Whether married, single, religious, or priests, all Saints Day feast reminds us that we are all called to be saints.

1. Bl. Luigi Beltrame Quattrochi and Maria Corsini Quattrochi (d. 1951 and 1965, Italy)

Luigi was a banker, and she was a homemaker, speaker, and writer.

They raised four children, volunteered generously in their community for Catholic and social causes, and lived their faith fervently.

In discernment with guidance from a spiritual director, they decided to take a special vow of abstinence from marital relations after 20 years of marriage. Still, they remained emotionally close, loving, and affectionate to one another.

“they made their family an authentic domestic church, open to life, prayer, witness of the Gospel, the social apostolate, solidarity with the poor, and friendship… Intimately united in love and Christian ideals, they walked together on the path of holiness.”

Cardinal Martin

2. Sts. Louis and Zelie Martin

This quiet watchmaker and energetic lacemaker raised St. Therese of Lisieux and her four other sisters who lived to adulthood (including Servant of God Leonie Martin). Four other children, two sons and two daughters, died in early childhood or infancy.

Guidance from their confessor convinced them to give up the idea of an abstinent, Josephite marriage that Louis had convinced Zelie to adopt for the first nine months of their marriage.

Their devotion to their faith and prayer life, to their family, and to charitable outreach in various forms did not take away from their tenderness and care for each other. 

3.Servants of God Cyprien and Daphrose Rugamba (d. 1994, Rwanda)

Daphrose’s prayers for her unfaithful husband’s conversion bore amazing fruit.

As he was healed from a mysterious, life-threatening disease, her composer and government officer husband received the gift of faith. He turned wholeheartedly back to his wife, asking her forgiveness.

They lived the remaining years of their life together in great affection, serving together in evangelization and charity, until dying along with most of their children on the first night of the Rwandan genocide. 

Source: Nathan and Sarah headsteward@canafeast.com

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