Four
Chaplains Day
Feb. 3 is “Four Chaplains Day” in America by the unanimous resolution
of the U.S. Congress in 1988 – so Americans might remember, honor and be
inspired by the example of the four military chaplains who sacrificed their
lives in World War II “so that others might live.”
On Feb. 3, 2017, the 74th anniversary of their deaths, American veterans’
organizations all across the country will be holding annual ceremonies
honoring “The Immortal Four Chaplains.”
But will Americans generally honor and remember the Four Chaplains?
Will the example of their lives be taught to our American children in their
schools? Do most Americans, especially new Americans, the young and immigrants,
even know who the Four Chaplains are and what they did?
“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for
his friends,” instructs St. John in the Bible. The Immortal Four Chaplains
lived and embodied that truth:
On Feb. 3, 1943, the Dorchester, a converted luxury cruise ship, was
transporting Army troops to Greenland in World War II, escorted by three
Coast Guard cutters and accompanied by two slow-moving freighters. On
board were some 900 troops and four chaplains, of diverse religions and
backgrounds but of a common faith and commitment to serve God, country and
all the troops, regardless of their religious beliefs, or non-belief. The
Four Chaplains are: Rev. George Fox (Methodist); Father John Washington
(Roman Catholic); Jewish Rabbi Alexander Goode; and Rev. Clark Poling (Dutch
Reformed).
At approximately 12:55 a.m., in the dead of a freezing night, the Dorchester
was hit by a torpedo fired by German U-boat 233 in an area so infested
with German submarines it was known as “Torpedo Junction.” The blast ripped
a hole in the ship from below the waterline to the top deck The engine
room was instantly flooded. Crewmen not scalded to death by steam escaping
from broken pipes and the ship’s boiler drowned. Hundreds of troops
in the flooded lower compartments drowned, or washed out to the frigid
waters, where most would die.
In less than a minute, the Dorchester listed on a 30-degree
angle. Troops on deck searched for life jackets in panic, clung to rails
and other handholds, saw overloaded lifeboats overturn in the turgid water,
or leaped overboard as a last desperate hope for life. Many with life
jackets drowned when the life preservers became water-logged.
Of the 900 troops and crew on board, two-thirds would ultimately die.
Most of those who survived had lifelong infirmities and pain from their
time in the icy waters.
Dorchester survivors told of the wild pandemonium on board when it
was hit and began sinking. Many men had not slept in their clothes and
life vests as ordered because of the heat in the crowded quarters below.
There was panic, fear, terror – death was no abstraction but real, immediate,
seemingly inescapable.
The Four Chaplains acted together to try bring some order to the chaos,
to calm the panic of the troops, to alleviate their fear and terror, to
pray with and for them, to help save their lives and souls. The chaplains
passed out life jackets, helping those too panicked to put them on correctly,
until the awful moment arrived when there were no more life jackets to
be given out. It was then that one of the most remarkable acts of heroism,
courage, faith and love in American, and human, history took place:
Each of the Four Chaplains took off his life jacket and, knowing that
act made death certain, put his life jacket on a soldier who didn’t have
one, refusing to listen to any protest that they should not make such a
sacrifice.
They continued to help the troops until the last moment.
Then, as the ship sank into the raging sea, the Four Chaplains linked
hands and arms and could be seen and heard by the survivors praying together,
even singing hymns, joined together in faith, love and unity as they sacrificed
their lives so “that others might live.”
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Righteous
Simeon and Anna the prophetess On this first day of the Afterfeast of
the Meeting of the Lord
the Church commemorates the righteous Simeon and Anna the prophetess.
The following words are ascribed to Christ in Ode 9 of the Canon: "I
am not held by the Elder; it is I Who hold him, for he asks Me for forgiveness."
Righteous Simeon the God-Receiver was, according to the testimony
of the holy Evangelist Luke, a just and devout man waiting for the consolation
of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him (Luke 2:25). God promised
him that he would not die until the promised Messiah, Christ the Lord,
came into the world.
Ancient historians tell us that the Egyptian pharaoh Ptolemy II
Philadelphus (285-247 B.C.) wished to include texts of Holy Scripture
in the famous Library at Alexandria. He invited scholars from Jerusalem,
and the Sanhedrin sent their wise men. The Righteous Simeon was one of
the seventy scholars who came to Alexandria to translate the Holy Scriptures
into Greek. The completed work was called "The Septuagint," and is the
version of the Old Testament used by the Orthodox Church.
St Simeon was translating a book of the Prophet Isaiah, and read
the words: "Behold, a virgin shall conceive in the womb, and shall bring
forth a Son" (Is 7:14). He thought that "virgin" was inaccurate, and he
wanted to correct the text to read "woman." At that moment an angel appeared
to him and held back his hand saying, "You shall see these words fulfilled.
You shall not die until you behold Christ the Lord born of a pure and
spotless Virgin."
From this day, St Simeon lived in expectation of the Promised
Messiah. One day, the righteous Elder received a revelation from the
Holy Spirit, and came to the Temple. It was on the very day (the fortieth
after the Birth of Christ) when the All-Pure Virgin Mary and St Joseph
had come to the Temple in order to perform the ritual prescribed by Jewish
Law.
Simeon und Hanna
Am Tag nach
hohen Festtagen gedenkt die orthodoxe Kirche der mit dem Fest verbundenen
Heiligen. So wird nach dem Fest der Darstellung Jesu im Tempel der Heiligen
Simeon und Hannah gedacht.
Apokryphe Evangelien berichten, Simeon sei ein Priester oder Hohepriester
gewesen, sein Name wird aber in den Priesterlisten nicht geführt.
Nach anderen Berichten soll er der Sohn des berühmten Rabbis Hillel
und Vater des Rabbis Gamaliel (Apg. 5, 34) gewesen sein. Das Nikodemusevangelium
nennt auch seine Söhne Charinus und Leucius (die Verfasser des Nikodemusevangeliums
und anderer Schriften gewesen sein sollen).
