135 Saint Leontius
Roman Greek general martyrs killed with Hypatius and Theodolus in Tripoli,
Phoenicia (Syria) many miracles occurred and were attributed to him
Trípoli, in Phœnícia, sancti Leóntii mílitis,
qui, sub Hadriáno Præside, una cum Hypátio Tribúno
et Theodúlo, quos convértit ad Christum, per acérba torménta
pervénit ad corónam martyrii.
At Tripoli in Phoenicia, in the time of the governor
Adrian, St. Leontius, a soldier, who attained the crown of martyrdom through
bitter torments together with the tribune Hypatius and Theodulus, whom he
had converted to Christ.
In Tripoli, Lebanon, or Libya, Leontius (d.c. 135) + Leontius, Hypatius
(Ipazio), and Theodulus MM (RM) Died in Tripoli, Phoenicia (Syria), 135?
Saint Leontius of Tripoli was
a Greek general in the Roman army serving in Syria. A religious man, he was
tortured and beaten to death under the Emperor Vespasian for converting non-Christians.
Two soldiers who were to arrest him, Hypatius and Theodulus were converted
and martyred as well.
Leontius was buried in the yard of a woman by the name of Giovannia (Joanna).
Her husband built a church in honor of Leontius and it was there that many
miracles occurred and were attributed to him. Many other churches were dedicated
to him. A cathedral at Bosra, Syria was consecrated to him, SS. Sergio and
Bacco in 513. He was formerly the patron saint of Syria (Benedictines, Bibliotheca
Sanctorum, VII, 1966, researched by Robert Leonzio; Encyclopedia).
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286 St. Mark
& Marcellian twins were both married deacons in Rome refused to sacrifice
to the Roman gods
Romæ, via Ardeatína, natális sanctórum Mártyrum
Marci et Marcelliáni fratrum, qui, in persecutióne Diocletiáni,
a Júdice Fabiáno tenti et ad stípitem alligáti,
in pédibus clavos auctos accepérunt; cumque non cessárent
laudáre Christum, lánceis per látera transfíxi
sunt, et cum glória martyrii ad sidérea regna migrárunt.
At Rome, on the Ardeatine Way, in the persecution of
Diocletian, the birthday of the saintly brothers Mark and Marcellian, martyrs,
who were arrested by the judge Fabian, tied to a stake, and had sharp nails
driven into their feet. Because they would not cease praising the name
of Christ they were pierced through the sides with lances, and thus went
to the kingdom of heaven with the glory of martyrdom.
Roman martyrs, twin brothers and deacons. From
a distinguished family, they lived in Rome with their wives and children.
Arrested, the brothers refused to sacrifice to the Roman gods and were arrested.
They converted their guards and escaped but were soon recaptured. Both died
in Rome. Their basilica in the catacombs of St. Balbina was discovered in
1902. Their cult was confined to local calendars in 1969. Martyred at Rome
under Diocletian towards the end of the third century, most likely in 286.
287 Ss. Mark and Marcellian, Martyrs
Interest in SS. Mark and Marcellian has been revived in modern times by
the discovery, in that part of the Catacomb of St Balbina which bears their
name, of the tombs of the two martyrs, surmounted by a fresco representing
the “coronation” of themselves and their companions. They were brothers,
deacons of the Roman church, who perished early in the reign of Diocletian.
For details of their sufferings and death we have nothing more reliable than
the so-called Passion of St Sebastian, a fifth-century collection of traditions
and legends. According to this compilation Mark and Marcellian were twins
of high birth who had been converted to Christianity in their youth and had
married. In the persecution which broke out soon after Diocletian’s accession,
they were cast into prison and were condemned by Chromatius, lieutenant of
the prefect of Rome, to be beheaded. Their friends obtained for them a thirty-days’
respite in the hope of being able during that time to persuade them to offer
the required sacrifices, and they were removed to the house of Nicostratus,
the public registrar. Their wives, their little children, and their heathen
parents, Tranquillinus and Martia, sought by tears and entreaties to shake
their constancy, but St Sebastian, then an officer in the emperor’s household,
visited them daily and encouraged them to persevere.
The outcome of the various
interviews and discussions which look place was the conversion of the martyrs’
relations, of Nicostratus, and shortly afterwards of Chromatius, who set the
prisoners free, resigned his post and retired into the country. Although
Mark and Marcellian were concealed by a Christian official of the imperial
household, they were betrayed by a renegade and recaptured. Fabian, who
had succeeded Chromatius, condemned them to be bound to two wooden pillars,
to which their feet were then nailed. When they had been thus exposed for
twenty-four hours they were pierced by lances. Their relics were translated
from the catacombs to the church of SS. Cosmas and Damian, and are now in
the basilica of St Praxedes in Rome.
That portion
of the passio of St Sebastian which relates to SS. Mark and
Marcellian has been printed in the Acta Sanctorum, June,
vol. iv, as well as elsewhere. Upon the question of the crypt in the cemetery
of Balbina, much has been written. See especially G. Wilpert in the Nuovo Bullettino di arch. crist., 1903, pp. 43—58 ; Wilpert
in the Römische Quartalschrift, 1908, pp. 124—164, and
1930, pp. 1—5; 0. Marucchi, in Nuovo Bullettino,
1909, pp. 221—235, and 1910, pp. 120—130; J. P. Kirsch, Der stadtrömische christ. Festkalender (1924), pp. 155—156;
Delehaye’s CMH., pp. 324—325 ; and Leclercq in DAC., vol. x (1932), cc. 1749—1753.
