Calendar Saints - The Month of November Quiz

Answer: Hunters

Hubert of Liege was born in 656 or 658 into a noble family. He was the eldest son of the Duke of Aquitaine and is also mentioned as the grandson of the King of Toulouse. He married in 682 and chose to live in the Ardennes Forest, the border of Austrasia and Neustria. (Nowadays we would speak roughly about Germany and France). The next part is taken from the legend of his conversion, so please don't take everything literally as a historical fact.
On a hunting expedition on Good Friday, Hubert chased a stag. When aiming his crossbow at the stag, suddenly a crucifix appeared between its antlers. Some voice then spoke out: "Hubert, turn to the Lord and lead a holy life, or you'll perish soon." Hubert converted to a pious life and (at the advice of the mysterious voice) visited Saint Lambert to learn more.
Hubert succeeded Saint Lambert as bishop of Maastricht, and chose to move the see of Maastricht to the small hamlet of Liege. Saint Hubert died in 727, of natural causes.
The legend of his conversion explains clearly why Saint Hubert is patron saint of hunters and of archers. He is also patron saint of Liege (the centre of his bishopric) and protects against mad dogs and rabies. Some of his other patronages are less evident: he is also patron saint of metal workers and of those who make precision instruments (especially visors).
Musicians pray to Saint Cecilia. Hospital workers can acclaim St. John of God, St. Camillus de Lellis, Saint Jude or St. Vincent de Paul. Some of the patron saints of shepherds are Bernadette Soubirous and Cuthbert of Lindisfarne.

Answer: Charles Borromeo

Charles Borromeo was born in 1538, the son of the Count of Arona (near Milan). He studied civil and canon law at Pavia and was ordained in 1560 or 1563. His uncle, Pope Pius IV, raised him to the posts of cardinal and Bishop of Milan.
Charles helped to reconvene the Council of Trent, and contributed to the Tridentine Catechism. He cleared churches of too-luxurious decorations, and was active in assisting the poor. He founded some seminary schools (hence perhaps his popularity among school directors) and preached against the Protestants.
Charles died of fever in 1584.
Francis de Sales (1567-1622), patron saint of teachers, is celebrated in January (the 24th, sometimes the 29th). Isidore of Seville (560-636), a Spanish Doctor of the Church, is celebrated April 4th and patronises internet users. Vincent de Paul (1581-1660) is a French patron saint for hospital workers.

Answer: Elisabeth

The Gospel of Luke tells us of the birth of John the Baptist. The Archangel Gabriel announced to Zachary that his wife Elisabeth would bear a son (although her age was already quite advanced), and that they should name him John. Because he didn't believe the Archangel, Zachary was struck with muteness until the birth of John. This John would preach in the desert, and would baptise Jesus in the river Jordan.
The annunciation that Mary too was pregnant (Luke 1:28) and the visit that Mary paid to her cousin Elisabeth (Luke 1:42) form together the start of the world-famous prayer "Hail Mary".
The other women mentioned in this quiz are also mentioned in various Gospels.
Matthew 1:3 identifies Tamar as one of the ancestors of Jesus.
Mark 16:1 gives us the names of the women present at the opening of Jesus' grave: Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome. This Salome is probably not Herodias' daughter, mentioned in Mark 6:21-28 (asking for John the Baptist's head on a platter).
John 11:17-44 relates the resurrection of Lazarus, the brother of Mary and Martha.

Answer: Echternach

Willibrord was born in Northumbria about 658. He started missionary work in Frisia (nowadays Friesland, one of the northern provinces of the Netherlands) and founded a church in Utrecht, where he is considered their first Bishop. He also travelled in Luxembourg, where he founded the monastery of Echternach.
Saint Willibrord died in 739 in Echternach, of natural causes. He was buried in a crypt in the abbey.
There are records of a peculiar procession in Echternach since 739, so this tradition might predate Willibrord's death. But the procession is now held to celebrate Saint Willibrord.
Every Whit Tuesday (nobody knows why Saint Willibrord would be honoured at that specific date) a quite large procession advances on a road that is only about a mile long, on to the Abbey with the tomb of Saint Willibrord. Sometimes the people entering the procession take one or two steps before kneeling down in silence, sometimes they crawl all the way. But most frequently, the participants in the procession hop or jump towards the abbey, on a lively tune.
The procession of Echternach has been declared a part of the World Heritage by the UNESCO in 2010.
Schengen is a Luxembourg border village that has given its name to an Agreement on the free movement of persons across the borders in Europe.
Diekirch is the trademark of a famous Luxembourg beer, that was brewed in its eponymous city.
Mondorf-les-Bains is the place of a popular Luxembourg spa, on the French border.

Answer: Martin

The scene of the soldier on horseback cutting his red cape in half has been portrayed by many painters and admonishes us to give cheerfully to those in need. It was Martin of Tours who set this example.
Martin was born in Pannonia (now Hungary) about 316, the son of a Roman mounted soldier. When Martin reached his adult life at 15, he too was enlisted in the Roman cavalry and went to Samarobriva in Gaul (nowadays Amiens in France). When he met a scantily clad beggar, Martin impulsively took his sword - not to harm the beggar, but to divide his cape. At night the cape miraculously was restored to its original size.
Soon after this well noted example of charity, people would celebrate mass to remember the cape. The places they chose for these remembrance services, were named after the little cape - capella in medieval Latin, a word that has evolved to the English "chapel".
Martin was baptised at 18 and declared that his faith would not permit him to take up a fight. So he deserted the army, and founded a monastery near Tours. In 371 the people acclaimed him to become their new bishop - contrary to his own ambition, because he wanted to live the humble life of a monk, or maybe a hermit.
Saint Martin died aged 80, possibly in 397.
Saint Alban of Britain was the first British martyr. The date of his death is very uncertain: sources differ from 209 to 305. His name day is June 22.
Saint Barbatus (literally "the bearded one") lived from 610 to 682. He became bishop of Benevento (Italy) in 663 and has his name day on February 19.
Saint Horus of the Thebaid is one of the very obscure early African Christians. His name day is June 6th.

