Saint Anthony
Saint Anthony (1195-1231) was born in Portugal. He was a Franciscan friar and was venerated as Evangelical Doctor by the Church. His sermons were profound and moving, and he was a man of great virtue and sincerity. His teaching touched the hearts of all who heard him. His portraits often depict him with his hands embracing the Holy Child Jesus, testifying to his love for him. He was known as the “Finder for Lost Items” because of his willingness to help others.
Blessed John Duns Scotus
Blessed John (1266-1308) was known as Duns Scotus because he was born in the Village of Duns in Scotland, from whose name the Chinese. He was a Franciscan friar, an outstanding theologian and philosopher, known for his explanations of the Primacy of Christ and the Immaculate Conception of Mary.
He considered reason as a natural faculty and will as a free faculty. He believed that the knowledge of reason was a necessary precondition for the act of will, but any decision was also a function of will. He was known as the Subtle Doctor.
Saint Leonard
Born in 1676 and died in 1751, he was an Italian. While studying in Rome, he joined the Friars Minor of St. Francis. Ordained in 1703, he emphasised “To live first for God and then in God”. He travelled extensively throughout Italy, preaching the Gospel with great effect and writing extensively. He preached the Stations of the Cross, identifying 14 of them. In 1750, with the Pope’s approval, he erected Stations of the Cross in the Roman Colosseum and would preach repentance.
Blessed Gabriel Allegra
Born in 1907 and died in 1976, he was an Italian Franciscan friar. He arrived in Hunan, China in 1931. He founded the Studium Biblicum Franciscanum in Beijing in 1945, and moved to Hong Kong in 1948 to work with his colleagues on the translation of the Bible. With his effort, in 1968, the first Chinese translation of the Holy Bible from the original languages was finally published. In his lifetime, Gabriel was a man of great respect for God and humanity, being of great learning and respect, humility and self-esteem, and loving the lepers. He was declared Venerable by the Holy See in 1994 and was beatified in 2012.
Saint Bonaventure
Born in 1221 and died in 1274, he was a Franciscan friar who, at the age of 36, became the Minister General of the Franciscan Order and composed an influential biography of St Francis of the Order. For his successful efforts, he would become known as the Second Founder. The Franciscans’ habits were also designed by Bonaventure. He was highly learned, especially in theology, and was named Seraphic Doctor by the Church. He pursued his studies with the sole aim of seeking the glory of God and personal sanctification.