These martyrs were brothers and their martyrdom is known to
us from the Acts of St. Sebastian,
which, though in great part legendary, are nevertheless very ancient. Cast
into prison for being Christians, they were visited by their father and mother,
Tranquillinus and Martia, who, being still idolaters, implored them to return
to the worship of the false gods to save their lives. But Sebastian, whose
approaching martyrdom was to render him illustrious, having penetrated into
their prison at the same time, exhorted them so earnestly not to abandon the
Christian Faith, that he not only rendered their fidelity immovable, but also
converted their parents and several of their friends who were present. The
judge, before whom they were at length brought, not being able to induce them
to apostatize, condemned them to death. They were buried in the Via Ardeatina,
near the cemetery of Domitilla. Their bodies were translated at a later date
(which is not quite certain, but probably in the ninth century) to the church
of Sts. Cosmas and Damian, where they were rediscovered in 1583 in the reign
of Gregory XIII. They still rest there in a tomb, near which may be seen
an ancient painting wherein the two martyrs are represented with a third
person who seems be the Blessed Virgin.
Mark and Marcellian MM (RM) second feast on July 29. These twins were both
married deacons in Rome, who suffered martyrdom under Maximianus Herculeus. After they
were condemned and thrown into prison, their powerful friends convinced the
judge to delay their execution for thirty days, so that they might try to
dissuade the twins their present course. They were released into the custody
of Nicostratus, the public register. Their pagan parents, Tranquillinus and
Martia, their wives, and their children all tried to entreat them to renounce
their faith. Meanwhile, Saint Sebastian,
visited the twins daily to encourage them to persevere. With Sebastian's help,
their parents, wives, the wife of the judge Nicostratus, and Chromatius, were
all converted. Chromatius set his prisoners free, resigned his position, and
retired to the country. Castulus, a Christian officer, hid them in his apartments
in the palace, but they were betrayed by an apostate, Torquatus, and again
taken into custody. Chromatius's successor, Fabian, condemned them to be
bound to two pillars with their feet nailed to them. They hanged there for
a full day until they were pierced with lances. They were buried in the Arenarium
two miles from Rome between the Appian and Ardeatine roads. Their basilica
in the catacombs of Saint Balbina was rediscovered in 1902 (Benedictines,
Encyclopedia, Husenbeth).
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293 St. AquilinaVirgin
martyr beheaded at Byblos at 12
She was reported to have
been only twelve years old.
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303 Etherius of Nicomedia
Martyr at Nicomedia M (RM)
Eódem die sancti Æthérii Mártyris, qui, in persecutióne
Diocletiáni, post ignes et álios cruciátus, gládio
cæsus est.
The same day, St. Aetherius, martyr, in the persecution
of Diocletian. After enduring fire and other torments, he was put to
death with the sword.
Martyr under Diocletian at Nicomedia (Benedictines).
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305
Saint Cyriacus and Saint Paula virgin death at Málaga, Spain MM (RM)
Málacæ, in Hispánia, sanctórum Mártyrum
Cyríaci, et Paulæ Vírginis, qui, lapídibus óbruti,
inter saxa cælo ánimas reddidérunt.
At Malaga in Spain, the holy martyrs Cyriacus and the
virgin Paula, who were overwhelmed with stones, and yielded up their souls
to God.
The virgin Saint Paula and Cyriacus were stoned
to death at Málaga, Spain, during the Diocletian persecution (Benedictines).
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|
373 St Ephraem,
Doctor of The Church
Edéssæ, in Mesopotámia, sancti
Ephræm, Diáconi Edesséni et Confessóris, qui,
post multos labóres pro Christi
fide suscéptos, doctrína et sanctitáte conspícuus,
sub Valénte Imperatóre quiévit in Dómino, et a
Benedícto Papa Décimo quinto Doctor Ecclésiæ universális
est declarátus.
At Edessa in
Mesopotamia, St. Ephraem, deacon of the church of Edessa in the time of Emperor
Valens and confessor. After suffering many trials for the faith of
Christ and gaining great renown for holiness and learning, he went to rest
in the Lord. He was declared a doctor of the Universal Church by Pope
Benedict XV
Famous in his lifetime as a
great teacher, orator, poet, commentator and defender of the faith, St Ephraem
is the only Syrian father who is honoured as a doctor of the Universal Church
(since 1920); the Syrians, both Catholic and separated, style him “the Harp
of the Holy Ghost”, and enrich their liturgies with his homilies and hymns.
Steeped in the Holy Scriptures, though not a man of wide scholarship he
had a deep insight into the mysteries of God.*[*It was the opinion of another
doctor of the Church, St Robert Bellarmine, that St Ephraem was “more pious
than learned”.]
St Basil described him as “one
conversant with the knowledge of all that is true”; and St Jerome mentions
him in these terms when making a catalogue of the great Christian writers:
“Ephraem, deacon of the Church of Edessa, wrote many works in Syriac, and
became so famous that his writings are publicly read in some churches after
the Sacred Scriptures. I have read in Greek a volume of his on the Holy Spirit;
though it was only a translation I recognized therein the sublime genius
of the man.”
His chief interest to most
people, however, lies in the fact that to him we owe very largely the introduction
of sacred songs into the Church’s public services as an important feature
in her worship and a recognized means of instruction. It soon found
its way from Edessa into all the Eastern churches and gradually it spread
to the West. “To the hymns on which his fame rests”, writes a modern Anglican
commentator, “the Syrian ritual in all its forms owes much of its strength
and richness, and to them is largely due the place which hymnody holds throughout
the churches everywhere” (Dr John Gwynn in vol. xiii of Nicene
and Post-Nicene Fathers).
