ALL SAINTS CELEBRATED IN MAY Saints celebrated on the 25th of May WELCOME! SAINT GREGORY VII, POPE AND CONFESSOR ⬅️ Saintly Popes - Index Before his exaltation to the popedom, he was called Hildebrand. He was born in Tuscany, and educated at Rome under his uncle the abbot of our Lady’s, upon the Aventin Hill. He went afterwards into France, and embraced the monastic state at Cluny. ABBOT OF ST PAUL'S Being called back to Rome he signalised himself by his zeal, sanctity, and learning, and preached with great reputation and fruit in the court of the pious emperor Henry III surnamed the Black. The holy Pope St Leo IX had the highest esteem for him, often followed his counsels, ordained him subdeacon, and made him abbot of St Paul’s, which church then belonged to a very small community of monks, and lay at that time almost in ruins, the greater part of its revenues being usurped by powerful laymen. Hildebrand recovered its lands and restored the monastery to its an...