Saint Joseph Catholic Church

The Roman Martyrology commemorates St. Pachomius of Tabenna (290-346), founder of the cenobitical life, born near Esneh, Egypt; died at Phebôou around the year 346. After spending some time with the hermit Palemon, he withdrew to Tabennisi where he introduced community life among the hermits who gathered around him. Before he died he had established nine monasteries for men and two for women. His order continued until the 11th century. Represented in hermit's garb, or crossing the Nile on the back of a crocodile.

Pope Leo XIV received pilgrims today from Munich’s Augustiner Bräu and challenged them to care for creation as just stewards. The beer brewers were joined by representatives of the Edith-Haberland-Wagner Foundation, which supports the brewery.

Augustiner Bräu, Munich’s oldest independent brewery, was founded by Augustinian friars in 1328 but passed into other hands after the friary’s dissolution under Napoleon in 1802.

After recalling the brewery’s Augustinian heritage, Pope Leo recalled Pope Francis’s statement that “everything is, as it were, a caress of God.” Pope Leo commented:

This insight calls us to the great responsibility not only to care for creation but to ensure that its resources are always used wisely and with an eye to justice, which is a prerequisite for peace. As you return home, I therefore encourage you to continue playing your part in promoting a just and effective approach to caring for creation, both professionally and personally, for the sake of the common good.

Pope Leo XIV met this morning with the board members of the John Paul II Foundation for the Sahel. The audience took place three months after the Pontiff approved revised statutes for the foundation, founded in 1984 to provide assistance to Africa’s Sahel region.

“After more than forty years of experience, the Foundation has reached a turning point characterized also by external challenges linked to multidimensional economic crises at the international level,” Pope Leo said in his French-language address. “It is in this context that the revitalization of its mission, in conformity with the regulations in force of the Holy See, has become indispensable.”

Pope Leo added:

In a world facing complex challenges such as geopolitical tensions, inequality, wars, problems related to insecurities, terrorism, political and economic instability, climate crises, the consequences of which include migratory flows, the relevance of this Foundation’s mission appears clearer than ever!

Through its main purpose, it contributes to God’s work, to the protection of the “common home,” and highlights your social responsibility. Rescuing the victims of a natural calamity or vulnerable people is indeed a question of justice before being a question of charity.

If the world hates you, realize that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, the world would love its own; but because you do not belong to the world, and I have chosen you out of the world, the world hates you. (John 15)

Today the Roman Martyrology commemorates the feast of recently-canonized Italian educator Saint Rosa Venerini (1656-1728), who founded Catholic schools for girls and young women during the late 17th and early 18th centuries. St. Rosa (also known as St. Rose) was declared a saint in 2006 by Pope Benedict XVI, who spoke in his canonization homily of her courageous work for "the spiritual elevation and authentic emancipation of the young women of her time."

The Roman Martyrology commemorates St. Peter Nolasco (1182-1258), born in France, but later settled in Barcelona, Spain. After taking part in the Crusades against the Albigensians, he used his inheritance to free Christian prisoners held by the Moors. He later founded the Order of Our Lady of Mercy (Mercedarians) beginning in 1218 devoted to ransoming Christians.

Today the Roman Martyrology commemorates St. Angelus of Jerusalem, O.Carm (1185-1220), priest, martyr, hermit, mystic, reformer, thaumaturge, missionary, convert from Judaism and a professed Priest of the Order of the Brothers of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel. He is also known as St. Angelus of Sicily and St. Angelo. Born in 1145 at Jerusalem and died by being stabbed to death in 1220 at Licata, Sicily.

England celebrates the Feast of the English Martyrs, a group of forty men, women, religious, priests, and lay people who were canonized by Pope Paul VI on October 25, 1970 (in Wales this feast is celebrated October 25th as the Six Welsh Martyrs and Companions).

Excerpt from the Gospel for the Fifth Sunday of Easter: Jesus said to his disciples: "Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me. In my Father's house there are many dwelling places. If there were not, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back again and take you to myself, so that where I am you also may be. Where I am going you know the way." (John 14:1-4)

Today the Church celebrates the Memorial of St. Athanasius (295-373), Bishop of Alexandria and a great defender of the orthodox faith, throughout his life opposed the Arian heresy. By denying the Godhead of the Word the Arians turned Christ into a mere man, only higher in grace than others in the eyes of God. St. Athanasius took part in the Council of Nicea in 325 and until the end remained a champion of the faith as it was defined by the Council. In him the Church venerates one of her great Doctors. He was subjected to persecutions for upholding the true teaching concerning the person of Christ and was sent into exile from his see no less than five times. He died at Alexandria in 373 after an episcopate of forty-six years.