Die in Lukas 2, 25 berichtete Weissagung, Simeon werde nicht sterben,
bevor er nicht den Messias gesehen habe, führte zu der Legende,
Simeon sei einer der Übersetzer der Septuaginta (griechische Übersetzung
des Alten Testaments, die um 250 vor Christus entstand) gewesen. Er
habe den Propheten Jesaja übersetzt und das hebräische almah
in Jes. 7, 14 als junge Frau übersetzen wollen, sei dann aber von
einem Engel aufgefordert worden, Jungfrau zu übersetzen. Dieser
Engel prophezeite Simeon, er werde erst sterben, wenn er den von einer
Jungfrau geborenen Immanuel erblickt habe. Im 6. Jahrhundert wurden die
Gebeine Simeons nach Konstantinopel gebracht. Im 13. Jahrhundert kamen
die Gebeine nach Istrien, wo Simeon mit seinen Söhnen verehrt wurde.
Hanna steht nicht nur auf der Ikone im Hintergrund. Über
sie ist außer dem Bericht des Lukas (2, 36-38) nichts bekannt,
es scheint auch keine Legenden zu geben. Sie war die letzte Prophetin
des alten Bundes. Nur von ihr berichtet die Bibel, daß sie die
Geburt Jesu öffentlich verkündete.
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250 St. Celerinus
deacon African martyr revered for his sufferings
In Africa sancti
Celeríni Diáconi, qui, decem et novem dies custódia
cárceris septus, in nervo et ferro variísque pœnis gloriósus
fuit Christi Conféssor; et, dum inexpugnábili firmitáte
certáminis sui vicit adversárium, vincéndi céteris
viam fecit.
In Africa, St. Celerinus, deacon, who was kept nineteen days in prison
burdened with fetters, and who gloriously confessed Christ in the midst
of afflictions. By overcoming the enemy with invincible constancy,
he shewed to others the road to victory.
while imprisoned
by Emperor Trajanus Decius
(249-251) in Rome. He was freed and returned to Carthage, where St. Cyprian ordained him as a deacon. Celerinus
of Carthage M (RM) Died after 250. An African who, without shedding
his blood, earned the title of martyr because of the sufferings he endured
under Decius during a visit to Rome. Set at liberty, he returned to Carthage
where he was ordained a deacon
by Saint Cyprian.
A church was dedicated to his honor in Carthage (Benedictines).
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250 St. Laurentinus
& brother and sister SS Laurentius and Clerina 3rd. century African
martyrs
Ibídem sanctórum trium Mártyrum, ipsíus
Celeríni Diáconi consanguineórum, scílicet
Laurentíni pátrui, Ignátii avúnculi, et Celerínæ
áviæ, qui ántea martyrio coronáti fúerant;
de quorum ómnium gloriósis láudibus exstat beáti
Cypriáni epístola.
In the same place, three holy
martyrs who were relatives of the same deacon Celerinus; his father's
brother Laurentinus, his mother's brother Ignatius and his grandmother
Celerina. They were crowned with martyrdom earlier, and were praised
highly in an epistle by blessed Cyprian.
St. Laurentinus is a 3rd. century martyr.
He and his brother and sister, SS Laurentius
and Clerina,
were put to death (St. Ignatius)
near Carthage during the
reign of Decius
(249-250). Their nephew Celerinus suffered
so extremely that he also is termed a martyr, though he lived to be ordained
a deacon by St. Cyprian.
Laurentinus, Ignatius, and Celerina MM (RM) 3rd century. African
martyrs, of whom Saint Cyprian writes movingly in one of his epistles.
Saints Laurentinus and Ignatius were uncles of and Saint Celerina an aunt
of the deacon Saint Celerinus, who is also commemorated today (Benedictines).
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316 St. Blaise martyr
miracles Patron of Throat Illnesses bishop of Sebastea in Armenia message
from God
Sebáste, in
Arménia, pássio sancti Blásii, Epíscopi
et Mártyris; qui, multórum patrátor miraculórum,
sub Agricoláo Præside, post diútinam cæsiónem,
atque in ligno suspensiónem, ubi férreis pectínibus
carnes ejus dirúptæ sunt, post tetérrimum cárcerem
et in lacum demersiónem, unde salvus exívit, tandem, jubénte
eódem Júdice, una cum duóbus púeris, cápite
truncátur. Ante ipsum vero septem mulíeres, quæ
guttas sánguinis ex ejúsdem Mártyris córpore
defluéntes, dum torquerétur, colligébant, proptérea,
deprehénsæ quod essent Christiánæ, omnes, post
dira torménta, gládio percússæ sunt.
At Sebaste in Armenia, in the time of the governor Agricolaus, the passion
of St. Blase, bishop and martyr, who, after working many miracles, was
scourged for a long time, suspended from a tree where his flesh was lacerated
with iron combs. He was then imprisoned in a dark dungeon, thrown
into a lake from which he came out safe, and finally, by order of the judge,
he and two boys were beheaded. Before him, seven women who were gathering
the drops of his blood during his torture, were recognized as Christians,
and after undergoing severe torments, were put to death by the sword.
Many Catholics might remember Saint Blaise's feast day because
of the Blessing of the Throats that took place on this day. Two candles
are blessed, held slightly open, and pressed against the throat as the
blessing is said. Saint Blaise's protection of those with throat troubles
apparently comes from a legend that a boy was brought to him who had
a fishbone stuck in his throat. The boy was about to die when Saint Blaise
healed him.
Very few facts are known about Saint Blaise. We believe he was
a bishop of Sebastea (Cappadocia) in Armenia who was martyred under the
reign of Licinius (308-316
in the early fourth century.
The legend of his life that sprang up in the eighth century tell
us that he was born in to a rich and noble family who raised him as a
Christian. After becoming a bishop, a new persecution of Christians began.
He received a message from God to go into the hills to escape persecution.
Men hunting in the mountains discovered a cave surrounded by wild animals
who were sick. Among them Blaise walked unafraid, curing them of their illnesses.
Recognizing Blaise as a bishop, they captured him to take him back for
trial. On the way back, he talked a wolf into releasing a pig that belonged
to a poor woman. When Blaise was sentenced to be starved to death, the
woman, in gratitude, sneaked into the prison with food and candles. Finally
Blaise was killed by the governor.
Blaise is the patron saint of wild animals because of his care
for them and of those with throat maladies.
In His Footsteps: Take time as Saint Blaise did to find out how
you can help wild animals. Find out what is being done to support and
protect the wildlife in your area. There is wildlife everywhere, even
in cities. Even a birdfeeder can help God's creatures survive.
