St. Damien of Molokai—10th May. Described as a true,» Martyr of Charity»,Damien, was born Jozef de Veuster in Tremlo in Belgium in. From adevout catholic family, two of his sisters became nuns and his elder brother was the well renown Father Pamphile.In 1860 he joined the order of the «Sacred Heart » and received the name Damien. His brother. Pamphileplanned to go as a missionary to Hawaii but fell illand Damien requested to go in his place. In 1864hewas sent toKohalaan island situated in the north of Hawaii where he remained for 9 years. In 1873 he willingly offered upservices to serve God on the secluded leper island of Molokai at the settlement of , which held 816 lepers. Damien was not afraid to involve himself totally ,no matter the risks he nursed the sick dressed their wounds, built hospitals,homes, orphanages, a reservoir,, taught them to grow crops and become self sufficient but most importantly hethem hope by addressing the eternal after life to which Christ called them .He told them how much Jesus loved each one of them and taught them to offer up their suffering to him. Through caring for their spiritual needs he gave them a sense of dignity of which each human being as aof God is deserving.He said » I make myself a leper with the lepers to gain all to Jesus Christ». Eventually he contracted the disease himself and died aged 49on the Island of Molokai in 1889. He was canonized in 2009 by Pope Benedict XV1 and is thePatron Saint of Hawaii, lepers and outcasts.
Our Lady of Fátima – 13thMay. Our Lady of Fatima is the title given to the Virgin Mary who appeared to three shepherd children in a series of visions in 1917 in the vicinity of Fatima in Portugal. The three children were called Lucia Santos and Jacinta and Francisco Marto. The Virgin identified herself to them as «The Lady of the Rosary» and appeared in a dazzling white gown brighter than the sunDuringfirst apparition she told them to return to the same spot at a holm oak atda Iria the 13th of each month for six months. Our Lady told them to pray for the conversionliberation ofrevealing to them the poor sinners in hell and told them to pray the rosary daily to obtain peace in the world and to bring an tothe war in Europe. They were also to pray for the consecration of Russia to Her Immaculate Heart as Russiasoon fall victim to communism.Mary revealed a three part secret to the children which Lucia later divulged in her writings. The Virgin told Jacinta and Francisco that they would soon be taken up to heaven and had to offer up theirfor the souls of sinners. Lucia however would remain on earth to carry on Gods work that she had been assignedto spread devotion toLady´sHeart.instructedbuild a chapel on the site of the apparitions dedicated to Mother Mary. The Fatima visions were without doubt the most prophetic of all modern visions alluding to the second world war and possiblyto come.
St. Isidore The Farmer – 15th May. Saint Isidore was born in 1070 in Madrid in the Kingdom of Castille to poor but very devout parents. He spent his life as a hired hand in the service of a wealthy Madrilenian land owner called Juan de Vergas, working on a farm in the vicinity of Madrid.married a young girl called Maria Torribia later known through Spain as Santa Maria de la Cabeza and had one son. Isidore was a kind gentle soul who cared for the poor he also had a great affinity and compassion for animals. Many miracles were attributed to him ,he is said to have brought back his masters dead daughter to life and to have caused a fountain of fresh water to burst from the dry earth to quench his masters thirst. He was favoured with celestial visions and it is said that angels helped him in his work in the fields. He died in 1130 on May 15thhis birth placewas canonized by Pope Gregory XV in 1622. Isidore is the Patron Saint of Madrid and farmers.
