On Bright
Monday
the Church
commemorates the Sweet-Kissing (Glykophilousa) Icon of the Most Holy
Theotokos worked many miracles.
Russian icon of the Mother of God Sweet Kissing (Greek : Glykophilousa.)
Like the Iveron Icon (March 31), the Sweet-Kissing Icon was also saved
from the iconoclasts by a pious woman in the ninth century. It also
traveled miraculously upon the sea, arriving at Mt. Athos, the "Garden
of the Theotokos," where it was honored by the monks.
A nobleman named Simeon was an iconoclast who shared the emperor
Theophilus's hatred for the holy icons. Simeon's wife Victoria, on the
other hand, venerated icons, especially a certain icon of the Mother of
God before which she prayed each day. Simeon could not tolerate his
wife's piety, so he demanded that she give him the icon so he could
burn it. Victoria threw the icon into the sea, hoping that it would be
preserved through God's providence. Years later, the icon
appeared on the shores of Mt. Athos near the monastery of Philotheou.
The igumen and the brethren of
the monastery retrieved the icon and placed it in the church, where it
worked many miracles.
In 1830 a pilgrim came to the monastery from Adrianopolis.
He listened
to the history of the icon and the miracles associated with it, but
regarded such things as childish fables. The monk who had related all
this was surprised and grieved by the pilgrim's disbelief, fearing that
such doubts indicated an unhealthy spiritual state. He did all that he
could to remove the pilgrim's skepticism, but the man stubbornly
adhered to his opinion.
The Mother of God, in her compassion, finally healed the pilgrim's soul
in a rather dramatic way. On the very day that he had his discussion
with the monk, the pilgrim was walking on an upper balcony. Suddenly,
he lost his footing and began to fall. In his distress he called out,
"Most Holy Theotokos, help me!" The Mother of God heard him, and he
landed on the ground completely unharmed.
The icon is one of the Eleusa
(Tenderness) type. It is unusual in that it shows the Virgin kissing
her Child. Christ raises His hand as if to repulse His mother's caress.
Other Sweet-Kissing (Tenderness) icons are: Lubyatov (March
19)
Novgorod (July 28) Pskov (May 21, June 23, August 26, October
7) Smolensk (March 19) Sviatogorsk (July 17)
Yaroslavl (May 14)
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 1st v. St. Mary
Cleophas Mother of St. James the Less and Joseph, wife of Cleophas. She
was one of the “Three Marys” who served Jesus and was present at the
Crucifixion, and accompanied Mary Magdalen to the tomb of Christ.
In Judǽa sanctæ Maríæ Cléophæ, quam
beátus Joánnes Evangelísta sorórem
sanctíssimæ Dei Genitrícis Maríæ
núncupat, et cum hac simul juxta crucem Jesu stetísse
narrat.
In Judea, St. Mary Cleophas, whom St. John the
Evangelist calls the sister of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God,
and says that she stood at her side beneath the Cross of Jesus.
1st v. ST MARY OF CLEOPHAS, MATRON
TO Mary of Cleophas whose name stands first in the Roman Martyrology on
this day no general liturgical recognition is accorded, though her
feast is kept by the Passionists, and by the Latins in Palestine. She
seems to have been the wife of one Cleophas, who may or may not be
identical with the Cleophas who is named as one of the two disciples
who went to Emmaus on the day of our Lord’s resurrection.
Her identity among the various Marys mentioned by the evangelists is a
matter of discussion among biblical commentators. The martyrology
contents itself with saying that “Blessed John the Evangelist calls
[her] sister of the most holy Mary, Mother of God, and relates that she
stood with her by the cross of Jesus”. But it is possible that the
sister of the mother of Jesus mentioned (John xix 25) was in fact a
fourth, unnamed, woman.
Round the name of Mary of Cleophas all sorts of legendary excrescences
gathered in later days. She was said to have travelled to Spain with St
James the Greater, to have died at Ciudad Rodrigo, and to have been
venerated with great honour at Compostela. On the other hand another
extravagant legend connects her with the coming of SS. Lazarus, Mary
Magdalen and Martha to Provence, and her body was believed to repose at
Saintes-Maries near the mouth of the Rhone.
See the Acta
Sanctorum, April, vol. i Moroni, Dizionario
di Erudizione, vol. xciv, pp. 10—60 Vigouroux, Dictionnaire
de la Bible, vol. iv, cc. 818—819 Durand, L’Enfance
de Jésus Christ (1908).
Tradition reports that she went to Spain as a missionary. Mary
reportedly died at Ciudad Rodrigo. Another tradition states that she
went to France with St. Lazarus and his sisters.
Mary of Cleophas, Matron (RM) (also known as Mary of Alpheus or Clopas)
1st century. Mary of Cleophas, the 'other Mary,' followed our Lord to
Calvary (Matt. 27:56; Mark 15:40; John 19:25) and saw Him after His
Resurrection (Mark 16:1; Luke 24:10). She was the mother of James the
Younger, Joseph (Matt. 27:56; Mark 15:40), Simon, and Jude; wife of
Cleophas (John 19:25); and sister of the Blessed Virgin (John 19:25).
Later legend says that Mary went to Spain, where she died at Ciudad
Rodrigo. Another legend had her accompanying Lazarus, Mary Magdalene,
and Martha to Provence. Both these stories are unreliable
(Benedictines, Delaney, Encyclopedia, Gill).
Mary Cleophas is normally portrayed with all four of her children.
Occasionally the sons carry the following emblems: Jude, a boat;
Simeon, a fish; James, a palm branch or a mill (probably a fuller's
mill); and Joseph Barsabas, three leaves or a cup. Mary Cleophas may
also be portrayed with Mary Salome who together support the Virgin
during the Crucifixion or are present with Mary Magdalene at the
Resurrection (Roeder).
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1st v.
Prochorus
of Nicomedia One of the seven deacons ordained the by Apostles martyred
at Antioch BM (RM)
Antiochíæ sancti Próchori, qui fuit unus de septem
primis Diáconis; et, fide ac miráculis clarus, martyrio
coronátus est.
At Antioch, St. Prochorus who was one of the first
seven deacons. Renowned for faith and miracles, he received the
crown of martyrdom.
One of the seven deacons ordained the by
Apostles. Tradition says that
he afterwards became bishop of Nicomedia and was martyred at Antioch
(Benedictines).
Nikanor, Parmenas, Prochorus und Timon Orthodoxe Kirche: 28.
Juli Katholische Kirche: Nikanor 10. Januar Katholische
Kirche: Parmenas 23. Januar Katholische Kirche: Prochorus 9. April
Katholische Kirche: Timon 19. April
Nach dem Bericht in Apg. 6, 1-7 setzten die Apostel sieben Diakone in
der Jerusalemer Gemeinde ein. Neben den vier hier genannten Nikolaus,
Philippus und Stephanus.
Von Nikanor wird berichtet, nachdem Stephanus gesteinigt worden war,
sei auch er gesteinigt worden. Andere Quellen berichten, er sei auf
Zypern gefoltert worden und gestorben.
Über Parmenas gibt es widersprüchliche Berichte. Er soll nach
Dorotheus während seines Diakonendienstes verstorben sein. In der
Hippolyt zugeschriebenen Liste wird er als Bischof von Soli angegeben.
