Mary Mother of GOD
Vigília sanctórum Apostolórum Petri et Pauli.
The vigil of the holy apostles Peter and Paul.
Saint of the Day June 28 Quarto Kaléndas Júlii
Et álibi aliórum plurimórum sanctórum Mártyrum et Confessórum, atque sanctárum Vírginum.
And elsewhere in divers places, many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
The saints are a “cloud of witnesses over our head”,
showing us life of Christian perfection is possible.

 Mary Mother of GOD 15 Promises of the Virgin Mary to those who recite the Rosary

Pope Benedict XVI Prayer Intentions for 2009
  June 2009
General: That international attention towards the poorer countries may give rise to more concrete help, in particular to relieve them of the crushing burden of foreign debt.
Mission: That the particular Churches operating in regions marked by violence may be sustained by the love and concrete closeness of all the Catholics in the world.
The Constitutional Convention deadlocked over how large and small states could be represented equally.
Some delegates gave up and left. Then, on JUNE 28, 1787, 81-year-old Benjamin Franklin spoke and shortly after, the U.S. Constitution became a reality. As recorded by James Madison, Franklin stated:
"Groping as it were in the dark to find political truth, and scarce able to distinguish it when presented to us, how has it happened, Sir, that we have not hitherto once thought
of humbly applying to the Father of lights." Franklin continued:
"In the beginning of the Contest with Great Britain, when we were sensible of danger, we had daily prayer in this room for Divine protection. Our prayers, Sir, were heard and they were graciously answered. All of us who were engaged in the struggle must have observed frequent instances of a Superintending Providence in our favor...
And have we now forgotten that powerful Friend? or do we imagine we no longer need His assistance?" Franklin concluded:
"We have been assured, Sir, in the Sacred Writings, that 'except the Lord build the House, they labor in vain that build it.'...
I also believe that without his concurring aid we shall succeed...no better than the Builders of Babel."
Bill Federer http://www.amerisearch.net/June 28
June 28 - 1919: Treaty of Versailles on the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary
The Beginnings of the Triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary
In September of 1911, Jesus told Bertha Petit, the Belgian mystic, that he wished
"mankind to turn to the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart" of Mary.
A few years later, on May 31, 1915, Pope Benedict XV also asked the faithful to have recourse to the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary. On September 28, 1915, the pope amplified this request by granting a 100 days indulgence for the invocation of the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary.
On March 7, 1916, Cardinal Draper announced his intention to consecrate his diocese
and all of Belgium to the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary.
On Christmas Day 1917, Cardinal Bourne, Primate of England, solemnly consecrated his Fatherland.

After the Virgin first appeared in Fatima (May 13, 1917), she declared on July 13th (showing a vision of the souls in hell to the three children): "To save souls, God wants to establish in the world the devotion to my Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart." She also promised: "In the end, my Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart will triumph."

The Treaty of Versailles, putting an end to the First World War,
was signed on June 28, 1919, the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

Mary's Divine Motherhood
Called in the Gospel "the Mother of Jesus," Mary is acclaimed by Elizabeth, at the prompting of the Spirit and even before the birth of her son, as "the Mother of my Lord" (Lk 1:43; Jn 2:1; 19:25; cf. Mt 13:55; et al.). In fact, the One whom she conceived as man by the Holy Spirit, who truly became her Son according to the flesh, was none other than the Father's eternal Son, the second person of the Holy Trinity.
Hence the Church confesses that Mary is truly "Mother of God" (Theotokos).
Catechism of the Catholic Church 495, quoting the Council of Ephesus (431): DS 251.
http://www.worldpriest.com/
THE EUCHARIST, A MYSTERY TO BE BELIEVED POST-SYNODAL APOSTOLIC EXHORTATION
SACRAMENTUM CARITATIS OF THE HOLY FATHER BENEDICT XVI
Morning Prayer and Hymn   Meditation of the Day

http://www.worldpriest.com/
"Of the Three Hands" St. John of Damascus
Morning Prayer and Hymn  
Meditation of the Day Prayer for Priests
June 28 - Saint Irenaeus of Lyons (d. 202) Bishop, Father of the Church and Martyr.
Take Me As Your Servant!
O very tender Virgin and Mother of the Savior of all Times, take me as your servant starting from this very day and for ever more. From now on, in all circumstances, be my merciful advocate; come unceasingly to my rescue. Indeed, after God, I do not want to prefer anybody else to you any more and, of my own free will, I devote myself to you as your servant for eternity.

