1. THE QUESTION WAS…….All of the following men were Catholic priests except for one. Which one was NOT a Catholic priest?

A. St. Patrick  (387-461 A.D)

B. St. Augustine  (354-450 A.D.)

C. St. Francis of Assisi (1181-1286 A.D.)

D. St. Thomas Aquinas (c. 1225-1274)

E. St. Anselm (died 1109 A.D.)

F. St. Irenaeus  (125-202 A.D.).

G. St. Ignatius (born 50 A.D.)

H. St. Athanasius (296-397 A.D.)

I. St. Jerome (340-420 A.D.)

 

J. St. Clement of Rome (died c. 100 A.D.)

 

 

The answer was…..C……St. Francis of Assisi was NOT a priest. However, this great Catholic saint WAS ordained a Catholic deacon. Also, he founded the Franciscan friars.

All the others were Catholic priests. By virtue of the power they inherited from Christ, priests say the words whereby God changes the bread and wine into the true Body and Blood of Christ. Other duties of priests include hearing confessions, anointing the sick with oil, baptizing, confirming, etc.


ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI initially lived a worldly life, sporting fancy clothes and cherishing entertainment. But while hearing the Gospel at Mass on February 12, 1208, St. Francis was deeply moved, and knew he had to follow the Gospel literally. He shed his rich clothes and shoes, gave away his money, and lived in total poverty the rest of his life. He made a vow of lifelong chastity. He roamed the land, preaching the Gospel of salvation, of forgiveness, and of penance. For the last portion of his life, he shared in Christs suffering by bearing the painful stigmata.

Although St. Francis and his fellow friars were devoted to personal poverty, St. Francis made it a point to ensure that the priests had only the finest chalices and vestments for the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, since Jesus the Lord was truly present.

www.newadvent.org/cathen/06221a.htm (St. Francis of Assisi)

www.newadvent.org/cathen/06217a.htm (The Franciscan Order)

www.americancatholic.org/Features/Francis/default.asp (St. Francis: patron saint of animals)

www.catholic-forum.com/saints/saintf01.htm (St. Francis of Assisi: the quick facts)

www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=50 (St. Francis of Assisi)

 

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St. PATRICK (387-461 A.D.), a Catholic bishop and priest, was said to be the first to administer the sacrament of Confirmation in Ireland. His severe penances won great graces for the people of Ireland, and converted many souls from paganism to the Catholic faith.

www.newadvent.org/cathen/11554a.htm   (Bio of St. Patrick)

www.cin.org/users/james/files/patrick.htm (Was St. Patrick Catholic?)

www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=89 (St. Patrick of Ireland)

www.ewtn.com/library/MARY/STPATRIC.htm (St. Patrick, Bishop)

www.marianland.com/janson07.html (St. Patrick: the video)

 

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ST. ATHANASIUS (296-397 A.D.) was not only priest, but also Bishop of Alexandria and Doctor of the Church. St. Athanasius responded to heresy with this statement: 'This is not the faith of the Catholic Church, this is not the faith of the Fathers.

www.newadvent.org/cathen/02035a.htm (St. Athanasius)

www.catholic-forum.com/saints/sainta15.htm (St. Athanasius)

www.cin.org/saints/athanasius.html (bio of St. Athanasius)

www.doctorsofthecatholicchurch.com/AT.html (Athanasius, Doctor of the Church)

www.ewtn.com/library/MARY/ATHANAS.HTM (St. Athanasius of Alexandria)

 

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ST. IRENAEUS, Bishop of Lyons (125-202 A.D.). This Catholic priest and bishop heard the preaching of Bishop Polycarp, who learned from the Apostle St. John. To defend the Catholic Church from heretics, St. Irenaeus would simply point to the fact that all bishops of the Catholic Church were direct successors of apostles. Today, Catholic bishops continue to be direct successor of the apostles. Our pope is a direct successor of St. Peter. This is truly a miracle.