Prayer: Saint Blaise, pray for us that we may not suffer
from illnesses of the throat and pray that all who are suffering be healed
by God's love. Amen
Blaise of Sebaste BM (RM) (also known as Blase, Blasien,
Blasius, Biagio).
Image of Saint Blaise courtesy of Catholic Pics
As someone who loves to sing and suffers from frequent
sore throats, I always look forward to the feast of Saint Blaise. Since
the 16th century, the throats of the faithful are blessed on this day
using the sacramental of two crossed or intertwined candles. I hope this
is still customary in all Catholic churches. The reason for Blaise's patronage
of throats is that he reportedly revived a boy who choked to death on a
fishbone (in some versions he raised the already dead boy). The candles
used during the blessing are derived from the candles brought to Blaise
in prison by the grateful mother. (I also wonder if there is some significance
to the candles that were blessed the day before at Candlemas--Feast of
the Presentation--being used to bless?)
In the acta of Saint Eustratius, who perished in 303 under
Diocletian (284-297),
it is said that Blaise received his relics, deposited them with those
of Saint Orestes, and executed
every article of his last will and testament. This is all that can be
confirmed of Saint Blaise with any accuracy as there is no evidence of
a cultus for Blaise prior to the 8th century.
According to Blaise's legendary acta, which date no
earlier than the 8th century, he was born into a rich and noble family,
received a Christian education, and was consecrated a bishop of Sebaste,
Cappadocia (now Armenia), while still quite young. Blaise was a physician
in Sebaste, as well as bishop. As a doctor Blaise went into every home
at all hours of the day and night, knew both the rich and the poor, comforted,
cured, and advised them all. As a bishop, he did the same thing.
When the governor of Cappadocia and Lesser
Armenia, Agricolaus, began persecuting Christians, Bishop Blaise of Sebastea
hid in a cave where the wild beasts, including lions, tigers, and bears,
tended him because he cared for them whenever they were hurt. His hiding
place was discovered by hunters seeking animals for the amphitheatre,
who observed him curing sick and wounded animals. Because the wild animals
were so tame around him, they thought that Blaise was a wizard and wanted
to present him as such to the governor.
As he was being brought to Governor Agricolaus, a poor
woman appealed for help because a wolf had taken her pig and Blaise
persuaded the wolf to release the pig unharmed. Blaise was presented to
the governor, who had him scourged and decided to starve Blaise to death
in prison. But his plans were thwarted when the grateful woman secretly
brought Blaise food and candles to dispel the darkness of his gloomy prison.
When it was discovered that Blaise was still alive, the governor ordered
soldiers to rake away the saint's skin with a woolcomb, and then Blaise
was beheaded.
This is only one version of
Blaise's story. In another he is repeatedly tortured, but refuses to give
in. He is thrown into a nearby lake, but the waters remain frozen like ice,
unwilling to be an accomplice in the death of this holy man. So, he is finally
killed by the sword. Canterbury claimed his relics, and at least four miracles
were said to have occurred at his shrine, one dated 1451. Parson Woodforde
described a solemn procession in his honor at Norwich on March 24, 1783 (Attwater,
Attwater2, Benedictines, Bentley, Coulson, Delaney, Encyclopedia, Farmer,
Sheppard, Tabor, Walsh, White).
In art he is a bishop with a metal comb and a tall
candle. Sometimes he may be shown: (1) with crozier and two candles
(no comb); (2) martyred by being torn with iron combs; (3) in a cave
with wild animals; (4) discovered by hunters, a fawn near him (not to
be confused with the monk, Saint Giles); (5) blessing the birds in front
of a cave; (6) rescuing a poor woman's pig from a wolf; (6) saving the
life of a boy who swallowed a fishbone; or (7) with the city of Dubrovnik
in his hand or being carried over the city by angels (Roeder).
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486 St. Lupicinus &
Felix Bishops of Lyons
Lugdúni, in Gállia, sanctórum Lupicíni
et Felícis, ítidem Episcopórum.
At Lyons in France, Saints Lupicinus
and Felix, also bishops.
France.
Nothing is known about them except that Lupicinus is assigned the date
486. They are recorded in early martyrologies.
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550 Ia of Cornwall
sailing on a leaf that grew to accommodate her VM (AC)
(also known as Hia, Hya, Iia, Ives) Died 6th century or 450 (sources
are evenly split between the two dates); another feast on October 27.
According to the late medieval legend, the sister of Saints Ercus (or Euny) and Herygh, Saint Ia, was a holy maiden who
came from Ireland to Cornwall--sailing on a leaf that grew to accommodate
her--and landed and settled at the mouth of the Hayle River where Saint
Ives, formerly called Porth
Ia, now stands. She is said to have crossed with Saints Fingar, Phiala, and other missionaries. In Cornwall
she erected a cell where she lived the life of prayer and austerities.
This version relates that Ia suffered martyrdom in Cornwall at the mouth
of the Hayle River. Leland saw her vita at Saint Ives, which depicted her as a noble of
Saint Barricus; a church was
built at her request by Dinan, a great lord of Cornwall. Breton tradition
makes her a convert of Saint Patrick, and says that she went to Armorica
with 777 disciples, where
she was martyred.
She is the eponym of Plouyé, near Carhaix. Do
not confuse her with Saint Ives of Saint Ives, Huntingdonshire (Attwater,
Attwater2, Benedictines, Coulson, D'Arcy, Farmer, Montague, Moran).
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576 St. Lawrence
of Spoleto Bishop “the Illuminator.” miracle worker
of Spoleto, Italy, also called “the Illuminator.” He was a Syrian, forced to leave his homeland in
514 because of Arian persecution. He went to Rome and was ordained by
Pope
St. Hormisdas. He then preached in Umbria and founded a monastery
in Spoleto. Named bishop of Spoleto, Lawrence was rejected as a foreigner
until the city’s gates miraculously opened for his entrance.
He is called “the Illuminator” because of his
ability to cure physical and spiritual blindness. After two
decades, Lawrence resigned to found the Farfa Abbey near Rome.
Laurence the Illuminator B (AC) (also known as Laurence of Spoleto)
Died at Farfa Monastery in 576. Saint Laurence, a Syrian Catholic was
driven into exile with 300 other Catholics during the persecution by
the Monophysite patriarch Severus of Antioch in 514.
