6th v. BC. Apud Babylónem
sancti Ezechiélis Prophétæ, qui, a Júdice pópuli
Israël, quod eum de cultu idolórum argúeret, interféctus,
in sepúlcro Sem et Arpháxad, Abrahæ progenitórum,
sepúltus est; ad quod sepúlcrum, oratiónis causa, multi
conflúere consuevérunt.
At Babylon,
the prophet Ezechiel, who was put to death by a{n apostatized judge} of the
people of Israel because he reproved him for worshipping idols. He
was buried in the sepulchre of Sem and Arphaxad, ancestors of Abraham.
Many people{ early Christians } were in the habit of going to his tomb to
pray.
Ezekiel, Prophet (RM) (also known as Ezechiel)
Ezekiel is one of the four major prophets of the Old Testament.
Tradition says that he was put to death, while in captivity in Babylon, by
one of the Jewish judges who had apostatized, and that he was buried there
in the tomb of Shem. He grave was a site of pilgrimage for the early Christians
(Benedictines, Encyclopedia). Raphael painted this Vision of Ezekiel.
VII B.C. The Holy Prophetess
Oldama (Huldah) lived in the first half. She foretold to the 16 year old
king of Judah reigning at Jerusalem, Josiah, that for his humility the Lord
would put him with his forefathers and he would be at peace in the grave,
and his eyes would not see all the woe, which the Lord would bring upon the
land (4 (2) Kings 22: 14-20; 2 Chron. 34: 28).
The Martyrdom of
St. James the Apostle Brother of St. John the Apostle.
copticchurch.net
On this day, St. James the Apostle, the son of Zebedee, and the
brother of St. John, the Apostle, was martyred. After he had preached the
Gospel in Judea and Samaria, he went to Spain. He preached the Gospel there,
and its people believed in the Lord Christ. He returned to Jerusalem and
pursued his ministry.
He always advised his flock to give alms to the poor, the needy,
and the weak. They accused him before Herod who called him and asked him:
"Are you the one that instigating the people not to give the taxes to Caesar
but to give it to the poor and the churches?" Then he smote him with the
sword, cutting off his head, and St. James received the crown of martyrdom.
Clement of Alexandria, from the fathers of the second century,
said: "The soldier that seized the Saint, when he saw his courage, he realized
that there must be a better life and asked the Saint for his forgiveness.
Then the soldier confessed Christianity and received the crown of martyrdom
(Acts 12:1,2) along with the Apostle in the year 44 A.D."
Because Herod saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further
to seize Peter also. So when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison,
and delivered him to four squads of soldiers to keep him, intending to bring
him before the people after Passover. (Acts 12:3-4)
So on a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat on his throne
and gave an oration to them. And the people kept shouting, "The voice of
a god and not of a man!" Then immediately an angel of the Lord struck him
because he did not give glory to God. And he was eaten by worms and died.
(Acts 12:21-23)
As of the body of St. James, the believers took it, shrouded it,
and buried it by the Temple. It was said that the body of St. James was translated
to Spain, where James the elder considered to be its Apostle.
His prayers be with us and Glory
be to our God forever. Amen.
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115 Martyrs of Rome Saint
Alexander while imprisoned in he preached to the criminals they were converted
and baptized (RM)
Romæ natális plurimórum sanctórum Mártyrum,
quos sanctus Alexánder Papa, cum detinerétur in cárcere,
baptizávit. Hos autem omnes Aureliánus Præféctus,
navi vetústæ impósitos, in altum mare dedúci,
et illic, ligátis ad colla lapídibus, mergi præcépit.
At Rome, the birthday of many holy martyrs, whom Pope
St. Alexander baptized while he was in prison. The prefect Aurelian
had them all put in an old ship, taken to the deep sea, and drowned with
stones tied to their necks
While Pope Saint Alexander was imprisoned in a public
jail in Rome, he preached to the criminals he found there. They were converted
and baptized. Later, the criminals were taken to Ostia and put on board an
old boat which was then sent out to sea and scuttled. (Benedictines).
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250 St. Apollonius
A priest in Egypt, martyred in Alexandria with five companions in the reign
of Trajanus Decius.
Romæ natális plurimórum sanctórum Mártyrum,
quos sanctus Alexánder Papa, cum detinerétur in cárcere,
baptizávit. Hos autem omnes Aureliánus Præféctus,
navi vetústæ impósitos, in altum mare dedúci,
et illic, ligátis ad colla lapídibus, mergi præcépit.
At Rome, the birthday of many holy martyrs, whom
Pope St. Alexander baptized while he was in prison. The prefect Aurelian
had them all put in an old ship, taken to the deep sea, and drowned with
stones tied to their necks.
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250
St. Terence With Africanus, Pompeius, and companions, a group of fifty martyrs
In Africa sanctórum Mártyrum
Teréntii, Africáni, Pompéji et Sociórum; qui, sub Décio Imperatóre et Fortuniáno Præfécto,
virgis cæsi, equúleis torti aliísque supplíciis
cruciáti, demum cápitis obtruncatióne martyrium complevérunt.
In Africa, under
Emperor Decius and the prefect Fortunian, the holy martyrs Terence, Africanus,
Pompey, and their companions, who were scourged, racked and subjected to
other torments. Their martyrdom ended by beheading.
Cruelly
martyred during the persecutions of Emperor Trajanus Decius. According to
tradition, they were forced into a pit filled with serpents and stinging
rep tiles; those who survived this ordeal were beheaded.
The Holy Martyr Terence and his companions suffered under the
emperor Decius (249-251). The emperor issued an edict commanding all subjects
to offer sacrifice to the pagan idols.
When the governor of Africa Fortunianus received this edict, he
gathered the people into the city square, set out cruel instruments of torture
and declared that everyone without exception had to offer the sacrifice to
the idols. Many, afraid of torture, complied.
St Terence and forty other Christians bravely affirmed their faith
in the Savior and ridiculed the idols. Fortunianus was amazed at their boldness
and he asked how they as rational people, could confess as God, One Whom
the Jews crucified as a malefactor.
St Terence answered that their belief was in the Savior, Who voluntarily
endured death on the Cross and rose on the third day. Fortunianus saw that
Terence inspired the others by his example, and so he ordered him to be isolated
in prison with his three closest companions: Africanus, Maximus, and Pompeius.
Fortunianus was determined to force the rest of the martyrs, including Zeno,
Alexander and Theodore, to renounce Christ.
Neither threats nor terrible tortures could sway the holy martyrs.
They burned them with red-hot iron, they poured vinegar on the wounds, they
sprinkled on salt, and they raked them with iron claws. In spite of their
sufferings, the saints did not weaken in their confession of Christ, and
the Lord gave them strength.
Forunatian gave orders to lead the martyrs into the pagan temple,
and once again he urged them to offer sacrifice to the idols. The valiant
warriors of Christ cried out, "O Almighty God, Who once sent down fire on
Sodom for its iniquity, destroy this impious temple of idolatry."
The idols fell down with a crash, and then the
temple lay in ruins.
The enraged governor gave orders
to execute them, and the martyrs, glorifying God, bowed their necks beneath
the executioner's sword.
