THE SAINTS CALENDAR · CHIARA!
MAY
A story for every day.
And something that speaks to you.
BROWSE THE DAYS!
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31 stories to discover
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1MaySaint Joseph the Worker
Hands at work, family close by: Joseph, Mary’s husband and Jesus’ earthly father, reminds us that even a humble trade belongs within a life of faith.
TAKE THIS WITH YOUWhich part of your work deserves greater care today, even if nobody applauds it?
2MaySaint Athanasius of Alexandria
Faith to safeguard even amid controversy: Athanasius was bishop of Alexandria and defended Christ’s full divinity against Arianism. He died in 373, after a long episcopate.
TAKE THIS WITH YOUCan you explain what you believe clearly, without turning a conversation into a confrontation?
3MaySaints Philip and James, Apostles
Two names in one feast: Philip and James belong to the Twelve. Their shared remembrance recalls the transfer of their relics to Rome, to today’s Church of the Holy Apostles.
TAKE THIS WITH YOUWho can walk beside you in faith, without either of you needing all the answers?
4MaySaint Antonina of Nicaea
What survives about Antonina concerns Diocletian’s persecutions. Probably from Nicaea, in present-day Turkey, she is remembered as a martyr after lengthy imprisonment and violence inflicted because of her faith.
TAKE THIS WITH YOUHer memory invites you to defend religious freedom: who is being denied it today?
5MaySaint Nunzio Sulprizio
A young worker, a life far too short: Nunzio Sulprizio experienced exploitation and illness. He died in 1836, aged nineteen; Francis proclaimed him a saint during the Synod on Young People.
TAKE THIS WITH YOUHow can you recognise and challenge exploitation, without mistaking suffering for a duty?
6MaySaints Marian and James
In ancient Numidia, now Algeria, Marian and James were young Christian ministers. Having survived an earlier persecution, they were killed at Lambaesis in 259 because of their faith.
TAKE THIS WITH YOUPeople living under threat also need practical protection: what help can you support?
7MaySaint Rose Venerini
A home, a group of women, a question about education: Rose Venerini’s calling takes shape here. In Viterbo she starts schools for girls and establishes the Religious Teachers Venerini.
TAKE THIS WITH YOUWho could gain a new opportunity through what you know, if you shared it?
8MaySaint Victor of Milan
In Milan under the Roman Empire, Victor was a Christian soldier. The Church remembers him as a martyr, alongside the witness of fellow Christian soldiers Nabor and Felix, who died in Lodi.
TAKE THIS WITH YOUWhen a group pressures you, which convictions do you want to keep while respecting others?
9MaySaint Louise de Marillac
After being widowed, Louise de Marillac devotes renewed energy to people in poverty. In France, with Vincent de Paul, she founds the Daughters of Charity in 1633, a community of service.
TAKE THIS WITH YOUA painful change does not erase your future: what small possibility can you see today?
10MaySaint John of Ávila
In sixteenth-century Spain, John of Ávila preaches and offers spiritual guidance to many people, including other saints. A priest and mystic, he is declared a Doctor of the Church by Benedict XVI in 2012.
TAKE THIS WITH YOUCan you listen before offering advice, giving the other person space to find their own voice?
11MaySaint Anthimus
Along the Via Salaria, the memory of Anthimus recalls early Christian faith. According to tradition, he was arrested and killed after hiding in a villa near Rome.
TAKE THIS WITH YOUWhen reading an ancient story, can you distinguish religious remembrance from historical details that remain uncertain?
12MaySaint Pancras
Pancras is remembered as a Christian teenager in Rome, a victim of Diocletian’s persecution in 304. His memory is especially close to young members of Catholic Action, who honour him as patron.
TAKE THIS WITH YOUYoung people’s convictions deserve a hearing: who could you offer a truly safe space to today?
13MayOur Lady of Fátima
Three children, a small Portuguese village: the remembrance of Fátima recalls the Marian apparitions of 1917 to Lúcia, Francisco and Jacinta, and their invitation to prayer and conversion.
TAKE THIS WITH YOUWhat change could you begin today, without waiting for an extraordinary sign to care for others?
14MaySaint Matthias, Apostle
A responsibility needs filling and a community discerns. In the Acts of the Apostles, Matthias is chosen by lot to join the Twelve after Judas; his final years remain historically uncertain.
TAKE THIS WITH YOUWhen you receive a responsibility, can you see it as service rather than proof of your worth?
15MaySaint Isidore the Farmer
Fields, prayer, something to share: Isidore lives his faith through farm work. Born in Madrid around 1070, he is also remembered for helping people in poverty, alongside his wife María.
TAKE THIS WITH YOUYour everyday life is not too small for goodness: what could you share today?
16MaySaint Ubald of Gubbio
A city to accompany through difficult times: Ubald leads the Church of Gubbio for many years. Remembered for gentleness and courage, he also intervenes with Frederick Barbarossa to defend his community.
TAKE THIS WITH YOUYou can be gentle without staying silent about a problem: where is your voice needed today?
17MaySaint Paschal Baylon
From shepherd to Franciscan brother: Paschal Baylon, born in Aragon, lives a deep devotion to the Eucharist. He dies in 1592 and is remembered as patron of Eucharistic associations.
