Daily Martyrology for December 21

In Fribourg, in Switzerland, St. Peter Canisius, doctor. He was born in Nijmegen and studied at Cologne. He joined the Jesuits, published editions of St. Cyril of Alexandria (June 27) and St. Leo the Great (November 10), and was ordained. He took part in two sessions of the Council of Trent, and taught at Messina in the first Jesuit school. He ministered to the students at Ingolstadt, and to the poor of Vienna. He wrote an immensely popular and influential catechism. After two years founding a school at Prague, he settled at Augsburg. In 1580 he was sent to Fribourg where he preached and oversaw the college that became the University of Fribourg.

In 1860, in Germany, Blessed Peter Friedhoften, a chimney sweep who founded the Brothers of the Charity of Mary, Help of Christians, who work in hospitals and old people’s homes.

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Our daily martyrology was written by Fr. Hugh Feiss, OSB. Copyright © 2008 by the Monastery of the Ascension, Jerome, ID 83338.