After the execution of the thirty-six martyrs, Fortunianus summoned
Terence, Maximus, Africanus and Pompeius before him. He showed them the martyrs'
bodies and again urged them to offer sacrifice to the idols. The martyrs
refused. The governor put heavy chains on them, and gave orders to starve
them to death.
By night, an angel of the Lord removed the martyrs' chains and
fed them.
In the morning, the guards found
the saints cheerful and strong. Then Fortunianus ordered sorcerers and conjurers
to carry snakes and all kinds of poisonous creatures into the prison. The
guards looked into the cell through an opening in the ceiling and saw the
martyrs unharmed, praying, and the snakes crawling at their feet. When the
sorcerers opened the door of the prison cell, the snakes bit them. The furious
Fortunianus gave orders to behead the holy martyrs. Christians took up their
holy bodies and buried them with reverence outside the city.
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305 St. Apollonius Martyr
of Egypt with Philemon deacon in Antinopolis Faiyoum
Alexandríæ sanctórum
Mártyrum Apollónii Presbyteri, et aliórum quinque, qui,
in persecutióne Maximiáni, in mare demérsi sunt.
At Alexandria, during the persecution of Maximian,
the holy martyrs Apollonius, a priest, and five others who were drowned in
the sea.
He converted Philemon,
who was a musician. Arrested in the persecutions of Emperor Diocletian, the
two were taken to Alexandria, where they were drowned. Tradition states that
Philemon was hired to represent Apollonius at a pagan sacrifice demanded
of citizens. Philemon announced he was a Christian. When no one listened
to his claims, he persisted and was baptized miraculously. Apollonius declared
the faith when arrested, and he and Philemon were sewn into sacks and thrown
into the sea.
380 The
Holy Martyrs James the Presbyter and deacons Azadanes and Abdikius
Died in Persia under the emperor Sapor in about the year 380.
They were arrested together with Bishop Akepsimas (November 3). Weak from
hunger, the sufferers had mustard and vinegar inserted into their nostrils.
Then they were stripped and led out to stand all night in the cold.
In the morning, after new torments, the martyrs were returned
to prison and beheaded.
380 Bademus of Persia founded and governed an
abbey near Bethlapeta in Persia Abbot M (AC) (also known as Bademe)
376 ST BADEMUS, ABBOT
ONE of the victims of the persecution under King Sapor II of Persia was a
holy abbot whose name is latinized as Bademus. He was a citizen of Bethlapat,
who had founded near the city a monastery over which he ruled with great
repute for sanctity. He was apprehended with seven of his monks, condemned
to be beaten daily, loaded with chains, and imprisoned in a dungeon. About
the same time a Christian at the Persian court, Nersan, was also apprehended
because he refused to worship the sun. At first he showed constancy, but
at the sight of torture his resolution failed and he promised to conform.
To test his sincerity Sapor suggested that he should kill Bademus, promising
that he should be restored to favour and to his former possessions if he
would comply. Nersan consented; a sword was placed in his hand and the abbot
was brought into his cell. As Nersan advanced to plunge the weapon into his
victim’s body, terror seized upon him and he stood for a time motionless,
unable to raise his arm. Bademus remained calm, and fixing his eyes upon
his would-be assailant he said, “Nersan! To what depths of wickedness you
must have sunk when you can not only deny God but cars also kill His servants.
Willingly do I give myself to be a martyr for Christ, but I could have wished
that it might have been by some other hand than yours”. Nersan, however,
hardened his heart and made a thrust at the saint, but his arm was so unsteady
that he struck several times before he inflicted a mortal wound.
S. E. Assemani
in his Acta Martyrum Orientalium was the first to make known
the Syriac text of these “acts”, but they have also been printed by Bedjan.
The Creek translation has been edited by Fr Delehaye in vol. ii of the Patrologia Orientalis. See also the Acta Sanctorum,
April, vol. i, and BHO., 131 ; BHG., 210.
Born in Persia; died there. The rich and noble Saint Bademus founded
and governed an abbey near Bethlapeta in Persia. There he passed whole nights
in prayer, and sometimes went several days together without eating: bread
and water were his usual fare. With sweetness, prudence, and charity, he
conducted his religious in the paths of perfection. God crowned the virtues
of Bademus with suffering by allowing the abbot and seven of his monks to
be arrested for their faith, thrown into a dungeon, and whipped daily for
four months.
Prince Nersan of Aria, a Christian member of the Persian court,
was captured and imprisoned about that same time. He could not withstand the
repeated torture and apostatized. To test Nersan's resolve, King Shapur promised
to release Nersan and restore his former dignities, if the prince would murder
Bademus with his own hands. Thus the wretch, fearing the he himself would
be martyred, accepted the sword but frozen in fear as he was about to thrust
it into the abbot's breast.
The undaunted Bademus stood before him and said: "Unhappy Nersan,
to what a pitch of impiety do you carry your apostasy. With joy I run to meet
death; but could wish to fall by some other hand than yours: why must you
be my executioner?"
Nersan vacillated between fear of King Shapur and fear of the
King of kings. Finally he struck with a trembling hand that made his sword
unsteady and forceless. Thus, Bademus was pierced numerous times before Nersan
could deliver the ultimate thrust that severed the head of Bademus. The martyr's
body was cast outside the city gates, but was secretly retrieved and buried
by the Christians. His disciples were released from their chains four years
later at the death of Shapur (Benedictines, Encyclopedia, Husenbeth).
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St. Malchus Irish Benedictine bishop ordained
by St. Anselm as the first bishop of Watefford, England
He was a monk at Winchester, England, and was a preceptor of
St. Malachy O’More.
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661 St. Palladius Bishop
of Auxerre, France abbot of St. Germanus until 622, then bishop of the city.
Palladius founded monasteries in the region.
Palladius of Auxerre B (AC)
Abbot Saint Palladius
of Saint Germanus Abbey in Auxerre, became bishop of that city in 622. He
founded several monasteries (Benedictines).
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870 St. Beocca martyr
of EngIand with Ethor,lledda,Torthred, ninety monks died in Surrey, and others.
870 THE MARTYRS UNDER THE DANES
IN one of their numerous descents upon Anglo-Saxon England, the Danes made
their way up the Thames as far as the abbey of Chertsey, where they massacred
Beocca the abbot, a priest called Hethor, and a number of monks. There are
said to have been as many as ninety victims. They are reckoned as martyrs
because the Danes showed special ferocity towards those whom they regarded
as the representatives of Christianity. At about the same period similar
massacres occurred in different parts of England. At Medeshamstede, the site
of the modern Peter-Borough, Abbot Hedda was slain with all his community,
to the number of eighty-four. There were also raids made into the fen country,
and at Bardney, Ely and probably at Croyland all the religious were exterminated.
In the abbey church of Thorney in Cambridgeshire were venerated the relics
of three anchorets of whom tradition declared that they had suffered martyrdom
in the same year, 870, at the hands of the Danes. The very lack of details
in our chronicles is probably due to the desolation almost everywhere created
among those who alone could make any pretence to scholarship.
Only small
and scattered fragments of information are available concerning these raids,
e.g. in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, in William of Malmesbury, Gala Pontificum, in Brompton and similar sources. See Stanton’s
Menology, pp. 150—151 and for the invasions F. M. Stenton,
Anglo-Saxon England (1943), pp. 243 seq.