St Ephraem was born about the
year 306 at Nisibis in Mesopotamia, then still under Roman rule. That his
parents were Christians is asserted in what purport to be his own words. “I
was born in the way of truth”, he tells us. “Although my boyhood did not
understand the greatness of it, I knew it when trial came.” Elsewhere,
in the same doubtful source, he is made to say: “I had been early taught about
Christ by my parents: they who begat me after the flesh had trained me in
the fear of the Lord. . . . My parents were confessors before the judge: yea,
I am of the kindred of the martyrs.” It is, however, more commonly believed
that his father and mother were pagan, and that on his conversion in his boyhood
he was turned out of doors by them. He was baptized at the age of eighteen,
and attached himself to the famous bishop of Nisibis, St Jacob (or James),
whom he is said to have accompanied to the Council of Nicaea in 325. After
St Jacob’s death, Ephraem remained in close relation with the three succeeding
hierarchs, probably as head of their school. He was living at Nisibis through
the three sieges laid to it by the Persians, and in some of his Nisibeian
hymns are to be found descriptions of the city’s perils, of its defences,
and of the final repulse of the enemy in 350. But although the Persians failed
to capture Nisibis by direct attack, they obtained it thirteen years later
as part of the price of the peace the Emperor Jovian was forced to negotiate
after the defeat and death of Julian. The Christians abandoned the city,
and Ephraem retired finally to a cave in a rocky height overlooking
Edessa. Here he led a most austere life, sustained only by a little barley
bread and a few vegetables, and here he wrote the greater part of his spiritual
works.
His appearance was indeed that
of an ascetic: he was of small stature, we are told, bald, beardless, and
with skin shrivelled and dried up like a potsherd; his gown was all patches,
the colour of dirt, he wept much and never laughed. Nevertheless, an
incident related by all his biographers proves that in spite of his gravity
he could appreciate a repartee, even when directed against himself. On the
first occasion that he entered the city of Edessa he encountered the bold
stare of a woman who was washing clothes in the river and rebuked her sharply,
bidding her cast her eyes modestly to the ground. Unabashed, she promptly
retorted, “No: it is for you to look down to the ground because out of it
you were taken. It is quite right for me to look at you, for from you—as
man—I was taken.” Ephraem was impressed by her ready wit and exclaimed, “
If the women of this city are so wise, how exceedingly wise its men
must be!”
Although
the cave continued to be his headquarters, he was by no means a recluse,
and concerned himself with all questions that affected the Church especially
in Edessa, which he called “the city of blessing” manifest itself in the West before the period of St Francis
of Assisi. A few specimens of St Ephraem’s language can hardly be out of place.
For example, in one of his hymns or addresses—it is difficult to decide how
these metrical compositions should be classed—the poet apostrophizes the
upper room of the Last Supper in these terms:
O blessed spot, thy narrow room may be set
against all the world. That which is contained in thee, though bounded in
so strait a compass, filleth the universe. Blessed is the dwelling-place
in which with holy hand the bread was broken.
In thee the grape which grew on Mary’s vine was crushed in the chalice
of salvation.
O blessed spot! No man hath seen nor shall
see the things which thou hast seen. In thee the Lord Himself became true
altar, priest, and bread and chalice of salvation. He alone sufficeth for
all, yet none for Him sufficeth. Altar
He is and lamb, victim and sacrificer, priest as well as food.
Or take this description of the scourging at the pillar:
After many vehement outcries
against Pilate, the all-mighty One was scourged like the meanest criminal.
Surely there must have been commotion and horror at the sight. Let the heavens
and earth stand awe-struck to behold Him who swayed the rod of fire, Himself
smitten with scourges; to behold Him who spread over the earth the veil of
the skies and who set fast the foundations of the mountains, who poised the
earth over the waters and sent down the blazing lightning-flash, now beaten
by infamous wretches over a stone pillar that His own word had created. They,
indeed, stretched out His limbs and outraged Him with mockeries. A man whom
He had formed wielded the scourge. He who sustains all creatures with His
might submitted His back to their stripes; He who is the Father’s right
arm yielded His own arms to be extended. The pillar of ignominy was embraced
by Him who sustains the heavens and earth in all their splendour. Savage dogs
did bark at the Lord who with his thunder shakes the mountains, they sharpened
their teeth against the Son of Glory.
An even fuller revelation of
the character of the saintly writer is supplied by the document known as
the Testament of St Ephraem. Though it has probably been subject
to interpolations at a later date, Rubens Duval, who speaks authoritatively
on such questions, is satisfied that the greater part of the testament is
authentic and in particular the passages now to be quoted.
St Ephraem appeals
to his friends and disciples in such language of profound humility as the
following:
Lay me not with sweet spices, For this honour avails me not, Nor yet use incense
and perfumes,
For the honour benefits me not. Burn ye
the incense in the holy place; As for me,
escort me only with your prayers. Give ye
your incense to God, And over me send up hymns.
Instead of perfumes and spices. Be
mindful of me in your intercessions.
The decree
has gone forth that I can tarry no longer. Give me, as provision for my journey,
Your prayers, your psalms and your sacrifices. When the number of thirty days is complete, Then, 0 my brothers, make remembrance of me,
For the dead truly derive succour; From the sacrifices offered up by the living.
There are several
documents, both in Syriac and in Greek, which purport to be lives or biographical
notices of St Ephraem. The Greek texts have been printed by J. S. Assemani,
in his introduction to the first volume of S. P. N. Ephraem Syri
Opera, pp. i-xxxiii, and in that of the third volume, pp. xxiii—xxxv.
The Syriac texts may be found in Assemani, Bibliotheca
Orientalis, vol. i, p. 26, and in Lamy, S. Ephraem Syri Hymni
et Sermones, vol. ii, pp. 5—90. There are also two similar pieces of
Nestorian origin which are printed in the Patrologia Orientalis,
vol. iv, pp. 293—295, and vol. v, pp. 291—299. It is generally
agreed that no trust can be placed in any of the information which comes
from these sources. To discuss the character or the authenticity of the many
works which have been attributed to St Ephraem would be out of place here.
