Son of Jesse, shepherd from Bethlehem, slayer of Goliath, king of the united tribes of Israel, composer of the Psalms, father of Solomon, ancestor of Jesus.

St. Brendan

Patron saint of music, St. Cecilia was a Roman noble, martyred during one of the Roman persecutions, along with her husband Valerian, his brother Tiburtius, and Maximus.

St. Cecilia's story is interesting in that, despite having been married, she was a virgin-martyr. The wedding had been forced by her parents, despite her having previously taken a vow of perpetual virginity. The newlywed Cecilia warned Valerian that any attempt to consummate the marriage would result in his punishment by "the angel of the Lord". Valerian, skeptical, asked if he might see this angel; Cecilia advised him to be baptized by Pope Urban I. Having done so, Valerian immediately saw the angel, prompting him to repent of his previous doubts.

Born into an aristocratic Italian family, St. Aloysius renounced his inheritance in order to join the Society of Jesus. When plague broke out in Rome in 1591, he volunteered for work at the Jesuit hospitals, eventually catching the disease himself. He died a few days before his 23rd birthday. Among the last to see him alive was his confessor, and future Doctor of the Church, St. Robert Bellermine.