The best-known victim was the East Anglian king, St Edmund (November
20).
The Danes raided England, concentrating on Anglo-Saxon abbeys. Beocca, Ethor,
and ninety monks died in Surrey. Hedda and others died at Peterborough, and
Torthred and others died at Thorrey Abbey. All were venerated as martyrs.
Beocca, Ethor (Hethor) & Comp., OSB MM (AC) The Danes, in their continual
raids on England, singled out the Anglo-Saxon abbey as their special object
of their ferocity. Thus, at Chertsey Abbey in Surrey, they put to death SS.
Beocca, abbot; Ethor, monk-priest; and some 90 monks. At Peterborough, the
Danes killed Saint Hedda's community; and at Thorney Abbey, Saint Torthred.
All of these are venerated as martyrs. Their memories were kept alive by
chronicles and the writings of William of Malmesbury (Benedictines, Farmer).
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883 Bede the Younger
chief official at the court of the French Charles the Bald OSB Monk (AC)
Bede, a chief official at the court of the French Charles the
Bald, became a Benedictine at the abbey of Gavello, near Rovigo in northern
Italy.
He refused several bishoprics.
His relics were translated to Subiaco in the last century (Benedictines)
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1110 Saint Malchus
of Waterford Irish consecrated the first bishop of Waterford by Saint Anselm
OSB B (AC)
Irish Saint Malchus entered the Benedictine monastery of Winchester,
England, and was consecrated the first bishop of Waterford by Saint Anselm.
He was one of the preceptors
of Saint Malachy O'More. His life has been confused with those of several
of his contemporaries (Benedictines).
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1012 St. Macarius
the Ghent Bishop of Antioch in Pisidia performing miracles throughout Europe
Gandávi, in Flándria, sancti Macárii, Epíscopi
Antiochéni, virtútibus et miráculis clari.
1012 ST Macarius, or MACAIRE, OF GHENT
ST Macarius (Macaire) is popular throughout Flanders, where he is regarded
as patron against epidemic diseases of all kinds. Very little is actually
known about him but, as frequently happens in the case of uncanonized saints
honoured locally, fiction steps in where history is lacking. He is supposed
to have been archbishop of Antioch, and it is possible that the Macarius
who about the year 970 was presiding over the church of Antioch in Pisidia
may have nominated and consecrated this younger namesake as his successor.
He was certainly never archbishop of Antioch in Syria. To escape the honours
which threatened his humility—says the legend—he distributed all his property
to the poor and went on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. There he was captured,
tortured and imprisoned by the Saracens but making his escape he came to
Europe, which he traversed, performing many wonderful miracles on the way.
Thus he passed through Mainz, Cologne, Malines, Cambrai anal Tournai until
he reached Ghent. All we can be sure about is that in this latter city a
Macarius was hospitably received as a poor pilgrim by the monks of Saint-Bavon,
who allowed him to remain in their hospice, and that he fell a victim to
the plague which was ravaging the country. As the pestilence ceased directly
after his death, as he had prophesied would be the case, he was held to have
offered his life to God in expiation for the sins of the people.
See the Acta Sanctorum, April, vol. i, where two Latin accounts of
his life are printed. The first of these, by Erembold, a monk of Ghent, was
written in 1047; the second, a very extravagant document, was produced in
1067 when his remains were more honourably enshrined. Cf. the
volume of Aufsätze printed in remembrance of G. Waitz
(1886), pp. 642 seq. There are some small popular lives of
St Macaire in Flemish and in French, notably one by J. J. De Smet (1867).
At Ghent in Flanders, St. Macarius,
bishop of Antioch, celebrated for virtues and miracles.
He made a pilgrimage and was given welcome by St. Bavo of Ghent, Belgium,
and the monks of Saint-Bavon. Macarius was captured by the Saracens but escaped
and traveled throughout Europe performing miracles. He died in Ghent of the
plague. He is patron saint against epidemic diseases and is also called Macanus
of Antioch and Macaire.
Macarius of Ghent (RM) (also known as Macaire of Antioch) said to have been
born in Antioch, Pisidia, and a bishop, who travelled westward as a pilgrim.
He was received by the Benedictines of Saint Bavo in Ghent, in whose hospice
he died of the plague then rampant in Belgium (Benedictines). Saint Macarius
is portrayed as a Flemish bishop with three arrowheads. He may also be shown
with his mitre and crozier on the ground to symbolize his resignation of
the bishopric. He is venerated at Ghent and invoked against plague (Roeder).
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1028 St. Fulbert Bishop
of Chartres France poet and scholar who aided the Cluniac Reform defended
monasticism and orthodoxy
1029 ST FULBERT, Bishop OF CHARTRES
WE learn from St Fulbert of Chartres himself that he was of humble extraction,
but we know little of his early years beyond the fact that he was born in
Italy and spent his boyhood there. He was later on a student in Rheims and
must have been one of its most distinguished scholars, for when the celebrated
Gerbert, who taught him mathematics and philosophy, was raised to the papacy
under the title of Silvester II, he summoned Fulbert to his side. When another
pope succeeded, Fulbert returned to France, where Bishop Odo of Chartres
bestowed upon him a canonry and appointed him chancellor. Moreover, the cathedral
schools of Chartres were placed under his care, and he soon made them the
greatest educational centre in France, attracting pupils from Germany, Italy
and England.
Regarded as a paragon of learning and described as a reincarnation of Socrates
and Plato, he stood as a bulwark against the rationalizing tendencies of
his day, although one at least of his pupils, the notorious Berengarius,
afterwards lapsed into heresy. Upon the death of Bishop Roger, Fulbert was
chosen to succeed him in the see of Chartres. In his humility the prelate
elect wrote to Abbot St Odilo of Cluny that he trembled at the prospect of
leading others in the way of holiness when he stumbled so repeatedly himself,
but he was obliged to accept the office.
Fulbert’s influence was now immense, for besides retaining direction of the
school he became the recognized counsellor of the spiritual and temporal
leaders of France. Yet he never ceased to deplore his unfitness for the position
he held, and was wont to describe himself as “the very little bishop of a
very great church”.
External affairs were never allowed to interfere with the duty he owed to
his diocese he preached regularly from his cathedral pulpit and exerted himself
to spread instruction in the territories under his jurisdiction. When, soon
after his elevation, the cathedral of Chartres was burnt down, he at once
set about rebuilding it with great magnificence, though this is not the cathedral
which is now one of the glories of Christendom; people of all classes came
to his assistance, including Canute, King of England, who contributed a large
sum. St Fulbert had a great devotion to our Lady, in whose honour he composed
several hymns, and when the beautiful new cathedral was opened he caused
the recently introduced feast of her birthday to be celebrated there with
great solemnity, as well as to be observed throughout the diocese.
Like most of the more eminent churchmen of his century he was an outspoken
opponent of simony and of bestowing ecclesiastical endowments upon laymen.
After an episcopate of nearly twenty-two years, he died on April 10, 1029.
The writings of St Fulbert include a number of letters, a brief penitential,
nine sermons, a collection of passages from the Bible dealing with the Trinity,
the Incarnation and the Eucharist, and also some hymns and proses.
