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Saint of the Day (January 16) ✠ St. Berard of Carbio and Companions ✠ Saint Berard of Carbio, O.F.M. Berard of Carbio, O.F.M., was a thirteenth-century Franciscan friar who was executed in Morocco for attempting to promote Christianity. He and his companions,  Peter, Otho, Accursius, and Adjutus , are venerated as saints and considered the Franciscan Protomartyrs. Venerated in: Catholic Church; (Franciscan Order) Died: 16 January 1220; Morocco Born: unknown; Carbio, Umbria, Papal States Canonized: 7 August 1481, Rome by Pope Sixtus IV Saint Berard and Companions’ Story Preaching the gospel is often dangerous work. Leaving one’s homeland and adjusting to new cultures, governments and languages is difficult enough; but martyrdom caps all the other sacrifices. In 1219, with the blessing of Saint Francis, Berard left Italy with Peter, Adjute, Accurs, Odo and Vitalis to preach in Morocco. En route in Spain, Vitalis becam...

Saint of the Day (January 16) ✠ St. Joseph Vaz ✠ Feastday: January 16 Patron: Sri Lanka Birth: April 21, 1651 Death: January 16, 1711 Beatified: January 21, 1995, Galle Face Green, Colombo, Sri Lanka by Pope John Paul II Canonized: January 14, 2015, Galle Face Green, Colombo, Sri Lanka by Pope Francis Blessed Joseph Vaz (21 April 1651, Benaulim - 16 January 1711, Kandy) was a Catholic Oratorian priest from Goa. He is known as the Apostle of Ceylon. Fr. Vaz entered Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) during the Dutch occupation, when Calvinism was the official religion. He traveled throughout the island bringing the Eucharist and the sacraments to clandestine groups of Catholics. Later in his mission, he found shelter in the Kandyan kingdom where he was able to work freely. At the time of his death, Fr. Vaz managed to rebuild the Catholic church on the island. On 21 January 1995, he was beatified by Pope John Paul II in Colombo. Joseph Vaz  (Konkani:  San Zu...