April 13
St. Martin I
A seventh-century pope who defied the Byzantine Emperor by condemning the heresy of Monothelitism at the Lateran Council of 649. He was arrested, exiled to Crimea, and deliberately starved. He died in captivity in 655 — the last pope recognized as a martyr.
Why it matters for your parish:
A lesser-known but powerful story of a pope who chose suffering over compromise on doctrine. Resonant during Easter season when the Church meditates on witness and sacrifice.
Graphics for this saint are coming soon.