St. Martin of Tours Church

06/03/2026

Today is the Memorial of St. Charles Lwanga and Companions, the martyrs of Uganda. Charles Lwanga was a page in the royal court of Mwanga, the king of the Baganda in the south of what is now Uganda. Mwanga was young and his country was under many outside pressures. He became mentally unstable and increasingly hostile to Christians. When Joseph Mkasa, the master of the pages and a Catholic catechist, tried to protect the younger pages from the rages and sexual advances of the king, Joseph was beheaded. Charles Lwanga, also a Catholic, was appointed to succeed him. One morning the king assembled the pages and told those who were Christians to stand apart. When they said they intended to remain Christians, they were burned to death. One of their executioners reported that the young men prayed softly as they died. Those martyred by Mwanga included both Catholics and other Christians. Charles and his companions were beatified in 1920 and canonized in 1964. St. Charles Lwanga is the patron saint of African youth.

O God,
who have made the blood of Martyrs
the seed of Christians,
mercifully grant that the field which is your Church,
watered by the blood shed by Saint Charles Lwanga and his companions,
may be fertile and always yield you an abundant harvest.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.
— Amen.

06/02/2026

06/01/2026

Today is the memorial of Saint Justin, Martyr. Saint Justin was born in Palestine around the beginning of the 2nd century. He was educated in Greek thought and studied the preeminent philosophies of his day, a true eclectic. Despite these pagan influences, he came to believe God’s message was embodied in Christian teachings and his conversion account describes that Christian moral beauty and truth brought him to Christ. Saint Justin is beloved as a pure pagan philosopher who witnessed the early Church, was transformed, and evangelized – prior to his martyrdom, in Asia Minor and Rome. His writings are well-respected to this day and include such works as; A Discourse to the Greeks, On the Soul, and The First and Second Apology, addressed to the Roman Senate.

O God,
who through the folly of the Cross
wondrously taught Saint Justin the Martyr
the surpassing knowledge of Jesus Christ,
grant us, through his intercession, that,
having rejected deception and error,
we may become steadfast in the faith.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.
— Amen.

05/26/2026

Saint Philip Neri was an Italian priest in the 16th century. Of noble birth, Saint Philip leveraged his connections and helped establish large-scale social programs throughout Rome. Also, he co-founded the Congregation of the Oratory whose mission was to minister to the thousands of pilgrims flocking to Rome and to the convalesced. He is remembered for his polished social graces, cheery disposition, and his ability to lead others into a life a service.

O God,
who never cease to bestow the glory of holiness
on the faithful servants you raise up for yourself,
graciously grant that the Holy Spirit may kindle in us that fire
with which he wonderfully filled
the heart of Saint Philip Neri.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.
— Amen.

05/24/2026

Pentecost Sunday