Andere Quellen berichten, er sei nach Makedonien gegangen und sei dort
(98 oder 117) unter Trajan als Märtyrer gestorben.
Prochorus soll Petrus begleitet haben und von diesem zum Bischof von
Nikomedia eingesetzt worden sein. Später schloß er sich dem
Apostel Johannes an und wurde mit diesem nach Patmos verbannt. Hier
soll er dann die Schau des Johannes niedergeschrieben haben.
Später kam er nach Nikomedien zurück und wurde in Antiochia
hingerichtet.
Auch über Timon gibt es widersprüchliche BErichte. Er soll
Bischof von Bastoria (Arabien) gewesen sein und (in Korinth) am Kreuz
gestorben sein.
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303 Martyrs of
Sirmium modern
Mitrovica, in the Balkans
Feastday: February 23 & April 9
Two groups of martyrs who suffered at Sirmium, modem Mitrovica, in the
Balkans. One group was slain probably in 303 and was seventy in number.
The second group was composed of seven virgins probably martyred in
303.
Martyrs of Sirmium (RM). A group
of seven aonymous virgin martyrs who suffered under Diocletian at
Sirmium (Mitrovica) in the Balkans (Benedictines).
Martyrs of Pannonia (RM). This group may possibly be the
same as the
one above.
The Roman Martyrology states: "At Sirmium in Pannonia the passion of
seven holy virgins and martyrs." Modern research has found no further
particulars about them (Benedictines).
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 Bishop
Desan, Presbyter Mariabus, Abdiesus, and 270 Others Holy Martyrs Put to death under the Persian emperor
Sapor II
Imprisoned, they
refused to turn away from the Christian Faith. In their number also was
the Martyr Ia, who is commemorated also on September 11.
The Martyrdom of the Holy Virgins: Agape, Eirene, and Shiona.
On this day the three holy virgins: Agape, Eirene, and Shiona (Susinia)
were martyred. They were from Thessalonica, and worshipped Christ as
their parents. They chose the life of chastity and they agreed to
devote themselves to the ascetic life. They fasted and prayed
unceasingly, visited the convents often and participated with the
virgins in their prayers and asceticism. When Maximianus the infidel,
reigned, he restored the worship of the idols and shed the blood of
many Christians. These saints were afraid and they fled to the mountain
and hid themselves in a cave devoting themselves to their worship and
asceticism.
Every week, an aged Christian woman visited them bringing all things
needed and took the work of their hands to sell it, and distributed the
remainder as alms to the poor. One day a malicious person observed the
frequent visits of this old woman to the mountain, he followed her
secretly until he knew the cave that she entered. He hid himself so she
did not see him on her way back, and he thought that she was hiding
precious things in it. After she left the cave by a distance he entered
the cave and he found the precious pearls the prides of the Christ
standing praying. He bound them, dragged them away, and brought them to
the Governor of Thessalonica. He asked them about their faith, they
confessed that they were Christians worshipping that Who was Crucified.
The Governor became wrath with them, tortured them much, then cast them
into the fire, and they delivered up their souls and received the crown
of martyrdom. May their prayers be with us. Amen.
The Martyrdom of the One Hundred and Fifty believers by the hand of
king of Persia.
On this day also is the commemoration of the incident of the martyrdom
of one hundred and fifty believers by the king of Persia. This king
besieged Christian cities which were near the borders of his country,
and captured many of them. When they refused to worship the sun and the
stars, he commanded to cut off their heads, and they received the
crowns of martyrdom.
May their prayers be with us and glory be to God forever. Amen.
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 Monk Martyr
Archimandrite
Bademus (Vadim) was born in the
fourth century in the Persian city of Bithlapata, and was descended
from a rich and
illustrious
family. In his youth, he was enlightened with the Christian teaching.
The saint gave away all his wealth to the poor and withdrew into the
wilderness, where he founded a monastery. He would go up on a mountain
for solitary prayer, and once was permitted to behold the Glory of God.
During this period the Persian emperor Sapor (310-381) began
to
persecute Christians. They arrested St Bademus and his seven disciples,
and tortured them in prison, hoping that they would renounce Christ and
worship the sun and fire. But St Bademus and his disciples held firmly
to the Christian Faith. The confessors spent four months in jail. All
this time St Bademus was a spiritual leader and support for the
Christians living in Persia.
One of the associates of the emperor Sapor, Nirsanes, was a
Christian
and suffered imprisonment for this. He did not hold up under torture
and denied Christ, promising to fulfill whatever the emperor commanded.
Sapor demanded that Nirsanes personally cut off the head of St Bademus.
For this he was promised a reprieve and great rewards. Nirsanes was not
able to overcome his fear of new tortures, and he agreed to follow the
path of betrayal walked by Judas.
When they brought St Bademus to him, he took the sword and
turned
toward him, but overcome by conscience, he trembled and stood
petrified. St Bademus said to him, "Has your wickedness now reached
this point, Nirsanes, that you should not only renounce God, but also
murder His servants? Woe to you, accursed one! What will you do on that
day when you stand before the Dread Judgment Seat? What answer will you
give to God? I am prepared to die for Christ, but I don't want to
receive death at your hands."
Nirsanes struck with the sword, but his hands shook, and he
could not
behead the saint immediately, and the fire-worshippers began to call
him a coward. The holy martyr Bademus stood motionless, enduring many
terrible blows, until the murderer succeeded in cutting off his head.
The just punishment for his misdeeds were not slow in
overtaking the
hapless fellow. Tormented by his conscience, he did away with himself,
throwing himself on a sword. After the death of the emperor Sapor, the
seven disciples of St Bademus were released from prison.
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 362
St. Eupsychius Martyr of Caesarea, in Cappadocia destruction of the
temple of the goddess Fortuna
Cæsarǽæ, in Cappadócia, sancti Eupsychii
Mártyris, qui ob evérsum Fortúnæ fanum, sub
Juliáno Apóstata, martyrium consummávit.
At Caesarea in Cappadocia, St. Eupsychius, martyr,
who was persecuted under Julian the Apostate for having overthrown the
temple of Fortune.
A young man, Eupsychius led a group of Christians who were
charged with
the destruction of the temple of the goddess Fortuna in that city. They
were martyred as a result.
The Holy Martyr Eupsychius was born in the city of Caesarea
in
Cappadocia and received a Christian upbringing by his illustrious
parents. During the reign of Julian the Apostate (361-363), St
Eupsychius entered into a Christian marriage. At Caesarea there was a
pagan temple to the goddess Fortuna, whom Julian the Apostate revered.
As Eupsychius was going to his wedding, the pagans were offering
sacrifice to the goddess Fortuna. St Eupsychius was filled with
zeal for the Lord, and he destroyed the temple. He knew that this would
inevitably result in his punishment. St Eupsychius distributed all his
possessions to the poor and prepared himself for martyrdom.
The enraged emperor Julian loosed his wrath not only upon St
Eupsychius, but against all the inhabitants of this city. Some of the
citizens were executed, while the more respectable were sent into
exile. Christian clergy were drafted into military service, and he
looted the churches of anything valuable. The city was deprived of its
title Caesarea [i.e. "Imperial"] and resumed its original name of Maza.