There is no
ancient life of St Fulbert, but a great deal of biographical material is
contained in his letters and in the chronicles of the period. See especially
A. Clerval, Les Ecoles de Chartres au mown age (1895), pp.
30—102, and the article of the same writer in DTC., vol. vi (1920), cc. 964-967.
Cf. also Pfister, De Fulberti Carnotensis ep. vita et operibus
(1885). Fulbert’s hymn “Chorus novae Hierusalem” was included in
the Sarum Breviary, and an English translation of it, “Ye choirs of New Jerusalem”,
has been often reprinted in modern times. Fulbert’s works are conveniently
accessible in Migne, PL., vol. cxli. Some useful comments will be found in
J. de Ghellinck, Le Mouvement Théologique du XIVe
Siècle (1914), pp. 31-38.
Born in Italy circa 952 or 960, Fulbert studied at Rheims, France,
under future Pope Sylvester II.
In 1003 he returned to France, becoming the bishop of Chartres
in 1007. Fulbert rebuilt the cathedral there when it burned down and defended
monasticism and orthodoxy. His hymns, treatises, and letter have survived.
Fulbert of Chartres B (AC) Born in Italy c. 952-960; died in Chartres,
France, on April 10, 1029.
"Ye choirs of new Jerusalem, Your sweetest notes employ,
The Paschal victory to hymn In strains of holy joy."
--Saint Fulbert of Chartres
The glory of his century was born into a humble Italian family.
Because of Fulbert's promise as a student he was sent to study at a Benedictine
abbey at Rheims, France. He was one of their finest, for when the celebrated
Gerbert, who taught him mathematics and philosophy, became Pope Sylvester
II, he called Fulbert to Rome. When the next pope succeeded Gerbert
in 1003, Fulbert returned to France, and Bishop Odo of Chartres gave him
a canonry and appointed him chancellor of the cathedral, thus, charging Fulbert
with the government of the cathedral schools. Fulbert made them into the
greatest educational center in France, attracting students from all over
Europe.
Fulbert himself was a true poet and scholar, with a great range
of learning, including all the sciences then taught. He was chosen to succeed
Bishop Roger when he died. Fulbert's influence had now become impressive,
for he acted as a counselor to the spiritual and temporal leaders of France.
He became a respected statesman, and was consulted by the duke of Aquitaine
and the king of France.
Yet he called himself 'the very tiny bishop of a very great church,'
and continued to preach regularly and see to the instruction of the territories
under his jurisdiction. He rebuilt the Chartres Cathedral when it burned
down almost immediately after his consecration. It was built with great magnificence.
All kinds of people gave him assistance, including Canute, king of England.
Although much of the current cathedral is of a later date, Fulbert's Romanesque
steeple still dominates the city.
Having a great devotion to the
Virgin Mary, in whose honor he composed several hymns, he arranged that when
the new cathedral opened, the newly introduced feast of her birthday be celebrated
there, and that it be observed through the diocese.
He vigorously opposed simony and the bestowal of ecclesiastical
endowments upon laymen. After ruling for 22 years, he died. He is the author
of "Ye Choirs of New Jerusalem" and sermons, hymns, and letters; several
of his treatises survive.
Fulbert's pupils loved him. Shortly after his death a pupil from
Liége named Adelman (who later became bishop of Brescia) wrote: "With
what dignity of spiritual interpretation, with what weight of literal sense,
with what sweetness of speech did he expound the deep secrets of philosophy"
(Benedictines, Bentley, Delaney, Encyclopedia, Gill, Walsh, White).
In art, Saint Fulbert is a bishop
receiving milk from the Virgin as he lies ill in bed (Roeder).
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1058 St. Paternus
Irish/Scottish hermit obedience to the vow of enclosure caused his death
when monastery caught fire
1058 ST PATERNUS OF ABDINGHOF
MANY ecclesiastical writers
make mention of the recluse St Paternus, whose death seems to have left a
deep impression on his contemporaries, notably on St Peter Damian and Bd
Marianus Scotus. By birth he was probably an Irishman, but he found his way
to Westphalia, where he was one of the first monks to enter the monastery
of Abdinghof founded by St Meinwerk. Feeling called to complete retirement,
he obtained leave to be enclosed as a solitary in a cell adjoining the abbey.
He prophesied the destruction by fire of the city within thirty days unless
the inhabitants would turn from their sins, but was laughed at as a visionary
and an alarmist. On the Friday before Palm Sunday 1058, fires broke out simultaneously
in seven parts of the town, which was completely destroyed the monastery
itself was burnt down. The monks were saved, except Paternus, who refused
to break his life-vow of enclosure—burnt to death by the fire or possibly
suffocated by the smoke. Marianus Scotus says that he visited the ruins,
a fortnight after the fire, and prayed on the very mat whereon the recluse
had suffered and died.
The little
we know of St Paternus has been brought together in the Acta
Sanctorum, April, vol. i, and again by Mabillon.
The information is mainly derived from Marianus Scotus and Peter Damien See
also Greve, Geschichte des Benedict. Abtei Abdinghof (1894),
pp. 33—34; and Gougaud, Gaelic Pioneers of Christianity, p. 89.
Paternus or Padarn was born
either in Ireland or Scotland and joined a monastery Going to Westphalia,
he was one of the first monks to enter the Abdinghof Monastery under the
leadership of St. Meinwerk. Paternus lived as a hermit in one of the cells.
Such was his obedience to the vow of enclosure that when a fire erupted and
engulfed Abdinghof, he would not leave his cell, and so burned to death.
He was much honored by St. Peter
Damian, and soon after the fire, the burned cell was visited by Blessed Marianus
Scotus.
Paternus of Abdinghof, OSB Hermit
(AC)Born in Ireland; died in Germany, 1058. Paternus was probably born in
Ireland, but he travelled to Westphalia, and became one of the first monks
at the monastery of Abdinghof in Paderborn founded by Saint Meinwerk. Wishing
for solitude, he moved to a cell adjoining the abbey.
He predicted that the city would be razed by fire within 30 days if the inhabitants
did not turn from their sins, but he was mocked as a visionary. On the Friday
before Palm Sunday in 1058, fires broke out simultaneously in seven parts
of the city. The city and the monastery were destroyed. The monks escaped,
with the exception of Paternus, who, refusing to break the vows of enclosure,
remained in his cell and was killed. His death made a great impression
on his contemporaries. Saint Peter Damien greatly revered Paternus. Blessed
Marianus Scotus, who visited the ruins two weeks after his death, prayed
on the mat where he had died. This mat became the center of his cultus because
it miraculously escaped the flames (Benedictines, Montague, White).
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1386 In the
14th century, during the reign of King Bagrat V (1360–1394), Timur (Tamerlane)
invaded Georgia seven times. His troops inflicted irreparable damage on the
country, seizing centuries-old treasures and razing ancient churches and
monasteries.
Timur’s armies ravaged Kartli, then took the king, queen, and
the entire royal court captive and sent them to Karabakh (in present-day Azerbaijan).
Later Timur attempted to entice King Bagrat to renounce the Christian Faith
in exchange for permission to return to the throne and for the release of
the other Georgian prisoners.
