Absolutely nothing is known about Saint Mary Salome except the little that is mentioned of her in the New Testament. Mary Salome was the wife of Zebedee and the mother of Saint James the Great (unknown-44) and Saint John the Apostle (c. 6-c. 100). She is first mention, though not by name, in Matthew 20: 20-22 when the "mother of the sons of Zebedee" comes to Jesus and asks "Command that these two sons of mine sit, one at your right and the other at your left, in your kingdom".

This saint was present at the foot of the Cross and is named with the women listed in Mark 15:40: "Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of the younger James (Saint James the Less) and of Joses, and Salome".

Saint Mary Salome was also one of the women who visited the tomb of Jesus on the morning of Easter Sunday. "When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary, the mother of James [the younger], and Salome brought spices so that they might go and anoint Him" (Mark 16:1).

Saint Mary Salome is not mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles and there is no further historical record of her. There is a tradition that, after the Resurrection of Jesus, Mary Salome went to Veroli, Italy where she preached the Gospel and miraculously avoided persecution.

She is sometimes referred to as one of the Three Marys. The Three Marys is a historical term for the three women, Mary Magdalene, Mary the wife of Cleopas, and Mary Salome, who brought herbs and spices to the tomb of Jesus.

Interestingly, the verses about the mother of James and John is mentioned are the only times when the name "Salome" is mentioned in the Bible. The Salome who demanded the head of Saint John the Baptist is mentioned only as the "daughter of Herodias" (Matthew 14:6 and Mark 6:22). She is named only in a history written by Josephus (37-c. 100).

Saint Mary Salome is considered the patron saint of Veroli, Italy. She is venerated by both the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church. In the latter, her feast day is October 22.

Hilarion was born of heathens at Tabatha in Palestine.  He was sent to study at Alexandria, where he bore a fair name for life and wit.  There he embraced the religion of Jesus Christ, and made wonderful headway in faith and love.  He went oftentimes to Church, was careful in fasting and prayer, and set no price upon the pleasures and lusts of the world.  When the name of Anthony became famous in Egypt, Hilarion made a journey into the desert on purpose to see him.  There he dwelt with him two months, to the end that he might learn all his way of life, and then returned home.  After the death of his father and mother, he gave all that he had to the poor.  Before he had completed the fifteenth year of his age, he went into the desert, and built there a little house, scarcely big enough to hold him, and wherein he was used to sleep on the ground.  The piece of sackcloth wherewith alone he clad himself he never washed and never changed saying that haircloth was a thing not worth the trouble of cleanliness.  He took great interest in reading and meditating on the Holy Scriptures.  His food was a few figs and some porridge of vegetables, and this he ate not before set of sun.  His self-control and lowliness were beyond belief.  By these and other arms he overcame divers and fearful attacks of the devil, and drave out countless evil spirits from the bodies of men in many parts of the world.  He had built many monasteries, and was famous for miracles, when, in the eightieth year of his age, he fell sick.  When he was gasping for his last breath, he said: Go out, what art thou afraid of?  Go out, my soul, wherefore shrinkest thou?  Thou hast served Christ hard on seventy years, and art thou afraid of death?  And so with these words he gave up the Ghost.

This John was the son of godly and respectable parents named Stanislaus and Anne, and was born in the year of our Lord 1397, in the town of Kenty, a place in the diocese of Crakow in Poland, from which he took the Latin name of Cantius. By his gentleness, innocency, and seriousness he gave great hopes even from his childhood. He studied Philosophy and Theology in the University of Crakow, wherein he rose step by step to be a Professor and teacher of those sciences wherein he lectured many years, not only enlightening the minds of his hearers, but stirring up in them all godliness, instructing them by ensample as well as by word. Having taken Priests' orders, he ceased not to busy himself with letters, but added thereto the striving after Christian perfection. He grieved exceedingly that God should be offended on all hands, and offered up to Him, day by day, not without many tears, the Unbloody Sacrifice for a propitiation for himself and for his people. He was for some years a faithful Parish Priest at Ilkusi, but after a while gave it up for fear of the danger of souls, and accepted the call of the University to take up again his Professorship.