He also imposed a severe tax on the inhabitants. The emperor threatened
to annihilate the city altogether, if the people did not build a new
pagan temple in place of the one destroyed.
Julian tried to compel St Eupsychius to offer sacrifice to
idols. For
many days they tormented the saint on a rack, and also with iron claws.
But his faith was firm, and the judge sentenced the martyr to be
beheaded with a sword.
Then Julian embarked on a campaign against the Persians,
marching
through Cappadocia and approaching Caesarea. Danger threatened the
city, since the emperor intended to raze it to its foundations. But
then St Basil the Great (January 1), showing Julian the proper respect
as sovereign authority, came out to meet him carrying with him three
loaves of barley bread, which he ate. The emperor ordered his retainers
to take the loaves, and to give St Basil a pinch of hay saying, "You
have given us barley, cattle fodder. Now receive hay from us in return."
The saint answered, "O
Emperor, we bring you that which we ourselves
eat, and you give us cattle feed. You mock us, since you, by your
might, are not able to transform hay into bread, the essential food of
mankind."
Julian angrily retorted, "I'll shove this hay down your
throat when I
return here from Persia. I shall raze this city to its very
foundations, and plow over this ground and turn it into a field. I know
that it was on your advice that the people dared to destroy the statues
and temple of Fortuna."
After this the emperor continued on his way, but soon
perished in his
campaign against the Persians. He was struck down in the year 363 by
the holy Great Martyr Mercurius (November 24).
After the emperor's demise, the Christians of the city of
Caesarea
built a splendid church over the grave of St Eupsychius, and from his
holy relics they received help and healing.
Eupsychios von Caesarea Orthodoxe und Katholische Kirche: 9.
April
Eupsychios wurde in Caesarea in Kappadozien unter Kaiser
Julian
(361-363) geboren. Als er sich christlich trauen ließ, fand
gleichzeitig ein Opferfest im Tempel der Götti Fortuna statt.
Eupsychios beschloß, obwohl gerade getraut, den Tempel zu
zerstören. Er sammelte einige Helfer, mit denen er den Tempel
einriß, verteilte anschließend seine Habe an die Armen und
bereitete sich auf das Martyrium vor. Kaiser Julian aber bestrafte die
ganze Stadt. Vornehme Bürger wurden ins Exil geschickt, die
Priester und Diakone wurden zum Militärdienst verpflichtet, die
Kirchen geplündert und den Einwohnern eine hohe Sondersteuer
auferlegt. Außerdem erhielt die Stadt wieder ihren alten Namen
Maza und Julian drohte, die Stadt völlig zu zerstören, wenn
die Bürger nicht umgehend einen neuen Tempel bauten. Eupsychios
selber wurde gefoltert und 362 geköpft.
Kaiser Julian zog auf dem Feldzug gegen die Perser durch
Maza und
verkündete, er werde den Ort nach seiner Rückkehr
zerstören. Julian wurde aber auf dem Feldzug (nach der Legende
durch Merkurius) getötet. Die Christen erbauten auf dem Platz, auf
dem der Tempel gestanden hatte, eine Kirche. Basilius feierte hier mit
allen Bischöfen des Pontus am 8.4.380 eine Gedächtnismesse
für Eupsychios.
Eupsychius of Caesarea M (RM) (also known as Eupsyque)
Died 362.
Before he was martyred under Julian the Apostate, Saint Eupsychius was
a newly-wed in Caesarea, Cappadocia, and the leader of a group of
Christians accused of attacking the pagan god Fortuna by destroying her
temple, the last in the area. In addition to the physical persecution
of Christians here during his march to Antioch, Julian confiscated all
the goods of the Christian churches, including books and sacred
vessels. The clergy were forced into hard labor and Christians heavily
taxed. Upon his departure, Julian ordered the Christians to rebuild the
pagan temples; instead, they built a church on the site of the temple
of Fortuna, where Saint Basil celebrated the feast of Eupsychius on
April 8, 370, to which he invited all the bishops of Pontus
(Benedictines, Encyclopedia, Husenbeth).
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362
Roman Captives Nine
thousand Christians, including Bishop Heliodorus, the ancient
priests Dausas and Mariabus, and many other priests and nuns, were
captured by Persians who besieged Bethzarbe Castle on the Tigris (RM)
Died in Persia, 362. Nine thousand Christians, including Bishop
Heliodorus, the ancient priests Dausas and Mariabus, and many other
priests and nuns, were captured by Persians who besieged Bethzarbe
Castle on the Tigris. The bishop died on the road after ordaining
Dausas as his successor, even though canon law requires three bishop
for episcopal consecration except in necessity. Daily the captives
celebrated the Eucharist with Dausas. When they arrived in Assyria, 300
were given the option of worshipping the sun or dying. Twenty-five
apostatized and were rewarded with gifts of land. The others remained
constant and were all massacred together. Details can be found in
Sozomen (Ecclesiastical History 2) and their original Chaldaic acts
(Husenbeth).
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Hermogenes,
Caius
& Companions Armenian martyrs who are believed to have suffered at
Melitene MM (RM)
Hermogenes, Caius, Expeditus, Aristonicus, Rufus and
Galata are Armenian martyrs who are believed to have suffered at
Melitene (Benedictines).
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St. Demetrius Martyr
with
Concessus, Hilary, and companions.
Romæ natális sanctórum Mártyrum
Demétrii, Concéssi, Hilárii et Sociórum.
At Rome, the birthday of the holy martyrs Demetrius,
Concessus, Hilary, and their companions.
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Massylitan
Martyrs
African martyrs, although they are mentioned by Saint Bede, by
Saint Augustine and in ancient calendars (RM)
In Africa sanctórum Mártyrum Massylitanórum, in
quorum die natáli sanctus Augustínus tractátum
hábuit.
In Africa the holy Massylitan Martyrs, on whose
birthday was written a tract by St. Augustine.
Little is known of these African martyrs,
although they are mentioned
by Saint Bede and in ancient calendars. We have a sermon that was
preached by Saint Augustine on their festivals. They probably suffered
a Massyla, or the adjacent country, on the sea-coast of Africa
(Husenbeth).
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421 St. Acacius
Acacius was bishop
of Amida (Diarbekir), Mesopotamia. He sold the sacred vessels of his
church to aid victims of the Persian persecution.
Amidæ, in Mesopotámia, sancti Acátii
Epíscopi, qui pro rediméndis captívis étiam
vasa Ecclésiæ conflávit ac véndidit.
At Amida in Mesopotamia, St. Acatius, bishop, who
even melted down and sold the sacred vessels in order to ransom
captives.
His actions so impressed King
Bahram V that he is reported to have ordered an end to the persecution
of the Christians.
