Wednesday of the Twenty-first Week of Ordinary Time

Saint Alexander of Bergamo was born in northern Italy, likely in or near Bergamo, though the details of his early life are uncertain. He lived during the fierce persecutions of Emperor Diocletian and is remembered as a Roman soldier—often honored in tradition as a centurion and standard-bearer of the Theban Legion—who would not renounce Christ. After surviving violence against his fellow soldiers, Alexander fled into Italy, only to be recognized and imprisoned in Milan. Even under threats and torture, he remained steadfast, and with the help of faithful friends and the encouragement of Bishop Maternus, he escaped more than once. Captured again, Alexander boldly refused pagan sacrifice, and when he reached Bergamo he chose not merely to hide but to proclaim the Gospel. His preaching strengthened the young Church and is linked to the conversion of Firmus and Rusticus, later martyrs themselves. At last Alexander was seized and beheaded for his faith around the year 303, near the site where the church of San Alessandro in Colonna now stands. He is venerated as patron of Bergamo and many surrounding towns. His feast day is August 26.

Saint Januarius, born in Carthage in 201, served the Church as a Catholic priest and was later appointed a bishop. Living in an era when Christian faith was often tested by hardship and uncertainty, he devoted his life to the care of God’s people and the faithful proclamation of the Gospel. He died in the year 300, leaving behind the witness of a shepherd who belonged wholly to Christ and to the flock entrusted to him. Honored with special devotion as the patron of Marsico Nuovo, Saint Januarius is remembered for his steadfast service and pastoral dedication. The Church celebrates his feast on August 26, inviting the faithful to seek his intercession and to imitate his fidelity in their own call to holiness.

Joseph Calasanz was born on September 11, 1557, in Peralta de Calasanz in the Kingdom of Aragon, Spain. The youngest of eight children, he received a strong education and, despite early family resistance, pursued priesthood, earning advanced degrees in law and theology. Ordained in 1583, he served the Church in Spain with notable administrative skill and a tender concern for the poor. At thirty-five he moved to Rome, where the plight of neglected children stirred his heart. Gathering boys from the streets for catechesis and learning, he opened in 1597 what is often considered Europe’s first free public school. After the devastating Tiber flood of 1598, his charity only deepened, and the “Pious Schools” quickly grew. In 1602 he formed a community to sustain this mission, and papal approval soon followed, giving rise to the Order of the Pious Schools, the Piarists—religious dedicated above all to educating the young, especially the poor, with love rather than fear. He died in Rome on August 25, 1648, and is honored as the founder and patron of the Piarists and institutions such as Colegio Ponceño. His feast day is August 25.

Saint Orontius of Lecce, traditionally associated with the ancient town of Rudiae in the Salento region of southern Italy, is honored as the first bishop of Lecce and a steadfast witness to the Gospel. According to early medieval tradition, he was a respected Roman official, following his father Publius, who had served as treasurer to the emperor. His life changed when Justus, a disciple of Saint Paul shipwrecked near San Cataldo, preached Christ and brought Orontius and his nephew Fortunatus to faith. Denounced for refusing to sacrifice to the Roman gods, Orontius endured imprisonment and persecution. The legend tells that he later met Saint Paul, who confirmed him as bishop, and that Orontius returned to evangelize the people of Salento and Bari with courageous zeal. Under the emperor Nero’s representative, Antoninus, Orontius and Fortunatus were arrested again and put to death by the axe outside Lecce, with Justus also suffering martyrdom. Venerated especially in Apulia, he is invoked for rain and is patron of Acaya, Botrugno, Campi Salentina, Muro Leccese, Ostuni, San Ligorio, and Surbo. His feast day is August 26.

Saint Secundus of Victimulae, born around 250 in the Thebaid, is remembered in the Church’s tradition as a soldier whose life became a quiet witness to faith. Though few details of his story have come down to us, his name has been lovingly preserved, linking him to Victimulae and to the devotion of later generations who honored his memory. The enduring veneration of Saint Secundus is seen especially in the places that look to him with filial confidence—Givoletto, Magnano, Pergola, San Secondo di Pinerolo, Sardigliano, Vallo Torinese, and Ventimiglia—where he is invoked as patron and protector. The Church keeps his feast on August 26, inviting the faithful to remember him with gratitude and to seek steadfastness in their own discipleship.

Saint Zephyrinus was born in Rome and became Bishop of Rome around the year 199, succeeding Pope Victor I. He shepherded the young Church through nearly two decades of trial, including harsh persecution under Emperor Septimius Severus, when conversion to Christianity was forbidden under severe penalties. In those anxious years, Zephyrinus strengthened the faithful and worked to preserve unity amid confusion and fear. He is especially remembered for defending the truth about Jesus Christ against false teachings. Heresies denying or distorting Christ’s divinity troubled the Roman community, and Zephyrinus stood firm, resisting the errors promoted by figures such as the Theodotuses and other sects. One moving story tells of Natalius, a man drawn into a schismatic group, who repented after terrifying warnings and returned in tears to seek Zephyrinus’s mercy—a sign of the pope’s pastoral patience and fatherly care. Zephyrinus died on December 20, 217, and is venerated as a steadfast confessor of the faith. He is honored as patron of Caldari. His feast day is celebrated on August 26.