THE SAINTS CALENDAR · CHIARA!
NOVEMBER
A story for every day.
And something that speaks to you.
BROWSE THE DAYS!
NOVEMBER
30 stories to discover
NOVEMBER
1NovemberAll Saints — solemnity
The Church celebrates all the saints together, including those whose names nobody knows. This solemnity opens our eyes to communion with God and to Christian hope.
TAKE THIS WITH YOUWhich unassuming person has shown you that goodness can live in a completely ordinary life?
2NovemberCommemoration of All the Faithful Departed
Today the Church prays for those who have died, entrusting them to God’s mercy. This commemoration cherishes our bond with those we miss, within Christian hope for eternal life.
TAKE THIS WITH YOUWho are you missing today? You can entrust that name to God without hiding your longing.
3NovemberSaint Martin de Porres
In Lima, Martin de Porres becomes a Dominican friar and devotes himself to caring for people. Born in 1579, his own story brings together Peru’s African and Spanish roots.
TAKE THIS WITH YOUWhen you meet someone, can you see the person before the labels others attach to them?
4NovemberSaint Charles Borromeo
Charles Borromeo becomes a cardinal very young and later Archbishop of Milan. In the sixteenth century he works for Church renewal, connecting the responsibilities of office with practical care for people.
TAKE THIS WITH YOUWhich responsibility could you turn into service today, instead of experiencing it only as a burden?
5NovemberSaints Domninus, Theotimus and companions
Domninus, remembered as a young physician, Theotimus and other Christians from Caesarea are killed during the persecutions. Their remembrance preserves the names of people targeted for their faith.
TAKE THIS WITH YOUFreedom of belief belongs to everyone: how can you defend it for people who think differently?
6NovemberSaint Leonard of Noblac
Tradition remembers Leonard, a hermit in sixth-century France, for his commitment to prisoners. His story is associated with a monastery and a devotion spread along pilgrimage routes.
TAKE THIS WITH YOUIs there someone you have reduced to their mistake, forgetting that they remain a person?
7NovemberSaint Willibrord
Willibrord travels from England to continental Europe to proclaim the Gospel. He becomes Bishop of Utrecht and continues travelling in northern Europe; he dies at Echternach in 739.
TAKE THIS WITH YOUWhich encounter invites you to step outside your habits and listen to a different story?
8NovemberBlessed John Duns Scotus
A Scottish Franciscan, Duns Scotus studies and teaches theology, shaping the dialogue between thought and faith. Ordained a priest in 1291, he dies in 1308 after years devoted to study.
TAKE THIS WITH YOUWhich question about faith do you keep locked away through fear, when you could begin exploring it?
9NovemberSaints Mary and Neon
Mary and Neon are remembered with their family among Christians persecuted under Valerian. Their veneration reaches Rome, where their relics are transferred in the eighth century.
TAKE THIS WITH YOUWhich family faces persecution today? You can seek information and support those offering protection.
10NovemberSaint Leo the Great
Pope in the fifth century, Leo the Great is a central voice in discussions about faith in Christ. His pastoral work and encounter with Attila shape the memory of his pontificate.
TAKE THIS WITH YOUIn which difficult conversation could you seek firm words that still leave room for dialogue?
11NovemberSaint Martin of Tours
First a soldier, then a monk and Bishop of Tours, Martin stays close to the poor. The tradition of sharing his cloak with someone in need captures his practical charity.
TAKE THIS WITH YOUWhat can you truly share today, without waiting to have more time or more money?
12NovemberSaint Josaphat Kuntsevych
Josaphat lives across the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries in a region marked by religious tensions. He defends communion with Rome and is killed amid conflicts between Christians.
TAKE THIS WITH YOUCan you defend a conviction without turning someone who disagrees into an enemy?
13NovemberSaint Homobonus
Homobonus Tucenghi works as a merchant in medieval Cremona. His Christian life unfolds within his work and the city that honours him as its patron; he dies in 1197.
TAKE THIS WITH YOUIs there an honest choice you can make at work even if nobody applauds?
14NovemberSaint Serapion
Born in London in 1179, Serapion joins the Mercedarians after an eventful life. He devotes himself to freeing enslaved people and is killed in Algiers in 1240.
TAKE THIS WITH YOUOther people’s freedom concerns you: which organisation fighting exploitation could you learn more about?
15NovemberSaint Albert the Great
A Dominican, teacher and bishop, Albert the Great devotes much of his life to study. Thomas Aquinas is among his students; he dies in 1280, leaving a broad intellectual legacy.
TAKE THIS WITH YOUWhich curiosity have you neglected? Learning something can also become a way of caring for yourself.