For some time Timur was unable to subjugate King Bagrat, but in
the end, being powerless and isolated from his kinsmen, the king began to
falter. He devised a sly scheme: to confess Islam before the enemy, but to
remain a Christian at heart. Satisfied with King Bagrat’s decision to “convert
to Islam,” Timur permitted the king to return to the throne of Kartli. At
the request of King Bagrat, Timur sent twelve thousand troops with him to
complete Georgia’s forcible conversion to Islam.
When they were approaching the village of Khunani in southeastern
Georgia, Bagrat secretly informed his son Giorgi of everything that had happened
and called upon him and his army to massacre the invaders. The news
of Bagrat’s betrayal and the ruin of his army infuriated Timur, and he called
for immediate revenge. At their leader’s command, his followers destroyed
everything in their path, set fire to cities and villages, devastated churches,
and thus forced their way through to Kvabtakhevi Monastery.
Monastics and laymen alike were gathered in Kvabtakhevi when the
enemy came thundering in. Having forced open the gate, the attackers burst
into the monastery, then plundered and seized all its treasures. They captured
the young and strong, carrying them away.
The old and infirm were put to the sword. As the greatest humiliation,
they mocked the clergy and monastics by strapping them with sleigh bells
and jumping and dancing around them.
Already drunk on the blood they had shed, the barbarians posed
an ultimatum to those who remained: to renounce Christ and live or to be driven
into the church and burned alive.
Faced with these terms, the faithful cried out: “Go ahead and
burn our flesh—in the Heavenly Kingdom our souls will burn with a divine
flame more radiant than the sun!” And in their exceeding humility, the martyrs
requested that their martyrdom not be put on display: “We ask only that you
not commit this sin before the eyes of men and angels. The Lord alone knows
the sincerity of our will and comforts us in our righteous afflictions!”
Having been driven like beasts into the church, the martyrs raised
up a final prayer to God: “In the multitude of Thy mercy shall I go into
Thy house; I shall worship toward Thy holy temple in fear of Thee. O Lord,
guide me in the way of Thy righteousness; because of mine enemies, make straight
my way before Thee (Ps. 5:6–7) that with a pure mind I may glorify Thee forever….”
The executioners hauled in more and more wood, until the flames
enveloping the church blazed as high as the heavens and the echo of crackling
timber resounded through the mountains. Ensnared in a ring of fire, the blissful
martyrs chanted psalms as they gave up their spirits to the Lord.
The massacre at Kvabtakhevi took
place in 1386. The imprints of the martyrs’ charred bodies remain on the
floor of the church to this day.
The Holy Kvabtakheuia Martyrs
suffered during one of the devastating incursions into Gruzia of a Mongol
horde led by Tamerlane in 1386 at the Kvabtakheuia monastery (founded at
the end of the V Century, restored in 1119 by the Georgian emperor Saint
David III the Builder). Bursting onto Kartli (central part of Gruzia),
the army of Tamerlane ravaged all the land and seized hold of the Kvabtakheuia
monastery, within the walls of which were hidden the inhabitants of the surrounding
villages. After the pillaging of the monastery, the war-lord Tamerlane
gathered together the monks, and wanting to humiliate and laugh at them,
he forced them to sing and dance. "Woe to us monks", -- with tears and wailing
answered the monks.
The soldiers of Tamerlane led them off to the cathedral church
of the MostHoly Mother of God, filled with captive Christians, and covering
the church with fire-wood they set it afire. Thus did the holy confessors
suffer and receive the martyr's crown. Later on the blood-stains of
those innocently murdered indelibly marked the walls of the church, and it
was possible to be clearly seen even still at the end of the XIX Century.
Sacredly honouring the memory
of the men and women martyrs,
pilgrims at the entrance of the Kvabtakheuia monastery still remove their
shoes as ordered of old.
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1460 Bl. Anthony
Neyrot Dominican martyr in Tunis modem Tunisia
1460 BD ANTONY NEYROT, MARTYR
ANTONY NEYROT was born at Rivoli in Piedmont, and entered the Dominican priory
of San Marco in Florence, then under the direction of St Antoninus. After
being professed he was sent to one of the houses of the order in Sicily.
Between Naples and Sicily his ship was boarded by pirates, who carried him
to Tunis, where he was sold as a slave. He succeeded in obtaining his freedom,
but only to fall into a worse captivity, for the study of the Koran led him
to abjure his faith and to become a Mohammedan. For several months he had
practised the religion of the false prophet when his eyes were suddenly opened,
in consequence, it is said, of a vision he had of St Antoninus. Smitten with
contrition, he at once sent away his wife, did penance, and resumed the daily
recitation of the office. Then he went before the ruler of Tunis in his friar’s
habit and, in the presence of a great crowd, openly renounced his heresy
and proclaimed the religion of Jesus Christ as the one true faith. Arguments,
promises and threats were employed without being able to shake him. Eventually
he was condemned to death, and perished by stoning and by sword cuts as he
knelt in prayer with hands upraised. His body was given over to the flames,
but portions of his relics which remained unconsumed were sold to Genoese
merchants, who took them back to Italy. The cultus of Bd Antony was approved
in 1767.
In the Acta Sanctorum, August, vol. vi, two accounts are printed of
the martyrdom of Bd Antony; but a still more valuable source has been edited
in the Analecta Bollandiana, vol. xxiv (1905), pp. 357—3741
it is a letter addressed in 1461 to Pope Pius II by Peter Ranzano, prior
provincial of the Dominicans in Sicily. See also Procter, Dominican
Saints, pp. 87—90.
He was born in Rivoli, in Piedmont, Italy, and entered the Dominicans.
Captured by Moorish pirates, Anthony became a Muslim and married. After a
few months, he repented and put on his Dominican habit to preach Christ's
message. As a result, Anthony was stoned to death in Tunis, in modem Tunisia.
Blessed Antony Neyrot, OP M (AC) Born in Rivoli, Piedmont, Italy; died in
Tunis, 1460; cultus approved by Clement XIII. Blessed Antony renounced his
faith. He expiated his sin with an act of heroism that merited heaven, washing
away in his own blood the denial that might have cost him his soul.
Little is known of Antony's childhood. He became a Dominican at Saint Antoninus.
After completing his studies, Antony was ordained and lived for a time at
San Marco, the famous Dominican monastery in Florence. Becoming restless,
he asked for a change of mission and was sent to Sicily. He didn't like this
either, so he set out for Naples. On this voyage, his ship was captured by
pirates, and Antony, along with the other passengers, was taken, bound, to
Africa. Here the passengers were led through the streets for all to see.
The battle of Lepanto was still 100 years in the future, but Turkish aggression,
which was to bring about this great battle, was commonplace in Antony's time.
Some captives were treated leniently, others very cruelly. The Islamic king
of Tunis seems to have liked young Antony because he ordered that kindness
should be shown to him. Antony was not even confined, until his arrogance
angered his captors into more severe restrictions, but Antony was impatient
and resented the very idea of captivity. Being placed in prison, living on
a diet of bread and water, he soon collapsed. Then, as the Islamics had hoped,
he denied his faith in order to buy his freedom.
Disaster followed disaster. He lost all faith in Christianity and began to
translate the Koran. He was adopted by the king, married a Turkish lady of
high rank, and was given the freedom of the city. Into the false paradise
came the news of the death of Saint Antoninus.
Love for his old master stirred in Antony a yearning for the Truth he had
abandoned. He resolved to return to the Christian faith, although it meant
certain death.