First Church for The Virgin Mary in the city of Philippi. Commemoration of  (Coptic}
Martyrdom of St. Timothy of Memphis (El-Masry)   (Coptic}
95  Departure of St. Cedron (Kardonos), the Fourth Patriarch of Alexandria This father was baptized by the hand of St. Mark the apostle, and the evangelist of the land of Egypt   (Coptic}
  202 Saints Plutarch Martyrs of Alexandria, Egypt With brother, Heraclides, and group of fellow students Marcella and her daughter Potamioena soldier Bailides
  202  Saint Irenaeus writings of Saint Irenaeus entitle him to a high place among the fathers of the Church, for they not only laid the foundations of Christian theology but, by exposing and refuting the errors of the gnostics, they delivered the Catholic Faith from the real danger of the doctrines of those heretics:  He was most influenced by Saint Polycarp who had known the apostles or their immediate disciples
  St. Papius, martyr, Also during the persecution of Diocletian, who was scourged with knotted cords, cast into a cauldron of seething oil and grease, and after other horrible torments was beheaded, and thus won an eternal crown.
 412 Cyrus and John from the city of Konopa, near Alexandria Transfer of the Relics of the Holy Martyrs, Unmercenaries and Wonderworkers many miracles, healings of the sick and infirm
 5th v. Saint Crummine Bishop and disciple of Saint Patrick of Ireland. Saint Patrick placed Crummine over the church in Lachan County, Westmeath.
  6th v. Saint Austell Confessor and disciple of Saint Newman of Cornwall, England.
 6th v. Saint Benignus Bishop and martyr. He is mentioned in Pope Pelagius II's decretal concerning his resignation from his see. Benignus retired to Utrecht, in the Netherlands. He is listed in the Roman Martyrology, and his relics were found in Utrecht, in 996.
 660 Saint Theodichildis She served as the first abbess of the Benedictine house of Jouarre, Meaux, France. In some lists she is called Telchildis.
 683 SAINT LEO II Pope he accomplished good works which cause his name blessed by all succeeding generations
 767 Saint Paul I, Pope {Pope from 757-767}. The brother of Pope Stephen II and a Roman, he was educated in the Lateran Palace, became a deacon under Pope Zachary, and wielded considerable influence in his brother’s administration. Elected to succeed Stephen, he took as his primary concern the threat posed to Rome and the Papal States by the Lombards.
9th v.St. John of Damascus "Of the Three Hands" The Icon of the Mother of God, Mary reattached his hand John placed on the icon a hand fashioned of silver, from which the icon received its name
  858 Saint Argymirus Martyr of Spain, native of Cabra, Spain, he held a high position in one of the Islamic domains in the peninsula. Fired because of his Christian faith, Argymirus became a monk. He made a public statement of his beliefs and was behead
 875 Saint Egilo abbot of Prum, near Trier, Germany founder, also called Egilo and Eigil. He was abbot of Prum, near Trier, Germany. There he gave the habit to Saint Humphrey. In 860, he was directed by Emperor Charles the Bald to restore Flavigny Abbey in Dijon, France. He then founded the abbey of Corbigny, in Yonne.
 976 Gero von Köln 971 holte Gero die byzantinische Prinzessin Theophanu als Braut für Oto II. nach Deutschland. Dabei brachte er auch Reliquien von Pantaleon nach Köln mit
1019 Saint Heimrad Benedictine hermit and pilgrim. He was a monk at various abbeys before beginning his ceaseless pilgrimages to Rome and Jerusalem. He was considered a lunatic by many until he setteld as a hermit at Wolfhagen, Hesse Nassau. His tomb there drew many pilgrims.
        Saint Paul the Physician, from the city of Corinth, in his youth took monastic tonsure at one of the monasteries. Here the saint toiled much and became an experienced ascetic.
1262 Saint Xenophon of Robeika a student of St. Barlaam of Khutyn head of the Khutyn monastery after the igumen Isidore founded the Trinity Monastery on the banks of the Robeika River (not far from Novgorod)
1270 Saint Almus Cistercian abbot monk at Melrose when he was elected abbot of Scotland's Balmerino monastery, founded by Ermengardis, the widow of William I of Scotland.
1353 Saints Sergius and Herman settled on the island of Valaam in 1329. The brethren gathered by them spread the light of Orthodoxy in this frontier land. The Karelian people began to regard Christianity with renewed suspicion, with its authority in the 14th century being undermined by Swedes, who sought to spread Catholicism by means of the sword.
1654 Saint John Southworth became a priest in 1619 in Douai One of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales relics are in Westminster Cathedral in London, discovered there in 1927. Pope Paul VI canonized him in 1970.
1847 Saint Vincenza Gerosa Co-foundress of Sisters of Charity native of Lovere, Italy gave her life to aiding the poor
Mary the Mother of God