Bahram V, King of Persia
(421–438), also called "Bahram Gur", son of Yazdegerd I of Persia
(399–421), after whose sudden death (or assassination... ) he gained
the crown against the opposition of the grandees by the help of
Mundhir, the Arabic dynast of al-Hirah. Bahram V's mother was
Soshandukht, the daughter of the Jewish Exilarch. He promised to rule
otherwise than his father, who had been very energetic and at the same
time tolerant in religion. So Bahram V began a systematic persecution
of the Christians (one such persecuted figure was traditionally James
Intercisus), which led to a war with the Roman Empire. But he had
little success, and soon concluded a treaty by which both empires
promised toleration to the worshippers of the two rival religions,
Christianity and Zoroastrianism. In 427 Bahram V crushed an
invasion in the east by the nomadic Hephthalites, extending his
influence into Central Asia, where his portrait survived for centuries
on the coinage of Bukhara (in contemporary Uzbekistan). Bahram V
deposed the last vassal Arsacid king of the Persian part of Armenia and
made of it a province. He is a great favourite in Persian tradition,
which relates many stories of his valour and beauty, of his victories
over the Romans, Turks, Indians and Africans, and of his adventures in
hunting and in love; he is called Bahram Gur, "Onager," on account of
his love for hunting, and in particular, hunting onagers. Some
have judged Bahram V to have been rather a weak monarch, after the
heart of the grandees and the priests. He is said to have built many
great "fire-temples", with large gardens and villages (Tabari).
Acacius of Amida B (RM) (also known as Agace) Died after 421. Bishop
Acacius of Amida (Diarbekir) in Mesopotamia is distinguished for his
heroic charity to Persian prisoners. In order to ransom them, Acacius
melted down and sold the sacred vessels of the church. This won for him
the friendship of King Bahram V (Varannes) of Persia, who is said to
have forthwith ceased to persecute his Christian subjects
(Benedictines, Encyclopedia).
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5th v. St. Madrun
A
Welsh or Cornish
widow. No details of her life are extant, but some Welsh churches bear
her name.
Madrun, Widow (AC) (also known as Materiana)
A second feast is celebrated on October 19. According to a dubious
vita, Madrun was the daughter of Vortimer and wife of Ynyr Gwent, ruler
of the area around Caerwent (Monmouthshire). Following the battle
described by Nennius in which Vortigern was killed, Madrun fled with
the youngest of her three children, Ceidio, first to Carn Fadryn and
then to Cornwall. She was either Welsh or Cornish, and churches are
dedicated to her honor in Tintagel and Minster (near Boscastle), where
she was buried (Benedictines, Farmer).
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474 Marcellus
of
Avignon suffered much from the Arians and died after a long episcopate
B (RM)
In civitáte Diénsi, in Gállia, sancti
Marcélli Epíscopi, miráculis clari.
In the city of Die, in France, St. Marcellus,
bishop, celebrated for miracles.
Born in Avignon, France. Saint Marcellus was
educated by his own
brother Saint Petronius,
bishop of Die (not of Saint-Dié), and later succeeded him.
Marcellus was consecrated by Bishop Saint
Mamertius of Vienne. Marcellus suffered much from the Arians and
died after a long episcopate. Meanwhile, Mamertius was censured by the
Holy See for the consecration without the proper authority
(Benedictines). Saint Marcellus is portrayed as a bishop leading a
dragon with his stole around its neck. (This is typical of several
saints because casting the stole round the creature's neck was the
accepted way of subduing dragons or devils.) Marcellus is venerated at
Avignon (Roeder).
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6th v. St.
Dotto
Abbot of a
monastery of the Orkney Islands of Scotland.
Dotto, Abbot (AC) 6th century. Saint Dotto is said to have
been the
abbot of a monastery in the Orkney Islands that is named after him and
to have lived to a very venerable age (Benedictines, Husenbeth).
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Martyrs of Pannonia A group
of seven Christian men and women who died at Sirmium in Pannonia, on
the Danube.
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688 St.
Waldetrudis
ist Patronin
von Mons 7 saints in family became celebrated for the miracles of
healing which were wrought through her both before and after her death
Móntibus, in
Hannónia, beátæ Waldetrúdis, vitæ
sanctimónia et miráculis claræ.
At Mons in Hainaut, blessed Waltrude, renowned for
holiness and miracles.
688 ST WALDETRUDIS, or WAUDRU, WIDOW
ST WALDETRUDIS, called in French Waltrude or Waudru, who is venerated
in Belgium, especially at Mons of which she is patron, belonged to a
family of remarkable holiness. Her parents were St Walbert and St
Bertilia, her sister St
Aldegundis of Maubeuge, her husband St Vincent
Madelgar, and their four children St Landericus, St Dentelinus, St
Aldetrudis and St Madelberta, the last two named both being
abbess of
Maubeuge.
She married a young nobleman called Madelgar, with whom she led
a happy
life of devotion and good works. Some time after the birth of the last
of their children, Madelgar withdrew into the abbey of Haumont which he
had founded, taking the name of Vincent. Waldetrudis remained in
the world two years longer than her husband and then she also withdrew,
retiring into a very humble little house, built in accordance with her
instructions, where she lived in poverty and simplicity. Her sister
repeatedly invited her to join her at Maubeuge, but she wished for
greater austerity than she could have at the abbey. Her solitude was so
often broken in upon by those who centre of what is now the town of
Mons. Throughout her life St Waldetrudis was greatly given to works of
mercy, and she became celebrated for the miracles of healing which were
wrought through her both before and after her death.
There
are two Latin lives of St Waldetrudis the
first, written in the ninth century, has only been printed in Analectes pour servir a l’histoire
ecclésiastique déjà Belgique, vol. iv, pp.
218—231 the second, at one time
wrongly attributed to Philip de Harveng, is in fact a later adaptation
of the
former. It has been printed in the Acta
Sanctorum, April, vol. i, and by Mabillon. See especially L. Van
der Essen, Saints Mérovingiens de Belgique, pp.
231—237, and Berlière, Monasticon Beige, vol.
i, pp. 327—328.
Also known as Waltrude or Waudru, she was the daughter of Saints Walbert and Bertilia and
sister of St. Aldegunus of Maubeuge.
Marrying St. Vincent Madelgarius,
she became the mother of saints Landericus,
Madalberta, Adeltrudis, and Dentelin. When her husband chose to
become a monk about 643 in the monastery of Hautrnont, France, he
had founded, she established a convent at Chateaulieu, around which
grew up the town of Mons, Belgium.
688 Waltraud Orthodoxe und Katholische Kirche: 9. April
Waltraud (Waldetrudis = kraftvolle Herrscherin oder starke
Göttliche) stammte aus einem adligen Geschlecht. Ihre Mutter
Bertila (Berthild) wurde ebenso als Heilige verehrt wie ihre Schwester
Adelgundis (Gedenktag 30.1.), die das Kloster Maubeuge gründete.
Waltraud heiratete den Grafen des Hennegau Vinzenz Madelgar (Gedenktag
14.7.) und gebar 4 Kinder, von denen drei (Landicus, Madelberta und
Adeltrud) ebenfalls Heilige wurden. Ihr Ehemann und ihre Kinder gingen
auf ihren Wunsch in Klöster, sie selber erbaute das Kloster Mons
in Castrilocus und wurde dessen Äbtissin. Sie starb am 9.4. um das
Jahr 688 und wurde in der Kathedrale von Mons bestattet. Waltraud ist
Patronin von Mons.