In order that his return might be as public as his denial had been, he waited
until the king returning in triumph from a victory over the Christians, had
a public procession. Having confessed and made his private reconciliation
with God, Antony, clothed in a Dominican habit, at that moment mounted the
palace steps where all could see him. In a loud voice he proclaimed
his faith, and his sorrow at having denied it. The king at first disbelieved
his ears, then he became angry. Failing to change the mind of the young man,
he commanded that he be stoned to death.
Antony died under a shower of stones, proclaiming to the last his faith and
his sorrow. It was Holy Thursday, 1460. His body was recovered at great expense
from the Islamics and returned to Rivoli, where his tomb soon became a place
of pilgrimage. Many miracles were performed there, and, until very recently,
an annual procession was held at his shrine. In the procession, all the present-day
members of his family, dressed in black, walked proudly behind the statue
of Blessed Antony (Benedictines, Dorcy, Encyclopedia).
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1463 Commemoration of Sts Raphael, Nicholas and
Irene of Lesbos (also April 9).
Newly-Appeared Martyrs of Lesbos, Sts Raphael, Nicholas and Irene
These saints were martyred by the Turks on Bright Tuesday (April 9, 1463)
ten years after the Fall of Constantinople. For nearly 500 years, they were
forgotten by the people of Lesbos, but "the righteous Judge... opened the
things that were hid" (2 Macc. 12:41).
For centuries the people of Lesbos would go on Bright Tuesday
to the ruins of a monastery near Thermi, a village northwest of the capital,
Mytilene. As time passed, however, no one could remember the reason for the
annual pilgrimage. There was a vague recollection that once there had been
a monastery on that spot, and that the monks had been killed by the Turks.
In 1959, a pious man named Angelos Rallis decided to build a chapel
near the ruins of the monastery. On July 3 of that year, workmen discovered
the relics of St Raphael while clearing the ground. Soon, the saints began
appearing to various inhabitants of Lesbos 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).
St Raphael was born on the island of Ithaka around 1410, and was
raised by pious parents. His baptismal name was George, but he was named Raphael
when he became a monk. He was ordained to the holy priesthood, and later
attained the offices of Archimandrite and Chancellor. In 1453, St Raphael
was living in Macedonia with his fellow monastic, the deacon Nicholas, 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 Irene was the twelve-year-old daughter of the village mayor,
Basil. She and her family had come to the monastery to warn the monks of
the invasion. The cruel Hagarenes cut off one of her arms and threw it down
in front of her parents. Then the pure virgin was placed in a large earthen
cask and a fire was lit under it, suffocating her within. These torments
took place before the eyes of her parents, who were also put to death.
Her grave and the earthen cask were found on May 12, 1961 after
Sts Raphael, Nicholas and Irene had appeared to people and told them where
to look.
Others who received the crown
of martyrdom on that day were Basil and Maria, the parents of St Irene; Theodore,
the village teacher; and Eleni, the fifteen-year-old cousin of St Irene.
The saints appeared separately and together, telling people that
they wished to be remembered. They asked that their icon be painted, that
a church service be composed for them, and they indicated the place where
their holy relics could be found. Based on the descriptions of those who
had seen the saints, the master iconographer Photios Kontoglou painted their
icon. The ever-memorable Father Gerasimos of Little St Anne Skete on Mt.
Athos composed their church service.
Many miracles have taken place
on Lesbos, and throughout the world.
The saints hasten to help those
who invoke them, healing the sick, consoling the sorrowful, granting relief
from pain, and bringing many unbelievers and impious individuals back to
the Church.
St Raphael is tall, middle-aged, and has a beard of moderate length.
His hair is black with some grey in it. His face is majestic, expressive,
and filled with heavenly grace. 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).
The Appearance of the Iveron (Portaitissa)
Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos on Mt. Athos.
This icon was the property of
a pious widow who lived in the area of Nicea in Asia Minor during the time
of the iconoclastic emperor Theophilus (829-842). When the emperor's men
arrived there to find and destroy every holy icon, this faithful widow threw
the wonderworking icon of the Theotokos into the sea. Then she beheld a strange
wonder. The icon stood upright on the water and traveled westward across
the waves in this position. After a time the icon arrived in front
of the Iveron Monastery on Mt. Athos. A certain holy hermit named Gabriel
received it in his arms from the water, and he gave it to the monks. They
built a little church for the icon near the gate of the monastery, and they
placed the icon there. From that time it was called the Portaitissa.
Since then the Most Holy Theotokos has worked many miracles through
her holy icon. She has cured those who were possessed by demons, healed those
who were lame, and given sight to the blind. At the same time, she has protected
the monastery from every danger and saved it from invasions of foreigners.
Among those who received benefit
from the Portaitissa was a Russian princess, the daughter of Tsar Alexei
Michailovitch (1651).
The icon arrived at the Holy
Mountain on Bright Tuesday 1004. Therefore, the Iveron Monastery celebrates
this bright festival even to the present day. The Divine Liturgy takes place
in the church by the sea, where holy water gushed up when the monk Gabriel
took the icon from the sea.
The Iveron (Portaitissa) Icon is also commemorated on March 31.
Vimatarissa Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos, Vatopedi Monastery
Mt. Athos.
The Martyrs of St David of Garesja Monastery in Georgia in 1616
(also April 4).
The Venerable Patapius, Nikon and Hypomone.
These saints struggled in a cave where the monastery of St Patapius
was built (in the metropolis of Corinth). There the skulls of St Patapius
the New and St Hypomone are treasured, and also the jaw of St Nikon the New.
These holy relics were placed in silver reliquaries by the Most Reverend
Metropolitan Panteleimon (Karanikola).
St Patapius is also commemorated on December 8.
St Sava, deacon of Vatopedi Monastery (tenth century).
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1479 Blessed Mark Fantucci
preached throughout Italy, Istria, and Dalmatia. He also visited the friars
in Austria, Poland, Russia, and the Levant OFM (AC)
1479 BD MARK FANTUCCI
AMONGST the Franciscan leaders of the fifteenth century a special place must
be assigned to Bd Mark Fantucci of Bologna, to whom was mainly due the preservation
of the Observance as a separate body when it seemed on the point of being
compulsorily merged into the Conventual branch. After having received an
excellent education to fit him for the good position and large fortune to
which he was left sole heir, he had given up all his worldly advantages at
the age of twenty-six to receive the habit of St Francis. Three years after
his profession, he was chosen guardian of Monte Colombo, the spot where St
Francis had received the rule of his order. So successful was he in converting
sinners that he was given permission to preach outside his province by St
John Capistran, then vicar general of the Observants in Italy.
Having served twice as minister provincial, Bd Mark was elected vicar general
in succession to Capistran, and showed himself zealous in enforcing strict
observance of the rule the various reforms he brought about all tended to
revive the spirit of the founder, After the taking of Constantinople so many
Franciscans had been enslaved by the Turks, that Mark wrote to all his provincials
urging them to appeal for alms to ransom the captives but in answer to a
request for instructions how to act in the danger zone, he sent word to,
Franciscan missionaries in places threatened by victorious Islam bidding
them remain boldly at their posts and to face what might betide.