What time was left him over from his work, he gave up partly to the profit of his neighbour, more especially in preaching, and partly in prayer, wherein he is said sometimes to have had heavenly visions and messages. The sufferings of Christ took such hold upon him, that he sometimes passed whole nights without sleep in thinking thereon, and that he might more keenly realize them, he made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. There he was seized with such a passionate longing to be a martyr, that he preached Christ crucified even to the Turks. He went four times to Rome to the thresholds of the Apostles, on foot, and laden with a wallet, partly to do honour to the Apostolic See, for which he had a great reverence, and partly (to use his own expression) that he might clear off the pains of his own purgatory by use of the Pardons for sin which are there daily offered. In one of these journeys he was set upon by highway robbers, who plundered him, and having asked him if he had any more, whereto he answered, Nay, left him and fled. Then he remembered that he had some gold pieces sewn up in his clothes. So he ran after the robbers with shouts, and offered them these also, but they were so amazed at the simplicity and charity of the holy man, that they gave him back even that which they had already taken. To hinder scandal-mongering, he wrote up upon the walls, after the ensample of holy Austin, certain texts, to be an unceasing warning to himself and others. He gave his own bread to the hungry, and clothed the naked, not with bought raiment only, but by stripping himself of his own garments and shoes, himself meanwhile letting down his own cloak to trail upon the ground, lest any should see that he returned home barefoot.

He slept very little, and that upon the ground; his clothing was enough only to clothe his nakedness, and his food to keep him alive. He kept his virgin purity guarded like a lily among thorns by rough hair-cloth, scourging, and fasting. For about thirty-five years before his death he never tasted flesh- meat. At length, when he was full of days and good works, he felt that death was near, and made himself ready to meet it by a long and careful preparation, and to be the freer, he gave to the poor everything that was left in his house. Strengthened by the Sacraments of the Church, and having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ, he took flight to heaven upon the 24th day of December, (in the year of our Lord 1473.) He was famous for miracles both before and after his death. His body was carried into the University Church of St Anne, hard by his dwelling, and there honourably buried. The popular reverence and the crowds around his sepulchre grew greater day by day, till he hath come to be held in honour as one of the chiefest holy defenders of Poland and Lithuania. At the glory of more wonders, Pope Clement XIII., upon the 16th day of July, in the year 1767, with solemn pomp, enrolled his name among those of the Saints.

Margaret Mary Alacoque was born of a respectable family in a village in the diocese of Autun.  From her earliest years she gave signs of holiness.  Filled with a burning love of the Virgin Mother of God, and of the august mystery of the Eucharist, while still a young girl she dedicated her virginity to God.  Above all else she strove to realize in her life the performance of Christian virtues.  She delighted to spend continuous hours in prayers and in meditation upon the things of heaven.  She was humble, and patient in adversity.  She practised bodily penance.  She was charitable towards her neighbours, especially the poor.  By every means within her power she strove diligently to imitate the most holy example left by our divine Redeemer.

Margaret entered the Order of the Visitation.  There her life became immediately a shining example to others.  God endowed her highly with the gift of prayer.  He gave her other favours, such as frequent visitations.  The most famous of these was that one when Jesus appeared to her as she knelt in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament.  Opening his breast he revealed his divine Heart glowing with flames and encircled with a crown of thorns.  He bade her in return for his excessive love and in atonement for the insults of ungrateful men, to seek to have established public adoration of his Heart.  This devotion he promised to enrich with treasures of heavenly grace.  When, out of humility, she hestitated to undertake so great a task, the loving Saviour encouraged her.  At the same time he pointed out Claude de la Colombière, a man of great holiness, as one who could guide and help her.  Our Lord also comforted her with the assurance that very great blessings would accrue afterwards to the Church from the worship of his divine Heart.

Margaret strove ardently to fulfil the Redeemer's command.  Vexations, even bitter insults were her portion from some who maintained that she was subject to mental aberrations.  She not only bore these sufferings patiently, she even profited by them, offering herself in anguish and reproach as a victim acceptable to God, bearing all things as a more sure means of accomplishing her purpose.  Renowned for her religious perfection, becoming each day more closely united with her divine spouse by contemplation of celestial things, she took flight to him in the forty-third year of her age, and in the year of restored salvation 1690.  She became famous for miracles.  Benedict XV added her to the list of the saints; Pius XI extended her office to the universal Church.