Laurence was ordained to the priesthood in Rome and sent to preach
in Umbria, where he founded a monastery near Spoleto. Laurence was elected
bishop of Spoleto and served as its prelate for 20 years. He then resigned
and retired to the famous monastery of Farfa in the Sabine Hills near
Rome, which he had founded.
Saint Laurence was renowned as a peacemaker who helped the parties
to see the situation from the other side. It is said that he attained
the surname "the Illuminator" because he had a special gift for healing
blindness--both physical and spiritual (Attwater2, Benedictines, Coulson).
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578
St. Philip of Vienne Bishop of Vienne France. He served in a turbulent
era of political wars and rampant heresies.
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6th v St. Caellainn
She is an Irish saint Martymlogy of Donegal , and a church in Roscommon
is named in her honor.
also called Caoilfionn. She is listed in the Martymlogy of Donegal
, and a church in Roscommon is named in her honor.
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6th v.
Sts. Tigides & Remedius 2 bishops in the French Alps.
who served in succession to each other in the French Alps. The
details of their labors are not extant.
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594
Theodore of Marseilles local persecutions B.
Saint Theodore was exiled three times from his bishopric in Marseilles
because of local persecutions (Encyclopedia).
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690 St. Hadelin Benedictine abbot disciple
of St. Remaclus founder of Celles, in the diocese of Liége,
Belgium
He was born in Gascony, France,
and became the founder of Chelles Abbey in liege diocese. Hadelin spent
his last years as a hermit on the Meuse River, near Dinart.
Hadelin of Dinant, OSB, Abbot (AC) (also known as Adelin of Dinant).
a native of Gascony, followed Saint Remaclus
first to Solignac, then to Maestricht (Aquitaine) and Stavelot.
He became the founder of Celles, in the diocese of Liége, Belgium.
Hadelin lived as a hermit near Dinant on the Meuse (Benedictines,
Encyclopedia). In art, Saint Hadelin is portrayed as a Benedictine abbot
being visited by King Pepin and his knights. He might also be enthroned
before the Abbey of Celles (Roeder).
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702 St. Berlinda hermitess
of Belgium protectress of trees and invoked against cattle diseases
Berlinda, also called Berlindis or Bellaude, was a niece of St.
Amandus. She entered the Benedictine
convent of St. Mary's at Moorsel, in Belgium. She later became a hermitess
at Meerbeke.
Berlinda of Meerbeke, OSB B (AC)(also known as Berlindis, Bellaude).
A niece of Saint Amandus, Berlinda
was disinherited by her father, the rich Count Odelard, in a fit of rage.
He had leprosy and thought that she would not take proper care of him.
She fled to Saint Mary's convent at Mooriel (Moorsel), near Alost, Belgium,
where she became a Benedictine nun. After her father's death, she became
a hermit at Meerbeke near his tomb and spent her life helping the poor and
suffering (Attwater2, Benedictines, Encyclopedia).
Saint Berlinda is pictured as a Flemish nun with a cow and either
a pruning hook or branch. Sometimes she is portrayed with Saints Nona and Celsa. She is venerated at Mooreel (Mooriel)
convent and Meerbeche (Meerbeke) (Roeder). Berlinda is protectress
of trees and invoked against cattle diseases (Roeder).
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Celsa and Nona bodies
were found near that of Saint Berlinda VV.
Virgins of Brabant, whose bodies were found near that of
Saint Berlinda (Encyclopedia).
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700 Werburga of Chester
founded new convents restored goose to life , OSB V
(AC)
(also known as Werburg, Werebrurge, Werbyrgh)
Born at Stone, Staffordshire, England; died at Threckingham,
England, c. 690-700; feast of her translation at Chester, June 21.
The patroness of Chester, England, Saint Werburga,
was born of a line of kings, being a daughter of Wulfhere, King of Mercia.
From her mother, the saintly Ermingilde
(Ermenilda), she learned
as a child the Christian faith.
By temperament she was pious and virtuous, and her
beauty attracted many admirers, among them a prince of the West Saxons,
who offered her rich gifts and made flattering proposals, and also Werbode,
a powerful knight of her father's court. But refusing all her suitors, she
secured, after much persuasion, her father's permission to enter a convent
(or she did so after her father's death).
When the time came, he and his courtiers escorted her
in great state to the abbey of Ely, where they were greeted at the gates
by her aunt, the royal abbess, Ethelreda, and her nuns. Werburga
fell upon her knees and asked that she might be received as a novice,
and to the chanting of the Te Deum they entered the cloister, where she
was stripped of her costly apparel, exchanged her coronet for a veil, and
in a rough habit began her new life.
She made good progress, and after many years, at the
request of her uncle, King Ethelred,
was chosen to superintend all the convents of his kingdom. This opened
to her a large and fruitful sphere of duty, and the religious houses under
her care became models of monastic discipline.
Through the wealth and influence of her family she
also founded new convents at Trentham in Staffordshire, Hanbury near
Tutbury, and Weedon in Northamptonshire, and secured the interest of
Ethelred in establishing the collegiate Church of Saint John the Baptist
in Chester, and in giving land to Egwin for the great abbey of Evesham.
Werburga won many from dissipation and vice, and God
crowned her life with many blessings. Her work was deeply rooted in prayer
and discipline. She took but one meal daily and that only of the coarsest
food; she set before her the example of the desert fathers; and she recited
the whole of the Psalter daily upon her knees.
She lived to a ripe age, and before her death she journeyed
to all her convents, paying to each a farewell visit; she then retired
to Trentham (Threckingham in Lincolnshire), where she died. She was buried
in the monastery of Hanbury in Staffordshire. Later, her remains were transferred
with great ceremony in the presence of King Coolred and many bishops
to a costly shrine in Leicester, which attracted many pilgrims.
In 875, for fear of the Danes,
her relics were removed to Chester. In 1095, they were translated within
Chester, where in the course of time a great church, now the cathedral,
was built over it, and where the remains of it may still be seen, carved
with the figures of her ancestors, the ancient kings of Mercia. On its
four sides the deep niches remain, where the pilgrims knelt, seeking healing,
afterwards receiving a metal token to show that they had visited her
shrine. This final translation was the occasion for Goselin to write her
vita. The shrine was destroyed under King Henry VIII, although part of
its stone base survives. Twelve ancient English churches were dedicated
to her, including Hanbury and Chester (Attwater, Benedictines, Encyclopedia,
Farmer, Gill).