Mary Mother of GOD
“The saints must be honored as friends of Christ and children and heirs of God, as John the theologian and evangelist says: ‘But as many as received him, he gave them the power to be made the sons of God....’ Let us carefully observe the manner of life of all the apostles, martyrs, ascetics and just men who announced the coming of the Lord. And let us emulate their faith, charity, hope, zeal, life, patience under suffering, and perseverance unto death, so that we may also share their crowns of glory” Exposition of the Orthodox Faith

Called in the Gospel "the Mother of Jesus," Mary is acclaimed by Elizabeth, at the prompting of the Spirit and even before the birth of her son, as "the Mother of my Lord" (Lk 1:43; Jn 2:1; 19:25; cf. Mt 13:55; et al.). In fact, the One whom she conceived as man by the Holy Spirit, who truly became her Son according to the flesh,
was none other than the Father's eternal Son,
the second person of the Holy Trinity.
Hence the Church confesses that Mary is truly "Mother of God" (Theotokos).
Catechism of the Catholic Church 495, quoting the Council of Ephesus (431): DS 251.

Join the Mary of Nazareth Project and help us build the International Marian Center of Nazareth.

Pope Benedict XVI to The Catholic Church In China {whole article here }
The saints “a cloud of witnesses over our head”, showing us life of Christian perfection is possible.

 THE PSALTER OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY  PSALM 10
I trust in our Lady; because of the sweetness of the mercy of her name.
Her eyes look upon the poor: and her hands are stretched out to the orphan and the widow.
Seek after her from your youth: she will glorify you before the face of the peoples.
Her mercy will deliver us from the multitude of our sins:
and will bestow on us fruitfulness of merits.
Stretch out to us thy arm, O glorious Virgin: and do not turn away from us thy glorious face.
Glory be to the Father, etc.

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THE EUCHARIST, A MYSTERY TO BE BELIEVED POST-SYNODAL APOSTOLIC EXHORTATION
SACRAMENTUM CARITATIS OF THE HOLY FATHER BENEDICT XVI
Morning Prayer and Hymn   Meditation of the Day  Prayer for Priests
The great psalm of the Passion, Chapter 22, whose first verse "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?"
Jesus pronounced on the cross, ended with the vision: "All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord;
and all the families of the nations shall worship before him" For kingship belongs to the LORD, the ruler over the nations.  All who sleep in the earth will bow low before God; All who have gone down into the dust will kneel in homage.  And I will live for the LORD; my descendants will serve you.  The generation to come will be told of the Lord, that they may proclaim to a people yet unborn the deliverance you have brought.

Saint Frances Xavier Seelos  Practical Guide to Holiness
1. Go to Mass with deepest devotion. 2. Spend a half hour to reflect upon your main failing & make resolutions to avoid it.
3. Do daily spiritual reading for at least 15 minutes, if a half hour is not possible.  4. Say the rosary every day.
5. Also daily, if at all possible, visit the Blessed Sacrament;
and toward evening, meditate on the Passion of Christ for a half hour,
6.  Conclude the day with evening prayer & an examination of conscience over all the faults & sins of the day.
7.  Every month make a review of the month in confession.
8. Choose a special patron every month & imitate that patron in some special virtue.
9. Precede every great feast with a novena that is nine days of devotion.
10. Try to begin & end every activity with a Hail Mary

 breviary.net/martyrology/mart06/mart06028 stlukeorthodox.com/html/saints/january/ usccb.org  ewtn.com  St Patricks 06028
domcentral.org/life/martyrJune  syriac    oca.org   glaubenszeugen.de/tage/Jun/   Serbian   http://www.copticchurch.net  Melkite
Monthly Saints with pics here http://www.stfrancisenid.com/memorials.htm
 One Saint per day stthomasirondequoit.com/SaintsAlive/index.htm    stjohndc.org  God's Humourous Saints
God loves variety. He doesn't mass-produce his saints. Every saint is unique, for each is the result of a new idea.  As the liturgy says: Non est inventus similis illis--there are no two exactly alike. It is we with our lack of imagination, who paint the same haloes on all the saints. Dear Lord, grant us a spirit that is not bound by our own ideas and preferences.  Grant that we may be able to appreciate in others what we lack in ourselves. O Lord, grant that we may understand that every saint must be a unique praise of Your glory. Catholic saints are holy people and human people who lived extraordinary lives.  Each saint the Church honors responded to God's invitation to use his or her unique gifts.   God calls each one of us to be a saint in order to get into heaven:  only saints are allowed into heaven. The more "extravagant" graces are bestowed NOT for the benefit of the recipients so much as FOR the benefit of others.
Mary the Mother of Jesus Miracles_BC  Lay Saints  Miraculous_Icons  Miraculous_Medal_Novena Patron Saints
100   200   300   400   500   600   700    800   900   1000    1100   1200   1300   1400  1500  1600  1700  1800   1900

