It's the last week of the pre-season!  Ash Wednesday is one week from today.  Do you know whom you are voting for yet? Check out our last group of Saints and Heroes!

Samson:  Dedicated to the Lord before he was born, Samson was a judge of Israel known for both his faithfulness and folly.  Samson is known for his defeat of the Philistines in a most clever manner, but he was brought low by his relationship with Delilah.  After she found out the secret of his great strength lay in his hair, Delilah gave him a haircut, and he was blinded by the Philistines.  However, he prayed that God would let him regain his strength just once more, and at his death, Samson slew more people than he had in his life.

St. Ignatius of Loyola:  Ignatius was a soldier, nobleman, and courtier, who loved the pleasures of wealth, luxury, and the admiration of ladies.  However, after spending years recovering from two broken legs he suffered in battle, Ignatius renounced his former lifestyle and dedicated the rest of his life to seeking the will of God.  He spent time caring for the sick and indigent, became a traveling preacher, founded the Society of Jesus, emphasized education and evangelization, and wrote a book of spiritual exercises and rules for discernment still used today.

Tobias:  Tobias was a youth when he set out on a hazardous journey to reclaim his blind father’s wealth.  Accompanied by the angel Raphael, Tobias caught a great fish which yielded an ointment to cure his father’s blindness.  He also met and married a young woman who was plagued by a demon and drove the demon away from her by burning the fish’s entrails.

St. Louis of France:  Rarely do the words “king” and “saint” describe the same person, as they do with Louis IX.  He brought peace and justice to France by interpreting his kingly duties in light of his faith.  He began the use of written records in court and replaced trial by battle with the examination of witnesses.  He also founded hospitals, visited the sick, and kept lists of needy people.  Louis participated in two Crusades and died of disease in the second of his journeys.

Lydia:  Lydia was an independent businesswoman and head of her household who befriended Paul on his journey to Philippi.  A convert to Christianity, Lydia had her entire household baptized and established a church in her own home.  When Paul and his companion Silas were miraculously released from prison, Lydia received them into her home where the local Christian community had gathered to pray for their safety.

St. Clare:  Inspired by the preaching of St. Frances, Clare snuck out of her father’s house in the middle of the night and met Frances’ band of friars who spirited her away to a convent.  At age 21, Frances made her abbess of the Second Order of Franciscans, the Poor Clares.  Cloistered inside the walls of San Damiano, Clare embraced poverty, cared for the sick, and became a counselor to popes, cardinals, and bishops who came to seek her wisdom.

Mary Magdalene:  A disciple of Jesus, Mary followed and cared for Jesus during his earthly ministry.  Although she is sometimes confused with an adulteress, a prostitute, or with other Marys in the Bible, Mary was afflicted by seven demons, which Jesus cast out of her.  She was present at the Crucifixion when most of the other disciples had fled, and was the first to discover Jesus had risen from the dead.  Because she shared the news of the Resurrection with Jesus’ other disciples, she has been called “the Apostle of the apostles.”

St. Teresa of Kolkata:  Albanian by birth, Teresa began her ministry in the streets of Darjeeling, India.  Her mission was to care for the poor and the unwanted, to touch those considered untouchable.  She founded the Missionaries of Charity and numerous schools and orphanages and provided services for alcoholics, the elderly, and the homeless.  Dressed in a plain white sari, Teresa traveled around the world and inspired people all over to contribute to her work in the slums of Kolkata.