To understand the importance of St. Verena’s living witness to the faith, we must understand the world she was born into. Imagine choosing Christianity, not only as your faith tradition, but as your political and social environment as well. Then imagine that Christians were regularly arrested, taken to Rome, and martyred before a roaring crowd, amassed to watch you suffer and die.

There are certain saints that whenever I hear their name I cannot help but smile. St. Philip Neri is one of those saints because he is often remembered for his humor. In a world that celebrates the crass and profane as humorous, it’s easy to believe St. Philip was a bit of a clown, but that idea is wildly mistaken.