"The answers to many of life's questions can be found by reading the Lives of the Saints. They teach us how to overcome obstacles and difficulties, how to stand firm in our faith, and how to struggle against evil and emerge victorious."  1913 Saint Barsanuphius of Optina
 Paul VI_Athenagoras_05_01_1964
Quote: Pope Paul VI’s 1969 Instruction on the Contemplative Life includes this passage:  
 "To withdraw into the desert is for Christians tantamount to associating themselves more intimately with Christ’s passion, and it enables them, in a very special way, to share in the paschal mystery and in the passage of Our Lord from this world to the heavenly homeland" (#1).
Benedict_XVI_Patriarch_Bartholomew I
"Christianity is not a moral code or a philosophy,
but an encounter with a person" -- Benedict XVI

"Evil, is only eradicated by holiness, not by harshness. And holiness introduces into society a seed that heals and transforms.  It is like the tectonic plates of the earth’s crust: The deepest layers need only shift a few millimeters to shatter the world’s surface. Yet for this spiritual revolution to occur, we must experience radical 'metanoia'--a conversion of attitudes, habits and practices--for ways that we have misused or abused God’s Word, God’s gifts and God’s creation. The challenge before us is the discernment of God’s Word in the face of evil, the transfiguration of every last detail and speck of this world in the light of Resurrection." "The victory is al ready present in the depths of the Church, whenever we experience the grace of reconciliation and communion."
Patriarch_Bartholomew I: SYNOD OF BISHOPS VATICAN CITY, OCT. 17, 2008

"The answers to many of life's questions can be found by reading the Lives of the Saints.
They teach us how to overcome obstacles and difficulties,how to stand firm in our faith,
and how to struggle against evil and emerge victorious." 
1913 Saint Barsanuphius of Optina
God calls each one of us to be a saint in order to get into heaven.
The more "extravagant" graces are bestowed NOT for the benefit of the recipients so much as FOR the benefit of others.
Non est inventus similis illis
His Holiness Aram I, current (2008) Catholicos of Cilicia of Armenians, whose See is located in Lebanese town of Antelias.
  The Catholicosate was founded in Sis, capital of Cilicia, in the year 1441 following the move of the Catholicosate of All Armenians back to its original See of Etchmiadzin in Armenia.
The Catholicosate of Cilicia enjoyed local jurisdiction, though spiritually subject to the authority of Etchmiadzin.
In 1921 the See was transferred to Aleppo in Syria, and in 1930 to Antelias.
Its jurisdiction currently extends to Syria, Cyprus, Iran and Greece.
Christian priests from Edessa evangelized Eastern Mesopotamia and Persia, established the first Churches in the kingdom of the Sassanides.  Atillâtiâ, Bishop of Edessa, assisted at the Council of Nicæa (325). The "Peregrinatio Silviæ" (or Etheriæ) (ed. Gamurrini, Rome, 1887, 62 sqq.) gives an account of the many sanctuaries at Edessa about 388.

Although Hebrew had been the language of the ancient Israelite kingdom, after their return from Exile the Jews turned more and more to Aramaic, using it for parts of the books of Ezra and Daniel in the Bible. By the time of Jesus, Aramaic was the main language of Palestine, and quite a number of texts from the Dead Sea Scrolls are also written in Aramaic.  Aramaic continued to be an important language for Jews, alongside Hebrew, and parts of the Talmud are written in it. After Arab conquests of the seventh century, Arabic quickly replaced Aramaic as the main language of those who converted to Islam, although in out of the way places, Aramaic continued as a vernacular language of Muslims. Aramaic, however, enjoyed its greatest success in Christianity. Although the New Testament wins written in Greek, Christianity had come into existence in an Aramaic-speaking milieu, and it was the Aramaic dialect of Edessa, now known as Syriac, that became the literary language of a large number of Christians living in the eastern provinces of the Roman Empire and in the Persian Empire, further east. Over the course of the centuries the influence of the Syriac Churches spread eastwards to China (in Xian, in western China, a Chinese-Syriac inscription dated 781 is still to be seen), to southern India where the state of Kerala can boast more Christians of Syriac liturgical tradition than anywhere else in the world.
Aramaic dialect of Edessa, now known as Syriac: The exact date of the introduction of Christianity into Edessa {Armenian Ourhaï in Arabic Er Roha, commonly Orfa or Urfa, its present name} is not known. It is certain, however, that the Christian community was at first made up from the Jewish population of the city. According to an ancient legend, King Abgar V, Ushana, was converted by Addai, who was one of the seventy-two disciples. In fact, however, the first King of Edessa to embrace the Christian Faith was Abgar IX (c. 206) becoming official kingdom religion.Christian council held at Edessa early as 197 (Eusebius, Hist. Eccl., V,xxiii). In 201 the city was devastated by a great flood, and the Christian church was destroyed ("Chronicon Edessenum", ad. an. 201). In 232 the relics of the Apostle St. Thomas were brought from India, on which occasion his Syriac Acts were written. Under Roman domination martyrs suffered at Edessa: Sts. Scharbîl and Barsamya, under Decius; Sts. Gûrja, Schâmôna, Habib, and others under Diocletian.

