Sixth Sunday of Easter

Saint Antoninus of Florence was born Antonio Pierozzi on March 1, 1389, in Florence, Italy, to a respected family. Orphaned of his mother while still young, he grew up close to the life of the Church, often praying at Orsanmichele. At sixteen he entered the Dominican Order at Fiesole, embracing a disciplined life and soon being entrusted with reforming and guiding Dominican houses in several Italian cities. As prior and later vicar of the Tuscan Congregation, he helped establish the Priory of San Marco in Florence, a center of prayer and renewal. In 1446 Pope Eugene IV appointed him Archbishop of Florence. Antoninus lived simply, walked his diocese on foot to visit parishes and convents, and became beloved for his tireless care during plague and earthquake. A learned theologian and wise confessor, his writings shaped moral theology and urged justice and charity toward the poor. He died on May 2, 1459, and was canonized in 1523. He is patron of Filicaja. His feast day is May 10.

Saint Catald was born in Munster, Ireland, and flourished in the seventh century as a monk formed in the renowned School of Lismore in County Waterford. A disciple and successor of Carthage, he is traditionally believed to have been consecrated a bishop, yet his heart longed for deeper solitude with God. Seeking the holy places, he set out on pilgrimage to Jerusalem, embracing the hardships of travel as a path of prayer and purification. On his return, his ship was wrecked off the coast of southern Italy near Taranto. There, the faithful urged the Irish pilgrim to shepherd their local Church, and he accepted this unexpected mission with pastoral charity. Devotion to Catald grew as people attributed to his intercession protection for Taranto, especially in times of plague and flooding. When his tomb was opened in the eleventh century, a gold cross was found within his coffin, and his relics were honored at the high altar of the cathedral. Saint Catald is venerated as patron of Taranto and several Italian towns. His feast day is May 10.

Simon the Zealot was born, according to ancient tradition, in Cana of Galilee. Chosen by Jesus as one of the Twelve Apostles, he is remembered in the Gospel lists by the title “the Zealot,” a name that points to his ardent devotion—whether as a former member of a zealous political movement or simply as a man burning with love for God and fidelity to the Law. After the Resurrection and the gift of the Holy Spirit, Simon is honored as a tireless preacher of the Gospel. Christian memory associates him especially with missionary journeys through regions such as Egypt and North Africa, and often links him with Saint Jude as a companion in evangelization farther east, including Persia and Armenia. Though the New Testament records few details of his later life, the Church venerates Simon for his steadfast witness to Christ, sealed—according to widespread tradition—by martyrdom. In Christian art he is often shown with a saw, recalling accounts that he was put to death in this way. He is invoked as patron of curriers, sawyers, tanners, and leather workers. His feast day is May 10.