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Pope St. Victor I was the 14th pope, and the first one to be born in Africa. His accomplishments include establishing that Easter would always be celebrated on Sunday, and declaring that Latin, rather than Greek, would be the official language of the church. Lifetime:  Early 100s to 199 Region:  Leptis (modern Libya) Patronages: African Christians; Latin speakers Iconograpy:  Papal vestments; Dark skin Feast Day:  July 28 Little is known about Victor's early life. Sources indicate that he was born in northern Africa, in an area that came under the control of the Roman empire during Victor's life. They also give his father's name as Felix, though there is no indication of other details about his family. Though there were several periods where the Roman empire persecuted Christians, Victor lived in a time of relative harmony between the two. In fact, one influential woman in the empire worked with Victor to create a list of all the Roman Christians who had been sent to...

St. Margaret of Antioch is one of the 14 Holy Helpers , a group of saints widely venerated against disease starting in the fifteenth century. Along with Saints Catherine of Alexandria and Michael the Archangel , she spoke to St. Joan of Arc in a vision. Lifetime:  ~289 to ~304 Region:  Antioch (modern Turkey) Patronages: Pregnant women; Kidney disease; Exiles; The falsely accused Iconograpy:  Slain dragon or demon; Crucifix; Hammer Feast Day:  July 20 (Western); July 17 (Eastern) Margaret, also known as Marina, was the daughter of a pagan priest. Her mother died when Margaret was still a baby, so she was raised by a local nurse, who happened to be Christian. Margaret's foster mother had Margaret baptized and given a Christian education and she grew up modest and pious. When she returned to her father, he was very impressed with her grace and virtue, but he was upset that she would not join him in worshipping idols. She told him that she had dedicated her life to Je...