680 Shiite saint Imam Hussein, grandson of Islam's Prophet Muhammad Known as Ashoura and observed by Shiites across the world, the 10th day of the lunar Muslim month of Muharram: the anniversary of the 7th century death in battle of one of Shiite Islam's most beloved saints.  Imam Hussein died in the 680 A.D. battle fought on the plains outside Karbala, a city in modern Iraq that's home to the saint's shrine.  The battle over a dispute about the leadership of the Muslim faith following Muhammad's death in 632 A.D. It is the defining event in Islam's split into Sunni and Shiite branches.  The occasion is the source of an enduring moral lesson. "He sacrificed his blood to teach us not to give in to corruption, coercion, or use of force and to seek honor and justice."  According to Shiite beliefs, Hussein and companions were denied water by enemies who controlled the nearby Euphrates.  Streets get partially covered with blood from slaughter of hundreds of cows and sheep. Volunteers cook the meat and feed it to the poor.  Hussein's martyrdom recounted through a rich body of prose, poetry and song remains an inspirational example of sacrifice to many Shiites, 10 percent of the world's estimated 1.3 billion Muslims.
Meeting of the Saints  walis (saints of Allah)
Great men covet to embrace martyrdom for a cause and principle.
So was the case with Hazrat Ali. He could have made a compromise with the evil forces of his time and, as a result, could have led a very comfortable, easy and luxurious life. But he was not a person who would succumb to such temptations. His upbringing, his education and his training in the lap of the holy Prophet made him refuse such an offer.
Rabia Al-Basri (717–801 C.E.) She was first to set forth the doctrine of mystical love and who is widely considered to be the most important of the early Sufi poets.
An elderly Shia pointed out that during his pre-Partition childhood it was quite common to find pictures and portraits of Shia icons in Imambaras across the country.
Shia Ali al-Hadi, died 868 and son Hassan al-Askari 874. These saints are the 10th and 11th of Shia's 12 most revered Imams.  Baba Farid Sufi 1398 miracle, Qutbuddin Bakhtiar Kaki renowned Muslim Sufi saint scholar miracles
569 A.H. [1173 C.E.] hermit gave to poor, Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti  greatest mystic of his time born 533 Hijri (1138-39 A.D.) , Hazrat Ghuas-e Azam,  Hazrat Bu Ali Sharif, and Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulia 1236-1325 welcomed people of all faiths & all walks of life Sufi Saint Hazrath Khwaja Syed Mohammed Badshah Quadri Chisty Yamani Quadeer (RA)
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Mother Angelica saving souls is this beautiful womans journey
Shrine_of_The_Most_Blessed_Sacrament
Colombia was among the countries Mother Angelica visited.  In Bogotá, a Salesian priest - Father Juan Pablo Rodriguez brought Mother and the nuns to the Sanctuary of the Divine Infant Jesus to attend Mass.  After Mass, Father Juan Pablo took them into a small Shrine which housed the miraculous statue of the Child Jesus. Mother Angelica stood praying at the side of the statue when suddenly the miraculous image came alive and turned towards her.  Then the Child Jesus spoke with the voice of a young boy: 
"Build Me a Temple and I will help those who help you." 
Thus began a great adventure that would eventually result in the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament, a Temple dedicated to the Divine Child Jesus, a place of refuge for all. Use this link to read a remarkable story about
Father Reardon, Editor of The Catholic Bulletin for 20 years
Lover of the poor; "A very Holy Man of God"
Monsignor Reardon P.A.  BASILICA OF SAINT MARY Minneapolis MN
America's First Basilica
Largest Nave in the World
August 7, 1907-ground broke for the foundation by Archbishop Ireland-laying cornerstone 5/31/1908
James M. Reardon Publication History of Basilica of Saint Mary 1600-1932
James M. Reardon Publication  History of the Basilica of Saint Mary 1955 {update}
Brief History of our Beloved Holy Priest Here and his published books of Catholic History in North America

Reardon, J.M. Archbishop Ireland; Prelate, Patriot, Publicist,1838-1918.
A Memoir (St. Paul; 1919);
George Anthony Belcourt Pioneer Catholic Missionary of the Northwest 1803-1874 (1955);
The Catholic Church IN THE DIOCESE OF ST. PAUL from earliest origin to centennial achievement 1362-1950 (1952);
The Church of Saint Mary of Saint Paul 1875-1922;  (1932)
The Vikings in the American Heartland;
The Catholic Total Abstinence Society in Minnesota;

