Happy Feast of St. Florian - May 4th!

Join Autom today as we celebrate the feast day of St. Florian!

SAINT FLORIAN
Feast Day: May 4
Patron of Firefighters

Florian was born around 250 A.D. He was a commander of the Roman Imperial Army. He was also secretly a Christian, who helped to organize firefighting brigades. According to an old story, Florian once stopped a town from burning by praying and throwing a single bucket of water on the blaze.

One day, Florian was ordered to put some Christians to death. He refused, and admitted that he was proud to be a follower of Jesus. The other soldiers beat and tortured him with clubs, spikes, and fire. Then they tied a stone around his neck and drowned him. Saint Florian was martyred around 304 A.D. He is remembered today as the patron of firefighters.

Prayer to Saint Florian for Firefighters

Dear Saint Florian, your love for Christ burned brighter than the flames with which you were tortured. Protect all who serve as firefighters and give them a deep desire to follow Our Lord as you did. Dear God, please bless all who serve as firefighters. Keep them safe and strong. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Saint Florian, pray for us.

Happy Feast of St. Peregrine - May 4th!

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SAINT PEREGRINE
Feast Day: May 4
Patron of Cancer Patients

Saint Peregrine was born in 1260 in Italy. He enjoyed many fine pleasures and riches. At the age of 30, he accepted Jesus as his Lord, was baptized, and gave his life to God. Saint Peregrine became a priest in an order of men called the Servants of Mary, or the Servites. He spent his life caring for the sick, the poor, and the forgotten. At the age of 60, he was diagnosed with a severe cancer in his leg.

The night before his leg was to be amputated, Peregrine dragged himself before the crucifix and begged Jesus to heal him. In a vision, he saw Jesus lean down from the Cross to touch and heal his leg. Saint Peregrine died on May 1, 1345 and was canonized on December 27, 1726.

Prayer to Saint Peregrine for Cancer Patients

O great Saint Peregrine, in a vision you saw Jesus coming down from His Cross to heal you. Please ask God to bless and heal all those who suffer from cancer and skin disease. May He also bless their families and those who care for them. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Saint Peregrine, pray for us.

Happy Feast of St. Joseph the Worker - May 1st!

Join Autom today as we celebrate the feast day of St. Joseph the Worker!

SAINT JOSEPH THE WORKER
Feast Day: May 1
Patron of Workers

As you may recall, we celebrated the feast of St. Joseph, husband of Mary, on March 19th. But he is so important, the Church wanted to honor him more, and they found a way.

For decades, May Day was the occasion for Communist countries to parade their military power.  On this day in 1955,  Pope Pius XII inaugurated the celebration of St. Joseph the Worker.  It seemed comical, even absurd, to raise up Joseph to challenge the Communist military machine on its May Day march, but look at what happened!  The disintegration of Communism is often attributed to the Lord working through the prayers of His people, and especially in response to the apparitions of Mother Mary at Fatima in 1917, urging all to pray and do penance for the conversion of Russia.

That being said, it is also true that the Lord has transformed the world through Joseph and through simple, common, obscure workers like him--like us!

As St. Paul exhorts us, "Whatever you do, work at it with your whole being. Do it for the Lord rather than for men. ... Be slaves of Christ the Lord". (Colossians 3:23-24).

Our obscure lives and routine work can change the world if we have faith as did Saint Joseph.  The Lord is speaking to us:  "Take courage, all you people of the land, says the Lord, and work!  For I am with you, says the Lord of hosts". (Haggai 2:4)

A Prayer to Saint Joseph  for Workers

O glorious Joseph! Who concealed your incomparable and regal dignity of custodian of Jesus and of the Virgin Mary under the humble appearance of a craftsman and provided for them with your work, protect with loving power your sons, especially entrusted to you.

You know their anxieties and sufferings, because you yourself experienced them at the side of Jesus and of His Mother. Do not allow them, oppressed by so many worries, to forget the purpose for which they were created by God. Do not allow the seeds of distrust to take hold of their immortal souls. Remind all the workers that in the fields, in factories, in mines, and in scientific laboratories, they are not working, rejoicing, or suffering alone, but at their side is Jesus, with Mary, His Mother and ours, to sustain them, to dry the sweat of their brow, giving value to their toil. Teach them to turn work into a very high instrument of sanctification as you did. Amen.

Saint Joseph, pray for us.

Saint of the Day: St. Bernadette Soubirous - April 16th!

Join Autom today as we celebrate the feast day of St. Bernadette Soubirous - Patron of the Sick!

