The remains of the Holy Manger of Jesus Child (also known as “The Holy Crib” or “Sacra Culla”), kept in the custody of various Christians of the Holy Land, were brought to Rome in the year 642 as an offering from St. Sophronius, the Patriarch of Jerusalem to the newly elected Pope Theodore I, who was himself a native of Palestine. The Precious Relic has been preserved for over 1400 years, encased in an opulent silver and crystal cradle-shaped reliquary placed in a chapel under the main altar of the Titular Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome. Every year, it is venerated by thousands of pilgrims from all over the world. The Holy Relic consists of five boards, blackened with age, that are kept in a sumptuous reliquary. Four of the boards are considered to be boards from the Holy Manger. One board is different than the others. On its surface, there are Greek characters that are understood to be a note etched by an artist as a reminder of religious figures still to be sculptured. The remaining four boards, two of which are nearly a meter, were examined in 1893 and were found to be of sycamore wood, of which there are several varieties in the Holy Land. The five pieces of wood are secured to one another by two metal strips which suggest an ancient assembly. Studies have suggested they were supports for the manger, which may have been made out of clay or limestone.

Saint Martin of Tours (†397) was the third bishop of Tours. A native of Pannonia (present-day Hungary), he converted to Christianity at a young age. He served in the Roman cavalry in Gaul, but left military service prior to 361, when he became a disciple of Hilary of Poitiers, establishing the monastery at Ligugé. He was consecrated as Bishop of Caesarodunum (Tours) in 371. He is best known for the account of his using his sword to cut his cloak in two, to give half to a beggar clad only in rags in winter. His shrine in Tours became an often-frequented stop for pilgrims on the road to Santiago de Compostela in Spain. He is the patron saint of many communities and organizations across Europe, including France's Third Republic. His feast day is commemorated on 11 November by the Catholic Church and on 12 November by the Eastern Orthodox Church.

Saint Francis de Sales, CO OM OFM Cap. (French: François de Sales; †1622) was a Bishop of Geneva and is honored as a saint in the Roman Catholic Church. He became noted for his deep faith and his gentle approach to the religious divisions in his land resulting from the Protestant Reformation. Along with St. Jane Frances de Chantal, Sales founded the women's Order of the Visitation of Holy Mary (Visitandines) in 1610. Francis de Sales was beatified in 1661 by Pope Alexander VII, who then canonized him four years later. He was declared a Doctor of the Church by Pope Pius IX in 1877. He is a patron saint of confessors; deaf people; educators; writers; journalists; Oblates of St. Francis de Sales; and Salesians of Don Bosco.

Saint Francis of Assisi (†1226), was an Italian Roman Catholic friar and preacher who founded the men's Order of Friars Minor, the women's Order of Saint Clare, the Third Order of Saint Francis, and the Custody of the Holy Land. According to Christian tradition, in 1224 he received the stigmata during the apparition of a Seraphic angel in religious ecstasy, which would make him the first person in Christian tradition to bear the wounds of Christ's Passion. Francis is one of the most venerated religious figures in history. Pope Gregory IX canonized Francis on 16 July 1228. Along with Catherine of Siena, he was designated patron saint of Italy. He later became associated with patronage of animals and the natural environment, and it became customary for churches to hold ceremonies blessing animals on or near his feast day of 4 October.

Saint Therese de Lisieux († 1897) popularly known as "The Little Flower of Jesus," was a Roman Catholic French Discalced Carmelite nun widely venerated in modern times. After nine years as a Carmelite religious, having fulfilled various offices, and having spent her last eighteen months in Carmel in a night of faith, she died of tuberculosis at the age of 24. Thérèse has been a highly influential model of sanctity for Catholics and for others because of the "simplicity and practicality of her approach to the spiritual life". Together with Saint Francis of Assisi, she is one of the most popular saints in the history of the church. Pope Pius X called her "the greatest saint of modern times". She is a holy patron of Gardens of Vatican City, Missionaries; France; Russia; HIV/AIDS sufferers; radio care-a-thons; florists and gardeners; loss of parents; tuberculosis; and the Russicum; Alaska. Therese was beatified in 1923 and canonized on 17 May 1925 by Pope Pius XI, only 28 years after her death. Her feast day is commemorated on 1 October.

Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque, V.H.M. (French: Marguerite-Marie Alacoque) (†1690), was a French Roman Catholic nun and mystic, who promoted devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus in its modern form. Mariologists refer to Saint Marguerite Marie Alacoque as "living proof how Marian devotion is linked to 'Christology'" and the adoration of Jesus Christ. She was canonized by Pope Benedict XV in 1920, and her Feast is celebrated on October 16. She is a Holy Patron of those suffering with polio, devotees of the Sacred Heart, and for the loss of parents.

Saint Germaine Cousin, (also Germana Cousin, Germaine of Pibrac, or Germana), (†1601) is a French saint who is said to have practiced many austerities as reparation for the sacrileges perpetrated by heretics in the neighboring churches. She frequented the Sacraments of Penance and the Holy Eucharist, and it was observed that her piety increased on the approach of every feast of the Virgin Mary. The villagers are said to have inclined at first to treat her piety with mild derision until certain signs of God's signal favor made her an object of reverence and awe. She is a patron of abandoned people; abuse victims; against poverty; disabled people; girls from rural areas; illness; impoverishment; loss of parents; shepherdesses; sick people; unkind people; and physical therapists. She was beatified in 1864 and canonized on 29 June 1867 by Pope Pius IX. Her feast day is commemorated on June 15.

St. Lucia of Syracuse (†304), also known as Saint Lucy, or Saint Lucia (Italian: Santa Lucia), was a young Christian martyr who died during the Diocletianic Persecution who is venerated as a saint by the Roman Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, and Orthodox Churches. She is one of eight women, who along with the Blessed Virgin Mary, are commemorated by name in the Canon of the Mass. She is a patron of the blind; martyrs; Perugia, Italy; Mtarfa, Malta; epidemics; salesmen, Syracuse, Italy, throat infections, and writers.

Saint John of the Cross, O.C.D. (†1591) was a mystic, poet, and Carmelite friar. After joining the Carmelites in 1563, he collaborated with Saint Teresa of Ávila to reform the order, emphasizing austerity and contemplative prayer. His efforts led to imprisonment in 1577, during which he wrote profound mystical poetry, including The Dark Night of the Soul. His writings, blending theology and spirituality, explore the soul’s union with God. Canonized in 1726 and declared a Doctor of the Church in 1926, his feast day is December 14.