Mary Rose Julie Billiart was born in Belgium and was the sixth of seven children. Her parents Jean-Frangois Billiart and Marie-Louise-Antoinette Debraine were peasant farmers. Her uncle, the village school teacher, taught her to read and write.

Although she was not a very good student, she loved to study her catechism. In fact, when she was just seven, Julie knew her catechism by heart and would explain it to other little children. When her parents became poor, she worked hard to help support the family. She even went to harvest the crops. Yet she always found time to pray, to visit the sick, and to teach catechism.

When she was fourteen she decided she would not marry but give her life to God. Instead she spent her life serving and teaching the poor.

While she was still a young woman, she was sitting beside her father when some one shot at him. The shock made her very ill and completely paralyzed. Although helpless, St. Julie offered her prayers so that sinners would find eternal happiness with God. She was closer to God than ever and kept on teaching catechism from bed.

She was a very holy and people came to her for advice because she helped them grow closer to Jesus and practice their faith with more love. She encouraged everyone who came to her to receive Holy Communion often.

Many young women were inspired by Julie’s love for God. They were willing to spend their time and money for good works. With Julie as their leader, they started the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur and were devoted to the Christian education of girls.

Once a priest gave a mission in the town where Julie was. He asked her to make a novena with him for an intention which was a secret. After five days, on the feast of the Sacred Heart, he said: “Mother, if you have faith, take one step in honor of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.” Mother Billiart, who had been paralyzed for twenty-two years, stood up and was healed!

St. Julie spent the rest of her life looking after and training young women to become sisters. Pleople who did not understand her mission, hurt her a lot, but she always trusted God. Her favorite words were: “How good is the good God.”

God rewarded her by helping her religious congregation to grow. By the time St. Julie died on April 8, 1816, there were already fifteen convents. Today there are many of St. Julie’s sisters of Notre Dame all over the world.

Anthony was born in northern Italy and he joined the Dominican order to study to become a priest at Florence, in Italy. There the head of the order Saint Antoninus, had a great influence on Blessed Anthony.

Brother Anthony was sailing from Naples to Sicily when pirates captured the ship. Anthony was taken to Tunis and sold as a slave. Finally Anthony was set free, but lost his faith in Jesus, stopped going to Church and gave up his religious vocation.

Instead, he accepted the Koran, the sacred book of the Muslims and for many months, he practiced the Muslim religion. He also got married.

In the meantime, the head of the Dominican order the saintly Antoninus, died. Then one night, Anthony had a shocking dream. St. Antoninus appeared to him and talked to him. Whatever they talked about changed Anthony in such a way that he became truly sorry for letting Jesus down so badly.

He knew that in his heart he could never give up his faith in Jesus and could only be a Catholic. He also realized that he still wanted very much to be a Dominican brother.

Blessed Anthony sent his wife back to her family and he then put on his white Dominican habit. In spite of his fear, he went to see the ruler of Tunis. A large crowd gathered and the ruler came out to the courtyard.

Brother Anthony publicly admitted he had made a terrible mistake by becoming a Muslim. He was a Catholic. He believed in and loved Jesus. He was a Dominican and wanted to be so for all his life.

The ruler was very angry. He first threatened Anthony and then he promised him rewards if only Anthony would remain a Muslim. But Anthony could not do it. He knew this meant his death and he knelt down and began to pray for the courage to give his life for Jesus.

Suddenly he felt the large stones pounding him. He just kept praying for the strength to remain true to the Lord. Then he became unconscious. Anthony died a martyr in 1460. Some merchants from Genoa, Italy, took his remains back to his own country.