Patron Saints for World Youth Day 2011 in Madrid

As human as we are, we always look up to other people for our example and inspiration.  That is why we have patron saints in order for us to be inspired as we follow Christ and as we serve Him through His Church.  They serve well as patrons for young Catholics,and their lives tell us that all things are possible to God,” said Fr. Edwin Galea, who will be a part of the World Youth Day pilgrimage run by the archdiocese of Toronto’s Office of Catholic Youth.
 

“The worst sinner could become the greatest saint so they inspire us. They provide us with a depth of spirituality that is not normally attained in the ordinary world but can inspire a person not to give up.” The nine saints all have ties to Spain.

It was during May 4, 2011, when the Holy See approved the proposal of the organizers of these nine (9) saints which “encompasses the history of the Church in Spain, from the first saints of Madrid.”

“All of these saints are of Spanish origin, in order to root WYD in the culture of the host country, as was done at WYD in Cologne, where the saints chosen were related to the Christian history of Germany,” organizers explained.

 Here is a short story of these patron saints as we join the Church in the WYD Celebration in Madrid this year.

The First Saints of Madrid:

(1) St. Isidore (San Isidro Labrador), patron saint of farmers and of Madrid, Feastday: May 15

and his wife, (2) St. Mary of the Head (Santa Maria Torribia dela Cabeza),  Feastday: September 9

He was in the service of the wealthy Madrid landowner Juan de Vargas on a farm in the vicinity of Madrid.  Every morning before going to work, Isidore was accustomed to hearing a Mass at one of the churches in Madrid. One day his fellow-laborers complained to their master that Isidore was always late for work in the morning. Upon investigation, so runs the legend, the master found Isidore at prayer while an angel was doing the plowing for him. On another occasion, his master saw an angel plowing on either side of him, so that Isidore's work was equal to that of three of his fellow-laborers.

St. Isidore married St. Mary Torribia de la Cabeza. and had one son, who died in his youth. On one occasion their son fell into a deep well and, at the prayers of his parents, the water of the well is said to have risen miraculously to the level of the ground, bringing the child with it, alive and well. Isidore and Maria then vowed sexual abstinence and lived in separate houses.

St. Isidore died on May 15, 1130, at his birthplace close to Madrid. St. Mary Torribia substantially outlived her husband, who died in 1130. After his death, she lived as a hermit, performed miracles, and had visions. For instance, legend suggests that every night she dreamed of the Virgin Mary crossing the river while extending her pure cloak over the waters. Her unusual title "Santa María de la Cabeza" is derived from the most prominent relic associated with Torribia, a head said to be her own. This relic is often used in processions, and is traditionally an intercessory tool for the relief of drought Revered by farm workers throughout the Catholic world, she shares a feast day with her husband (May 15), while also having her own on September 9.

These two saints serve as a model for us youth in their devotion to God, their love for work and their example of chastity and purity.

The Great Spanish Mystics:

(3) St. Ignatius of Loyola (San Ignacio de Loyola), patron saint of spiritual retreats, founder of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits), Feastday: July 31

He was a Spanish knight with a noble origin. During a battle in 1521, he was seriously wounded and when he did not find any book except the Life of Christ and the Saints, he underwent spiritual conversion and he abandoned his military life in order to devote himself to the service of God.  He experienced visions of the Virgin Mary and the Christ Child.  He became a priest and founded Jesuits in 1539.  The group was a very important factor during the Counter Reformation times where the Church has been in turmoil due to schisms lead by Martin Luther and his followers.  He also experienced scruples, fears and despair in his spiritual life however, he overcome this trial of faith and this has caused him to write the Spiritual Exercises which has been very influential in modern retreats and meditation. He died in 1556.

His life teaches us to be aggressive in holiness by being strong in leaving sin behind and choosing to follow Christ and to always be courageous in face of the difficult trials of our faith. 

(4) St. Teresa of Avila, Doctor of the Church, founder of the Order of Discalced Carmelites, Patroness of Spain, Feastday: October 15

She entered the Carmelite convent and there during a great period of sickness, she enjoyed mystical revelations.  She also had experiences of spiritual ecstasy and she wrote a lot of spiritual works which are fruits of her rich spiritual life.  These stand out among the mystical literature of the Church among those famous are The Way of Perfection,  Spiritual Castle and her Autobiography. These books contain sublime doctrine particularly the evil of sin, the fruit of sufferings and the necessity to abandon oneself in God.   Because of the laxity of her religious order, she makes reformations with St. John of the Cross however, they met much resistance but eventually succeeded due to her courage and wisdom.  She established 15 convents throughout Spain.  The Order has played a decisive role during the Counter Reformation times especially in their practice of extreme poverty and mortification.  She was the first woman to be proclaimed Doctor (Teacher) of the Church due to her contributions to the Church's teaching on interior life.  She is also invoked to cure headaches due to her use of the intelligence (which is commonly associated with the head).

She is an example in attaining perfection through wisdom in our thoughts, courage in our will and temperance in our appetites.

