Day 11 is Gemma Galgani, 12x12 oil on wood panel. Throughout her life, Gemma was to be favored with many mystical experiences and special graces, including the stigmata. These were often misunderstood by others, causing ridicule. Gemma suffered these heartaches in reparation, remembering that Our Lord Himself had been misunderstood and ridiculed.
Day 12 is Padre Pio. He was a facinating Saint that lived in our time. Padre Pio had many graces from God including the stigmata, that he had most of his life. He felt the physical pain that Christ experinced on the cross every time he consecrated the host at Mass. He would be able to bi-locate and would hear confessions in multiple places around the world at the same time. He could also read souls and had a deep devotion to Mary and the Rosary.
Day 13 is St. Therese of Lisieux 12x12 oil on wood panel. She is a beautiful saint that has the heart of a child. She is know for her "little way" which is to completly trust in Jesus with great love. She is also know as "the little flower" and promised to spend her time in heaven doing good on earth and that she will send down flowers from heaven. Often times when people pray to hear for her help, she will answer their prayers by sending them roses.
Day 14 is Bl. Miguel Pro, 12x12 Oil on wood panel. He was a courageous priest who stood up and was martyr for the Catholic faith during the Mexican "Cristeros" persecution in the 20's. His last words before he was killed were "Viva Cristo Rey", "Long Live Christ the King".
Day 15 is Venerable Fulton J. Sheen 12x12 Oil on wood panel. "God Love You" Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen touched the lives of millions worldwide with his warmth, wisdom and humor. A master communicator, he had the great gift of preaching and teaching the Gospel in a way easy to understand. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Peoria, Ill., has already constructed a museum in honor of Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, a native son whose Emmy-winning television show during the 1950s brought Catholicism to the American living room.
Day 16 is Saint Josemaría Escrivá de Balaguer, 12x12 oil on wood panel. Jose Escriva was a Roman Catholic priest from Spain who founded Opus Dei, an organization of laypeople and priests dedicated to the teaching that everyone is called to holiness and that ordinary life is a path to sanctity. He made a way for ordinary lay people to reach santity by their work and family life, holiness in everyday life.
Day 17 is St. John Bosco, 12x12 oil on wood panel. John Bosco educated the whole person—body and soul united. He believed that Christ’s love and our faith in that love should pervade everything we do—work, study, play. For John Bosco, being a Christian was a full-time effort, not a once-a-week, Mass-on-Sunday experience. It is searching and finding God and Jesus in everything we do, letting their love lead us. Yet, because John realized the importance of job-training and the self-worth and pride that come with talent and ability, he trained his students in the trade crafts, too.
Day 18 is Our Sorrowful Mother, 12x12 oil on wood panel. Being the Mother of Jesus, Mary shares in the joys and the sorrows of Jesus. During the passion a sword also peices Mary's heart (Luke 2:35) as she witnesses Jesus' death on the cross.
Day 19 is St. André Bessette, C.S.C., 12x12 oil on wood panel. Br. André as he was known battled sickness for much of his own life — humbly devoted his life to prayer, serving the Lord and comforting the sick and afflicted. Through his intercession prayers to St. Joseph, many received God’s healing graces. He dedicated his life to building a shrine to St. Joseph in Montreal with only the small change and donations that he received. Today it is great Oratory where many people have been healed.
Day 20 is St. Junipero Serra, 12x12 oil on wood panel. Junipero Serra is our newest saint just Canonized Yesterday, Sept 23rd by Pope Francis. This saint was the one who brought the Catholic faith and civilization to California, he founded 21 missions from San Diego all the way up the coast. Many of the cities in California are named after saints because of these missionaries. Being Catholic and Franciscan at heart and having been raised in California, these mssions encompass alot of who I am and what I believe.
Day 22 is Fr. Joseph Kentenich 12x12 oil on wood panel. Fr. Kentenich was holy man of God that lead as a deep and caring father. He is the founder of Schoenstatt, a movement of moral and religious renewal in the Catholic Church, Schoenstatt works...
Day 24 is Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos. Francis Xavier Seelos was a German Redemptorist who worked as a missionary in the United States frontier. He was known for beeing an excelent confessor and spiritual director, and worked amonst the poor. He traveled to many diferent states and lived a simple Redemptorist life.
Day 30 is Ruth Dossett, 12x12 oil on wood panel. This is my Grandma Ruth. We called her Grandma G when we were young. She was the Matriarch of the family. Grandma was the sweetest lady ever and loved and was dedicated to our family and especially the grandkids. She taught us piano out of her house and directed us in children's chrior at church, she was the director of our CCD program at St. Dorothy's. She was involved in everything we did. Every year she would help all of us grand kids put on a play for our parents. The plays I remember the most were Annie & The sounds of Music. After I had my spiritual conversion in 1992. She was one of the people that I felt understood me. We both had a deep love for the Catholic faith, and we had an unspoken conection. When she and Carl had adoration from 11 to 12 at night, mine was from 12am to 1am. So every week we would see each other in passing and Adortation is what got me through the challenging College years and decerning what God wanted for my life. I felt Grandma and Grandpa were right there with me every week. We had the privelage of having them all at our wedding in Wisconsin, Grandma and Grandpa, My Mom, Grandma Butz, Bobci, Cass' Grandma Eskine. Shorly after Ruth passed away, this was the last great memory Cass and I shared with her.