SAINT BERNADETTE SOUBIROUS
Feast Day: April 16
Patron of the Sick

Bernadette Soubirous was born in Lourdes, France, in 1844. One day, as she was gathering firewood beside a river, Bernadette saw a beautiful Lady wearing a blue and white dress who was floating above a rose bush. The Lady smiled at her and made the sign of the cross with a golden rosary. Bernadette knelt down and began to pray. The Lady, who was the Virgin Mary, asked Bernadette to dig nearby. When she did so, a spring emerged with healing waters. Mary asked Bernadette to have a chapel built by the spot, so people could come there to wash and drink. The water from this spring continues to bring healings to many people. Our Lady also requested that a church be built there. Bernadette became a nun, and died a few years later. Pope Pius XI canonized Saint Bernadette in 1933.

Prayer to Saint Bernadette

Dear Saint Bernadette, thank you for being true to Mary, the Lady whom you saw, and to Jesus, her Son. Please pray for all who are ill or suffering. Dear God, through the prayers of Mother Mary and dear Saint Bernadette, please heal the sick in body and soul. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Saint Bernadette, pray for us.

Saint of the Day: St John Baptist de la Salle - April 7th!

Join Autom today as we celebrate the feast day of St. John Baptist de la Salle - Patron of Teachers!

SAINT JOHN BAPTIST DE LA SALLE
Feast Day: April 7
Patron of Teachers

Saint John Baptist de la Salle was born in 1651 in France. He decided to follow Jesus at an early age, and became a priest in 1678. John wanted to help children learn better. In 1679, he helped a friend open up a school for poor boys. He realized that was what he wanted to do the rest of his life. Saint John believed that the best way to serve his students was to teach their teachers. He therefore established the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools in 1680. Soon after, he founded colleges for training teachers. John died in 1719, but his work spread quickly throughout the whole world. Pope Leo XIII canonized Saint John Baptist de la Salle in 1900, and in 1950 he was made the patron saint of teachers.

Prayer to Saint John Baptist de la Salle for Teachers

Dear Saint John Baptist de la Salle, you gave your life to educating the poorest members of the Church. Pray for all teachers to see Christ in their students and to live always for Him. Dear God, through the prayers of Saint John, please give Your Church good teachers today. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Saint John Baptist de la Salle, pray for us.

Saint of the Day: Saint Vincent Ferrer - April 5th!

Join Autom today as we celebrate the feast day of Saint Vincent Ferrer - Patron of Plumbers!

SAINT VINCENT FERRER
Feast Day: April 5
Patron of Plumbers

Saint Vincent Ferrer was born on January 23, 1350, in Valencia, Spain. His father dreamed that Vincent would grow up to be a famous friar. At 18, Vincent joined the Dominicans. After much study, he became a master of sacred theology. He loved and memorized God’s Word as well.

In 1398, Vincent became very sick from sadness, since the Church was divided by a Great schism. Our Lord Jesus appeared to Vincent in a vision and healed him. He told Vincent to preach and tell everyone to repent and be holy. For the next 21 years, he preached and worked stupendous miracles throughout Europe, converting thousands of people.

Saint Vincent was so successful at building up the Church that today he is remembered as the patron of the building trades and of plumbers in particular. He died in 1419.

Prayer to Saint Vincent Ferrer for Plumbers

Dear Saint Vincent, by opening yourself up to God, you allowed his grace to flow into the lives of many. Dear God, through the prayers of Saint Vincent, bless all plumbers, and all who build up Your Church. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Saint Vincent Ferrer, pray for us.

Happy feast day of Saint Isidore of Seville - April 4th!

Join Autom today as we celebrate the feast day of St. Isidore of Seville!

SAINT ISIDORE OF SEVILLE
Feast Day: April 4
Patron of the Internet and Computer Technicians

Isidore was born of a royal family in Spain in 560. He didn’t get very good grades, so he ran away from school. He stopped for a drink of water from a spring, and noticed a stone, which was hollowed out by the dripping water. He realized that if he kept working at it, little by little, just like that dripping water, he could
do great things. He returned to school, and by hard work he became a great bishop and teacher of the Faith.
Saint Isidore wrote 20 books which make up the first Christian Encyclopedia. Because of his ability to help people understand facts, Saint Isidore is the patron saint of the internet and of computer technicians and programmers. Saint Isidore died on April 4, 636.

Prayer to Saint Isidore for Computer Technicians

O Saint Isidore, your love for God led you to study the Book of Nature and to preserve the wisdom of the whole world. Inspire those who work as computer technicians to use their skills to help us grow in true wisdom and service. Amen.

Saint Isidore, pray for us.