Isidore was born at Madrid, in Spain. His parents were deeply religious and named their son after the great St. Isidore, archbishop of Seville, Spain, whose feast we celebrate on April 4.

Isidore’s parents wanted to offer their son a good education, but they could not afford it. They were tenant farmers and like them, their son would be a farmer too.

When he grew up, Isidore went to work for a rich land owner, John de Vargas, in Madrid and worked there all his life. He married a good girl, Mary de la Cabeza, from a family as poor as his own. Isidore and Mary loved each other very much. They had a son, but he died when he was just a baby. Isidore and his wife offered to Jesus their sadness over the child’s death, knowing that their son was happy with God forever.

St. Isidore went to Mass every morning before going to work. He worked hard even if he didn’t feel like it. He plowed and planted and prayed. He called on Mary, the saints and his guardian angel and they helped turn his ordinary days into special, joyful times.

The world of faith became very real to St. Isidore. When he had a day off, Isidore spent extra time praying and adoring Jesus in church. Sometimes, on holidays, Isidore and his wife would visit a few neighboring parishes on a one day pilgrimage of prayer.

Once the parish had a dinner. Isidore arrived early and went into the church to pray. Then he arrived in the parish hall late and he didn’t come in alone. He brought a group of beggars, too! The parishioners were upset. What if there wasn’t enough food for all those beggars? But the more they filled up their plates, the more there was for everybody else. St. Isidore said kindly, “There is always enough for the poor of Jesus.”

Stories of miracles began to spread about this farm worker saint. It is said that one day, Isidore was late back from Church, Mr. Vargas was looking for him and found angels plowing the fields in place of Isidore.

Isidore was an unselfish, loving and compassionate human being. He is one of Spain’s most popular saints. Isidore died on May 15, 1130. In March, 1622, Pope Gregory XV proclaimed five great saints together. They were St. Ignatius Loyola, St. Francis Xavier, St. Teresa of Avila, St. Philip Neri and St. Isidore the Farmer.

Paschal was born at Torre Hermosa, in Aragon (which today is Spain). His pious parents Martin Baylon and Elizabeth Jubera were peasants. From the time he was seven, he worked as a shepherd. His parents could not afford to send him to school but he taught himself to read and write by asking everyone he met to help him. He did this so that he could read from holy books and he often whispered prayers during the day as he took care of the sheep.

When he was twenty-four, Paschal became a Franciscan brother. The other friars liked him. Paschal was easy to get along with and kind. They noticed that he often did the most unpleasant and hardest jobs that no one wanted to do.

He did hard penances that were even stricter than their rules. Yet he was a happy person. When he was a shepherd, he had wished he could be in church praying to Jesus. Now his wish had come true. He loved to keep Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament company. He was also very happy to serve at Mass.

St. Paschal’s two great loves were the Holy Eucharist and the Blessed Mother. Every day Paschal prayed the Rosary with great love. He also wrote beautiful prayers to our Heavenly Mother.

Out of some scraps of paper, St. Paschal made himself a little notebook. In it, he wrote down some beautiful thoughts and prayers. After he died, his superior showed the little book to the local archbishop who reading it said, “These simple souls are stealing heaven from us!”

Paschal died in 1592 at the age of fifty-two.