James Michael Reardon B. 1872, Nova Scotia; Priest, ordained by Bishop Ireland; Member  St. Paul Seminary faculty
Litany of Loretto in Stained glass windows Here.  Nave Sacristy and Residence Here
Sanctuary spaces filled between with grilles of hand-forged wrought iron  Life of our Blessed Lady After the Crucifixon
Apostle statues Replicas of those in St John Lateran--Christendom's earliest Basilica. Ordered by Rome's first Christian Emperor, Constantine the Great.  It became the Popes' own cathedral and official residence for the first millennium of Christian history. The only replicas ever made:  in order from west to east {1932}. Saints Simon (saw), Bartholomew (knife), James the Lesser (book), John (eagle),  Andrew (transverse cross), Peter (keys), Paul (sword), James the Greater (staff),
Thomas (carpenter's square), Philip (serpent), Matthew (book), and Jude (sword).
Every Christian must be a living book wherein one can read the teaching of the gospel
 It Makes No Sense Not To Believe In GOD
The 15 Promises of the Virgin Mary to those who recite the Rosary ) Revealed to St. Dominic and Blessed Alan)
1.    Whoever shall faithfully serve me by the recitation of the Rosary, shall receive signal graces. 2.    I promise my special protection and the greatest graces to all those who shall recite the Rosary. 3.    The Rosary shall be a powerful armor against hell, it will destroy vice, decrease sin, and defeat heresies. 4.    It will cause virtue and good works to flourish; it will obtain for souls the abundant mercy of God; it will withdraw the hearts of people from the love of the world and its vanities, and will lift them to the desire of eternal things.  Oh, that soul would sanctify them by this means.  5.    The soul that recommends itself to me by the recitation of the Rosary shall not perish. 6.    Whoever shall recite the Rosary devoutly, applying themselves to the consideration of its Sacred Mysteries shall never be conquered by misfortune.  God will not chastise them in His justice, they shall not perish by an unprovided death; if they be just, they shall remain in the grace of God, and become worthy of eternal life. 7.    Whoever shall have a true devotion for the Rosary shall not die without the Sacraments of the Church. 8.    Those who are faithful to recite the Rosary shall have during their life and at their death the light of God and the plentitude of His graces; at the moment of death they shall participate in the merits of the Saints in Paradise. 9.    I shall deliver from purgatory those who have been devoted to the Rosary. 10.    The faithful children of the Rosary shall merit a high degree of glory in Heaven.  11.    You shall obtain all you ask of me by the recitation of the Rosary. 12.    I shall aid all those who propagate the Holy Rosary in their necessities. 13.    I have obtained from my Divine Son that all the advocates of the Rosary shall have for intercessors the entire celestial court during their life and at the hour of death. 14.    All who recite the Rosary are my children, and brothers and sisters of my only Son, Jesus Christ. 15.    Devotion to my Rosary is a great sign of predestination.
By Father John Corapi, SOLT
Among the most important titles we have in the Catholic Church for the Blessed Virgin Mary are Our Lady of Victory and Our Lady of the Rosary. These titles can be traced back to one of the most decisive times in the history of the world and Christendom. The Battle of Lepanto took place on October 7 (date of feast of Our Lady of Rosary), 1571. This proved to be the most crucial battle for the Christian forces against the radical Muslim navy of Turkey. Pope Pius V led a procession around St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City praying the Rosary. He showed true pastoral leadership in recognizing the danger posed to Christendom by the radical Muslim forces, and in using the means necessary to defeat it. Spiritual battles require spiritual weapons, and this more than anything was a battle that had its origins in the spiritual order—a true battle between good and evil.

Today we have a similar spiritual battle in progress—a battle between the forces of good and evil, light and darkness, truth and lies, life and death. If we do not soon stop the genocide of abortion in the United States, we shall run the course of all those that prove by their actions that they are enemies of God—total collapse, economic, social, and national. The moral demise of a nation results in the ultimate demise of a nation. God is not a disinterested spectator to the affairs of man. Life begins at conception. This is an unalterable formal teaching of the Catholic Church. If you do not accept this you are a heretic in plain English. A single abortion is homicide. The more than 48,000,000 abortions since Roe v. Wade in the United States constitute genocide by definition. The group singled out for death—unwanted, unborn children.

No other issue, not all other issues taken together, can constitute a proportionate reason for voting for candidates that intend to preserve and defend this holocaust of innocent human life that is abortion.

