april 1. mary of egypt, x-rated saint

Mary retired to the desert to pass her days as a hermitess in penitence. She lived on whatever she found in the wilderness. Even though Mary encountered neither men nor beasts in the desert, she was beset by many temptations.

april 8. julie billiart, whose limbs were recovered

Julie remained laid up for more than 20 years, but she orchestrated many great acts while bedridden. She helped secure hiding spots for fugitive priests, delegated good deeds to "a little party of women" who admired her, and plotted her plan for the future Institute of the Sisters of Notre Dame.

april 9. casilda of toledo, transformer of bread into roses

Once Casilda was stopped by soldiers (and/or by her own father) and was asked to reveal what she was carrying in her skirt. When she offered these tormentors a peek, the bread had become a bouquet. When she arrived at the jail, the roses became bread again.

april 14. gemma galgani, god's mystical gem

Gemma levitated in states of ecstasy. In her dining room, there hung a large crucifix that the whole family venerated. At least once, she found herself raised from the floor with her arms around the crucifix while kissing the wound on the side of Christ Crucified.

april 14. lidwina, who nursed a widow like christ on the nativity

A widow who cared for her foresaw Lidwina’s breasts filling with milk. Soon after in a vision, the Virgin and other holy ladies encircled Lidwina’s bed, opening their tunics and lactating “into the sky.” The next time the widow came over, Lidwina rubbed at her breast and produced milk.

april 15. hunna, the holy milkmaid

Hunna was the daughter of a duke who, in a lateral move, became wife to a different duke. She consoled poorer women with milk baths, which earned her the dignified moniker "the Holy Milkmaid." 

april 16. bernadette soubirous, "the most spectacular incorruptible"

Bernadette once said: "The more we die on the cross, the more glorious our Resurrection will be. What folly it is to pull away when Our Lord asks for our hand to nail to the cross. From now on, the more I am crucified, the more I will rejoice." 

april 17. kateri tekakwitha, whose bravery lowered weapons

Every morning, even in bitterest winter, Kateri stood before the chapel door until it opened and remained there until after the last Mass. When she had to leave the village for hunting season, Kateri made her own little chapel in the woods, carving a cross in a tree and kneeling to pray in the snow. 

april 20. agnes of montepulciano, baby ascetic extraordinaire

Wherever Agnes knelt down to pray, flowers bloomed. She was known to levitate up to two feet while praying, exposing the fresh buds beneath her. The moment she died, all the babies in her vicinity, even those too small to speak, told of her passing and piety.  

april 22. opportuna, who lacked in charisma

Opportuna foresaw her brother's death in a prophetic vision, but she was totally powerless to save him. When he was murdered, she was so struck with sadness that she died one year later.

april 27. zita, the professional penitent

As the authoress of The Rosary Workout notes, Zita's "life bears many similarities to Cinderella's." Zita believed that her slavery was "a remedy for the spiritual disorder of [human] souls," and she praised God for placing her in a station that allowed her to be a professional penitent. 

april 28. blessed osanna of cattaro, who spotted babies in fields

One day while watching her flocks, Osanna saw a child sleeping in the grass. Drawn to its beauty, she went to pick up the baby, but it vanished, leaving her with a feeling of great loneliness.