdinand II and the Catholic League, under Johan Isaclaes, Graf von Tilly, was destroyed by the Swedish-Saxon army under King Gustav II Adolf of Sweden. The battle marked the emergence of Sweden as a great power and the triumph of the new Swedish flexible linear tactics over the old massive infantry formations that had long dominated European warfare. - Britannica

1776 - Along the western coast of North America, a party of 247 Spanish colonists consecrated their newly-founded mission, known as San Francisco.

Commemoration of Impression of the Stigmata of St Francis
Memorial of St Robert Bellarmine, bishop & doctor