In art Saint Werburga holds the abbey, while her crown
lays at her feet. Sometimes there are wild geese near her (Roeder), because,
according to Goselin she restored one to life (see below); however, the
writer borrowed the story from his own vita of the Flemish Saint Amelburga
(Farmer). She is, of course, the patroness of Chester (Roeder).
Like a cheerful gossip, William of Malmesbury writes
this tale of a local miracle wrought by Saint Werburga:
"It was in the city of Chester that the girl Werburga,
daughter of Wulfhere, King of Mercia, and Ermenilda... took her vows,
and her goodness shone for many years. The story of one miracle done
by her I now shall tell, which made a great stir and was long told about
the countryside.
"She had a farm outside the walls, where the wild geese
would come and destroy the standing corn in the fields. The stewart in
charge of the farm took all shifts to drive them off, but with small success.
And so, when he came to wait upon his lady, he added his complaint of them
to the other tales he would tell her of the day.
"'Go,' said she, 'and shut them all into a house.'
The countryman, dumbfounded at the oddness of the command, thought that
his lady was jesting: but finding her serious and insistent, went back
to the field where he had first spied the miscreants, and bade them, speaking
loud and clear, to do their lady's bidding and come after him. Whereupon
with one accord they gathered themselves into a flock, and walking with
down-bent necks after their enemy, were shut up under a roof. On one of
them, however, the rustic, with no thought of any to accuse him, made bold
to dine.
"At dawn came the maid, and after scolding the birds
for pillaging other people's property, bade them take their flight.
But the winged creatures knew that one of their company was missing;
nor did they lack wit to go circling round their lady's feet, refusing
to budge further, and complaining as best they could, to excite her compassion.
She, through God's revealing, and convinced that all this clamor was
not without cause, turned her gaze upon the steward, and divined the
theft.
"She bade him gather up the bones and bring them to
her. And straightway, at a healing sign from the girl's hand, skin and
flesh began to come upon the bones, and feathers to fledge upon the skin,
till the living bird, at first with eager hop and soon upon the wing, launched
itself into the air. Nor were the others slow to follow it, their numbers
now complete, though first they made obeisance to their lady and deliverer.
"And so the merits of this maid
are told at Chester, and her miracles extolled. Yet though she be generous
and swift to answer all men's prayers, yet most gracious is her footfall
among the women and boys, who pray as it might be to a neighbor and a
woman of their own countryside" (Malmesbury).
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8th v. St. Deodatus A monk of Lagny near Paris, France.
|
785
St. Werburg Widow abbess.
A woman from Mercia, England,
she became a nun after her husband died. Werburg entered a convent,
possibly Bardney, where she became abbess. |
865 St. Ansgar
1st Archbishop of Hamburg & Bremen missionary first Christian church
in Sweden Patron of Scandinavia
Bremæ sancti Anschárii, Hamburgénsis
ac póstea Breménsis simul Epíscopi, qui Suécos
et Danos ad Christi fidem convértit, et a Gregório Papa
Quarto Legátus Apostólicus totíus Septentriónis
fuit institútus.
At Bremen, St. Ansgar, bishop
of Hamburg and later of Bremen, who converted the Swedes and the Danes
to the faith of Christ. He was appointed Apostolic Delegate of all
the North by Pope Gregory IV.
Ansgar was born of a noble family near
Amiens. He became a monk at Old Corbie monastery in Picardy and later
at New Corbie in Westphalia. He accompanied King Harold to Denmark when
the exiled King returned to his native land and engaged in missionary
work there. Ansgar's success caused King Bjorn of Sweden to invite him
to that country, and he built the first Christian Church in Sweden. He
became Abbot of New Corbie and first Archbishop of Hamburg about 831,
and Pope Gregory IV appointed
him Legate to the Scandinavian countries. He labored at his missionary
works for the next fourteen years but saw all he had accomplished destroyed
when invading pagan Northmen in 845 destroyed Hamburg and overran the Scandinavian
countries, which lapsed into paganism.
He was appointed first Archbishop of Bremen about 848,
and the See was united with that of Hamburg by Pope Nicholas I. Ansgar again returned
to Denmark and Sweden in 854 and resumed his missionary activities,
converting Erik, King of Jutland. Ansgar's success was due to his great
preaching ability, the austerity and holiness of his life, and the miracles
he is reputed to have performed. Though called "the Apostle of the North"
and the first Christian missionary in Scandinavia, the whole area lapsed
into paganism again after his death at Bremen on February 3rd. His name
is also spelled Anskar.
Ansgar B (RM) (also known as Anskar, Anschar, Anscharius,
Scharies)
Born near Amiens, Picardy, France in 801; died in Bremen,
Germany on February 3, 865.
With the coming of the barbarian after the death of
Charlemagne, darkness fell upon Europe. From the forests and fjords of
the north, defying storm and danger, came a horde of pirate invaders, prowling
round the undefended coasts, sweeping up the broad estuaries, and spreading
havoc and fear. No town, however fair, no church, however sacred, and no
community, however strong, was immune from their fury. Like a river of
death the Vikings poured across Europe.
It's hard to believe that there would be an outbreak
of missionary activity at such a time, but in Europe's darkest hour
there were those who never faltered, and who set out to convert the pagan
invader. Saint Ansgar was such a man. As a young boy of a noble family
he was received at Corbie monastery in Picardy and educated under Saints
Abelard and Paschasius Radbert. Once professed, he was transferred to
New Corbie at Westphalia. He once said to a friend, "One miracle I would,
if worthy, ask the Lord to grant me; and that is, that by His grace, he
would make me a good man."
In France a call was made for a priest to go as a missionary
to the Danes, and Ansgar, a young monk, volunteered. His friends tried
to dissuade him, so dangerous was the mission. Nevertheless, when King
Harold, who had become a Christian during his exile, returned to Denmark,
Ansgar and another monk accompanied him. Equipped with tents and books, these
two monks set out in 826 and founded a school in Denmark. Here Anskar's companion
died, and he was obliged to move on to Sweden alone when his success in
missionary work led King Bjoern to invite him to Sweden.