Waldetrudis of Mons, OSB Widow (RM) (also known as Vaudru, Waltrude,
Waudru) Died April 9, c. 686-688. The family of Saint Waudru,
patroness of Mons (Belgium), was amazingly holy, too. Both her parents
(Walbert and Bertille) and her sister (Aldegund) were canonized. Her
four children were also declared saints (Landericus, Dentelin,
Aldetrude, and Madelberte) and so was her husband (Madelgaire).
Madelgaire was the count of Hennegau (Hainault), and one of the
courtiers of King Dagobert I. After their children were born both he
and Waudru longed to live lives totally devoted to meditation and
prayer. He retired to an abbey he had founded at Haumont near Maubeuge,
where he took the name Vincent. For two additional years, Waudru
remained in the world, devoting herself to the care of the poor and the
sick under the direction of Saint Gislenus.
After Madelgaire's death, Waudru received the religious veil from Saint
Autbert in 656, built a tiny home for herself near Castriloc
(Châteaulieu), and, giving away her possessions, lived there
alone. Though she clung to her solitude, her great wisdom and piety
meant that countless men and women pressed on her for advice.
Eventually Waudru had so many followers that she was obliged to found
her own convent at Châteaulieu. She dedicated this convent to the
Mother of Jesus, and around it grew the present town of Mons. By the
time of Waudru's death she had become famous not only for her charity
but also for her miraculous powers of healing, her patience in the face
of trials, continual fasting, and prayer. Her relics are considered the
most precious treasure of the church that bears her name in Mons
(Attwater, Benedictines, Bentley, Encyclopedia, Husenbeth, Walsh).
In art, Saint Waudru is depicted protecting her children under her
mantle, offering her husband a crucifix, and refusing a crown of roses
(Roeder). She is venerated in Mons (Roeder).
|
730 St. Hugh
of
Rouen
Benedictine bishop of Rouen, Paris, and Bayeux, France, a nephew of
Charles Martel
Rotómagi
sancti Hugónis, Epíscopi et
Confessóris. At Rouen, St. Hugh, bishop and
confessor.
730 ST HUGH, BISHOP OF ROUEN
HISTORY has preserved few details about St Hugh of Rouen, who owed much
of the fame he enjoyed among his contemporaries to his family
connections. The son of Drogo, Duke of Burgundy, he was the grandson on
the paternal side of Pepin de Herstal and nephew of Charles Martel. He
was made primicerius of the church of Metz, and subsequently, no doubt
through the influence of his uncle Charles, bishop of Rouen, Paris and
Bayeux, and abbot of Fontenelle and Jumièges.
To be a pluralist in those days was unfortunately only too common, but
Hugh, far from profiting by the revenues to which he became entitled,
expended his own considerable wealth for the benefit of the churches
which he governed. The Chronicle of Fontenelle, which is our chief
source of information, expatiates upon the generous gifts with which he
endowed that abbey alone. He died in the abbey of Jumièges in
730.
Our
chief source of information is the Gesta Abbatum of
the abbey of
Fontenelle. The biography written by Bishop Baudri of Dol four hundred
years
after the death of the saint is of little worth. See the Acta
Sanctorum, April, vol. i. The life by Baudri is printed in
Migne, PL., vol. clxvi, cc. 1163—1172. See also Duchesne, Fastes
Épiscopaux, vol. ii, pp. 208 and 460.
The son of Duke Drogo of Burgundy, he was named the bishop
of Rouen in
722. He then moved to Paris and later to Bayeux.
At the same time he was abbot of
Fontenelles and Jumieges At the close of his life, Hugh retired to
Jumieges and died as a simple choir monk.
Hugh of Rouen, OSB B (RM) . Saint Hugh became a monk at
either
Fontenelle or Jumièges at a very early age. Then he was called
to be primicerius of Metz and, shortly thereafter, in 722, bishop of
Rouen and Paris while still abbot of Fontenelle and Jumièges.
During his tenure in these offices Hugh fostered piety and learning.
Before his death, however, he resigned them all and died at
Jumièges as a simple monk (Benedictines). In art,
Saint Hugh is a bishop with a monstrance that the devil tries to wrest
from him (Roeder). He is venerated at Fontenelle, Jumièges
(Roeder).
|
870 St. Hedda
Martyred
Benedictine abbot of Peterborough, England. He and eighty four monks
were slain by Danes marauding along the English coast.
Hedda and Companions, OSB MM (AD) (also known as Haeddi). Hedda was the
abbot of Peterborough (Medehampstead). He and 84 monks of his community
were slain by the Danes, who that same year killed Saint Edmund of East
Anglia. Hedda and his monks are venerated as martyrs, even though
modern scholars believe that the motivation for the murders was booty
and not the hatred of Christianity. In the later Middle Ages the "Hedda
stone" stood in the cemetery over the grave of the martyrs. Holes were
cut into the slab to hold candles for using it as an altar at which to
say Mass--a custom started by abbot Godric. In the 17th century,
pilgrims would put their fingers into the holes, perhaps to take dust
as a souvenir (Benedictines, Farmer).
870 Martyrs of Croyland Benedictine
monks who were slain by the Danes during an invasion of Croyland Abbey,
England
And the surrounding area. The abbot was Theodore. Others suffering
included Askega, the prior; Swethin, the subprior; and Elfgete,
Savinus, Egdred, Agamund, Grimkeld, and Ulrick.
870 Theodore and Companions martyred by the invading Danes OSB MM (AC)
This is another group martyred by the invading Danes. Theodore, abbot
of Croyland, and several others of his large community were mentioned
by name: Askega, prior; Swethin, subprior; Elfgete, deacon; Savinus,
subdeacon; Egdred and Ulrick, acolytes; Grimkeld and Agamund
(Argamund), both centenarians (Benedictines).
|
 1050
St. Casilda
Spanish martyr native of Toledo of Moorish parentage became a Christian
and a hermitess near Briviesca, Burgos venerated in Burgos and Toledo.
Casilda of Briviesca V (AC)
Born in Toledo, Spain; died c. 1050. Saint Casilda was
the
daughter of a Moorish king of Toledo, who hated everything connected
with Jesus Christ. Casilda secretly visited and fed Christian captives,
which made her father angry. She escaped her father, illness, other
horrors, and died as an anchorite near Briviesca in Burgos but with joy
because she had been baptized (Benedictines, Encyclopedia, Gill).
In art, Saint Casilda is a Saracen maiden carrying roses in
her lap.
Sometimes she is pictured as a Saracen princess with roses or as bread
changes to roses--a story that is also told of Elizabeth of Hungary and
Elizabeth of Portugal (Roeder). Casilda is still especially venerated
at Saragossa, Toledo, and Burgos. She is invoked in time of war
(Roeder).