TAKE THIS WITH YOUCan you make room for a moment of quiet presence, without immediately filling every space with words?
18MaySaint Felix of Cantalice
For forty years Felix walks through Rome collecting donations as a Capuchin friar. His days bring prayer and charity together; among his friendships is one with Philip Neri.
TAKE THIS WITH YOUBehind a request for help, do you see only a need, or also a person to meet?
19MaySaint Peter Celestine V
From hermitage to papacy, then resignation: Peter of Morrone becomes Celestine V in 1294. In L’Aquila he establishes the Perdonanza and leaves the papacy a few months after his election.
TAKE THIS WITH YOURecognising a limit can be a responsible choice: which burden do you need to reconsider?
20MaySaint Bernardine of Siena
Clear preaching that reaches very different people: Bernardine of Siena is a fifteenth-century Franciscan. He contributes to reform within his order and is canonised in 1450.
TAKE THIS WITH YOUWhen you speak about faith, do your words open a door or leave someone feeling excluded?
21MaySaint Eugene de Mazenod
Noble origins do not decide an entire life: Eugene de Mazenod chooses the priesthood. In 1816 he begins a missionary community, later the Oblates of Mary Immaculate; he becomes bishop of Marseille.
TAKE THIS WITH YOUWhich expectations of others are you following, and which choice feels deeply your own?
22MaySaint Rita of Cascia
First a wife and mother, later an Augustinian religious: Rita lives through different seasons of life. Popular devotion invokes her in seemingly impossible situations; her body is kept in Cascia.
TAKE THIS WITH YOUYou can ask for hope without denying hardship: what situation would you entrust to prayer today?
23MaySaint John Baptist de Rossi
In Rome, John Baptist de Rossi becomes a much sought-after confessor. Ordained in 1721, he founds an association of secular priests and accompanies people on their spiritual journeys.
TAKE THIS WITH YOUWho can you speak honestly to, without playing a role, including about what weighs on you?
24MaySaint Vincent of Lérins
In the Provençal monastery of Lérins, Vincent combines monastic life with reflection on faith. In the fifth century he writes the Commonitorium, an important text about safeguarding Christian tradition.
TAKE THIS WITH YOUBefore sharing a religious claim, do you take time to check it and understand its context?
25MaySaint Bede the Venerable
Books, prayer and patient study: Bede is an English monk, historian and biblical scholar. His writings and teaching earn him recognition as a Doctor of the Church.
TAKE THIS WITH YOUWhat would you like to understand better about your faith, rather than accepting the first answer you find?
26MaySaint Philip Neri
The streets of Rome become the setting for his closeness to people. Born in Florence, Philip Neri links his life to the Eternal City, especially its poorer neighbourhoods.
TAKE THIS WITH YOUFaith can pass through a simple encounter: who could you reach out to with sincere care today?
27MaySaint Augustine of Canterbury
A journey changes a community’s history: Augustine, a Benedictine abbot, is sent as a missionary to England. He becomes archbishop of Canterbury and dies in 604, leaving a lasting legacy.
TAKE THIS WITH YOUEntering a new setting calls for listening: who would you like to know before judging?
28MaySaint Germanus of Paris
First responsibility for a monastery, then for a city: Germanus becomes bishop of Paris. His monastic and pastoral life leaves a mark on sixth-century France.
TAKE THIS WITH YOUCaring for a community begins with relationships: which connection needs your attention today?
29MaySaint Paul VI
The Church undergoes major change: Paul VI brings the Second Vatican Council to a close. Pope from 1963 to 1978, he visits five continents and is canonised by Francis in 2018.
TAKE THIS WITH YOUHow can you stay faithful to what matters while welcoming changes that require courage?
30MaySaint Joan of Arc
A young woman enters French history: Joan of Arc leads the army at Orléans. Unjustly condemned for heresy, she is killed in 1431; the Church venerates her as a saint.
TAKE THIS WITH YOUHow much do prejudices influence you when a young person challenges what you take for granted?
31MaySaint Felix of Nicosia
Also remembered: Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary ↗
In the friary he performs simple tasks, from tending the door to shoemaking and caring for the sick. Felix of Nicosia is a Sicilian Capuchin who also teaches children catechism; he dies in 1787.
TAKE THIS WITH YOUWhich unnoticed task keeps your home or community going, and who could you thank for it?
FEASTS AND FURTHER STORIES
These celebrations and stories complement the daily selection.
- 22 May · Saint Rita of Cascia ↗
- 31 May · Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary ↗
THE DATES THAT CHANGE · 2026
Easter and other movable dates in the Roman rite in Italy, for 2026.
- 17 May · Ascension of the Lord ↗
- 24 May · Pentecost ↗
- 25 May · Mary, Mother of the Church ↗
- 31 May · The Most Holy Trinity ↗
A little encounter. Every day. ♡
Sources and further reading
The cards are original CHIARA! summaries based on the linked sources. The questions are editorial reflections, not quotations from saints.
Vatican News · Source and further reading ↗
A selection of saints, blessed people and observances for all 366 days, including 29 February. Dates of remembrance do not always match liturgical celebrations: Sundays, precedence and local calendars may change them. Consult your diocese’s calendar for the daily liturgy; Milan and some other communities may follow the Ambrosian rite.