On the way, his boat was attacked
by pirates and he lost all his possessions, arriving destitute at a
small Swedish village. After this unpromising start, he succeeded in
forming the nucleus of a church--the first Christian church in Sweden--and
penetrated inland, confronting the heathen in their strongholds and
converting the pagan chiefs.
Ansgar became the first archbishop of Hamburg, Germany,
and abbot of New Corbie in Westphalia c. 831. The Pope Gregory IV appointed him legate
to the Scandinavian countries and confided the Scandinavian souls to
his care. He evangelized there for the next 14 years, building churches
in Norway, Denmark, and northern Germany.
He saw his accomplishments obliterated when pagan Vikings
invaded in 845, overran Scandinavia, and destroyed Hamburg. Thereafter,
the natives reverted to paganism. Ansgar was then appointed first archbishop
of Bremen around 848, but he was unable to establish himself there for
a time and Pope Nicholas I united that see with Hamburg. Nicholas also
gave him jurisdiction over Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.
Ansgar returned to Denmark and Sweden in 854 to resume
spreading the Gospel. When he returned to Denmark he saw the church
and school he had built there destroyed before his eyes by an invading
army.
His heart almost broke as he saw his work reduced to
ashes. "The Lord gave," he said, "and the Lord has taken away; Blessed
be the name of the Lord." With a handful of followers he wandered through
his ruined diocese, but it was a grim and weary time. "Be assured, my
dear brother," said the primate of France, who had commissioned him to
this task, "that what we have striven to accomplish for the glory of Christ
will yet, by God's help, bring forth fruit."
Heartened by these words, and with unfailing courage,
Anskar pursued his Swedish mission. Though he had but four churches left
and could find no one willing to go in his place, he established new outposts
and consolidated his work.
King Olaf had cast a die to decide whether to allow
the entrance of Christians, an action that Ansgar mourned as callous and
unbefitting. He was encouraged, however, by a council of chiefs at which
an aged man spoke in his defense. "Those who bring to us this new faith,"
he said, "by their voyage here have been exposed to many dangers. We see
our own deities failing us. Why reject a religion thus brought to our very
doors? Why not permit the servants of God to remain among us? Listen to
my counsel and reject not what is plainly for our advantage."
As a result, Ansgar was free
to preach the Christian faith, and though he met with many setbacks,
he continued his work until he died at he age of 64 and was buried at
Bremen. He was a great missionary, an indefatigable, outstanding preacher,
renowned for his austerity, holiness of life, and charity to the poor.
He built schools and was a great liberator of slaves captured by the Vikings.
He converted King Erik of the Jutland and was called the 'Apostle of the
North.' Yet Sweden reverted completely to paganism shortly after Ansgar's
death.
Ansgar often wore a hairshirt, lived on bread and water
when his health permitted it, and added short personal prayers to each
Psalm in his psalter, thus contributing to a form of devotion that soon
became widespread.
Miracles were said to have been worked by him. After
Ansgar's death, the work he had begun came to a stop and the area reverted
to paganism. Christianity did not begin to make headway in Scandinavia
until two centuries later with the work of Saint Sigfrid and others.
A life was written about Ansgar by his fellow missionary in Scandinavia,
Saint Rembert (Attwater, Attwater2, Benedictines, Bentley, Coulson, Delaney,
Encyclopedia, Farmer, Gill, Robinson, White).
In art Ansgar shown with converted Danes near him (White),
wearing a fur pelisse (Roeder). He may sometimes be shown otherwise
in a boat with King Harold and companions or in a cope and miter, holding
Hamburg Cathedral (Roeder).
Saint Ansgar is the patron of Denmark, Germany, and
Iceland (White). He is venerated in Old Corbie (Picardy) and New Corbie
(Saxony) as well as in Scandinavia (Roeder).
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856
Bl. Rabanus Maurus Abbot Fulda archbishop very learned man intense
charity. He also promoted clerical discipline
Germany archbishop of Mainz and a well known theologian.
Born in Mainz, he entered the Benedictine monastery of Fulda at an
early age, receiving ordination as a deacon in 801. He then studied at Tours,
France, under the famed scholar Blessed Alcuin and earned the Maurus in
memory of St. Benedict's favorite pupil.
Rabanus went back to Fulda into one of Christendom's great centers
of learning, especially within the Frankish Empire.
Ordained a priest in 814, Rabanus was elected abbot of Fulda in
822, and served until 842 when he retired, most likey under pressure
from King Louis the German as relations between them were never cordial.
Rabanus went into a life of seclusion and prayer at Petersburg until
847, when, after being reconciled with Louis, he received appointment as
archbishop of Mainz. As archbishop, Rabanus was best known and beloved
for his intense charity. He also promoted clerical discipline through several
provincial synods, defended the rights of the Church, and clarified through
the synods the doctrine of predestination.
Considered one of the most learned men of
his age.
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980
St. Liafdag martyred Bishop of Jutland.
Denmark, where he was martyred by local pagans.
|
1050
St. Oliver Benedictine monk.
of the community of Maria di Portonuovo at Ancona, Italy.
|
1050 St. Anatolius Scottish
bishop hermit miracles impossible to enumerate all the miracles he worked
in his lifetime
Anatolius left his see and Scotland to make a pilgrimage
to Rome. He became a hermit at Salins, France. Another tradition states
that Anatolius was a bishop in Galicia, Spain.
Anatolius of Salins B (AC)(9th? or) 11th century. A
Scottish or Irish bishop who went as a pilgrim to Rome and settled as
a hermit at Salins in the diocese of Besançon, Burgundy, about 1029.
He live the rest of life in a mountain retreat overlooking a favorite stopover
of Irish pilgrims near the oratory of Saint Symphorian. At a later date a church was
built in his honor at Salins. His biographer said that it would be impossible
to enumerate all the miracles he worked in his lifetime (Benedictines, D'Arcy,
Kenney, O'Hanlon).
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1192 St. Margaret
of England Cistercian nun Miracles followed her burial
She was born in Hungary,
to an English mother who was related to St. Thomas of Canterbury, England. She went
with her mother on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem and lived a life of austerity
and penance in Bethlehem. Her mother died there, and Margaret made pilgrimages
to Montserrat, in Spain, and to Puy, France. There she entered the Cistercian
convent at Suave-Benite. When she died, her tomb became a pilgrimage
shrine.
