Biography
Born in Tuscany in 1542, Saint Robert Bellarmine was the nephew of Pope Marcellus II. He entered the Society of Jesus at 18 and studied philosophy and theology. He became a distinguished professor and preacher, drawing multi-denominational crowds to his homilies. He was appointed to teach theology at the Roman College, where he specialized in treating the theological controversies of the day. During this time, he wrote the renowned De Controversiis and worked on a revision of the Latin Vulgate Bible. In 1597, Clement VIII made him Examiner of Bishops and Consultor of the Holy Office as well as his personal theologian. Next, St. Robert Bellarmine worked as mediator in the doctrinal conflicts regarding the theology of grace. He was appointed Archbishop of Capua and was involved in the controversy over Galileo’s teaching that the earth was not the center of the universe. He advocated for continuing education for adults, religious and secular. His scholarly works include On the Ascent of the Mind of God and On the Art of Dying Well. He was declared a Doctor of the Church in 1931 and is the patron saint of catechists.[1] Saint Hildegard of Bingen (c. 1098 – 17 September 1179) was a German Benedictine abbess, a writer, composer, philosopher, mystic, visionary, and as a medical writer and practitioner. In 1136, Hildegard was appointed as magistra (mother superior) of her convent at Disibodenberg. She went on to establish the monasteries of Rupertsberg in 1150 and Eibingen in 1165. Hildegard produced a range of writings, including theological, botanical, and medicinal texts, as well as letters, mystical poetry, hymns, and antiphons intended for liturgical use and the Ordo Virtutum, the first known morality play. Remarkably, more of Hildegard’s chants have survived than those of any other composer from the Middle Ages, making her one of the few known composers to have created both the music and lyrics. While the process of Hildegard’s formal canonization has a complex history, she has been recognized as a saint in various regional calendars of the Roman Catholic Church for many centuries. On May 10, 2012, Pope Benedict XVI extended the liturgical cult of Hildegard to the entire Catholic Church through a process known as “equivalent canonization.” Subsequently, on October 7, 2012, he proclaimed her a Doctor of the Church, acknowledging both her holy life and the unique contributions of her teachings. [2] Written by Sarah Ciotti Reviewed by Fr. Hugh Feiss, OSB, STD [1] Catholicpedia: The Original Catholic Encyclopedia (1917) for iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch. s.v. “St. Robert Francis Romulus Bellarmine.” [2] Source and more details about the life and the work of Saint Hildegard of Bingen on en.wikipedia.org Note: Optional Memorials and Commemorations are optional celebrations and, at present, we do not include content specific to these special days. This “About Today” is provided so that you can celebrate these Saints as you worship Christ. Thank you for praying with us. If you feel called, your Lenten offering helps carry this prayer to more hearts and languages. Contribute now