Answer: Belgium

Saint Leopold was born in Melk, Austria, in 1073. He became margrave of Austria in 1096. In 1106 he started founding several monasteries (belonging to the Benedictine, Cistercian or Augustinian orders). Leopold refused the Imperial throne in 1125. He died in 1136 from natural causes.
The best known relative of Saint Leopold was his grandson, Emperor Frederick Barbarossa.
Saint Leopold shares his name with the first (and second and fourth) King of Belgium, member of the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. That's why royalist Belgians pay special attention to November 15th, an unofficial holiday in Belgium.
The Norwegian royal family is named the House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, in short Glücksburg.
King Juan Carlos of Spain is member of the House of Bourbon.
Monaco is ruled by the House of Grimaldi.
Neither the House of Glücksburg nor the House of Bourbon nor the House of Grimaldi started with a King Leopold.

Answer: Elisabeth of Hungary

Elisabeth of Hungary was born in Pressburg, Hungary (nowadays Bratislava, capital of Slovakia) in 1207. She married Ludwig of Thuringia (Germany) at the age of fourteen (the threshold of majority in those days - life expectancy was quite low).
In 1223 Franciscan friars paid a visit to Ludwig and Elisabeth, and as a result Elisabeth started to give alms to the poor on a regular basis.
Ludwig died in 1227, whereupon Elisabeth retired from public life and joined the Third Order of Saint Francis (the lay branch of the Franciscans). Elisabeth died in 1231.
Legend has it that Elisabeth once was halted when carrying a pouch full of bread to distribute to the poor. When the soldier who stopped her, asked what she was carrying, the bread miraculously turned into roses. In concordance with this legend, Saint Elisabeth is frequently portrayed with a basket full of roses.
Saint Elisabeth of Portugal is venerated on July 4th.
Saint Elisabeth of Schönau (a small town near Bonn, Germany) has her name day on June 18th. For those of you who noticed two different spellings: the spelling with "oe" is a valid alternative for the umlaut, and won't give messy results in Flash mode.
Saint Elisabeth Ann Seton is venerated on January 4th.

Answer: Clement I

Clement was one of the few people appointed by St. Peter himself to lead the early Church. Saint Peter named Linus and Anacletus as bishops, and would have entrusted the whole Church to Clement. This is why the list of Popes usually mentions Clement as the fourth Pope, while other sources name him as second Pope.
Information about Clement's personal life is very scarce. He became Pope probably in 92, and died probably in 99 (but his year of death could also be 101). The only fact that is quite clear, is that he wrote an epistle in 96, addressed to the Christians in Corinth.
Urban II (1035-1099) was born under the name Otho de Lagery. When this French cleric became Pope in 1088, he chose the name Urban. He is best remembered for inciting the First Crusade.
Adrian VI (1459-1523) was born Adriaen Floriszoon Boeyens. He became Pope in 1522. His nationality is rather vague: he was born in the Netherlands and lived most of his life in the region we know now as Belgium. Some sources state that he was German, for both his birthplace and his home in Belgium were situated in vassal states of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation (as its official name was from 1512).
Leo XIII (1810-1903) was born Vincenzo Pecci. This Italian became Pope in 1878 and is famous for his encyclical "De Rerum Novarum", a Catholic answer to poverty and to socialist ideas.

Answer: A wheel

Saint Catherine was born in Alexandria around 282. She was convicted in 305 and would have been broken on the wheel. But legend has it that as soon Catherine touched the wheel, the wheel itself was broken miraculously. So she was swiftly executed by beheading.
Saint Catherine's many patronages include all medieval professions who needed wheels (potters, spinsters...), but also lawyers, hatters and tanners - for reasons that are not quite clear.
Saint Lucy was martyred by putting out her eyes. She is (evidently) patron of the blind.
Dental pincers were used to martyr Saint Apollonia, whose teeth were removed without anaesthesia.
Several people were burned at the stake. The best known woman who was executed in this way, is Joan of Arc.

Answer: Jesuits

John Berchmans was born in 1599 in the small town of Diest (on the territory now entitled Belgium). At the age of seven, he rose early and served two or three masses each day. He went to school and entered the Jesuit congregation as a novice. John dreamt of learning the main European languages and helping migrants. His other ambition was missionary work in China, after being ordained a priest. Alas, he died very young, even before he could be ordained.
Saint John Berchmans is patron saint of altar servers. Many Catholic schools in Flanders were named after him.
The Jesuits (officially Society of Jesus) are a congregation famous for missionary work and for education.
The Poor Clares (officially the Order of Saint Clare or the Order of Poor Ladies), the Sisters of Mercy (full name: the Religious Order of Sisters of Mercy) and the Grey Nuns (officially the Order of Sisters of Charity of Montreal) are congregations for female religious.