The Catholic Church has always placed before the eyes of the faithful the example of holiness set by the saints. In the first Preface of the Mass for Holy Men and Women we read: "In their lives on earth you give us an example. In our communion with them you give us their friendship. In their prayer for the Church you give us strength and protection." Moreover, as the Second Vatican Council put it, "every act of love offered by us to those who are in heaven tends to and terminates in Christ, 'the crown of all the saints, ' and through him in God who is wonderful in his saints and is glorified in them." This book, then, should be a welcome addition to the ever increasing number of volumes that treat of the lives of the saints. With the addition of feast days proper to the United States, it is offered to the English-speaking public in the hope that is will foster greater devotion to the saintly men and women who are not only historical figures worthy of our veneration but models worthy of our imitation.

A classic work of religious hagiography, exploring the lives and legends of the saints as celebrated in the Roman Catholic Church. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

Companion to the Calendar, Second Edition has been revised to include the additional saints added to the proper calendar for the dioceses of the United States of America. While still including biographical information about the saints that are celebrated on the Roman Catholic liturgical calendar in the dioceses of the United States, the theological meaning of the various liturgical seasons, and explanations of secular days and Jewish and Muslim feasts, this Second Edition has also been revised to include additional Catholic days such as Marian and sanctoral observances, devotions from particular cultures (Hispanic, Vietnamese, etc), and other observances such as Catholic Schools Week and the World Day of the Sick.