The Annunciation of the Lord

Gregory was born around 540 in Rome, into a noble Christian family during a time of plague, war, and upheaval in Italy. Well educated and gifted in public service, he rose quickly and became Prefect of Rome while still a young man. Yet his heart was drawn to God: after his father’s death he turned his family home on the Caelian Hill into a monastery dedicated to Saint Andrew, embracing prayer, poverty, and contemplation. Called back into service of the Church, Gregory became a papal ambassador and in 590 was elected the 64th Bishop of Rome. As pope he proved a wise shepherd and tireless administrator, caring for the poor and strengthening the Church’s mission. He is especially remembered for sending the Gregorian mission to the Anglo-Saxons, helping bring England to Christ, and for restoring Catholic unity in lands shaped by Arian divisions and other heresies. His many writings and his renewal of Christian worship earned him the title “the Great,” and he is honored as a Doctor of the Church and one of the great Latin Fathers. He is patron of musicians and teachers, and is also invoked in places such as Ambria and Basiano. His feast day is March 25.

Saint Hermeland d’Indre was born in Noyon around the year 640 and lived into the early eighth century, dying about 720. Though few details of his life have come down to us, his memory endures in the Church’s prayer and in the devotion of the faithful. Honored especially in connection with Saint-Herblain, he is remembered as a saint whose quiet witness helped shape Christian life in his region. His feast is celebrated on March 25, inviting us to give thanks for the hidden holiness God raises up in every age. In turning to Saint Hermeland, we are reminded that sanctity is not always recorded in many words, yet it can leave a lasting trace in the life of the Church and in the places that cherish a saint’s name.

Margaret Clitherow was born around 1556 in York, England, the youngest child of Thomas and Jane Middleton. In 1571 she married John Clitherow, a prosperous butcher and city chamberlain, and together they raised a family in the heart of York. Three years into her marriage, Margaret embraced the Catholic faith at a time when doing so invited suspicion, fines, and imprisonment. Though her husband remained in the Established Church, he supported her, even paying penalties for her refusal to attend Anglican services. Margaret’s love for Christ and His Church soon took a courageous shape: she sheltered persecuted priests and helped provide places where Mass could be offered in secret. Her home became a vital refuge for the hunted clergy of northern England, and she even sent her eldest son abroad to train for the priesthood. Arrested in 1586 for harboring priests, Margaret refused to plead, protecting others from torture and her children from being forced to testify. She was crushed to death on March 25, 1586—Lady Day—later honored as “the Pearl of York,” and canonized among the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales. Her feast day is March 25.