The interesting “Testament of St Ephraem” has been critically edited and
translated by Rubens Duval in the Journal Asiatique for 1901,
pp. 234—319. See also C. W. Mitchell, St Ephraem’s Prose Refutations
of Mani, Marcion and Bardesanes (1912—1924) ; and the articles on Ephraem,
with bibliographies, in Bardenhewer, Geschichte der
altkirchlichen Literatur, vol. iv, pp. 342—375 ; DTC., vol. v, cc. 188—193
DCB., vol. ii, pp. 137—144; Lexikon f. Theologie und Kirche,
vol. iii (1931), cc. 715—718 E. Emerau, St Ephrem le
Syrien (1919) ; and G. Ricciotti. Sant’ Efrem Siro
(1925).
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431
Saint Amandus of Bordeaux; he succeeded Bishop Saint Delphinus his mentor
& became an outstanding
holy bishop; instructor of Saint
Paulinus of Nola
Burdígalæ sancti Amándi, Epíscopi
et Confessóris. At Bordeaux, St. Amandus, bishop
and confessor.
Amandus was ordained by Delphinus of Bordeaux, France. He then
instructed Paulinus and succeeded Delphinus as bishop of Bordeaux sometime
about 404. He resigned in favor of St. Severinus,
assuming the office when Severinus died in 405. Amandus was credited with
being an outstanding and holy bishop.
431 St Amandus, Bishop of Bordeaux
We read in the letters of St Paulinus of Nola that St Amandus served God
from his infancy, that he was nurtured in the knowledge of the Holy Scriptures,
and that he always remained uncontaminated by carnal sin or by worldly intercourse.
Nothing whatever is known of his birth or parentage. Ordained priest by
St Delphinus, bishop of Bordeaux, who retained him to serve in his church,
Amandus displayed great zeal for the glory of God. It was he who gave St
Paulinus of Nola the necessary instruction to prepare him for baptism. This
led to a lifelong friendship between them. St Paulinus wrote him many letters,
and we see from those which survive that he had the highest opinion of his
piety and wisdom. Upon the death of St Delphinus, in the year 400, St Amandus
was elected to fill the vacant see. He resigned some years later in favour
of St Severinus, after whose death he was prevailed upon to resume his former
office. “If you wish to see bishops worthy of God”, wrote St Gregory of Tours,
quoting the words of St Paulinus, “you have only to look at Exuperius of Toulouse,
Simplicius of Vienne, Amandus of Bordeaux . . .” It is said that to St Amandus
is due the preservation of the writings of St Paulinus, but this is very
doubtful. The exact date of his death is uncertain.
We have no
materials beyond those indicated above for any biography of St Amandus. There
is a short notice in the Acta Sanctorum, June, vol iv. On
his relations with St Paulinus of Nola, consult P. Reinelt, Studien
über die Briefe der hl. Paulinus (1904), pp. 17 seq.;
and see also Duchesne, Fastes Épiscopaux, vol. ii,
p. 59; and DHG., vol. ii, c. 938.
Amandus of Bordeaux B (RM) Saint Paulinus of Nola, who was converted
and prepared for baptism by Saint Amandus, provides most of the details
we have about his spiritual father. They developed a lasting friendship that
is recorded in many letters. From him we know that Amandus served God from
his infancy and was given an early education in the things of God, including
Sacred Scripture.
Bishop Saint Delphinus ordained Amandus and employed him in his church.
Upon the death of Delphinus about 404, Amandus succeeded him to the episcopal
chair of Bordeaux, but shortly after his election he resigned in favor of
Saint Seurin. Seurin died about 420 and, again, Amandus was cajoled into resuming
the role of bishop. Saint Paulinus tells us that Amandus always conducted
himself as a zealous guardian of faith of Christ. He is credited with preserving
the writings of his son in faith (Benedictines, Husenbeth).
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486 Sts. Gregory,
Deacon Demetrius, and Abbot Calogerus Greek hermit missionary called "the
Anchoret." received the monastic habit from the pope in Rome
Apud Saccam, in Sicília, sancti Calógeri Eremítæ,
cujus sánctitas in energúmenis liberándis máxime
effúlget.
At Sacca in Sicily, St. Calogerus, hermit, whose holiness
is shewn especially in the deliverance of possessed persons.
<Bishop Calogerus.jpg
He received the monastic habit from the pope in Rome {probably
440 Pope Saint
Sixtus III was pope from July 31, 432 to August 18,} and lived
as a hermit for more than three decades near Girgenti, in Sicily. Calogerus
is also reported to have served as a missionary on the isles of Lepari.
Gregory, Demetrius, and Calogerus the Anchoret (AC)
Late 5th century. Bishop Gregory, Deacon Demetrius, and Abbot Calogerus
were driven from their homeland in North Africa by the Arian Vandals. They
settled at and evangelized the area around Fragalata (near Messina), Sicily,
of which they are not patrons (Benedictines).
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569 St. Fortunatus
Italian bishopcalled “the Philosopher;” esteemed by St. Germanicus of Paris,
France, driven from his see in northern Italy by the Lombards.
Fortunatus the Philosopher (AC) Bishop Saint Fortunatus, who is often
confused with Saint Venantius Fortunatus, was driven from his see in northern
Italy by the Lombards. Saint Germanus of Paris held him in high esteem (Benedictines).
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640
St Alena Born pagan became a Christian martyred during a secret ceremony
of the Holy Eucharist
Martyr born near Brussels, Belgium. Born into a pagan family, Alena became
a Christian in secret. She was arrested and martyred during a secret ceremony
of the Holy Eucharist. |
700 St. Osmanna
Irish maiden crossed the Channel became hermitess Brieuc
Nun, also called Osanna.
She served in a Benedictine convent
in Jouarre, France.
Osmanna of Jouarre, OSB V (AC) (also known as Argariarga) This Irish maiden
crossed the Channel to become a hermitess near Brieuc (Benedictines).
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750 St. Marina
Virgin flourished in Bithynia in the eighth century served God under the habit
of a monk, with extraordinary fervor.
Alexandríæ pássio sanctæ Marínæ
Vírginis.
At Alexandria, the passion of St. Marina, virgin.
