Our Forgotten Saints

by Fred Schaeffer, OFS

The Church has an enormous wealth of information and images of holy people in its history. Much of this information can be found on the Internet, maybe not all in one website but spread over many. Search engines are powerful and with carefully selected search criteria much can be brought forth into our home computers. Indeed, many researchers, religious, people who just love reading about Saints because of the educational and spiritual value, are in a better position to accrue information now than at any time in the past. That's the good use of the Internet, and it far outweighs the negative side of this wonderful resource.

The Continent of Europe is steeped in religious history, and it is thus no wonder that much can be found on European websites. A couple of years ago I found a great source for images of saints, Santi Beati, an Italian website (Google translates to English, if asked). There are, of course many other websites but this one fills a distinct niche. I do not speak or read Italian, but one can easily find what one is looking for in that website. Once past the thumbnail pictures, the full-sized images are first rate, and the file type and size are given, too.

There is, however one website that surpasses all:
https://catholicsaints.info/members-of-the-franciscans/ This is a link to catholicsaints.info – the best listing of Franciscan Saints I’ve found to date.

That’s fine for personal research, but copyright laws may restrict webmasters from copying from other websites without permission. On our website, we have copyrighted content, but this is more to prevent others from presenting the same information without permission than to restrict the serious researcher or people who need some information for a class project or presentation from using the material. And most of all, we want to make sure that the data we have carefully assembled and worked hundreds of hours to accomplish this, isn't misused in any way. Images are almost impossible to protect unless a savvy webmaster manages to block copying of certain images. Search engines present vast amounts of images for the asking, and I have never had anyone ask me for permission to copy images. On the other hand, people have asked me if they can copy all or part of specific text.

There is much we can learn from the Blessed and Saints who have set stellar examples by their very lives, the way they lived and died in charity, humility, frugality, holiness. These men and women have given us a way to live our lives, an example of faith and zeal. It doesn't matter whether they lived in the 6th Century or the 21st - all had the same propensity to fall into temptation and all were given a free will to obey or disobey God. These holy people chose to obey, to be faithful, and we can learn from them. They are our role models.

Unfortunately, modern people, particularly those who live in this fast-paced world of electronics and new innovations, who surf the Internet, won't be looking for anything pertaining to religion or religious subjects. Some Catholics and some Christians do, but I suspect these are generally more mature people, or, students in Colleges or Universities. But do not underestimate young people. Young people who attend services in their churches, or Sunday school, Bible study, etc., and devout Catholics will more likely search out information about Saints. They will visit the Vatican website, and read about recently beatified and canonized holy people, and some archival information, too.

In American Catholic parishes, there is a paucity of religious education for adults. Once young men and women are finished with CCD, there are few programs that serve the adult community. Members of Lay Institutes, such as Secular Franciscan, Lay Dominican, Discalced Lay Carmelites, Benedictine Oblates, etc., will more likely search out information on Blessed and Saints, and toward that end, our website has a lot of information to offer.

We need to make a special effort to evangelize the necessity of looking at Blessed and Saints' lives as a role model for spirituality, not only for the individual searching, but also for Catholics in general. Make a list of a few good websites, and pass the information on, telling your friends, neighbors, and acquaintances, and strangers who visit the Parish, how valuable role models are, and how you recommend to them this sort of spiritual research. It would not be the first time that people who are lax in their Faith be motivated to return fully to the Sacraments through examples of the wonderful Blesseds and Saints who form the spiritual heritage of the Catholic Church. Many of these mentors are also loved in Christian churches, and in particular, St. Francis of Assisi. He is almost universally accepted.

Years ago, one of the monks I was associated with, Br. John Raymond, published a book “Catholics on the Internet, 2000-2001”, listing over 10,000 Catholic links. Unfortunately, now 20 years later, many if not most of these links have changed and so the book has lost much of its value. I am very familiar with the research involved in getting this book published because I helped Br. John. I did a lot of link checking, and it was a monumental task. It was part of my work assignment as a monk. Unfortunately, the Order Br. John and I belonged to, “The Monks of Adoration” is no longer in operation. We had insufficient members to go on, and new vocations weren’t coming. It is unfortunate, because the five years I spent with them were the best of my life.

In the third Millennium, evangelization is the duty of every Catholic. Did you know that? In an Exhortation on Evangelization Pope John Paul II, writes, "The basic task for which Jesus sends out his disciples is the proclamation of the Good News, that is, evangelization (cf. Mk 16:15-18). Consequently, “to evangelize is the grace and vocation proper to the Church, her most profound identity”. (243) As I have said on other occasions, the new and unique situation in which the world and the Church find themselves at the threshold of the Third Millennium, and the urgent needs which result, mean that the mission of evangelization today calls for a new program which can be defined overall as a “new evangelization”. (244) As the Church's Supreme Pastor, I urgently desire to encourage all the members of God's People, particularly those living in America — where I first appealed for a commitment “new in its ardor, methods and expression” (245) — to take up this project and to cooperate in carrying it out. In accepting this mission, everyone should keep in mind that the vital core of the new evangelization must be a clear and unequivocal proclamation of the person of Jesus Christ, that is, the preaching of his name, his teaching, his life, his promises and the Kingdom which he has gained for us by his Paschal Mystery. (246)" If you have time, read the entire Exhortation. I find it very valuable reading.

May God bless you and keep you well.
Fred Schaeffer, OFS.
2006, rev. 2021
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