Reverend Channing Moore Williams, Episcopal missionary and bishop, was born in Richmand, Virginia on July 18, 1829 to Mary and John Green Williams, who named him after the zealous second Episcopal bishop of Virginia, Richard Channing Moore. When Channing Moore Williams was only three years old, his father died, leaving Mary to raise their six children alone, which she proved quite capable of doing, raising her children in the Episcopal church.
St. Martin of Tours was born in 316 in what is now Hungary. He became a Christian at the age of ten and was forced into the Roman army a few years later. However, believing firmly that Christians should not fight, Martin petitioned Emperor Julian the Apostate to be released, saying, “I am Christ’s soldier: I am not allowed to fight.”
Pio of Pietrelcina, more commonly known as Padre Pio, was born in Pietrelcina (Benevento), Italy in 1887 to Maria Giuseppa DeNunzio and Grazio Maria Forgione. He was their fourth child of eight. As a child, he would interact with his guardian angel, reacting in surprise when realizing other children could not see their heavenly guardians.
“Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things…” (Luke 10:41). This is probably not what Martha expected she would be known for, on the off chance she expected to be remembered at all.
John Vernon McGee was born in 1904 in Hillsboro, Texas. His family moved to Tennessee when his father died in 1918. Vernon, as he was known, graduated college then seminary, then became the pastor of a church first in Decatur, Georgia, and afterward in Cleburne, Texas. It was there that Vernon met his future wife, Ruth Inez Jordan.
Justin Martyr was an early Christian apologist, born about the year 100 AD. He was a student of philosophy and was converted circa 130 AD in part by the witness of martyrs going joyfully to their deaths.
Lydia of Philippi is one of the comparatively few women mentioned by name in the Acts of the Apostles, but very little is known about her. Acts 16:11ff tells us that Lydia sold purple cloth, that she was from Thyatira, and she was a believer who took Paul, Silas, and Luke into her home when they arrived in Philippi.
Dominic Savio was born to Carlo (or Charles) and Brigitta Savio on April 2, 1842, one of ten children. At age seven, Dominic wrote down four resolutions, the fourth of which was “Death before sin.”
Joseph of Arimathea was a man who followed Jesus Christ from a distance. He was a wealthy member of the Sanhedrin, the leaders of the Jewish community.
St. Theodore of Sykeon’s mother Mary was given a vision of a star, coming down from Heaven and entering her womb. His father Cosmas and various holy men interpreted Mary’s vision to mean the newly conceived child was to be a holy man of God.
Martin Chemnitz (1522-1586) was a second wave Lutheran, often known as “the Second Martin” as his contributions to the Lutheran faith were second only to those of Martin Luther.
Today (March 25th) is exactly nine months before Christmas Day, so today we celebrate the Annunciation. Since we’ve already covered the Blessed Virgin Mary this year, today we’re going to look at the other person in that room – the angel Gabriel.
Perpetua and Felicity were early Christian martyrs who died in Carthage in 203AD. The primary narrative of their experiences was written by Perpetua herself in the form of a journal.
It’s common knowledge that Catholics believe that the Pope is the head of the Church. Today, let’s look at history – how did we get from Peter to Pope Francis?
Pastor, theologian and Nazi resistor, Dietrich Bonhoeffer was born in Germany on February 4, 1906 to a professor of psychiatry and neurology and his wife, the daughter of a preacher. Bonhoeffer grew up to become a professor of theology, though his family wanted him to pursue a musical career.
Saint Agnes was a Roman martyr from the times of the early persecutions of the Church whose exact time period is unknown, though she may have died in 304. While her exact story is also unclear, tradition holds that Agnes professed herself to be married to Jesus and would accept no other husband.
Little indeed is known for sure about the magi who visited the child Jesus, bringing Him gold, frankincense and myrrh. Matthew is the only Gospel writer to mention them, detailing their visit in the second chapter of his gospel. Matthew does not call them kings, but ‘magi’ or ‘wise men’.
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