He was able to execute a long-cherished plan to form a convent of Poor Clares
in Bologna. St Catherine of Bologna came with some of her nuns from Ferrara
to establish it, and found in Bd Mark one who could give her all the assistance
she needed. He visited as commissary all the friaries in Candia, Rhodes and
Palestine, and on his return to Italy he was elected vicar general for the
second time. Never sparing himself he undertook long and tiring expeditions
to Bosnia, Dalmatia, Austria and Poland, often travelling long distances
on foot. Pope Paul II wished to make him a cardinal, but he fled to Sicily
to avoid being forced to accept an honour from which he shrank.
The next pope, Sixtus IV, formed a project which was even less acceptable,
for he had set his heart upon uniting all Franciscans into one body, without
requiring any reform from the Conventuals. At a meeting convened to settle
the matter, Bd Mark used all his eloquence to defeat the proposal, but apparently
in vain. At last, in tears, throwing down the book of the rule at the pope’s
feet, he exclaimed, “Oh my Seraphic Father, defend your own rule, since I,
miserable man that I am, cannot defend it”; and thereupon left the hall.
The gesture accomplished what argument had failed to do; the assembly broke
up without arriving at a decision, and the scheme fell through. In 1479, white
delivering a Lenten mission in Piacenza, Bd Mark was taken ill and died at
the convent of the Observance outside the city. His cultus was confirmed
in 1868.
Bd Mark is
very fully dealt with under different years in Wadding’s Annales
Ordinis Minorum; and a summary account may be found in Mazzara, Leggendario Francescano, vol. i (1676), pp. 431—440. See also
Léon, Aureole Seraphique (Eng. trans.), vol. ii, pp.
1—13. Sundry letters and other references have been published by Faloci Pulignani
in his Miscellanea Francescana, vol. xiv (1913), and
also in the Archivum Franciscanum Historicum, vol. xxi (1928).
Fr Mark is said to have been one of the founders of monti di pietà to combat oppression of the poor by usury.
Born in Bologna, Italy; died at Piacenza, Italy, in 1479; cultus
approved in 1868. Saint Mark studied law and, in 1430, became a Franciscan.
He held several offices in the order and preached throughout Italy, Istria,
and Dalmatia. He also visited the friars in Austria, Poland, Russia, and
the Levant (Benedictines).
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1616 Persian shah
Abbas I led his enormous army in an attack on Georgia's monasteries killing
all there.
Having quenched his thirst for the blood of the Christians, he arranged a
hunt in the valley of Gare (Outer) Kakheti. He encamped with his escorts
in the mountains of Gareji and spent the night in that place.
At midnight the shah’s attention was drawn to a flaming column of lights
advancing up the mountain. At first he took it to be an apparition. He was
soon informed, however, that a famous monastery was situated in that place
and on that night the monks were circling their church three times with lighted
candles in celebration of Christ’s Holy Resurrection. Immediately the shah
commanded his army to march to the monastery and destroy all those found
celebrating.
That same night an angel of the Lord appeared to Abbot Arsenius of David-Gareji
and told him, “Our Lord Jesus Christ is calling the brothers to His Heavenly
Kingdom. On this night great suffering awaits you—you will be killed by the
sword. He who desires to prolong his earthly life, let him flee, but he who
thirsts to purify his soul for eternity, let him perish by the sword, and
the Lord God will adorn him with the crown of immortality. Tell this to all
who dwell in the monastery, and let each man choose for himself!”
The abbot informed the monks about his vision, and they began to prepare
for their imminent sufferings. Only two young monks feared death and fled
to a mountain not far from the monastery. At the chanting of the Lord’s Prayer
near the end of the Paschal Liturgy, the monastery was completely surrounded
by Persian warriors. Abbot Arsenius stepped out of the church and approached
their leader to request that the monks be given a bit more time to finish
the service and for all the brothers to receive Holy Communion.
The Persians consulted among themselves and agreed to honor this request.
The fathers partook of the Holy Gifts, encouraged one another, and presented
themselves clad in festive garments before the unbelievers. First the Persians
beheaded Abbot Arsenius; then they massacred his brothers in Christ without
mercy.
After the Persians finished killing the monks, they were organized into several
regiments and made their way towards the other monasteries of the Gareji
Wilderness. Halfway between the Chichkhituri and St. John the Baptist Monasteries
the Muslims captured the two young monks who had earlier fled and demanded
that they convert to Islam.
The monks refused to abandon the Christian Faith and for this they were killed.
A rose bush grew up in the place where they were killed and continued to
fragrantly blossom through the 19th century, despite the dry and rocky soil.
At the end of the 17th century, King Archil gathered the bones of the martyrs
with great reverence and buried them in a large stone reliquary to the left
of the altar in the Transfiguration Church of David-Gareji Monastery. Their
holy relics continue to stream myrrh to this day.
The brothers of the Monasteries of St. David of Gareji and St. John the Baptist
received a blessing from Catholicos Anton I to compose a commemorative service
for the martyrs and to designate their feast day as Bright Tuesday, or the
third day of Holy Pascha.
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1625 St. Michael de Sanctis
life of exemplary fervor devotion to the Most Blessed Sacrament his ecstacies
during Mass many miracles After his death at 35
Vallisoléti, in Hispánia,
sancti Michaélis de Sanctis, ex Ordine Discalceatórum sanctíssimæ
Trinitátis redemptiónis captivórum, Confessóris,
innocéntia vitæ, admirábili pæniténtia et
caritáte in Deum exímii; quem Pius Nonus, Póntifex Máximus,
inter Sanctos rétulit.
1625 ST MICHAEL DE SANCTIS “remarkable for innocence
of life, wonderful penitence, and love for God” working of a number of miracles
during life and after his death
THIS Michael was born at Vich in Catalonia in 1589 or 1591, and when six
years old announced that he had decided to be a monk when he grew up; his
mother having told him about St Francis of Assisi he set himself to imitate
that saint in ways unsuitable to his years. Doubtless his prudent parents
restrained his ardour, but he retained his enthusiasm for St Francis. When
his father and mother died, leaving him to the guardianship of an uncle,
he was put in the service of a merchant. Young Michael had no fads about
being above “mere trade” and did his work well; but whenever he was not at
it he was doing works of devotion: assisting at the Divine Office when he
could, and saying the Little Office of our Lady every day. His master was
thoroughly edified, held up Michael is a pattern to his family, and raised
no objection to the boy joining the Trinitarian friars at Barcelona; he took
his vows at the monastery of St Lambert at Saragossa inl 1607.
About this time Bd John-Baptist-of-the-Conception had rallied many of the
Trinitarians of Spain to his congregation of reformed Trinitarians, whose
greater austerity was indicated by the wearing of sandals instead of shoes.
One of these discalced brothers coming to St Lambert’s to be ordained, Michael
was moved to offer himself for their harder life. His superiors gave the
necessary permission, he was received into the novitiate at Madrid, and some
time later he renewed his vows with them at Alcala. He studied at Seville
and Salamanca, was ordained priest, and his virtues and ability caused him
to be twice named superior of the convent at Valladolid. His religious not
only loved him as a father but revered him as a saint, and he set them a
special example of devotion to the Blessed Sacrament. Several times he was
rapt in ecstasy during Mass, and he was God’s instrument in the working of
a number of miracles during life and after his death, which took place on
April 10, 1625, when he was only thirty-six years old. St Michael de Sanctis
was canonized in 1862, and he is described in the Roman Martyrology to-day
as “remarkable for innocence of life, wonderful penitence, and love for God”.