(5) St. John of the Cross (San Juan de la Cruz),  Doctor of the Church, co-founder of the Order of Discalced Carmelites,  Patron of Spanish poets, Feastday: December 14

He founded the Discalced Carmelites with St. Teresa of Avila.  He is considered the one who brought energy and vigor to the brothers of the Order in 1568.  In the same way, this Order has been very important during the Counter Reformation Times.  He met several trials of faith including being kidnapped, beaten and imprisoned due to his willingness to bring reform to the Order and the Church in the difficult times of his day.  He produced beautiful works which are actually the fruits of his rich interior life while experiencing trials and difficulties.  He wrote books about Christian Mysticism which are very remarkable in Catholic literature.  Among those popular was Dark Night of the Soul and Ascent to Mount Carmel which has been influential to Catholic theologians like Blessed John Paul II, philosophers like Jacques Maritain and St. Edith Stein and saints like Teresa of Avila and Therese of the Child Jesus. He was also bestowed with the privilege title of being a Doctor of the Church due to his contributions to Christian Mysticsm.

His life teaches us that the darkness of our faith are actually passages for us to attain peace and enlightenment.  And as we accept to walk in the darkness of our faith, we will be given enough grace to stand and walk with God as we journey to the light.

(6) St. John of Avila (San Juan de Avila), patron of the Spanish clergy, Feastday: May 10

Spiritual director of St. John of the Cross and St. Teresa of Avila, among others, he drew large crowds with his denunciations of evil and his many sermons. He was not considered a founder of any Order but his advice and direction gave inspiration to the two founders of the Order of Discalced Carmelites.  His missionary efforts were centered on Andalusia, a community in Spain, and his letters and other writings have become Spanish classics, among those was the Spiritual Letters containing sublime doctrine which,  like his spiritual directees, also reflects his rich spiritual life.  As of now, he is being considered to be called a Doctor of the Church like his two spiritual students.

(7) St. Rose of Lima (Santa Rosa de Lima), patroness of Latin America and secondary patroness of the Philippines, Feastday: August 23

Contrary to common misconceptions, St. Rose of Lima was not a nun, rather, she was a lay tertiary, spending most of her life at her family home where she worked to support the family. She was born in Lima, Peru in 1586 and was baptized as Isabel de Oliva.  She was nicknamed "Rosa" for her beauty.  As she grew older, she was so devoted to chastity that she used pepper and lye to ruin her complexion so she wouldn’t be attractive to her suitors. She stayed at home all the time and will leave only to go to the Church for daily masses, Eucharistic adorations and confession and to go to her community to help the sick and the poor. She also vowed total abstinence from meat.  In her spare time, she would grew flowers in her garden or make laces and sell them in order to give alms to the poor.  St. Rose was a mystic and visionary, who received many mental and physical sufferings, including an invisible stigmata (wounds of the crucified Christ). She died in 1614. She was the first Catholic saint of the Americas.

Her life teaches us that we can attain holiness through ordinary deeds.  We can imitate St. Rose in her simple acts of doing household duties, frequent reception of the sacraments and helping our less fortunate brothers and sisters through corporal or spiritual acts of charity.

The Great Missionary of the East:

(8)  St. Francis Xavier (San Francisco Javier), patron of the missions, Feastday: December 3

He is one of the first called by St. Ignatius of Loyola while he was studying liberal arts at Paris.  He was ordained in 1537 in Rome and went to the southern India to began preaching the gospel.  Then he preached in Sri Lanka, then in Indonesia.  He went to Japan in 1547 and there he tirelessly preached and converted many to the faith.  He also went to China to spread the gospel there.  He died in 1552 in a land known today as Hong Kong while waiting for a boat to take him back to China.

He was responsible for converting more than 50, 000 to the Catholic faith.  It has also been said that no missionary aside from St. Paul who has been so effective in preaching the Gospel and converting many as that of St. Francis Xavier.

His life teaches us to devote ourselves to the mission of evangelization at least in our modern and more effective means.

Young saint of modern times:

(9) St. Rafael Arnaiz, model of modern youth, Feastday: April 26

He was the first of four sons born to a well-to-do, deeply Christian and Catholic family.  As a boy he went to several schools run by the Jesuit Fathers.  By the time of his adolescence it became clear that  Rafael had special human, intellectual, artistic and spiritual gifts.  These qualities were remarkably well balanced in him, producing an open positive, joyful attitude to the world of persons and things, characterized by exuberant good humour, respect and humility. After studying to become an architect in Madrid, he experienced the call of God to consecrate himself in monastic life, entering the Trappist monastery. God wished to test him with a painful sickness — acute diabetes — that forced him to leave the monastery three times. But always, he returned. He died in 1938 at the age of 27.  St. Rafael was just canonized in 2009.

St. Rafael was proclaimed as a model for the youth of today by Blessed John Paul II when he was prcolaimed by the latter as Blessed in 1992.  The pope wants to invite young people to follow his example of humility and deep love for God in the midst of the difficult trials of faith.  And personally, as a seminarian in this year of pastoral exposure and discernment, I just pray through his intercession to allow me to listen to the call of God and respond with an open heart and a generous hand.

Happy World Youth Day Celebration to all! May we be one with the Church regardless of location.

“Rooted and Built Up in Jesus Christ, Firm in the Faith” (cf Col 2:7)