Denver Catholic

13 DENVER CATHOLIC | MAY 14-27, 2016 ZÉLIE MARTIN Died: 1877, France Feast day: July 12 St. Zélie Martin, long before tons of Catholic mothers began to name their daughters after her. PHOTO FROM WIKICOMMONS I can't write about saintly moms and not include Zélie. I mean, I should proba- bly include Our Lady and St. Monica, too, but I really can't leave out Zélie. She's the fi rst saint to be canonized with her hus- band. One of her daughters, St. Thérèse of Lisieux, is a doctor of the church. Another of her daughters, Léonie, is in the preliminary stages of having her cause for canonization opened. Most of these other saints have had their lives whittled down to a handful of facts over time. Zélie, however, has only been canonized for a year. To use the theological term, we, as a church, have gone straight up bonkers learning and spreading everything we can about her. If you are a mother, there is an aspect of her life that applies to you. She and her husband both worked. She lost sev- eral of her children at a young age. She tried to run a professional and profi t- able business, fi nd good childcare, take care of her ailing parents, educate her special needs child and fi nd time to pray and be active in her parish. She worried over her children's souls. She also suffered things that I sincerely hope no one reading this can relate to, like having her house invaded by German soldiers during the Franco-Prussian war. You have to read her story. You have to take the time to get to know her. As one of her writers pointed out, Zélie did not become a saint because she raised Thérèse. Thérèse became a saint because she was raised by Zélie. ST. DARERCA Died: 5th century, Ireland Feast day: March 22 St. Darerca (pronounced dahr-erka) was St. Patrick's sister, but that's not what she's famous for. She's known for being the mother of all saints, and I mean that almost literally. She had between 17 and 22 kids, and almost all of them are saints. Whether you have two under two, fi ve under fi ve, or 16 under 16, St. Darerca has been there. She also su' ered the loss of her fi rst spouse, Restitus the Lombard, and remarried a man named Chonas the Briton, because she could not handle weak-named men. That means she was, at one point, a single mom with about a dozen children. Remember her next time you have bedtime duty alone. Her kids are part of the reason Ire- land became a Catholic country. Most, if not all, of her sons became bishops, and both of her daughters became saints. They all helped their uncle Patrick bring the news of Jesus to their island. Their faith must have started with St. Darerca, the prototype for hardcore Irish mothers everywhere. Bonus: She's really fun to pray to, because saying her name has all the catharsis of swearing. But you're pray- ing, so it's okay! Sorry, there's no picture of her. Pre- sumably raising 20+ kids makes it dif- fi cult to sit for a portrait. ATTENTION MEN OF THE ARCHDIOCESE JOIN THE COLORADO KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS CALL 1-844-265-6321 or visit WWW.COLORADOKOFC.ORG Dear Brother Knights of Columbus, The Church of Northern Colorado is greatly blessed by the presence of the Knights of Columbus! Knights are Catholic men who are committed to charity, unity, fraternity, and patriotism. The unity of brotherhood is an important encouragement in these challenging times when the truth of the Gospel is denied, and that which is evil is now proclaimed to be good. When we stand with fellow believers, with one heart and mind, our timid hearts grow strong. Indeed, the Holy Spirit who makes that unity possible is also the one who helps us to not be afraid. As the apostles themselves learned and could testify: God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, and perfect love casts out fear. (Rom 5:5, lJn 4: 18) In this Year of Mercy may we ever open our hearts to the mercy of the Father and exercise the spiritual and corporal works of mercy. Thank you for your committed and loyal service to the Church in her many parishes and apostolic ministries. The Knights of Columbus offer a wonderful example of faith working through love (Gal 5:6), and this service contributes to the Church's witness to the world. I encourage men to consider joining the Knights of Columbus in order to build-up the domestic church and strengthen our parishes. May the Lord abundantly bless you and your families! Sincerely yours in Christ, Most Reverend Samuel J. Aquila, S.T.L. Archbishop of Denver May 16-25 Eight-Day Silent Directed Retreat May 27-29 Serenity Retreat (Men & Women) June 13-22 Eight-Day Silent Directed Retreat June 24-July 3 Eight-Day Silent Directed Retreat July 5-14 Eight-Day Silent Directed Retreat August 15-24 Eight-Day Silent Directed Retreat 4801 North Highway 67, P.O. Box 185, Sedalia, CO 80135 Phone: 303-688-4198 ext. 122 (information/reservations) Website: www.sacredheartretreat.org Archdiocese of Denver Mortuary 12801 W. 44th Ave. Wheat Ridge, CO 80033 (303) 425-9511 Mt. Olivet Cemetery 12801 W. 44th Ave. Wheat Ridge, CO 80033 (303) 424-7785 St. Simeon Cemetery 22001 E. State Hwy. 30 Aurora, CO 80018 (720) 859-9785 • Professional, personalized service • Respectful • Compassionate The Archdiocese of Denver Cemeteries and Mortuary Caring for the faithful in Northern Colorado since 1893 in their most personal time of need. Read about more saintly moms at http://denvercatho- lic.org/saintly-moms-get/ SAINTLY MOMS

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