Saint Casilda by Francisco de Zurbarán Museo del
Prado, Madrid
Courtesy of the Web Gallery of Art
|
1140 St. Gaucherius hermit in
the forest of Limoges with a companion founded St. John’s Monastery at
Aureilfor and a convent for women
1140 ST GAUCHERIUS, ABBOT
St Gaucherius was only eighteen when he abandoned the world to live the
solitary life. He was born at Meulan-sur-Seine, where he received a
good and religious education. His director sent him to his own master,
Humbert, one of the canons of Limoges, who happened to be staying in
the neighbourhood. That wise man not only encouraged the youth, but
offered to assist him in carrying out his heart’s desire by taking him
back to the Limousin district which was suitable for the life of
retirement which he was contemplating. After spending a night in prayer
at the tomb of St Leonard of Limoges, Gaucherius and a friend called
Germond struck out into the wild forest region which stretched away for
miles without any human habitation. In a particularly remote and
inaccessible spot, they constructed a hermitage, and there they lived
for several years unknown and forgotten. But gradually, as knowledge of
the hermits’ holy life spread, cells sprang up round about to
accommodate disciples and visitors. Many holy men were trained in this
community, which became known as Aureil. To them, and to a convent he
founded for women, Gaucherius gave the rule of the canons and
canonesses of St Augustine. St Lambert of Angouléme, and St
Faucherus were amongst the disciples of St Gaucherius, and it was he
who gave St Stephen of Grandmont his hermitage of Muret. The saint’s
death took place as the result of a fall from his horse when, as an old
man of eighty, he was returning to Aureil from a visit to Limoges. He
was canonized in 1194.
There is
an earlier and fuller Latin life than
that printed in the Acta Sanctorum, April,
vol. i, but it only exists in manuscript and in a fragmentary
condition. See
the Catalogue of Paris Hagiographical MSS., vol. ii, p. 626.
Born 1060. Also known as Walter, abbot founder and friend of St.
Stephen of Grandmont. He was born in Meulan sur Seine, France, and
became a hermit in the forest of Limoges with a companion, Germond.
Attracting disciples even though he was only eighteen, Gaucherius
founded St. John’s Monastery at Aureilfor and a convent for women. He
died from a fall from a horse. He was canonized in 1194.
Gaucherius of Aureil, OSA Abbot (AC) (also known as Gaultier, Walter)
Died April 9, 1140; canonized by Pope Celestine III. His spiritual
vocation led him to found and govern two monasteries in the Limousin
region: Saint John at Aureil for Augustinian canons regular and Saint
Stephen of Grandmont at Muret. He fell from a horse and died at the age
of 80 (Benedictines, Encyclopedia, Husenbeth).
|
1315 Blessed
Ubald
Adimari converted by Saint Philip Benizi, who admitted him to the
Servite institute model to penitent souls; He had the gift of miracles
OSM (AC)
1315 BD UBALD OF FLORENCE He had the gift of miracles
ONE of the most prominent leaders of the Ghibelline party in Florence
in the year 1276 was the young Ubald Adimari. Well favoured by nature
and fortune and belonging to a distinguished family, he had up to the
age of thirty led a turbulent life with dissipated companions. One day,
however, as he was listening to the preaching of St Philip Benizi, he
was struck to the heart with shame for the past, and, with one of those
sudden impulses to which generous souls are prone, he then and there
vowed that he would never again bear arms. Attaching himself to St
Philip, who admitted him into the Servite Order, he undertook severe
penances to atone for his sins and to tame his proud and haughty
spirit.
In after years those about him noted that he had grown so gentle that
when he appeared in the garden of the monastery of Monte Senario the
birds would perch upon his head and hands and shoulders. He had the
gift of miracles, and it is recorded that once, when it was his turn to
fetch water from the spring to serve to the brethren in the refectory
and accidentally broke the pitcher, he filled his scapular with water
and carried it safely home. There was enough, we are told, to satisfy
the thirst of all.
St Philip dearly loved his devoted disciple. Not only did he make him
for several years the companion of his journeys, but he chose him for
his confessor. As Philip lay sick at Todi, Ubald was warned by a
supernatural premonition that his master was dying and hastened to his
bedside. When the saint asked for his “book”, eager hands offered the
Bible, the Breviary and the rosary; but Ubald knew better, and gave him
the book from which he had learnt all his wisdom—the crucifix and on
that “book” he fixed his failing eyes until they finally closed in
death. Ubald survived him for thirty years at Monte Senario. His cultus
was confirmed in 1821.
See
Gianni-Garbi, Annales Ordinis Servorum B.V.M., vol.
i, pp. 228—229 Spörr, Lebensbilder aus dem
Servitenorden, pp. 437 seq. Most of the lives of
St Philip
Benizi (e.g. that of P. Soulier) also
contain some mention of Bd Ubald.
Born in Florence, Italy, in 1246; cultus confirmed in 1821. Born into
Ghebelline nobility, Ubald was notorious for his wild and dissolute
life. In 1276, he was converted by Saint Philip Benizi, who admitted
him to the Servite institute. Ubald spent the rest of his life on Mount
Senario, a model to penitent souls (Benedictines).
|
1322 Bl. Thomas
of
Tolentino preach in the difficult regions of Armenia and Persia (modern
Iran) set out for China beheaded at Thame in Hindustan
1321 BD THOMAS OF TOLENTINO, MARTYR
AMONG the missionary pioneers who in the early fourteenth century
strove to spread Christianity in the Far East was the Franciscan,
Thomas of Tolentino, whose memory is still venerated by the faithful in
India, the country in which he received the crown of martyrdom.
From the time he had entered, the Order of Friars Minor in early youth,
Thomas had been known as a truly apostolic man, and when the ruler of
Armenia sent to ask the Minorite minister-general for some priests to
fortify true religion in his realm, Thomas was chosen for the mission
with four of his brethren. Their labours were blessed with success,
many schismatics being reconciled and infidels converted. Armenia,
however, was being seriously threatened by the Saracens, and Thomas
came back to Europe to solicit help from Pope Nicholas IV and the kings
of England and France.
Although he duly returned to the Armenian mission with twelve other
Franciscans, Thomas subsequently travelled farther afield to Persia.
Again he was recalled or sent back to Italy, but this time it was to
report to Pope Clement V with a view to a further advance into Tartary
and China. His embassy resulted in the nomination of an ecclesiastical
hierarchy consisting of John of Monte Corvino as archbishop and papal
legate for the East, with seven Franciscans as suffragans. In the
meantime Bd Thomas had returned to the field of his labours, full of
zeal for the conversion of India and China. He appears to have been
making for Ceylon and Cathay, but the ship was driven by contrary winds
to Salsette Island, near Bombay. Thomas was seized by the Saracens with
several of his brethren and imprisoned. After being scourged and
exposed to the burning rays of the sun, the holy man was beheaded. Bd
Odoric of Pordenone afterwards recovered his body and translated it to
Xaitou. The cultus was approved in 1894.
There
are various letters of Jordan de Severac,
and others, which supply information concerning Bd Thomas see BHL., nn.
8257—8268. Some portion of these is printed in the Acta
Sanctorum, April, vol. i (under April 1), and others in the Analecta Franciscana, vol. iii. Further
materials are available in the volumes of Fr Jerome Golubovich, Bibliotheca bio-bibliographica della Terra
Santa e deli’ Oriente Francescano. See also Leon, Aureole
Séraphique (Eng. trans.), vol. ii, pp. 61—64. On Bd Odoric
of Pordenone, see under January 28 and the bibliography thereto
appended, much
of which has also a bearing upon the subject of the present notice.
