Overview

• San Luis María Grignion de Montfort, an 18th-century French priest, is celebrated for his Marian devotion and founding of religious congregations, including the Montfort Missionaries.
• Santa Gianna Beretta Molla, a 20th-century Italian doctor and mother, is remembered for her selfless decision to prioritize her unborn child’s life during a high-risk pregnancy, leading to her canonization in 2004.
• San Pedro Chanel, a French Marist missionary and the first martyr of Oceania, was killed in 1841 while evangelizing in Futuna, an act that later inspired widespread conversions in the region.
• The Catholic santoral tradition ties personal names to saints’ feast days, a practice rooted in early Christianity and enriched by regional additions of local beati and historical figures.
• The April 28 commemorations highlight the Church’s recognition of holiness across cultures, centuries, and roles, from mystics and missionaries to mothers and martyrs.