16NovemberSaint Margaret of Scotland
Queen of Scotland, Margaret combines family life with responsibility in the kingdom. The Church remembers her charity and her contribution to the renewal of Scotland’s Christian community.
TAKE THIS WITH YOUDoes the role you hold allow you to protect someone? Think of one possible action today.
17NovemberSaint Elizabeth of Hungary
Elizabeth experiences marriage, motherhood and widowhood very early. She chooses the Franciscan path and care for the sick; she dies in 1231, aged just twenty-four.
TAKE THIS WITH YOUWhich vulnerable person can you meet without reducing them to their need or illness?
18NovemberSaint Rose Philippine Duchesne
The French Revolution interrupts Philippine’s first plans for religious life. Later joining the Society of the Sacred Heart, she leaves for the United States and begins a community in Louisiana.
TAKE THIS WITH YOUAn interrupted plan does not erase your desire: which different path could you calmly explore?
19NovemberSaint Mechtilde of Helfta
In thirteenth-century Saxony, Mechtilde lives as a nun at Helfta, where she leads the choir. Her spiritual experience, remembered alongside her kindness, is collected in a written work.
TAKE THIS WITH YOUWhich song or word helps you find stillness when all you feel inside is noise?
20NovemberBlessed Anna Kolesárová
Anna grows up in a Slovak farming family and lives her faith in everyday life. During the Second World War, a soldier kills her after she rejects his advances.
TAKE THIS WITH YOUEveryone deserves safety: can you respect a no without making excuses for someone who violates it?
21NovemberBlessed Mary of Jesus the Good Shepherd
Also remembered: Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary ↗
Frances Siedliska chooses consecrated life despite different family expectations. Taking the name Mary of Jesus the Good Shepherd, she founds a congregation close to children, women and migrants.
TAKE THIS WITH YOUWhich genuine desire do you struggle to express because you fear disappointing other people’s expectations?
22NovemberSaint Cecilia
Cecilia is a Roman martyr of the early centuries whose story combines history and tradition. Her name accompanies musicians and singers, who honour her as their patron saint.
TAKE THIS WITH YOUWhich music reconnects you with what you feel but cannot manage to say?
23NovemberSaint Clement I
Among Rome’s earliest bishops, Clement writes to the Christians of Corinth to encourage reconciliation. His letter is an early witness to the Church’s life and responsibilities.
TAKE THIS WITH YOUIn an argument, can you seek to mend things without pretending the problem does not exist?
24NovemberSaint Andrew Dũng Lạc and companions
Andrew grows up in Vietnam with a catechist’s help and becomes a priest. Repeatedly arrested during anti-Christian persecutions, he is killed in 1839; the Church remembers him with other martyrs.
TAKE THIS WITH YOUWhich communities still live in fear because of their faith? Learning about them can begin an act of solidarity.
25NovemberSaint Catherine of Alexandria
Tradition presents Catherine as a young Christian able to debate the scholars of her time. Her story as a martyr is handed down chiefly through hagiographic accounts.
TAKE THIS WITH YOUWhen you express an idea, do you allow yourself to speak clearly without apologising for existing?
26NovemberSaint Leonard of Port Maurice
A Franciscan priest, Leonard travels across Italy preaching and promoting the Stations of the Cross. His work connects the proclamation of the Gospel with meditation on Jesus’ passion.
TAKE THIS WITH YOUCan you stay close to someone’s pain without immediately filling it with explanations or advice?
27NovemberSaint Virgil of Salzburg
An Irish-born monk, Virgil becomes Bishop of Salzburg. His mission in continental Europe includes proclaiming the Gospel and working to encourage peace in Bavaria.
TAKE THIS WITH YOUIn which divided setting can you stop feeding conflict and begin to listen?
28NovemberSaint James of the Marches
James joins the Franciscans in 1415 and also preaches in eastern Europe. He opposes usury, bringing into religious life practical concern for people at risk of being crushed by debt.
TAKE THIS WITH YOUWhen someone struggles financially, can you offer respect before making any judgement?
29NovemberSaint Saturninus, martyr in Rome
Originally from Carthage, Saturninus is remembered in Rome among the martyrs of the early centuries. Information about his life is limited; his memory is associated with the Via Salaria.
TAKE THIS WITH YOUNot knowing an entire story does not make it less precious: which overlooked voice will you hear?
30NovemberSaint Andrew the Apostle
Peter’s brother, Andrew is among the first called by Jesus. His remembrance links apostolic tradition with the Church of Constantinople, which honours him as its patron.
TAKE THIS WITH YOUWhich invitation to do good are you postponing while waiting to feel completely ready to respond?
FEASTS AND FURTHER STORIES
These celebrations and stories complement the daily selection.
- 1 November · All Saints ↗
- 21 November · Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary ↗
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.