Franciscan martyr. Born in Tolentino, Italy, he entered the Franciscans
and was sent to preach in the difficult regions of Armenia and Persia
(modern Iran). Convinced to head further East, he set out for China
with three companions Blesseds James of Padua, Peter of Siena (both
Franciscans), and a layman, Demetrius of Triflis. While traveling
through Hindustan (modem northern India) they were beheaded at Thame.
Blessed Thomas of Tolentino & Comp., OFM MM (AC) Born in Tolentino,
Italy; died 1321; cultus approved in 1894. Thomas became a Franciscan
and went into the mission fields in Armenia and Persia. He was on his
way to Ceylon (Sri Lanka), with a view to proceeding to China, when he
was seized and beheaded by the Islamics in the East Indies. Three
companions Blessed James of Padua (cultus approved 1809) and Peter of
Siena, Franciscans, and Demetrius of Tiflis, layman, suffered with him
(Benedictines).
|
1331 Blessed
John
of Vespignano devoted himself to works of charity among the
refugees who flocked to Florence (AC)
Born at Vespignano (diocese of Florence), Italy; cultus approved by
Pius VII. During the civil wars, John devoted himself to works of
charity among the refugees who flocked to Florence (Benedictines).
|
1348 Blessed
Reginald
Montesmarti, OP (AC)
Born in Montesmarti (near Orvieto), Italy, in 1292; died at Piperno,
Italy; cultus approved in 1877 (Benedictines, Encyclopedia).
|
1374 Blessed Antony of
Pavoni consistent poverty of Antony's life & example of
Christian virtue combatting heresies of Lombards OP M (AC)
1374 BD ANTONY PAVONI, MARTYR
ANTONY Pavoni was born at Savigliano in Piedmont and entered, while
still young, the Dominican priory there. His reputation for fervour and
learning caused him to be appointed inquisitor general over Piedmont
and Liguria: as such he was called upon to refute and pass judgement on
the opponents of the faith, notably the Vaudois. In the zealous
performance of his office he made many enemies, as he himself knew full
well. At Easter 1374, in the little town of Bricherasio he prophesied
his own approaching death. He bade the barber who was shaving him give
him a fine tonsure because he was invited to a marriage feast. The man
who, like all those of his trade, was well up in the local news,
exclaimed in surprise that no wedding was about to take place in the
neighbourhood. “All the same I can assure you that I am telling you the
truth”, was Antony’s reply. A few days later, on Low Sunday, as he left
the church in which he had just offered Mass and preached, he was set
upon by seven armed men, who killed him. His tomb was the scene of
miracles (one of the beneficiaries being Bd Haymo Taparelli); and the
cultus was authorized
in 1856.
See the Acta
Sanctorum, April, vol. i, and Archivio storico
italiano, 3rd
series, vol. xii, pp. 29 seq. A fuller bibliography
in Taurisano, Catalogus hagiographicus OP. There is
a short English account in Procter, Lives
of the Dominican Saints, pp. 85—87.
Born in Savigliano, Italy, in 1326; died in Turino, Italy,
in 1374;
beatified in 1868. Antony was obviously martyred for the faith, yet it
took more than 500 years before he was even beatified. He is still not
canonized. Antony grew up to be a pious, intelligent youth. At 15, he
was received into the monastery of Savigliano, was ordained in 1351,
and almost immediately was engaged in combatting the heresies of the
Lombards.
Pope Urban V, in
1360,
appointed him inquisitor-general of Lombardy and Genoa, making him one
of the youngest men ever to hold that office. It was a difficult and
dangerous job for a young priest of 34. Besides being practically a
death sentence to any man who held the office, it carried with it the
necessity of arguing with the men most learned in a twisted and subtle
heresy. Antony worked untiringly in his native city, and his
apostolate lasted 14 years. During this time, he accomplished a great
deal by his preaching, and even more by his example of Christian
virtue. He was elected prior of Savigliano, in 1368, and given the task
of building a new abbey. This he accomplished without any criticism of
its luxury--a charge that heretics were always anxious to make against
any Catholic builders.
The consistent poverty of Antony's life was a reproach to
the heretics,
who had always been able to gain ground with the poor by pointing out
the wealth of religious houses. He went among the poor and let them see
that he was one of them. This so discomfited the heretics that they
decided they must kill him. He was preaching in a little village near
Turin when they caught him.
The martyrdom occurred in the Easter octave. On the Saturday
after
Easter, he asked the barber to do a good job on his tonsure because he
was going to a wedding. Puzzled, the barber complied. On the Sunday
after Easter, as he finished preaching a vigorous sermon against heresy
at Brichera, seven heretics fell upon him with their daggers, and he
hurried off to the promised "wedding." He was buried in the Dominican
church at Savigliano, where his tomb was a place of pilgrimage until
1827. At that time the relics were transferred to the Dominican church
of Racconigi (Benedictines, Dorcy).
Oddly enough, this Dominican
Antony takes after his Franciscan namesake. He is also invoked to find
lost articles (Dorcy).
|
Romæ Translátio
córporis sanctæ Mónicæ, matris beáti
Augustíni Epíscopi; quod, ex Ostiis Tiberínis,
Martíno Quinto Summo Pontífice, in Urbem delátum,
in Ecclésia ejúsdem beáti Augustíni
honorífice recónditum fuit.
At
Rome, the transferring of the body of St. Monica, mother of the bishop
St. Augustine. It was brought from Ostia to Rome, under the
Sovereign Pontiff, Martin V, and buried with due honours in the church
of St. Augustine.
|
 1463 Saint Eleni
(who
was also called Susanna) is one of the New Martyrs of Lesbos who are
commemorated on Bright Tuesday; Dr. Constantine Cavarnos has given a
detailed account of their life, miracles, and spiritual counsels in
Volume 10 of his inspirational series MODERN ORTHODOX SAINTS (Belmont,
MA, 1990).
She was St. Irene's older cousin, and suffered along with
Sts Raphael,
Nicholas, and Irene on April 9, 1463 (Bright Tuesday).
On November 12, 1961 Mrs Basilike Rallis had a dream in
which she saw
herself by the church at Karyes near the town of Thermi on the Greek
island of Lesbos. As she looked inside the church, she saw a young girl
about fourteen or fifteen years old, with a dark complexion and dark
hair. Since the girl was praying, Mrs Rallis also began to pray. The
girl turned to her and said, "Do you know who I am? I am a martyr. Not
like Renoula (a diminutive form of Irene), of course, but if you only
knew what I endured! I lived with the mayor's family, and I was also
with them when the Turks tortured them here. They mistreated me and
gave me such a horrible beating that I died from the pains. My name is
Eleni."
The saint also told Mrs Rallis about an icon of the Mother
of God that
she had been asking about, revealing to her the place where it would be
found.
When she awoke, Mrs Rallis was reluctant to mention this
dream to
anyone. She said to herself, "If there really is another martyr named
Eleni, I'll see her again. Maybe someone else will see her, too, then
I'll tell. But who was this Eleni who lived with the mayor's family?
Perhaps she was their servant."
