In our Sunday prayers there is always a petition remembering the saints who have gone before us to rest with God; we give thanks for their lives as models of faith and hope and love.

Many times when we pray these prayers we gratefully remember friends and family members who have died. But it can also be good to remember the saints of the past who have shown us different ways of being a faithful disciple; who can encourage us in our own lives of following Jesus.

May these brief stories of the saints be an inspiration to you in your faith journey. If you are interested in learning more about any of the saints mentioned, a Wikipedia or Google search is only a few keystrokes away!

In February the Church Commemorates:

Presentation of Our Lord

Sunday, February 2, 2025

Forty days after the birth of Jesus we mark the day Mary and Joseph presented him in the temple song "Lord, now you let your servant depart in peace," as well as by the prophet Anna, who spoke of the redemption of Israel.

Ansgar, Bishop of Hamburg, missionary to Denmark and Sweden, died 865

Monday, February 3, 2025

A monk who helped bring Christianity to Scandinavia, Ansgar returned to Germany where he was named bishop of Hamburg. He is remembered for his love for poor people.

The Martyrs of Japan, died 1597

Wednesday, February 5, 2025

Christianity was brought to Japan in the sixteenth century by Jesuit and Franciscan missionaries.

The religion was suppressed, however, and in 1597 twenty-six missionaries and converts were

crucified. Nevertheless, Christianity survived and later prospered.

Cyril, monk, died 869; Methodius, bishop, died 885; missionaries to the Slavs

Friday, February 14, 2025

These two brothers from Thessalonika, Greece, were monks and were sent to bring Christianity to

the Slavic people. In the course of their work they created a written language, inventing the Cyrillic

alphabet for it, and translated the Bible and the liturgy.

Martin Luther, renewer of the church, died 1546

Tuesday, February 18, 2025

Though he began his adult church life as a simple Augustinian monk, Luther challenged the abuses

he saw in the church, and his work eventually led to the Protestant Reformation. Luther's accomplishments included liturgical reform, translation of the Bible, and creation of the Small and Large Catechisms.

Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna, martyr, died 156

Sunday, February 23, 2025

Because he is said to have been known by John, the author of Revelation, as well as the important

early church fathers Irenaeus and Ignatius, Polycarp serves as a vital link in church history. He was

burned at the stake at age 86 for refusing to renounce his faith.

Elizabeth Fedde, deaconess, died 1921

Tuesday, February 25, 2025

Born in Norway and trained there as a deaconess, Fedde was asked to come and minister to the poor and to seamen in New York City. She established the Deaconess House in Brooklyn as well as Deaconess Hospital in Minneapolis.

Beginning in March 2025, the Church Commemorates:

George Herbert, hymnwriter, died 1633

Saturday, March 1, 2025

An excellent scholar, Herbert served briefly in the English parliament, then became a parish priest.

He was known for devoted care of his parishioners, as well as for writing poetry and hymns, including

"Come, my way, my truth, my life." He died at age 40.