Her wonderful humility, meekness, and patience are celebrated in the lives
of the fathers of the desert. She died about the middle of the eighth century.
Her relics were translated from Constantinople to Venice in 1230, and are
venerated there in a church which bears her name. She is also titular saint
of a parish church in Paris, which is mentioned by the celebrated William
of Paris, in 1228. In it is preserved a portion of her relics, brought from
Venice. St. Marina is commemorated in the Roman Martyrology and in the New
Paris Breviary on the 18th of June; and the feast of the translation of her
relics is kept at Venice on the 17th of July.
Marina (Marinus, Maria) VM (RM) 8th century? The Roman Martyrology names
Marina a virgin martyr of Alexandria; however, many ancient martyrologies
identified her only as a virgin. She is so often confused with Saint Margaret,
with the Saint Marina who lived at a monastery dressed as a boy, and her Greek
duplicate, Saint Pelagia. Her life was the model for the legends of Saints
Euphrosyne, Theodora, and others. Marina's relics were translated from Constantinople
to Venice in 1230, and are venerated there in a church which bears her name.
She is also titular saint of a parish church in Paris, which is mentioned
by the celebrated William of Paris, in 1228. In it is preserved a portion
of her relics, brought from Venice. The feast of the translation of her relics
is kept at Venice on July 17 (Benedictines, Husenbeth).
|
940 St. Guy Benedictine
abbot, successor of St. Berno in Baume Abbey retired became a hermit.
Guy of Baume, OSB Abbot (AC) Saint Guy succeeded Saint Berno as abbot
of Baume-les-Messieurs. He resigned about 940 and retired to a hermitage near
Fay-en-Bresse (Benedictines).
|
1135 Blessed Jerome of
Vallumbrosa lived 35 years on nothing but bread /water OSB Vall. (AC)
Jerome lived for 35 years on nothing but bread and water. He
moved from the abbey of Masso delle celle into a hermitage (Benedictines).
|
1164 St. Elizabeth of
Schonau Benedictine abbess gifted mystic known for ecstasies, prophecies,
and diabolical visitations visions in 3 books
Schonáugiæ, in Germánia, sanctæ Elísabeth
Vírginis, ob monásticæ vitæ observántiam
célebris.
At Schongau in Germany, St. Elizabeth, virgin, celebrated
for her observance of the monastic life.
She had her first vision in 1152 and was known for ecstasies,
prophecies, and diabolical visitations. She became abbess in 1157. Her
cult was never formalized, but she is listed as a saint in the Roman Martyrology.
Her brother, Ethbert, a Benedictine abbot, wrote her biography and recorded
her visions in three books.
1164 St Elizabeth Of Schönau, Virgin
Three
German monasteries have borne the name of Schönau: one, a community
of Cistercian monks near Heidelberg; another, a nunnery in Franconia; and
the third, a double house of Benedictines not far from Bonn, built by Hildelin,
who became its first abbot in 1125. Into the great nunnery of Hildelin’s foundation,
Elizabeth, a girl of humble extraction, entered at the age of twelve. Some
six years later, in 1147, she was professed. She threw herself fervently
into the religious activities of the convent, and, though suffering from
continual ill-health, wore a hair-shirt, girded herself with an iron chain,
and practised other austerities. “The lowliest of His poor” she says of herself in one of her books, “I thank God
that from the moment I entered the order until this hour, His hand has pressed
down upon me so persistently that I have never ceased to feel His arrows
in my body.”
From her twenty-third year onwards she was subject to extraordinary
supernatural manifestations, celestial visions, and diabolic persecutions.
In a letter addressed to her friend St Hildegard, Elizabeth describes how
an angel had told her to proclaim a series of judgements that would fall
on the people unless they did penance, and how, because she had delayed obeying
him, he had beaten her so severely with a whip that she had been ill for
three days!
At a later
date, when some of her prophecies had failed in their fulfilment, the angel
informed her that penance had actually averted the impending doom. For a time
she was assailed by terrible temptations, and worried by the sudden appearance
in her cell and elsewhere of demons habited as monks or priests, who mocked, mimicked and threatened her. Once she saw the devil as a black
bull, presently metamorphosed into a black fire, from the midst of which
there emerged a herd of loathsome goats. But this period of trial was the
prelude to great consolations and heavenly visitations. On Sundays and festivals
in particular she would fall into ecstasies during the saying of the Office
or at Mass. In this condition she would receive, as she believed, admonitions
and messages from an angel, or from the saint whose feast was then being
kept. She visualized these celestial visitors so distinctly that she could
afterwards describe in detail their appearance and attire. Scenes from the
passion, resurrection and ascension of our Lord presented themselves similarly
as though enacted before her bodily eyes. She recorded some of her visions
on wax tablets which, at the bidding of Abbot Hildelin, she sent to her brother
Egbert, a canon of Bonn, who subsequently took the habit at Schönau
and succeeded Hildelin as abbot. These notes, supplemented by her oral explanations,
Egbert embodied in three books of her visions, which he published with a
preface of his own and a chronological list of her chief religious experiences.
The first book is written in simple language,
such as Elizabeth herself might have used; but the others are more sophisticated
in terminology and in thought, evincing at times a theological training more
suggestive of Egbert than of his sister. This is even more evidently the case
with another of her works, viz. The Book of the Ways of God,
written, apparently, in imitation of the Scivias of
St Hildegard. It sets forth stern warnings addressed to various classes of
clergy and laymen, and in its advocacy of the antipope “Victor IV”, whom Egbert’s
friends supported, and in the terms of its denunciation of the Cathari and
of its invectives against worldly prelates and unfaithful priests, it clearly
reveals the mind and the hand of Egbert.
The last of Elizabeth’s books,
as well as the most famous, was her contribution to the Ursuline Legend.