THE BLESSED MOTHER AND ISLAM
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.  These are not ordinary times and this is not business as usual. We are at a crossroads in human history and the time for Catholics and all Christians to act is now. All evil can ultimately be traced to its origin, which is moral evil. All of the political action, peace talks, international peacekeeping forces, etc. will avail nothing if the underlying sickness is not addressed. This is sin. One person at a time hearts and minds must be moved from evil to good, from lies to truth, from violence to peace.
Islam, an Arabic word that has often been defined as “to make peace,” seems like a living contradiction today. Although it is supposed to be a religion of peace, Islam has been hijacked by Satan and now operates in the dark space of international terrorism.  As we celebrate the birthday of Our Lady, I am proposing that each one of us pray the Rosary for peace. Prayer is what must precede all other activity if that activity is to have any chance of success. Pray for peace, pray the Rosary every day without fail.  There is a great love for Mary among Muslim people. It is not a coincidence that a little village named Fatima is where God chose to have His Mother appear in the twentieth century. Our Lady’s name appears no less than thirty times in the Koran. No other woman’s name is mentioned, not even that of Mohammed’s daughter, Fatima.
In the Koran Our Lady is described as “Virgin, ever Virgin.”

Archbishop Fulton Sheen prophetically spoke of the resurgence of Islam in our day. He said it would be through the Blessed Virgin Mary that Islam would be converted. We must pray for this to happen quickly if we are to avert a horrible time of suffering for this poor, sinful world. Turn to our Mother in this time of great peril. Pray the Rosary every day. Then, and only then will there be peace, when the hearts and minds of men are changed from the inside.
Talk is weak. Prayer is strong. Pray!  God bless you,
Father John Corapi

A New Series by Fr. Corapi! The Moon Under Her Feet CD-Audio Set: $39.00 DVD-Video Set: $45.00  call 1-888-800-7084 or go to Site http://www.fathercorapi.com
In this four part series Father John Corapi goes to the heart of the contemporary world's many woes and wars, whether the wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, Lebanon, Somalia, or the Congo, or the natural disasters that seem to be increasing every year, the moral and spiritual war is at the basis of everything. "Our battle is not against human forces," St. Paul asserts, "but against principalities and powers, against the world rulers of this present darkness..."
(Ephesians 6:12).  The "War to end all wars" is the moral and spiritual combat that rages in the hearts and minds of human beings. The outcome of that  unseen fight largely determines how the battle in the realm of the seen unfolds.  The title talk, "With the Moon Under Her Feet," is taken from the twelfth chapter of the Book of Revelation, and deals with the current threat to the world from radical Islam, and the Blessed Virgin Mary's role in the ultimate victory that will result in the conversion of Islam.  Few Catholics are aware of the connection between Islam, Fatima, and Guadalupe. Presented in Father Corapi's straight-forward style, you will be both inspired and educated by this four part series on topics more timely than ever.
The four titles are:  1. The Real War We Fight 2. The Battle for Hearts & Minds 3. Leadership: Essential for Victory 4. With the Moon Under Her Feet
DECREES OF THE CONGREGATION FOR THE CAUSES OF SAINTS
VATICAN CITY, 17 JAN 2009 (VIS) - Today, during a private audience with Archbishop Angelo Amato S.D.B., prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, the Pope authorised the congregation to promulgate the following decrees:
All Servants of God
MIRACLES:
- 1909 Ciriaco Maria Sancha y Hervas, Spanish cardinal archbishop of Toledo, founder of the Congregation of the Sisters of
          Charity of Cardinal Sancha (1833-1909).
- 1956 Carlo Gnocchi, Italian diocesan priest and founder of the "Pro Juventute" Foundation (1902-1956).
- 1735 Bernardo Francisco de Hoyos, Spanish professed priest of the Company of Jesus (1711-1735).
- 1919 Raphael Rafiringa (ne Louis), Madagascan professed religious of the Institute of Brothers of Christian Schools
          (1856-1919).
- 1946 Eustachio Kugler, (ne Joseph), German professed religious of the Hospitaller Order of St. John of God (1867-1946).
 
