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Born: c. 327 CE Died: July 19, 379 CE Feast day: July 19 Her little brother, Saint Gregory of Nyssa, told everyone of her beauty; but in the long run it was her brains and her spirit that impressed him the most. Another brother, Saint Basil, borrowed her creative ideas on monastic life to craft his own mo , ...

Born: Unknown Died: Unknown Feast day: July 22 Patron saint of: contemplative life, converts, hair dressers, pharmacists, and women Readers of scripture first meet Mary Magdalene during Jesus’ preaching and healing ministry in Galilee as someone healed “from whom seven demons had gone out” (Luke 8:2). Late , ...

Born: July 28, 1844 Died: June 8, 1889 Feast day: N/A Patron saint of: N/A Though art and God seemed incompatible to him, Gerard Manley Hopkins unified the two in verse like no other poet before or since. According to critic W.H. Gardner, it is best to think of Hopkins as a poet of nature, a poet of innova , ...

Born: March 27, 1935 Died: July 28, 1981 Feast day: July 28 Patron saint of: N/A In 1953, a martyr’s death seemed unlikely for Stanley Rother, who struggled with his studies as a seminarian before flunking out. His bishop saw something special in this unassuming farm boy, however, and arranged for him to e , ...

Born: November 25, 1870 Died: July 31, 1957  Feast day: July 30 Patron saint of: N/A Solanus discerned the diocesan priesthood in Milwaukee. However, he was turned away because those considering his application were concerned about his academic ability and his difficulty in grasping German. He was encourag , ...

Born: October 23, 1491 Died: July 31, 1556 Feast day: July 31 Patron saint of: soldiers, spiritual retreats, educators and education I first encountered St. Ignatius of Loyola when I was a boy. My grandmother had volunteered with Father Pedro Arrupe (one of the great Ignatian social activists), and althoug , ...