It has a curious history. Excavations, which had been made on several occasions
since the beginning of the twelfth century in a certain district of Cologne,
had resulted in the discovery of a great number of human bones. The place
came to be known as the “Ager Ursulinus “, and the remains were thought to
be those of St Ursula’s eleven thousand virgins. Mingled with the rest, however,
were the skeletons of men, and a number of tablets—now known to have been
forgeries—ostensibly bearing names of the supposed martyrs. Gerlac, abbot
of Jieutz, who had assisted in translating the alleged relics of St Ursula
in 1142, and who had spent nine years searching for the remains of her companions,
addressed himself to Egbert in the hope that Elizabeth, through her visions,
might be able to throw light on the problem thus presented.
Under strong pressure from
her brother, as it would appear, she evolved an elaboration of the already
fantastic story of St Ursula, into which she introduced a Pope Cyriacus, who
never existed, and all the newly discovered “martyrs”. That this extravagant
romance, entirely at variance with easily verifiable historical facts, should
have gained immediate and widespread acceptance throws a rather sinister light
upon the credulity of the age; though, on the other hand, it is proof of
the esteem in which Elizabeth was held.
She must actually have been
a woman of judgement in the affairs of daily life, or she could scarcely have
held, as she did, the post of superioress during the last seven years of
her life. Her office was second only to that of the abbot, who ruled the double
community. She died on June 18, 1164, in her thirty-eighth year. Confusion
between the abbeys at Schönau afterwards led to her being regarded as
a Cistercian, and entered as such by Molanus in 1568 in a new edition of
Usuard.
From Molanus her name was transferred
in 1584 to the Roman Martyrology, where it still stands, without any reference
to her writings. Elizabeth has never been formally canonized or beatified,
and widely divergent views have been entertained as to the nature of her
visions. All critics, however, admit that Elizabeth herself, her brother,
and those who knew them best, were firmly convinced that they came to her
from on high.
What we know
of the life of Elizabeth is mainly derived from a memoir which her brother
Egbert prefixed to the collection of her visions. This biographical matter,
with a letter also of Egbert’s, is printed in the Acta Sanctorum,
June, vol. iv, and elsewhere. The best edition of the visions and
the writings which bear her name is that of F. W. E. Roth (1884). Roth also
printed in i886 a copy of what he called the “Prayerbook” (Gebetbuch)
of Elizabeth; on this, cf. Omont, in vol. xxxviii
(1905) of Notices et Extraits des MSS. de la Bib. Nationale.
The Ursula visions are also printed in the Acta Sanctorum,
October, vol. viii (pp. 165—173). See further, Nebe in the Annalen of the Nassau Verein f. Alt, etc., vol.
viii (i866), pp. 157—292; Preger, Deutsche Mystik, vol. i,
pp. 37—43; and L. Oliger, who in vol. (1926) of Antonianum
has shown that certain revelations attributed by Montalembert to St
Elizabeth of Hungary are really taken from the writings of Elizabeth of Schönau.
A popular but quite uncritical life with a selection of her visions was brought
out by J. Ibach, Das Leben der hi. Jungfrau Elizabeth von Schönau
(1898). See, also, P. Schmitz, in the Revue Bénédictine,
vol. xlvii (1935), pp. 181—183; and Analecta Bollandiana,
vol. lxxi (1953), pp. 494—496, where two important studies on false
ascriptions are reviewed.
Mysticism was a phenomenon that
found expression in the mid-11th century. It is an endeavor to reach a knowledge
of and union with God directly and "experimentally." The mystic renounces
his senses and the images they offer of God. This is the "Negative road" that
begins by recognizing the complete "Otherness" of God. The pseudo- Dionysius
wrote On the Divine Names , which influenced this movement in the Middle
Ages. It is characterized by abnormal psychic states which culminate
in ecstasy. Such states are sanctified when perfectly united with God and
the whole personality is fully free. As a rule, mystics exhibit extraordinary
self-knowledge, which leads to an ever more passionate love of God and His
Son. Mystical life in no way need conflict with a married, intellectual, or
active life, although many mystics, like Elizabeth were professed religious.
Elizabeth of Schönau entered the great Black Benedictine
double monastery at Schönau (16 miles northeast of Bonn, Germany) at
age 11 or 12. She was professed in 1147, and shortly thereafter, she began
to experience clairvoyance. This was the origin of her experiences, but
she distinguishes them from her later ones.
In 1157, Elizabeth became abbess
of Schönau and a friend of Saint Hildegard.
In a letter to Hildegard, Elizabeth describes how an angel had told her to
proclaim a series of judgements that would fall on the world unless they did
penance, and how, because she delayed obeying him, he had beaten her so severely
with a whip that she had been ill for three days! At a later time, when some
prophecies had failed in their fulfillment, the angel informed her that penance
had actually averted the impending doom. She was assailed with terrible temptations,
but prayed against them.
She would often fall into ecstasies while saying the Divine
Office or at Mass on Sundays and on feast days. At the prompting of the abbey's
founder, Abbot Hildelin, she recorded some of her visions on wax tablets,
which were sent to her brother, canon Egbert, in Bonn. Later he took the
habit at Schönau and succeeded Hildelin as abbot in the same Benedictine
monastery. He wrote her vita and three books of her visions using the tablets
she wrote, supplemented by her oral explanations.
The first book seems to be the simple language that Elizabeth
might have used herself, but the others are more sophisticated--probably
written by Egbert. The last and most famous book dealt with her vision of
Saint Ursula. This was the
result of pressure placed on her brother by Bishop Gerlac of Deutz, who had
assisted in the translation of the supposed relics of Saint Ursula and her 11,000 virgins after
searching nine years for them. Under strong pressure from her brother, Elizabeth
evolved an elaboration of the already fantastic story of Ursula. She even
introduced into it a Pope Cyriacus, who never existed.
Elizabeth "saw" the whole of Our Lord's life and that of various
saints, but had to describe it in terms of which she had "real" knowledge.
