St. David of Wales– 1st March. David was born in 520 in Pembrokeshire Wales, he was the son of a chief of Cardigan called Sant and his mother was St Non. For ten years he was educated by the scribe Paulinus . As he grew older he embarked on a life time of missionary work founding around 12 monasteries including Glastonbury and Menevia (now known as St David´s). He lived an ascetic life as a monk and encouraged his brothers to do the same ,performing tough manual labour and hard austerities . David due to his harsh life style of abstinence quickly earned the nick name Aquaticus ( waterman). In 550 he was summoned to speak at the synod of Brefi where he so impressed the assembly by his preaching that he was unanimously elected Bishop with authority over Wales. Tradition states that when he preached at Brefi the flat ground which he was stood on rose up to form a hill. David died as an old man in the monastery of Menevia in 589, the monastery was said to be filled with angels as Christ received his soul. David was officially recognized in the Vatican by Pope Callixtus in 1120.His last word were «be joyful, brothers and sisters ,keep your faith and do the little things that you have heard and seen with me».
St. Casimir– 4th March. Saint Caisimir Jagiellon was a prince , the second son of the King of Poland Casimir 1V and Princess Elizabeth of Austria. As a boy he was well educated by Jan Dlugosz a conservative Polish priest. From an early age he realized that his life belonged to the King of heaven not to his earthly Polish Kingdom. Casimir´s father however had different plans which involved the growth of Poland´s power, thus he sent Casimir as a reluctant leader of the Polish army to seize the throne of Hungry. When things did not work out and the Polish army retreated Casimir was delighted but his father was so enraged with his attitude that he imprisoned him in a tower to rethink his position, this however only enabled him to meditate upon and strengthen his faith. Rebelling against his heritage he wore the simplest clothes and adopted the plainest form of lifestyle . Maintaining true to his celibacy and devotion to God he refused several marriage alliances which angered his father further. Casimir´s life was consumed with praying , self denial, studying the scriptures and helping the poor and needy, in this way he served his true King. He died at the age of 23 in 1484 from a lung disease and was buried with his favourite song «Omni die dic Mariae» which we know as «Daily, Daily sing to Mary».
St. John Joseph of the Cross– 5th March. John Joseph was born to a noble family on the island of Ischia in Italy in 1654. Even in his childhood he was a model of virtue .At the age of 16 he entered the Franciscan order of the strictest observance (The reform of St Peter of Alcantara, Spain). John Joseph lived a life of austerity and self mortification, fasting constantly he only slept three hours a night on a hard stone floor. Due to his great self discipline and piety he was sent to establish a monastery at Piedmont before he was even ordained. John Joseph was a very humble man and insisted on helping to build the monastery with his own hands. In 1702 he was appointed Vicar Provincial of the Alcantarine Reform in Italy. When his term as Provincial expired he dedicated himself to hearing confessions and extreme self denial. This Saint was also blessed with the gift of prophecies and miracles and possessed a fervent zeal for the salvation of souls and a great devotion to the Blessed Mother. He died in Naples in 1739 and was canonized in 1839 by Pope Gregory XVI. He is the patron saint of Ischia.