Margaret "of England," OSB Cist. V (AC)
Born in Hungary (?), died 1192. Saint Margaret was possibly born
in Hungary to an English mother and is probably related to Saint Thomas
of Canterbury. She took her mother on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, where
they both led an austere life of penance for some years in Jerusalem
and Bethlehem. Her mother died there but Margaret continued on to Our
Lady of Montserrat in the Spanish Catalonia, before joining the Cistercian
nuns at Seauve-Bénite, in the diocese of Puy-en-Velay. She was
greatly venerated in that district. Miracles followed her burial at Seauve-Bénite
and her shrine became a principle feature of the church. Crowds came
there to invoke 'Margaret the Englishwoman.' The local tradition that
she was English was accepted by the Maurists and Gallia Christiana, yet
an older French manuscript preserved by the Jesuits of Clermont College
in Paris relates that she was indeed a Hungarian of noble birth (Attwater2,
Benedictines, Coulson, Farmer, Husenbeth).
|
1237 St Elinand of
Froidmont, OSB Cist. (AC)
(also known as Helinand)
Born in Pronleroy, Oise, France; died 1237. Elinand, a court singer
before his conversion, became a Cistercian of Froidmont. Beloved by
Philip-Augustus, he was also a poet and writer of many lines about the
saints. The Cistercians venerate him as a saint, though he is otherwise
considered a beatus (Benedictines, Encyclopedia).
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1331 Bl. Odoric
of Pordenone Franciscan missionary to Mongol Great Khan in Peking miracles
performed
Born Odoric Mattiussi at Villanova, near Pordenone, Italy, he entered the Franciscans in 1300
and became a hermit. After several years, he took to preaching in the
region of Udine, northern Italy, attracting huge crowds through his eloquence.
In 1316 he set out for the Far East, journeying through China and finally
reaching the court of the Mongol Great Khan in Peking. From 1322 to 1328
he wandered throughout China and Tibet, finally returning to the West
in 1330 where he made a report to the pope at Avignon and dictated an
account of his travels. He died before he could find missionaries to return
with him to the East. His cult was approved in 1755 owing to the reports
of miracles he performed while preaching among the Chinese.
Blessed Odoric Mattiuzzi, OFM (AC) (also known as Odericus of
Pordenone) Born in Villanova near Pordenone, Friuli, Italy, in 1285;
died at Udine in 1331; cultus confirmed in 1775. Odoric Mattiuzzi became
a Franciscan hermit, who made one of the most remarkable journeys of the
middle ages. He became a missionary about 1317 and penetrated into Tibet
by travelling through Armenia, Baghdad, Malabar, Sri Lanka, and Indonesia.
He was in Beijing for three years and returned home via Lhasa. Some believed
he reached Japan. Odoric dictated an account of his adventures but does
not recount much of his evangelical activities, though they were considerable.
After 16 years in the mission fields, he returned to Europe to report to
the pope at Avignon, but died en route (Attwater2, Benedictines, Gill).
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1167 Aelred, OSB Cist.
Abbot "a second Saint Bernard" or "the Bernard of the North."(AC)
(also known as Ailred, Ethelred)
Born in Hexham, Northumberland, England, c. 1109; died
at Rievaulx Monastery, Yorkshire, England, on January 12, 1167; canonized
by the General Chapter of Cîteaux in 1250 (and Attwater says he was
canonized in 1191 but he is not in the Roman Martyrology so this statement
may be in error); today is the feast celebrated by the Cistercians, feast
day on calendar also on March 3, when it is celebrated in Hexham, Liverpool,
Middleborough, and by the Cistercians; feast day formerly on January 12.
Aelred belonged to a noble family. He was the son and
grandson of parish priests of Hexham--sainthood was probably in his genes.
He was educated at Durham in the arts, letters, and the new humanism of
the time.
At about age 20, Aelred was taken into the service
of King Saint David at the beginning of his reign. Aelred became a clerk
and then high steward of the household in the Scottish court because he
was so beloved for his piety, gentleness, humility, and spirituality by
King David, who, though son of Saint Margaret,
considered the sword and knighthood more certain guarantees of his kingdom
whose districts and frontier fiefs were in continual legal disputes.
The favors that Aelred received at court won him enemies.
One of the king's knights, a jealous man, developed a hatred for Aelred
because of the favors constantly bestowed upon him. One day his intense
hatred burst out in the presence of the king himself. Bitter reproaches
and insults followed.
Aelred replied without emotion: "You are right, Sir
Knight, and you have said the truth: your words are exact, and I see that
you are a true friend of mine." The soldier begged his pardon immediately,
and swore that henceforth he would do everything he could for Aelred. "I
am very happy you have repented," said Aelred, "and I like you the more
for it, because your jealousy has been for you a means of advancing in the
love of God."
Aelred formed a close relationship with David's son,
Earl Henry. His soul was so torn between answering God's call to the
cloistered life and remaining at court with Henry. Aelred considered
friendship a most precious gift. His dilemma was solved when he visited
the recently-founded Cistercian abbey of Rievaulx on his return from
an interview with the archbishop of York.
Aelred chose not to return to the Scottish court. Thus,
at age 24 (c. 1134), Aelred enter Rievaulx, where Saint Bernard had appointed his secretary William
as abbot over the monks from Clairvaux who formed the community. In
spite of delicate health, Aelred conformed to the austere regime and
became so esteemed by his community that he was chosen as envoy to Rome
in 1142 over the disputed election of Saint William of York and, soon
afterwards, as master of novices.
Within a short time, he was
obliged to change monasteries to avoid being named a bishop; but no sooner
had he relocated himself than he was chosen to be abbot of a new Cistercian
monastery in Revesby, Lincolnshire, in 1143. His biographers say that this
new position did not prevent his "living a life of the severest asceticism."
Under his rule, the house prospered, increasing in size to 150 choir monks
and 500 lay brothers and lay servants--the largest in England. It expanded
to five other foundations in England and Scotland.
