Calendar Saints - The Month of December Quiz

Answer: Metallurgy

Eligius was born near Limoges around 588. He worked as a humble blacksmith making horseshoes and nails. One of the first miracles he performed, according to legend, was shoeing a very frightened horse in a quite extraordinary way: Eligius cut off the horse's leg, shoed it and put it back on...
He also studied the craft of goldsmithing and is said to have made a throne of solid gold, adorned with various precious gemstones, for the Frankish king Clotaire II. Finally he was appointed master of the Royal Mint and thus also became one of the principal advisors to the King.
Eligius used his influence in the royal family to distribute alms, to set free several slaves and to found various abbeys.
He was ordained a priest in 640 and rose rapidly to the rank of Bishop of Noyon. In this capacity, Eligius frequently visited Flanders and made many converts.
He died in Noyon in 659 or 660, and was buried over there.
Saint Eligius is especially popular in Flanders and in the North of France. He is patron saint of fifty-odd professions, mostly dealing with metallurgy.
Embroiderers usually acclaim Clare of Assisi or Rosa of Lima for divinely inspired assistance.
The patron saints of navigators are (amongst others) Erasmus and Our Lady Star of the Sea (Maria Maris Stella).
Cooks and chefs can call upon Saint Lawrence. After all, he was roasted...

Answer: Francis Xavier

Saint Francis Xavier was born near Pamplona in Navarra, Spain in 1506. He went to Paris to study theology, and met Saint Ignatius of Loyola. Together with five comrades, they founded the Society of Jesus in 1534 and were ordained in 1537.
Francis was the first of the Jesuits to sail as a missionary. His first stop was in India, where he would have converted all inhabitants of the major city Goa. He then travelled to Indonesia, where he personally baptised about 10,000 pagans. With a Japanese exile, he then continued his trip to Japan. Finally he crossed the sea to China, where he died in 1552.
Francis' missionary work was greatly helped by his gift of tongues. He quite easily learned Japanese and Cantonese.
Albert Schweitzer (1875-1965) was born in the Alsace Region, which accounts for his double nationality: German and French. He is best known for the hospital in Lambarene, Gabon where he worked together with his wife.
Dom Helder Camara (1909-1999) was a Brazilian bishop.
Joseph Smith (1805-1844) lived in the United States, where he founded the Latter Day Saints movement.

Answer: A tower

Saint Barbara was one of the early saints, so her biography is subject to much conjecture. That's why the Roman Catholic Church removed her name from the global Calendar of Saints in 1969. The Eastern Orthodox Church continues her veneration.
According to legend, Barbara was born into a pagan family. The time table is unreliable, for the first written accounts of her life date from at least three hundred years after her death. The following is a summary of the (not very reliable) sources on her life.
Barbara's father Dioscorus had her imprisoned in a tower for some disobedience. When Barbara confessed to him that she was a Christian, Dioscorus wanted to kill her instantly. But she was magically spirited away to a mountain gorge, between two shepherds. When one of the shepherds told Dioscorus of her whereabouts, this shepherd was petrified and his flock metamorphosed into a swarm of locusts.
Dioscorus eventually dragged Barbara to court (quite literally, by her long fair hair). The court officials started torturing her. But the torches with which they tried to harm her miraculously went out, and all injuries the torturers inflicted to Barbara healed spontaneously and very swiftly.
In the end Barbara was condemned to be beheaded, and her own father wielded the sword. After his evil deed he was immediately struck by lightning and consumed by fire.
Saint Barbara is patron saint of fire fighters and protects against lightning. She is also patron saint of brewers and of carpenters, but I haven't found any specific reasons for these last two patronages.
Most images of Saint Barbara show her looking out from one of the three windows in the tower where she was imprisoned.
The door is an unusual attribute for saints. I've found only Saint Anne (maternal grandmother of Jesus) who sometimes is depicted with a door.
Although Barbara was patron saint of brewers, neither she nor any other saint ever holds a pint of beer. Two saints are sometimes depicted with a glass of wine: Florinus of Remus and Urban of Langres.
I haven't found any saint depicted with lightning. The closest image to his is Saint Elmo with the eponymous fire.

Answer: Saint Nicholas of Myra

Nicholas was born about 270 from Greek parents in Lycia (nowadays Turkey). He became bishop of Myra in this region, and died about 343.
The first hagiography about Saint Nicholas dates from about 800 and contains perhaps more fiction than real facts. Nevertheless, here are some of the miracles ascribed to Saint Nicholas.
One day Nicholas heard an impoverished man complaining over how to feed his three daughters, and that he could not afford any dowry for them. Nicholas passed by his window one night and threw a purse into the house, with the dowry for the eldest daughter. Later on he did likewise for the second and for the youngest daughter.
Nicholas is also said to have resurrected three children who were killed by an innkeeper and put into a barrel of brine each.
Saint Nicholas is also said to have induced three robbers to repent and to start a true Christian life. He also supposedly calmed the sea when a vigorous storm threatened to sink the ship on which Nicholas sailed.
Saint Nicholas is patron saint of children, of (repentant) thieves and of sailors.
Saint Anthony of Padua has his name day on June 13th.
Saint Bernard of Clairvaux is venerated August 20th.
Saint Thomas Aquinas is celebrated January 28th.