The next night, she
dreamed that she was in the village church. She saw
three clerics coming out through the left door of the altar. She made
the Sign of the Cross at once, for she thought that Satan might be
tempting her. Then; she saw the three clerics make the Sign of the
Cross, too. They looked at her and smiled as they slowly proceeded to
the center of the church.
"I recognized St. Raphael and St. Nicholas right away," Mrs
Rallis
recalled, "but did not know the other saint. He was tall, middle-aged
with a long grey beard and a lordly air about him."
At that moment, a girl with a round face came out by the
same door. She
was beautiful, and she wore a rose-colored dress. Mrs Rallis approached
her and, kneeling before her, she asked, "Are you also a saint?"
"Yes," the girl replied. "Sit down beside me, watch quietly
and I will
explain some things to you."
Then other people began to come out from the same door and
approached
the saints. First, a man of medium height with civilian clothes and a
long grey jacket. The girl said to Mrs Rallis, "The teacher, Theodore."
He was followed by another well-formed man. The saint said, "The mayor,
Basil (St Irene's father)." Then a tall, stout woman of about forty
came forth with two girls whom Mrs Rallis recognized at once.They were
Sts Irene and Eleni, of whom she had dreamt the night before.
The unknown saint who had appeared with Sts Raphael and
Nicholas
identified the tall woman as Maria, the mayor's wife, and the two girls
as Renoula and Eleni. He asked Mrs Rallis, "Why, when you dreamed about
her last evening, did you say that you would not say anything about
it to anyone? Eleni is also a martyr, and she wishes to be remembered.
She was not the mayor's servant, but his orphaned niece who lived with
them. Her proper name, which she signed on papers, was Eleni. However,
they also called her Susanna. She also had that name."
Mrs Rallis slowly approached St Irene. She embraced her and
began to
weep, saying, "O Renoula, my tortured little girl, how could these
heartless evil-doers burn you?" Then St Irene also started to cry.
When Mrs Rallis woke up, her eyes were filled with tears,
and she
thought that she would faint. So powerful was the dream that she later
said, "Ah, that tortured child! How I ached for her! Every time I go to
Karyes I will sit by her little tomb and I will mourn as if she were my
own child. Just think, they tortured the child in front of her father,
in front of her mother who bore her. It seems to me that there does not
exist a more terrible martyrdom for parents."
The Newly-Appeared Martyrs of
Lesbos are also commemorated on April 9.
Detailed accounts of these saints may be found in A GREAT SIGN (in
Greek) by Photios Kontoglou (Astir, 1964).
 Newly-Appeared
Martyrs of Lesbos, Sts Raphael, Nicholas and Irene were martyred by the
Turks on Bright Tuesday (April 9, 1463) ten years after the Fall of
Constantinople. They began appearing to various inhabitants of Lesbos
in 1959 and revealed the details of their lives and martyrdom. These
accounts form the basis of Photios Kontoglou's 1962 book A GREAT SIGN
(in Greek).
In 1453, St Nicholas was living in Macedonia with his fellow
monastic,
St Raphael. Deacon Nicholas was a native of Thessalonica. In 1454, the
Turks invaded Thrace, so the two monks fled to the island of Lesbos.
They settled in the Monastery of the Nativity of the Theotokos near
Thermi, where St Raphael became the igumen.
In the spring of 1463, the Turks raided the monastery and
captured the
monks. They were tortured from Holy Thursday until Bright Tuesday. St
Raphael was tied to a tree, and the ferocious Turks sawed through his
jaw, killing him. St Nicholas was also tortured, and he died while
witnessing his Elder's martyrdom. He appeared to people and indicated
the spot where his relics were uncovered on June 13, 1960.
St Nicholas is short and thin, with a small blond beard. He
stands
before St Raphael with great respect. St Irene usually appears with a
long yellow dress reaching to her feet. Her blonde hair is divided into
two braids which rest on either side of her chest.
Sts Raphael, Nicholas, and Irene (and those with them) are
also
commemorated on Bright Tuesday. Dr. Constantine Cavarnos has given a
detailed account of their life, miracles, and spiritual counsels in
Volume 10 of his inspirational series MODERN ORTHODOX SAINTS (Belmont,
MA, 1990).
|
Dietrich
Bonhoeffer
1945 Lektor an der Berliner Universität für aktiven
Widerstand gegen das Unrechtsregime ein ermordet in das
Konzentrationslager Flossenbürg
Anglikanische und Evangelische Kirche: 9. April
Dietrich Bonhoeffer wurde am 4.2.1906 in Breslau geboren. Schon 1933,
Bonhoeffer war Lektor an der Berliner Universität, setzte er sich
für aktiven Widerstand gegen das Unrechtsregime ein. Er wurde als
Pfarrer an die deutsche evangelische Gemeinde in London berufen, kehrte
aber 1935 nach Deutschland zurück, um in der Heimat gegen die
Unterdrückung des Evangeliums anzugehen. Er wurde zum Leiter des
Predigerseminars der Bekennenden Kirche in Finkenwalde berufen. 1936
verlor er seinen Lehrauftrag an der Berliner Universität, auch das
Predigerseminar wurde geschlossen. 1937 erschien sein Buch 'Nachfolge',
das großes Aufsehen erregte. Kurze Zeit später erhielt
Bonhoeffer nach dem Lehrverbot auch Predigtverbot.
Im Sommer 1942 reiste er unter Lebensgefahr nach Stockholm um dem
schwedischen Bischof Bell über die Lage in Deutschland zu
berichten. Auch von dieser Reise kehrte er nach Deutschland
zurück. Am 5. April 1943 wurde er von der Gestapo verhaftet und in
Berlin gefangengesetzt. Ende März 1945 wurde er mit anderen
Leidensgenossen aus Berlin in das Konzentrationslager Flossenbürg
gebracht und hier am 9. April 1945 auf Befehl Himmlers ermordet. Seine
Verse 'Von guten Mächten wunderbar geborgen' (EG 65) hat er
vermutlich zu Sylvester 1944 geschrieben.
Umfangreiches Material zu Bonhoeffer bieten die Seiten der ESH der
Universität Linz
Weitere Informationen zu den Märtyrern im Nationalsozialismus
unter Werner Sylten
|
Saints of April 09
Quinto Idus Aprílis. 
Monk
Martyr Archimandrite Bademus
(Vadim) was born in the fourth century in the Persian city of
Bithlapata, and was descended from a rich and illustrious family. In
his youth, he was enlightened with the Christian teaching. The saint
gave away all his wealth to the poor and withdrew into the wilderness,
where he founded a monastery. He would go up on a mountain for solitary
prayer, and once was permitted to behold the Glory of God. >>
Quote: Pope
Paul
VI’s 1969 
Benedict XVI
met with Aram I Catholicos of Cilicia,
the highest authority of the Orthodox Church. The
Pope remembered the martyrs of the Armenian Church and the Armenian
genocide, without explicitly mentioning it, and denounced the
persecution of Christians in modern times. Benedict
XVI
As
we watch the
spectacle of the world
seeming to self-destruct before our eyes, we can’t help but be saddened
and even frightened by so much evil run rampant. Iraq, Lebanon,
Afghanistan, Somalia, North Korea—It is all a disaster of epic
proportions displayed in living color on our television screens.