We need to discriminate between gift as given and the way in which it is described
by the recipient--some may be part of the imagination without basis in historical
fact. For example, inculpably, Elizabeth contributed to the further elaboration
of the mythical legend of Saint Ursula. She knew when she had been in ecstasy,
which was different than being "near" ecstasy. She described her visions
in moral and allegorical rather than mystical terms. Like most medieval mystics,
she was practical, and believed in her smallness before God. This is the
"heart of the mystical life--the self, as such, is nothing; it needs to be
wholly filled and activated by God" (Attwater, Benedictines, Encyclopedia,
Martindale, Walsh).
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13th v. Saint Gerland
of Caltagirone either a Knight Templar or a Knight Hospitaller (AC)
13th century. Gerland was either a Knight Templar or a Knight Hospitaller,
whose relics are venerated in Caltagirone, Sicily (Benedictines).
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1298 June 12, 2010 Blessed Jolenta (Yolanda) of Poland
daughter of Bela IV, King of
Hungary. Her sister, St. Kunigunde, was married to the Duke of Poland
Jolenta was the daughter of Bela IV, King of Hungary. Her sister, St. Kunigunde,
was married to the Duke of Poland. Jolenta was sent to Poland where her sister
was to supervise her education. Eventually married to Boleslaus, the Duke
of Greater Poland, Jolenta was able to use her material means to assist the
poor, the sick, widows and orphans. Her husband joined her in building hospitals,
convents and churches so that he was surnamed "the Pious."
Upon the death of her husband and the marriage of two of her daughters,
Jolenta and her third daughter entered the convent of the Poor Clares. War
forced Jolenta to move to another convent where, despite her reluctance,
she was made abbess.
So well did she serve her Franciscan sisters by word and example that her
fame and good works continued to spread beyond the walls of the cloister.
Her favorite devotion was the Passion of Christ. Indeed, Jesus appeared to
her, telling her of her coming death. Many miracles, down to our own day,
are said to have occurred at her grave.
Comment: Jolenta’s story begins
like a fairy tale. But fairy tales seldom include the death of the prince
and never end with the princess living out her days in a convent. Nonetheless,
Jolenta’s story has a happy ending. Her life of charity toward the poor and
devotion to her Franciscan sisters indeed brought her to a “happily ever after.”
Our lives may be short on fairy-tale elements, but our generosity and our
willingness to serve well the people we live with lead us toward an ending
happier than we can imagine.
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1300 Blessed Marina
Vallarina of Spoleto lively cultus Augustinian nun V (AC)
Marina had a lively cultus in Spoleto, Umbria, Italy, where she was an
Augustinian nun (Benedictines).
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1505 Blessed Hosanna
of Mantua spent her fortune in the service of the poor; stigmata OP Tert.;
miraculously learned to read/write V (AC)
(also known as Osanna) Born in Mantua, Lombardy, Italy, 1449;
cultus confirmed by Popes Leo X and Innocent XII; beatified in 16. Osanna
Andreassi was the daughter of the wealthy patrician Andreasio. She experienced
visions from her early childhood, but kept the experiences to herself. At
the age of six, she saw the Child Jesus carrying a cross and wearing a crown
of thorns. He told her that He has a special love of children and purity.
She was so impressed, as we all would be, that she immediately consecrated
her entire life to God.
Osanna begged her father to allow her to learn to read so that
she might be able to pray the Divine Office. He refused her request because
it was a waste for a woman who was expected simply to raise a family. Osanna
couldn't explain why she wanted to learn; she couldn't reveal her plans to
him. When she was 14 and knew that he was arranging a marriage for her, she
furtively went to the Dominican church and received the habit of its tertiaries.
When she appeared at home in her religious garb, she explained that she had
made a vow and must wear it until she had fulfilled her promise.
Now, this should not be understood as condoning deceit, but
it served God's purpose. Her pious father accepted her explanation for a
time. As the months passed he began to suspect what had happened. He had
already refused to give her permission to enter the convent, and he was
displeased that she should try to live as a tertiary in his own home. Eventually,
his father's heart melted and he allowed Osanna to continue her routine of
prayer, penance, and charity for the rest of her life. She was not professed
until a few months before her death forty-two years later.
After the early death of both her parents, Osanna spent her
fortune in the service of the poor. Her house became a center for people
to discuss spiritual matters, for the needy and the sick, for the wealthy
and the noble.
It is said that like Saint
Catherine, she miraculously learned to read. One day she saw a piece
of paper with two words and said, "Those words are 'Jesus' and 'Mary.'" From
that time she could read anything pertaining to spiritual matters. By the
same sort of favor, she also learned to write.
At age 28 (1477), Osanna received
the mark of the wound in Jesus' side, caused by a long nail. For the next
year various of the sacred wounds would appear, including the crown of thorns.
Others saw them only on Wednesdays, Fridays, and during Holy Week, but it
appears that they were visible to her and caused both pain and joy.
At this time Osanna felt the
need for a spiritual director and prayed for one with wisdom, patience, and
understanding. She found him during Mass when an interior voice said to her,
"That's the one you need, the one who is saying Mass." Osanna thought he was
too young, but, upon meeting him in the confessional a few days later, all
doubts were erased.
Before her death, the soul of Blessed Columba of Rieti, another Dominican
tertiary, appeared to her and told Osanna to prepare for death (Benedictines,
Dorcy).
In art, Osanna is a Dominican
tertiary wearing a crown of thorns, surrounded by rays of light (not the halo
of a saint), a lily, a broken heart with a crucifix springing from it, the
devil under her feet, two angels (one with a lily, one with a cross). This
is similar to the image of Saint Catherine of Siena, who has a halo. Osanna
is the patroness of school girls (Roeder).
