While praying at the shrine of St Apollonia I felt urged to ask her to help me to gain a complete mastery over myself in “little sufferings” in honour of what she suffered in her martyrdom.

COMMENT: Today is the feast of St Apollonia. Fr Willie seems to have developed, especially towards the end of his life, a strong devotion to her. The shrine he is referring to was in St Anthony’s Institute in Locre which he often visited during the war. In addition to the above, written in October 1916, he wrote a few weeks later:

Praying at the shrine of St Apollonia I realised my foolishness in putting off from day to day my determination always to bear “little pains” without relief and the immense loss of grace in consequence…but I feel as if the dear little saint Apollonia has won me the grace at last for I feel very determined not to give up the fight again.

About 6 weeks later he wrote:

Received a new picture of St Apollonia. Made a firm resolve once more to begin top bear “small passions” in her honour.

St Apollonia was an early Christian virgin martyr from Alexandria who was killed in 249. While not as well known today as saints such as Agnes, Agatha, Lucy or Philomena, there was very strong devotion to her in the past. She was killed by having all of her teeth smashed/removed and the being burnt, because she refused to worship false gods. 

Fr Willie had a simple, but strong, devotion to the saints, especially the martyrs. He saw in their stories inspiration for his own life, and viewed them as heavenly intercessors on his own behalf. May we, too, view the saints – and indeed Fr Willie himself – as our intercessors and friends.