Saint Gertrude, Virgin
Saint Margaret of Scotland

Saint Margaret of Scotland was born around 1045 in the Kingdom of Hungary, the daughter of the exiled English prince Edward and granddaughter of King Edmund Ironside. Raised in a deeply Christian court, she returned to England in 1057, only to see her family’s hopes for peace and stability shattered after the Norman Conquest. Fleeing north, Margaret and her family found refuge in Scotland, and by 1070 she married King Malcolm III, becoming Queen of Alba. Margaret’s holiness shone in both prayer and service. She sought to renew the Church in Scotland, encouraging worship and discipline more closely aligned with the wider Church, and she gently influenced her husband and children toward justice and faith. Known for tireless charity, she cared for orphans and the poor, imitating Christ in humility and compassion. She also aided pilgrims by establishing a ferry across the Firth of Forth on the way to St Andrews. Margaret died at Edinburgh Castle on 16 November 1093, shortly after hearing of the deaths of her husband and son in battle. She was canonized in 1250. Her feast day is November 16.

Saint Fidentius of Padua, also remembered as Fidentius Armenus, is traditionally said to have been born in Armenia, though the details of his early life have been lost to time. In the Middle Ages his name was lovingly kept in Padua, where Christians honored him as an ancient witness to Christ. Tradition places him in the second century and venerates him as a martyr, with later accounts saying he suffered death for the faith during the reign of Emperor Marcus Aurelius, around the year 168. Over the centuries, devotion to Fidentius grew, and some writers even remembered him as a bishop of Padua, counting him among the city’s earliest shepherds. While historical records about him are scarce and later official lists have changed, the Church’s faithful have continued to treasure his memory as a sign of steadfast courage and fidelity to the Gospel. Saint Fidentius is especially honored as patron of Megliadino San Fidenzio and Polverara. His feast day is celebrated on November 16.

Saint Matthew the Apostle was born in the land of Israel, and the Gospels remember him as a tax collector stationed at Capernaum. There, while he sat at the customs post, Jesus looked upon him with mercy and called him, “Follow me.” Matthew rose, left his former life behind, and became one of the Twelve—an enduring sign that no past is beyond the reach of Christ’s grace. After the Lord’s Ascension, Matthew remained with the disciples in Jerusalem, sharing in the Church’s first preaching that Jesus is the promised Messiah. Early Christian tradition holds that he first proclaimed the Gospel among the Jewish people in Judea, and then carried the good news to distant lands, often associated with regions called “Ethiopia” in ancient sources. The Church also venerates him as a martyr, faithful to Christ even unto death. Honored as an Evangelist, Matthew is traditionally linked with the Gospel that bears his name, guiding countless believers to know and love the Lord. He is patron of places including Asiago and Aurano. His feast day is November 16.