Portraits of Mercy Confirmation Lesson 8 For use by catechists in the Diocese of Richmond only.

Spiritual Works of Mercy

Counseling the Doubtful St. Athanasius Born around 296. Died May 2, 373. Bishop of Alexandria Doctor of the Church. Champion of the belief of the Incarnation. Known as the “Father of Orthodoxy.” Counseling the Doubtful

Instructing the Ignorant St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Born August 28, 1774, in New York City, NY. Died January 4, 1821, in Emmitsburg, MD. After her husband died, she entered the Catholic Church. Opened a Catholic school in Baltimore, Maryland. Mother Seton is known for helping start the parochial school system in the United States. Instructing the Ignorant

Admonishing the Sinner St. John Vianney Born in France on May 8, 1786. Died August 4, 1859. Known as the “Curé of Ars.” He would spend 16-18 hours a day hearing confessions. At times he might reveal to a penitent sins they did not confess. People came from all over for his advice. Admonishing the Sinner

Comforting the Sorrowful St. Peter Claver Born in 1581 in Spain. Died September 8, 1654. Jesuit Missionary to modern day Colombia. He ministered to slaves coming from Africa to the “New World.” He would meet ships as they entered the harbor and go down to the holds of the ships to bring food, care, and the hope of Christ. Comforting the Sorrowful

Forgiving Injuries St. Maria Goretti Born October 16, 1890 in Italy. Her neighbor, Alessandro Serenelli, attempted to rape her. She resisted, so he stabbed her multiple times. In the hospital, as she was dying at the age of 12, she forgave him. He went to jail unrepentant; at one point during his sentence, he had a dream of Maria who gave him flowers. He repented and many years later, attended Maria’s canonization. Forgiving Injuries

Bearing Wrongs Patiently St. Mary MacKillop Born January 15, 1842 in Australia. Died August 8, 1842. First native born Australian saint. Opened schools for poor children. Helped start Sisters of Saint Joseph of the Sacred Heart in 1866; Australia‘s first religious order. Was excommunicated by the bishop in 1871 for some of her actions. She did not blame Church officials, but prayed for a good outcome. In 1872, Mary was returned to full communion with the Church, by her apologetic bishop who determined the baseless nature of the accusations. Bearing Wrongs Patiently

Praying for the Living and the Dead St. Therese of Lesieux Born in France on January 2, 1873. Died September 30, 1897. Entered religious life at the age of 15. Two of her sisters were already in the order. Known for her intercession. Although she never traveled, she is a patron saint of missions because of her love of mission work and her prayerful support. Praying for the Living and the Dead

Corporal Works of Mercy (Matthew 25: 31-46)

Feeding the Hungry St. Vincent de Paul Born about 1580 in France. Died in Paris, September 27 1660. As an ordained priest, he helped found a society of missionary priests. Along with Louise de Marillac he founded the Daughters of Charity. He is particularly known for his works of charity to the poor. Patron of the Diocese of Richmond. Feeding the Hungry

Giving Drink to the Thirsty St. Jeanne Jugan Born in France on Oct 6, 1792. Died August 29, 1897. Founded the “Little Sisters of the Poor.” By the time of her death, there were 2400 Little Sisters of the Poor in 10 different countries Giving Drink to the Thirsty

Clothing the Naked St. Elizabeth of Hungary Born in 1207 in Hungary, the daughter of the king. Died Nov 19, 1231. Married another royal through an arranged marriage. With her position and wealth, she gave money, clothing and food to the poor. She also built a hospital to take care of the sick. Clothing the Naked

Sheltering the Homeless Bl. Teresa of Calcutta Born August 26, 1910, in Macedonia. Died September 5, 1997 in Calcutta, India. Went to serve in an order in India, but left it to begin working with the poor. She founded the Missionaries of Charity, working with the poorest of the poor in India, housing them and taking care of them. She was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979. The Missionaries of Charity are in 30 countries today. Beatified October 2003. Sheltering the Homeless

Visiting the Sick St. Damian of Molokai Born in Belgium in 1840. Joined the Sacred Heart Fathers in 1860. Ordained a priest in Honolulu. Volunteered to go serve the leper colony of Molokai in 1873. He took care of the lepers, built clinics, churches and coffins. Announced that he had leprosy in 1885, but continued to work and serve until his death. Visiting the Sick

Visiting the Imprisoned St. Maximilian Kolbe Born in Poland on January 8, 1894. Spent most of WWI in seminary; he was ordained a priest in Rome on April 28, 1918. During WWII, he was arrested and sent to the concentration camp at Auschwitz-Birkenau. While singled out for harsh treatment, he encouraged and ministered to his fellow prisoners. He died in 1941 volunteering to take the place of another prisoner, a man who was a husband and father. Visiting the Imprisoned

Burying the Dead St. Charles Borromeo Born in Italy on October, 2, 1538 He rose quickly to high positions in the church, and is noted for his work with the Council of Trent. Helped create seminaries. In 1576, when Milan suffered through the bubonic plague, he led efforts to attend to the sick and help bury the dead. Burying the Dead