Answer: A painting

It was December 1531 when Juan Diego, a Mexican peasant on his way to attend mass, noticed a radiant young lady. She told Juan to inform Bishop Zumarraga and have a church built on the very same spot. The bishop didn't immediately believe Juan's story of what had happened, and asked for some proof. Juan went back to the lady, who told him to pick some roses nearby (although the weather conditions weren't fit to support blooming roses). Juan assembled a bunch of roses in his cloak, closed the package and went to Zumarraga. On opening the package, both saw the roses withering instantly and changing into a painting of the lady whom Juan had met.
Various scientific researchers have examined the painting. While it was technically possible with the techniques available in Mexico in 1531 to paint on fabric, there is no scientific explanation why such a splendid image could be produced onto a rather coarse cloth.
The painting became known as "Our Lady of Guadalupe", the name the apparition had given herself. A church built on the spot of the apparition was named after the painting, and the suburb of Mexico City that evolved around this church was given the same name.
Saint Catherine Labouré had in 1830 a vision of Mary ordering that a certain medal would be made, according to Mary's design. This medal would have supernatural powers.
The Marian apparition at Lourdes, France in 1858, has attracted millions of pilgrims ever since. These pilgrims drink from the well that reputedly sprouts healing water.
The Marian apparition at Fatima, Portugal in 1917 is associated with three prophecies, one of these announcing the Second World War.

Answer: Saint Lucy

Lucy was born in Syracuse around 283. She was betrothed to a pagan, but refused and had her dowry distributed under the poor. The rejected young man accused her of Christianity. When the bailiffs came to arrest her, they weren't able to pull her away - not even with a couple of oxen.
Medieval paintings usually depict how Lucy's eyes were put out, and show us Lucy holding a dish with two eyeballs. Most probably this is pure fiction based upon her name (related to the Latin "lux", meaning "light").
Saint Lucy is venerated in the Roman Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Lutheran Church and the Anglican Church.
Saint Dymphna is patron saint of the mentally ill.
Saint Blaise protects against all diseases of the throat.
Saint Roch protects from the plague and from cholera.

Answer: Saint Begga

There is very little information on Saint Begga. She was born around 615 into a family of the highest nobility. According to some sources, this family was full of good Christians: Begga's father (Pepin of Landen), mother (Ida of Nivelles), sister (Gertrude of Nivelles) and father-in-law (Arnulf of Metz) all were canonized.
Begga married Ansegisel and gave birth to three children, including Pepin of Heristal (the head of the Carolingian dynasty in the Frankish Kingdom). After her husband died in a hunting accident, Begga founded seven churches and a convent. She died in 693.
The Beguine movement (hermitage for lay women) found its origin in the Twelfth Century, so it would be unlikely that this movement goes back to someone who died over four hundred years earlier.
The other options were some Saints from Belgium: Amand was a French missionary to the provinces situated near the Scheldt River, Guy was a poor pilgrim from a Brussels suburb, and Godelieve was a martyr. None of them had any connection with the Beguine movement.

Answer: Jesuits

Peter Kanis was born in the duchy of Guelders (Holland) in 1521. He Latinised his name (as was customary in those days among scholars) and started a college education at the university of Cologne. There he was introduced to the recently founded Society of Jesus (a denomination shortened to "the Jesuits").
Petrus Canisius thought he was not a good writer. And yet he is best remembered for his literary efforts: a trilogy entitled "Summa Doctrinae Christianiae", a small catechism for high school students, and a booklet by the title of "Parvus Catechismus Catholicorum" addressed to students of primary schools.
As Peter travelled frequently through Germany, the Pope wanted him to spread some pontifical decrees among the Catholics in the German Empire. This job was not without any danger: besides the usual suspects (highwaymen), such a courier had also to deal with Protestant factions.
Peter Canisius died in 1597 in Fribourg, Switzerland.
The 'Knights of the Cross with the Red Star', officially known as 'Canonici Regulares Sanctissimae Crucis a Stella Rubea', is a Czech order founded in 1233 and principally concerned about medical assistance.
The Pauline Fathers ('Ordo Sancti Pauli Primi Eremitae') have their origin in Hungary. This monastic order, named after Saint Paul of Thebes, dedicates most of its time to missionary work.
The Mercedarians are the members of the order officially known as the 'Order of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mercy'. This order was founded in Spain in 1218. Mercedarians have taken the three classical vows (chastity, obedience and poverty), but also the solemn vow to offer their lives for fellow Christians in danger of losing their faith.

Answer: He was stoned to death

Stephen's story starts in Acts 6:5 and continues until Acts 8:2. The apostles chose Stephen as one of the first seven bishops.
Stephen performed many miracles in the name of Jesus. Some opponents started a discussion with him, but were easily outsmarted. The opposition then tried to have Stephen dishonoured by false testimony. But thanks to his angelic appearance, the liars were exposed.
Stephen's beautiful apology angered the crowd, so they started stoning him. At that moment Stephen saw the heaven open and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.
The other execution methods were applied to some of the apostles. Peter was crucified upside down, Bartholomew was flayed and Paul was beheaded.

Answer: Sylvester I

Sylvester I is the Pope we're looking for. There is no reliable documentation about his personal life, and only very little about his pontificate.
He ordered the construction of several churches in Rome (most notably the first version of Saint Peter's basilica and the basilica of Saint John Lateran). All these churches were at some time or other replaced by other, larger and more impressive buildings.
During the pontificate of Sylvester, the Council of Nicaea was held. At this first council of the church ever, some controversies were resolved, a uniform creed was written and the major rules for computation of the date of Easter were decided upon. Sylvester was invited to the Council of Nicaea, but didn't attend personally: he sent two delegates.
The name of Sylvester is closely linked to New Year's Eve in countries such as Germany and Brazil.
German, Swiss and Austrian television broadcast together the notorious 'Sylvesterstadl', a show with Schlager music leading up to the live broadcast of the fireworks at Berlin. Brazil has the world famous 'San Sylvester corrida', a race in the streets of Sao Paulo. (By the way, there are similar races in Porto, Portugal, in Madrid, Spain and in Bolzano, Italy.)
St. Symmachus was Pope from 498 until 514. St. Simplicius was Pope from 468 until 483. St. Sixtus II was Pope from 257 until 258.