The postulator
of the cause, Fr Niccoló, della Vergine, in the year of the beatification
(1779), published a Ristretto istorico della vita, virtu
e miracoli del B. Michele de Santi, in which, for example,
details are given of the saint’s levitations. A devotional tractate of his
on “The Peace of the Soul” has been discovered and printed by Fr Antonino
de la Asuncion. St Michael’s feast is kept in the Trinitarian Order on July
5.
At
Valladolid in Spain, St. Michael of the Saints, confessor, of the Order of
Discalced Trinitarians for the Redemption of Captives, a man known for his
upright life, his penitential spirit, and his great love of God. He
was placed on the roll of the saints by Pope Pius IX.
Michael de los
Santos was born in Catalonia, Spain around 1591. At the age of six he informed
his parents that he was going to be a monk. Moreover, he imitated St. Francis
of Assisi to such a great extent that he had to be restrained. After the
death of his parents, Michael served as an apprentice to a merchant. However,
he continued to lead a life of exemplary fervor and devotion, and in 1603,
he joined the Trinitarian Friars at Barcelona, taking his vows at St. Lambert's
monastery in Saragosa in 1607. Shortly thereafter, Michael expressed a desire
to join the reformed group of Trinitarians and was given permission to do
so. He went to the Novitiate at Madrid and, after studies at Seville and
Salamanca, he was ordained a priest and twice served as Superior of the house
in Valladolid.
His confreres considered him to be a saint, especially because
of his devotion to the Most Blessed Sacrament and his ecstacies during Mass.
After his death at the age of thirty-five on April 10, 1625 many miracles
were attributed to him. He was canonized in 1862 by Pope Pius IX. St. Michael
de Sanctis is noted in the Roman Martyrology as being "remarkable for innocence
of life, wonderful penitence, and love for God." He seemed from his earliest
years to have been selected for a life of great holiness, and he never wavered
in his great love of God or his vocation.
As our young people look for
direction in a world that seems not to care, St. Michael stands out as worthy
of imitation as well as of the prayers of both young and old alike.
Michael of Sanctis, O. Trin. (RM) (also known as Michael of the
Saints) Born at Vich, Catalonia, Spain, in 1591; died at Valladolid, Spain,
in 1625; canonized in 1862. Saint Michael joined the calced Trinitarians
at Barcelona in 1603, and took his vows at Saragossa in 1607. That same year
he migrated to the discalced branch of the order and renewed his vows at
Alcalá. After his ordination he was twice superior at Valladolid.
He was one of the greatest apostles of the order in the 17th century, and
is often surnamed 'the Ecstatic One' (Benedictines, Encyclopedia).
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1763
The Holy Martyr Dimos (Demos) a fisherman renounced false charge and confessed
his Christianity martyred by turks buried in the church of Saint George
Because of very onerous conditions he refused to work for the Turkish owner
employing him at Smyrna in the fish-business. The nasty Turk slandered Saint
Dimos, saying that he had expressed a desire to accept Islam. Saint Dimos
renounced this false charge and confessed himself a Christian. They locked
him up in prison. While in heavy stocks for breaking his will they beat him
with bricks and other sharp objects. After the execution of the martyr (+
10 April 1763) Christians gathered up his holy remains and reverently buried
them in the church of Saint George.
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1821 PriestMartyr Gregory
V, Patriarch of Constantinople "I sense, that the fishes of the Bosphorus
will nibble at my body, but I shall die happy in the name of saving my nation".
Thrice occupied the cathedra-chair (1797-1799, 1806-1808, 1819-1821). During
these times Greece found itself under the harsh Turkish yoke. many Greek
patriots lived in the hope to again win national independence. They found
active and authoritative support in a brave champion for freedom of their
native land -- in the holy Patriarch Gregory V. His connections with the
Greek patriots came to light only when Alexander Ipsilanti with his army
crossed over the River Prut against sultan Makhmul. One of the companions
of the saint advised him to flee from Constantinople to Moreia. The saint
answered him thus: "I sense, that the fishes of the Bosphorus will nibble
at my body, but I shall die happy in the name of saving my nation".
On the day of Holy Pascha, 10 April 1821, they arrested the holy
Patriarch and led him out of the doors of the Patriarchate, and then they
threw his body into the sea.
Greek sailors noted the spot where the body of the saint was thrown,
they found it, and on a ship of the Cephalonian captain Mark Sklabos under
a Russian flag they sailed to Odessa. There, in the Greek church of the MostHoly
Trinity, the body of the saint was buried on 19 June 1821. For dressing the
remains of the priestmartyr, there was sent from Moscow vestments and a mitre
with cross, which had belonged to His Holiness Patriarch Nikon (1652-1658).
In 1871 at the request of the Greek authorities it was decided to transfer
the relics of Sainted Gregory from Odessa to Athens for the celebration of
fifty years of Greek independence. In honour of the PriestMartyr Gregory,
at Athens was compiled a special service. His deed contributed to the triumph
of Christianity in the rebirth of Hellas.
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1835
Saint Madelaine was an orphan taught catechism and nursed the sick in Verona,
Venice, Milan, and China Order of the Daughters of Charity
Born in Italy; attracted the attention of Napoleon Bonaparte because of her
faith. She taught catechism and nursed the sick in Verona, Venice, Milan,
and China as a member of the Order of the Daughters of Charity (Encyclopedia)
Wealth and privilege did nothing to prevent today’s saint from
following her calling to serve Christ in the poor. Nor did the protests of
her relatives, concerned that such work was beneath her.
Born in northern Italy in 1774, Magdalen knew her mind—and spoke it. At age
15 she announced she wished to become a nun. After trying out her vocation
with the cloistered Carmelites, she realized her desire was to serve the
needy without restriction. For years she worked among the poor and sick in
hospitals and in their homes and among delinquent and abandoned girls.
In her mid-twenties Magdalen began offering lodging to poor girls in her
own home. In time she opened a school, which offered practical training and
religious instruction. As other women joined her in the work, the new Congregation
of the Daughters of Charity emerged. Over time, houses were opened throughout
Italy.
Members of the new religious congregation focused on the educational and
spiritual needs of women. Magdalen also founded a smaller congregation for
priests and brothers. Both groups continue to this day.
She died in 1835. Pope John Paul II canonized her in 1988.
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Saints of this Day April 10 Quarto Idus Aprílis
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
Among the
most important titles we have in the Catholic Church
for the Blessed Virgin Mary are Our Lady of Victory
and Our Lady of the Rosary. These titles can be traced back
to one of the most decisive times in the history of the world
and Christendom. The Battle of Lepanto took place on October
7 (date of feast of Our Lady of Rosary), 1571. This proved to
be the most crucial battle for the Christian forces against the
radical Muslim navy of Turkey. Pope Pius V led a procession around
St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City praying the Rosary. He showed
true pastoral leadership in recognizing the danger posed to Christendom
by the radical Muslim forces, and in using the means necessary
to defeat it. Spiritual battles require spiritual weapons, and
this more than anything was a battle that had its origins in the
spiritual order—a true battle between good and evil.