Denver Catholic

11 DENVER CATHOLIC | JUNE 9-22, 2018 JUNE 22-JULY 4 N E N ZACH WILLIAMS WITH SPECIAL GUEST CHAIN BREAKER FEAR IS A LIAR OLD CHURCH CHOIR FOR A COMPLETE LIST OF EVENTS AND TICKETS: GREELEYSTAMPEDE.ORG 970-356-7787 FAITH & FAMILY $ 30/ $ 40 ADD FAITH AND FAMILY NIGHT TO PACKAGE FOR ONLY $ 20 DARIUS RUCKER DUSTIN LYNCH AARON WATSON SAMMY KERSHAW, COLLING RAYE & AARON TIPPIN 2018 SUPERSTARS SERIES ST. MANUEL MORALES (1898-1926) Morales is one of the martyr saints of the 20th century Mexican Cristero War. Born in Sombrerete, Zacatecas, he moved to Chalchi- huites, Zacatecas at a young age. He entered the Seminary of Durango but had to leave to help provide for his family. As the owner of a bakery, he married Consuelo Loera in 1921 and had three children. He was known for being a working man, a layman committed to the aposto- lates in his parish and for having an intense spiritual life nurtured by the Eucharist. He also stands out for being nurturing toward his wife and children. He was a member of the Circle of Catholic Workers and of the Catholic Action for Mexican Youth movements. He was also the leader of the National League for the Defense of Religious Liberty. In an address, Morales radically defended religious liberty and was denounced for it, along with his parish priest Father Luis Batis. The soldiers o§ered to release him if he accepted the antireligious law of President Plutarco Elías Calles, which he denied. At the point of death, he, like many of his country- men, said, "¡Viva Cristo Rey! ¡Viva la Virgen de Guadalupe!" ("Long live Christ the King! Long live the Virgin of Guadalupe!") Morales was canonized by St. John Paul II in 2000. ST. LOUIS IX, KING OF FRANCE (1214-1270) He was son of King Louis VIII of France and Blanche of Castile. His mother instilled in him the love of the faith and horror of sin. After his father's death, he was crowned king in 1226 and married Margaret of Provence in 1234, having 11 children, nine of whom reached adulthood. He nurtured his wife and cultivated a life of prayer of her, which included Mass, prayer of the Divine O±ce and fre- quent confession. He was especially attentive to his children's education and wrote to them, saying that it was better to undergo martyrdom than to commit a mortal sin. He also urged them to accept any tribulation with gratitude and instilled in them the value of comforting the poor. "Have mercy on the poor, unfor- tunate and a¸icted, and help and console them the best you can. Thank God for all his benefits and you will be worthy to receive greater ones... always side with the poor over the rich until you find out where the truth lies," he wrote to one of his sons. During his reign, St. Louis con- demned usury and sanctioned those who had charged high interest to return the money to those in need. He also sent an army to the Holy Land in 1247 to defend it from the Muslim invasion. He founded hospitals and invited beggars for meals at his home. He died Aug. 25, 1270. On his death bed, he said, "Lord, I am happy because I will go to your heavenly home to adore you and love you forever." life. Being a father is also a mission of educating one's children and being a light in the world that illuminates the earthly realities and takes God to the ends of the earth though example and testimony. To celebrate Father's Day, we have highlighted the lives of some men who, in their vocation as fathers, reached holiness. and became saints

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