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1697
Saint Gregory Barbarigo first Bishop of Bergamo worked unceasingly
in carrying out the reforms set forth by the Council of Trent
St. Gregory Barbarigo was born in 1625, of a very old and distinguished
Venetian family. A brilliant
student, he embraced a diplomatic career and accompanied the Venetian Ambassador,
Contarini, to the Congress of Munster in 1648. Then he became a priest and
was soon thereafter consecrated as the first Bishop of Bergamo by Pope Alexander VII.
Later on he was elevated to the rank of Cardinal and also given authority
over the diocese of Padua. He guided his flock with pastoral wisdom and deep
understanding.
St. Gregory Barbarigo worked unceasingly in carrying out the reforms set forth by
the Council of Trent. Through his efforts the seminaries of both Bergamo
and Padua were substantially enlarged. At Padua he also added a library and
a printing press.
Gregory Barbarigo (Barbadigo) B (AC) Born in Venice, Italy,
1625; died June 15, 1697; beatified in 1761; canonized in 1960.
When Saint Gregory was born into
a noble family, Protestants and Catholics in Europe had been waging a vicious
war against each other for seven years--the start of the Thirty Years War.
He was educated at Venice. Gregory was in his early twenties when the
Venetian government chose him to go with their ambassador, Luigi Contarini,
to Münster, Germany, where in 1648 the Treaty of Westphalia was drawn
up to establish peace. At the conference was the papal representative, Fabio
Chigi. He found Gregory to be a quite exceptional young man, and they became
friends. Gregory was ordained priest in 1655 and worked heroically during
the plague of 1657.
When Fabio Chigi was consecrated Pope Alexander VII, he did
not forget the impression the Venetian had made at Münster: he consecrated
Gregory bishop of Bergamo. Three years later (1660) he named him cardinal
and then, in 1664, bishop of Padua--an office he held for 33 years.
Gregory was equally distinguished as a churchman and as a statesman.
He set about improving the training of the clergy, endowing an excellent
college and seminary for them, building its fine patristic library, setting
up its own printing press, appointing teachers who knew the writings of the
Church Fathers and who were devoted to sacred Scripture. Some of the works
published on his press were distributed to Christians in Islamic countries.
His charities were on a princely scale (he is said to have given at least
8,000 crowns in charity), and his benefactions to Padua numerous and lasting.
He was an earnest worker for the reconciliation of the dissident Greeks.
Gregory's pastoral commitment was comparable to that of Saint
Charles Borromeo. While very demanding of himself, he was kind to others,
treating those in trouble with great compassion. As a cardinal, he participated
in five conclaves and was himself considered a serious candidate for the papacy.
He was buried in Padua cathedral (Bentley, Benedictines, Farmer, White).
St. Gregory Barbarigo Feastday: June 18 1697
St. Gregory Barbarigo was born
in 1625, of a very old and distinguished Venetian family. A brilliant student,
he embraced a diplomatic career and accompanied the Venetian Ambassador, Contarini,
to the Congress of Munster in 1648. Then he became a priest and was soon
thereafter consecrated as the first Bishop of Bergamo by Pope Alexander VII.
Later on he was elevated to the rank of Cardinal and also given authority
over the diocese of Padua. He guided his flock with pastoral wisdom and
deep understanding. St. Gregory Barbarigo worked unceasingly in carrying
out the reforms set forth by the Council of Trent. Through his efforts the
seminaries of both Bergamo and Padua were substantially enlarged. At Padua
he also added a library and a printing press. He died in 1697.
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1925 Venerable
Matt Talbot patron people struggling with alcoholism; Secular Franciscan
Order began life of strict penance contributed generously to the missions
Matt can be considered the patron of men and women struggling with alcoholism.
Matt was born 1856 in Dublin, where his father worked on the docks and had
a difficult time supporting his family. After a few years of schooling, Matt
obtained work as a messenger for some liquor merchants; there he began to
drink excessively. For 15 years—until he was 30—Matt was an active alcoholic.
One day he decided to take "the pledge" for three months, make a general
confession and begin to attend daily Mass. There is evidence that Matt’s first
seven years after taking the pledge were especially difficult. Avoiding his
former drinking places was hard. He began to pray as intensely as he used
to drink. He also tried to pay back people from whom he had borrowed or stolen
money while he was drinking.
Most of his life Matt worked as a builder’s laborer. He joined the Secular
Franciscan Order and began a life of strict penance; he abstained from meat
nine months a year. Matt spent hours every night avidly reading Scripture
and the lives of the saints. He prayed the rosary conscientiously. Though
his job did not make him rich, Matt contributed generously to the missions.
After 1923 his health failed and Matt was forced to quit work.
He died on his way to church on Trinity Sunday. Fifty years later Pope Paul
VI gave him the title venerable.
Comment: In looking at the life of Matt Talbot, we may
easily focus on the later years when he had stopped drinking for some time
and was leading a penitential life. Only alcoholic men and women who have
stopped drinking can fully appreciate how difficult the earliest years of
sobriety were for Matt. He had to take one day at a time. So do the
rest of us.
Quote: On an otherwise blank page in one of Matt’s books, the following
is written: "God console thee and make thee a saint. To arrive at the perfection
of humility four things are necessary: to despise the world, to despise no
one, to despise self, to despise being despised by others."
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Mary Mother of GOD
Saint of the Day June 18 Quartodécimo Kaléndas Júlii 
Quote: Pope Paul VI’s 1969 
Benedict XVI met with Aram I Catholicos
of Cilicia, the highest authority of the Orthodox Church.
The Pope remembered the martyrs of the Armenian
Church and the Armenian genocide, without explicitly mentioning
it, and denounced the persecution of Christians in modern times.
Benedict XVI
As we watch the spectacle of the world
seeming to self-destruct before our eyes, we can’t help but be
saddened and even frightened by so much evil run rampant. Iraq, Lebanon,
Afghanistan, Somalia, North Korea—It is all a disaster of epic
proportions displayed in living color on our television screens.