St. Peter Damian (1007-1072) was a gifted university professor in Italy who found university life too distracting for his spiritual aspirations and joined the Benedictine community of Fonte Avellana. He lived as ascetic life of prayer, fasting and little sleep and became the Abbot of the community. But the Church had the need of his spiritual and intellectual gifts. Pope Stephen X made Damian Cardinal in Ostia in 1057. More than one Pope called upon him to settle disputes and he worked very hard to eliminate simony or the buying and selling of holy objects and sacraments and to stamp out immorality of the clergy some of whom married publicly while others engaged in homosexuality. Upon his retirement to his beloved monastery, he was called upon to serve as papal legate. He died on February 22, 1072 in in his beloved monastery and was declared a Doctor of the Church in 1828 AD.

St. Teresa of Avila (1515-1582 ) also known as Teresa of Jesus was a Spanish Dominican mystic. Although she achieved much in reforming her order and establishing ministries, her greatest achievement was her close attention to the state of her soul, that is, what God was doing in her life. Her writing are an excellent source of guidance in the Christian life of prayer. St. Theresa advice is so sound that she was declared a Doctor of the Church by Pope Paul VI in 1970. The Life of Teresa of Jesus and the Interior Castle on the Web at www.cathlicfirst.com.

St. Louis of France (1214-1270 AD) was reared by Queen Blanche, his mother, who often said to him, "I love you my dear son, as much as a mother can love her child; but I would rather see you dead at my feet than that you should commit a mortal sin." His first act as king was to build the monastery of Royaumont. The king's devotion to God is unquestionable. He heard two masses a day and while traveling was surrounded by priests chanting the Hours. He promoted justice and peace in the kingdom by forbidding usury and private wars between feudal vassals. He tried to replace the habit of settling disputes by combat by arbitration or the juridical process of trial. Louis went on two Crusades and during the second became sick and died. In the long letter he wrote to his son he said, "Set your heart to love God; for unless you love God none can be saved."

St. Lawrence, Martyr (225-258) was a Roman deacon who died during the persecution of Valerian in 258. St. Ambrose who lived in the 4th Century tells us that Lawrence was asked to hand over the treasure of the Church but all he could show them were the poor among whom he had divided his treasures. Ambrose also tells us that Lawrence was burned to death on a gridiron. Tradition relates that he asked his executioners to turn him over since he was cooked enough on one side. Eventually Pope Damasus built a basilica dedicated to St. Lawrence which is known today in Rome as the Church of San Lorenzo in Damaso.

St. Francis of Assisi (1181-1226) is the most well loved saint in the world. He was impressed by our Lord's council to sell all one has, give it to the poor and to follow Him. He established the Franciscan Order whose rule begins thus: "To observe the holy gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, living in obedience without anything of our own, and in chastity. Brother Francis promises obedience and reverence to the Lord Pope Honorius and his canonically elected successors, and to the Roman Church; and the rest of the brothers are obliged to obey Francis and his successors." Before his death he received the stigmata, or the wounds of Christ on his body. As he was dying he asked to be placed on the bare earth being poor to the end. In the Canticle to the Sun we read his appreciation of the earth: "Be praised, my Lord, through our sister Mother Earth, who feeds us and rules us, and produces various fruits with colored flowers and herbs."

St. Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153 AD) was the brilliant light of Christianity in the 12th Century. He had become the abbot of the Cistercian house of Clairvaux. He was a mystical, personal and eloquent preacher with a deep devotion to Mary. This quote on the Annunciation reveals this, "The price of our salvation is offered to you [Mary]. We shall be set free at once if you consent. In the eternal Word of God we all came to be, and behold, we die. In your brief response we are to be remade in order to be recalled to life." During his lifetime 68 houses were established by his monastery. He was instrumental in establishing Innocent II as the legitimate Pope. He preached the Second Crusade which turned out badly but he did no wrong in obeying the call of the Pope. His writings of 300 sermons, 500 known letters and 13 treaties had a profound influence of Christianity making of him a "Doctor of the Church."

The Heavenly Rose