July Is a Month Full of Feasts for Married Saints

Friends of ours are getting married on the 25th. May they, too, become Saints!

From Aleteia

By Philip Kosloski

The summer months are popular for weddings, so it is fitting that the Church calls to mind a large number of married saints in July.

In recent years married saints have become much more prominent in the Catholic Church, as the Church seeks to highlight the reality that everyone is called to holiness (you and me too!).

This is important, as typically people see priests and religious as set apart for sanctity, while some see marriage as a "lesser" state in life.

The truth is that the "universal call to holiness" is not reserved to a specific group within the Church, but is open to everyone, no matter their vocation.

Interestingly, July has become a month full of married saints, with a variety of feasts that focus on men and women who gave their entire lives to God in the sacrament of marriage.

Here is a list of some of the most prominent feasts in July dedicated to married saints:

1Bl. Józef and Wiktoria Ulma (July 7)

Killed during World War II for hiding Jews in their barn, the Ulma couple is a great example of witnessing to the Gospel in married life.

2Sts. Aquila and Priscilla (July 8)

The Roman Martyrology summarizes their role on their feast day of July 8, "Commemoration of Saints Aquila and Priscilla, spouses, collaborators of Saint Paul, who welcomed the Church into their home and risked their own lives to save the Apostle."

3Sts. Louis and Zelie Martin (July 12)

The parents of St. Therese of Lisieux, Sts. Louis and Zelie Martin, both felt called to the religious life at first, but were denied entrance. This led them to discern what God was calling them to, and eventually they found each other and knew God was calling them to marriage. They led a holy life, raising many daughters who chose religious life.

4Sts. Henry and Cunigunde (July 13)

St. Henry was the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire during the 11th century. He was a holy ruler and established monasteries throughout his empire.

His wife, St. Cunigunde, was similarly a holy woman. She helped her husband in performing various acts of charity, and joined a monastery after his death. She has a separate feast on March 3.

5Sts. Joachim and Anne (July 26)

Parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Sts. Joachim and Anne are probably one of the best known married-couple saints in the Catholic Church. Little is known about their lives, except for what is related in various legends written during the first few centuries of Christianity.