Shepherds

Peter, originally Simon, was a fisherman along with his brother Andrew who introduced his brother Simon to Jesus. The name Peter, meaning 'rock', was selected by Jesus to indicate the he would be the rock-like foundation on which the Church would be built. Peter was a faithful follower of Jesus although at the Last Supper Jesus predicted that Peter would deny him three times following his death, which Peter did. Peter then travelled to spread the Gospel and was in Rome in during the rule of the Roman Emperor Nero who set fire to Rome and blamed the Christians for its destruction. Peter was one of the Christians who was taken prisoner and was sentenced to death by crucifixion. Peter asked to be crucified with his head downwards because he did not consider himself worthy to die in the same manner and posture as Jesus.

Born to a powerful family, Ambrose (of Milan) was a mediator, interceding in battle for Bishop of Milan, an elected position. As he publicly exhorted the combatants to keep the peace and obey the law, the two sides raised a cry for Ambrose to be the bishop, and he was so ordained in 373. Ambrose was a fierce opponent of heresy, paganism, and hypocrisy. He wrote psalm tones, hymns, and discourses for the people and did not fear leaders. Two hymns attributed to him are “The eternal gifts of Christ the King” and “O splendor of God’s glory bright. He is considered one of 4 original doctors of the Latin church; the others are Augustine, St. Jerome, and St. Gregory the Great.

Hilda abbess at Whitby: Hilda’s life was divided, half in secular living (in the court, as a mother and wife) and half in monastic life. Bishop Aidan was impressed by her holiness of life and called her to serve in a small monastic settlement which she was appointed Abbess of Hartlepool. She established a rule of life modeled on what she had been taught by Paulinus and Aidan. She was renowned for wisdom, eagerness for learning, and devotion to God. She founded the abbey at Whitby, which housed both nuns and month under Hilda’s rule. She tutored Caedmon, and generally mothered all under her care.

Robert Grosseteste was one of the outstanding bishops of the 13th century and a distinguished scholar in many branches of study: law, medicine, languages, sciences, and theology. He was first teacher to Fransciscans when they came to Oxford (where he was Master), translated Aristotle and developed a scientific method based on Augustine’s theories. One of his students at Oxford was Roger Bacon, and Grosseteste influenced John Wycliffe. After he became Bishop of Lincoln, he began visiting his parishes and priests, a new practice among bishops. He resisted capricious papal influence in the church.

John-Baptiste Vianney was born into a peasant family near Lyons in southeastern France, he was a quiet, patient, and deeply religious young man who wanted to become a priest but found it nearly impossible to learn Latin. He was drafted into the French army, but did not comply and hid for 2 years. He entered a seminary, but was dismissed because he was unable to grasp the theological subtleties. Even so, the bishop of Grenoble, sufficiently impressed by Vianney's firm character and level-headed judgment, ordained him a priest, and Vianney was assigned to the village of Ars as curé (curate). He taught his people about Christian living, and they recognized that he was more strict with himself than with them. His spiritual insights were sought so much that he spent more than 12 hours a day in the confessional of the parish church. He reportedly spent his remaining hours in prayer as he believed he was tormented by the devil (as evidenced by the spontaneous combustion of his mattress).

Rosa Parks, often called "The Mother of the Modern-Day Civil Rights Movement", was an African-American woman born in Tuskegee, Alabama. She is most well known for her stand against racial segregation on public buses in Montgomery, Alabama. Rosa refused to give up her seat for a white man and was arrested, charged with, and convicted of civil disobedience. Rosa spent most of her life fighting for desegregation, voting rights, and was active in the Civil Rights movement that has shaped social code in the Unites States. No matter what city she lived in, she found a way to stay involved in the community and always seemed to have a way to voice her thoughts and feelings about inequalities in society. Rosa had a knack for doing this effectively, but quietly and was known for her saying, "Do what is right."