St. Irenaeus called the church at Rome "the greatest and most ancient church, founded by the two glorious apostles, Peter and Paul."

www.newadvent.org/cathen/08130b.htm (St. Irenaeus)

www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=291 (brief bio of St. Irenaeus)

www.ewtn.com/library/MARY/IRENAEUS.htm (St. Irenaeus, Doctor of the Church)

www.cin.org/saints/irenaeus.html (St.Irenaeus: Bishop and Martyr)

 

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ST. IGNATIUS was a Catholic priest and the third bishop of Antioch. He was martyred around 107 A.D. in Rome. The early Christians, of course, preserved his relics. They are kept at St. Peters Basilica in Rome.

St. Ignatius, a disciple of the Apostle St. John, taught that the Eucharist was only valid if celebrated by a bishop of the Catholic Church, or a priest ordained by a bishop.

"Let no one do anything of concern to the Church without the bishop. Let that be considered a valid Eucharist which is celebrated by the bishop or by one whom he ordains [i.e., a presbyter]. Wherever the bishop appears, let the people be there; just as wherever Jesus Christ is, there is the Catholic Church" (Letter to the Smyrneans 8:2 [A.D. 110]).

www.newadvent.org/cathen/07644a.htm (St. Ignatius: Catholic Encyclopedia)

www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=677 (Brief Bio of St. Ignatius of Antioch)

www.catholic-forum.com/saints/sainti05.htm (St. Ignatius of Antioch, convert from paganism to Christianity)

www.catholic.com/library/What_Catholic_Means.asp (What Does Catholic Mean?)

 

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ST. ANSELM (died 1109 A.D.) was not only a priest but was Archbishop of Canterbury and a Doctor of the Catholic Church

http://www.cin.org/saints/stanselm.html (St. Anselm)

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01546a.htm (St. Anselm: Archbishop of Canterbury)

http://www.doctorsofthecatholicchurch.com/ (THE DOCTORS OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH)

 

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St. Jerome, who devote much of his life to asceticism, was ordained a priest at Antioch

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08341a.htm (St. Jerome: Catholic Encyclopedia)

www.ewtn.com/library/MARY/JEROME.htm (St. Jerome)

www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=10 (St. Jerome: Short bio)

www.catholic-forum.com/saints/saintj06.htm (St. Jerome: Quick Facts)

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St. Clement of Rome not only was a priest, he was pope!

He was the 4th pope or Bishop of Rome (3rd successor of St. Peter).

www.newadvent.org/cathen/04012c.htm (Clement of Rome: Catholic Encyclopedia)

www.catholic-forum.com/saints/saintc14.htm (Pope Clement I: quick facts)

www.cin.org/clementi.html (Pope Clement takes charge of the Church)

www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=37 (Short bio of Pope St. Clement I of Rome)

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ST. AUGUSTINE was a Catholic priest, bishop of Hippo, and Doctor of the Catholic Church.

www.newadvent.org/cathen/02084a.htm (Life of St. Augustine)

www.newadvent.org/fathers/1101.htm (Text of St. Augustines CONFESSIONS)

www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=418 (St. Augustine: Pagan turned Catholic)

www.catholic-forum.com/saints/sainta02.htm (St. Augustine: Quick facts and quotes)

 

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 ST. THOMAS AQUINAS is a Doctor of the Church who is most famous for his literary work "Summa Theologica." He devoted himself to poverty, chastity, and obedience first as a friar and then as a Catholic priest.

www.newadvent.org/cathen/14663b.htm (Life of St. Thomas Aquinas)

 

 

ATTENTION STUDENTS OF EARLY CHURCH HISTORY!!!

Possessing a balanced view of Early Church teaching is almost impossible without having read the 3-volume set of writings as worded by the Early Church Fathers themselves:

The Faith of the Early Fathers: Volumes 1, 2, 3 (by William A. Jurgens) This is a compilation of passages from Pre-Nicene and Nicene Christian writings. It’s jam-packed with quotes. Other books on the Early Church include: The Early Church by Henry Chadwick and The Apostolic Fathers by Fr. Jack Sparks.

 

 

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