Inspired by the writings of Saints John Chrysostom and Augustine and augmented
by Aelred's own gentle holiness and natural charity, he was able to
humanize the intransigence of Cistercian monasticism and attracted men
of similar character to his own. Through his many friends as well as
his writings, Aelred became a figure of national importance. He was chosen
to preach at Westminster for the translation of Saint Edward the Confessor. This led him to
compose a vita of Edward; he had already completed one on Saint Ninian and one the saints of Hexham.
Four years later he returned to Rievaulx as abbot,
succeeding Abbot Maurice. During his abbacy the number of monks at Rievaulx
rose to over 600, attracted by his kindly, humane nature. In addition
to looking after these he had every year to visit other Cistercian houses
in England and Scotland, and even to go as far afield as the Cistercian
centers of Cîteaux and Clairvaux. These journeys must have been
a great trial to him, for during his later years Aelred suffered from
a painful disease in addition to rheumatism.
Aelred became known for his prudence and holiness throughout
England. He was admitted to the councils of the highest dignitaries in
the land and was constantly called upon to settle disputes. King Henry
II of England was his friend, and, in 1160, during the papal schism, he was
able to influence the king on behalf of Pope Alexander III.
In 1164, he went to Galway in Ireland as a missionary
but the following year he returned to England. Famed for his preaching,
energy, sympathetic gentleness, and asceticism, Aelred was consider a
saint in his own lifetime. He was also considered a delightful companion
because of his wit, easy speech, and brilliant mind.
His biographer and disciple, Walter Daniel records:
"I lived under his rule for 17 years, and in that time he did not dismiss
anyone from the monastery." Aelred's name, indeed, is particularly associated
with friendship--human and divine. One of his two best known writings is
a little work On Spiritual Friendship which is delicately beautiful. Only
when Aelred's enormous capacity for friendship was transformed by charity
was finally able to write the unique treatment of the subject. It resembles
Cicero's dialogue on the topic, but is identifiably Christian in its approach.
Aelred also penned the Mirror
of Charity (Seculum caritas), a treatise on Christian perfection.
His sermons on Isaiah are also fine writing and he also composed biographies
of the saints. He was in the process of writing a treatise on the human
soul, which was left unfinished, by his death at age 57. His writings
and sermons are characterized by a constant appeal to the Bible and to
a love of Christ as friend and savior that was the mainspring of his life.
Saint Aelred's frequent travel
and writings merited for him the title of "a second Saint Bernard" or "the Bernard of the
North." On his way to his Scottish foundations, Aelred used to
visit his friend Saint Godric of Finchale.
In the last year of his life, he could no longer travel.
After being for a time virtually in a state of physical collapse, Saint
Aelred died his monastery, in a shed adjoining the infirmary that he
had made his quarters. The historian of monasticism in England, Professor
David Knowles, says that Aelred is "a singularly attractive figure . .
. No other English monk of the 12th century so lingers in the memory."
Saint Aelred was
buried in the chapter house. Later his relics were translated to the
church. Aelred was never formally canonized; however, his local cultus
was approved by the Cistercians who promulgated his feast (Attwater, Attwater2,
Benedictines, Coulson, Delaney, Encyclopedia, Farmer, Powicke, Squire).
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1348
Blessed Simon Fidati, OSA (AC)
(also known as Simon of Cascia)
Born in Cascia, Umbria, Italy, c. 1295; died 1348; cultus confirmed
in 1833. Simon joined the friar-hermits of Saint Augustine and was a
prominent writer and preacher, who was called upon to participate as
an adviser in the public life of central Italy. Some ascetical works previously
attributed to the Dominican Dominic Cavalca are now believed to be those
of Fidati. In recent times scholars have claimed to find injudicious statements
in his book De gestis Domini Salvatòris were the source
of several of the Augustinian Luther's heretical doctrines (Attwater2, Benedictines).
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1450
Blessed Matthew of Girgenti, OFM B (AC)
Born in Girgenti, Sicily; died at Palermo, 1450; cultus confirmed
in 1767. Matthew became a Conventual Franciscan in his hometown. Then
he turned to the Observants and worked zealously under Saint Bernardino of Siena, with whom he became
close friends as they travelled together on Bernardino's preaching missions.
He himself gained a reputation as a great preacher. Pope Eugene IV forced him to accept
the bishopric of Girgenti. Once he accepted it as God's will, he set
about reforming the see. As a result of the opposition the changes raised,
he resigned the see. Then he was refused admittance to the friary he himself
had founded because he was deemed to be too much of a firebrand. Matthew
died in a Franciscan friary at Palermo (Attwater2, Benedictines).
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1494
Blessed John Zakoly Hungary B (PC)
(also known as John of Csanad)
Died in 1494. Bishop John of Csanad, Hungary, entered the Pauline
Order and died as prior of the monastery of Diosgyör (Benedictines).
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St. Remedius French
or Gallic bishop of Gap.
France, of whom virtually nothing is known.
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1578 Bl. John Nelson
Jesuit martyr of England
a native of Skelton, near York. He was ordained at Douai at the
age of forty. Sent to London in 1576, he was arrested in London and martyred
at Tyburn by being hanged, drawn, and quartered and sentenced for refusing
the Oath of Supremacy. John became a Jesuit just before his death.
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Felix, Symphonius, Hippolytus
& Comps. martyrs MM (RM).
A group of martyrs who suffered probably in proconsular Africa
(Benedictines).
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1840 Blessed Stephen
Bellesini devoted ministrations to the victims of a cholera epidemic,
OSA (AC)
Born at Trent, Italy, in 1774; died 1840; beatified in 1904. Stephen
joined the Augustinian hermits at Bologna, Italy, and completed his studies
in Rome. After the outbreak of the French Revolution and the dispersement
of his community, he retired to his home in the Trentino, where devoted
himself to the instruction of children. For a time, he held the post of
government inspector of schools. As soon as the disturbances died down,
he returned to his community at Bologna. Shortly thereafter he was appointed
novice master in Rome and later parish priest at the shrine of our Lady
of Good Counsel at Genazzano. Here he died as a result of his devoted ministrations
to the victims of a cholera epidemic (Attwater2, Benedictines).
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Mary Mother of GOD 15
Promises of the Virgin Mary to those who recite the Rosary 
2023
Righteous
Simeon and Anna the prophetess On this first day of the 
Gregory IV (827-44) # 102 