HEROIC VIRTUES
- 1659 Juan de Palafox y Mendoza, Spanish bishop of Osma (1600-1659).
- 1888 Robert Spiske, diocesan priest and founder of the Congregation of Sisters of St. Hedwig (1821-1888).
- 1932 Carolina Beltrami, Italian foundress of the Institute of "Immaculatine" Sisters of Alessandria (1869-1932).
- 1998 Mary of the Immaculate e Conception Salvat y Romerio (nee Maria Isabella), Spanish superior general of the Institute of
          Sisters of the Company of the Cross (1926-1998).
- 1842 Liberata Ferrarons y Vives, Spanish laywoman of the Third Order of Carmelites (1803-1842).
  In the course of a private audience with Cardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone S.D.B. on 22 December 2008, the Pope authorised the Congregation for the Causes of Saints to promulgate a decree regarding the heroic virtues of
1871 Jose Tous y Soler, Servant of God Spanish professed priest of the Order of Friars Minor Capuchins and founder of the
        Capuchin sisters of the Mother of the Divine Shepherd (1811-1871).
CSS/DECREES/AMATO VIS 090119 (320)
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Kenya national Marian shrine  Loreto, Italy  Marian Apparitions (over 2000)  Quang Tri Vietnam La Vang 1798
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First Church for The Virgin Mary in the city of Philippi. Commemoration of
On this day, the church celebrates the commemoration of the first church to be built in the name of the Virgin Lady, the All pure St. Mary, the Theotokos (Mother of God), through whom the salvation of Adam and his posterity was fulfilled. When the two apostles Paul and Silas preached among the gentiles, many believed of them in the city of Philippi. They built a church there in the name of the Virgin, the Mother of God, and its consecration was on that day. It is meet for us to celebrate for her a spiritual festival, for she has borne the Savior of the world.  May her intercession be with us. Amen.
95  Departure of St. Cedron (Kardonos), the Fourth Patriarch of Alexandria This father was baptized by the hand of St. Mark the apostle, and the evangelist of the land of Egypt
This day also (June 15th, 16 A.D.) marks the departure of St. Cedron (Kardonos), the Fourth Patriarch of Alexandria. This father was baptized by the hand of St. Mark the apostle, and the evangelist of the land of Egypt. He learned the doctrines and the books of the Church. After the departure of Pope Melius, he was ordained a Pope for the See of St. Mark in the 7th day of Tute (September 5th, 95 A.D.). He shepherded his people with the best of care, by preaching, teaching, and instructing them for eleven years, one month, and twelve days, then departed in peace.  May his prayers be with us and Glory be to God forever. Amen.
Martyrdom of St. Timothy of Memphis (El-Masry).
On this day also, St. Timothy of Memphis (El-Masry) was martyred. He was one of the soldiers of Arianus, governor of the city of Ansena. When he read the Edict of the Emperor Diocletian, which commanded the worship of idols, this soldier rose up in the middle of the people, seized the Edict, and tore it up saying, "There is no God except Jesus Christ the Son of the Living God." The Governor became enraged. He seized Timothy by the hair of his head, and cast him down on the ground. He commanded him to be beaten until his flesh was mangled. The Saint cried out, saying, "O my Lord Jesus Christ, help me for there is no God but You." God considered his endurance, and sent His angel, who healed his wounds. The Saint returned to the Governor crying, "There is no God except Jesus Christ the Son of the Living God." The Governor tortured him severely again, and finally he cut off his head and thus St. Timothy received the crown of martyrdom.  May his prayers be with us. Amen.
202 Saint Plutarch Martyr of Alexandria, Egypt With brother, Heraclides, and group of fellow students Marcella and her daughter Potamioena; soldier Bailides
Alexandríæ, in persecutióne Sevéri, sanctórum Mártyrum Plutárchi, Seréni, Heraclídis catechúmeni, Herónis neóphyti, et altérius Seréni, Rháidis catechúmenæ, et Potamiœnæ cum ipsíus matre Marcélla; inter quos præcípue enítuit Potamiœna Virgo, quæ, primo imménsos innumerósque agónes pro virginitáte desudávit, deínde étiam exquisíta et inaudíta torménta pro fide sustínuit, ad últimum, simul cum matre, igne consúmpta est.
    At Alexandria, in the persecution of Severus, the holy martyrs Plutarch, Serenus, Heraclides, catechumen, Heron, a neophyte, another Serenus, Rhais, a catechumen, Potamioena and Marcella her mother.  Among them the virgin Potamioena is particularly distinguished.  She first endured many painful trials for the preservation of her virginity, and then cruel and unheard-of torments for the faith, after which both she and her mother were consumed with fire.

Plutarch studied in the famed Catechetical School of Alexandria. Like his brother, he was converted to Christianity by Origen and was arrested by Roman officials during the persecution launched by Emperor Septimius Severus. Plutarch, along with the others, was executed. The two women, Marcella and her daughter Potamioena, also died; the latter was lowered into a cauldron of boiling pitch. According to custom, the soldier Bailides, who had led Potamioena to her execution, was converted through a vision of the girl and was baptized in prison just before his beheading.
202  Saint Irenaeus writings of Saint Irenaeus entitle him to a high place among the fathers of the Church, for they not only laid the foundations of Christian theology but, by exposing and refuting the errors of the gnostics, they delivered the Catholic Faith from the real danger of the doctrines of those heretics:  He was most influenced by Saint Polycarp who had known the apostles or their immediate disciples
Lugdúni, in Gállia, sancti Irenæi, Epíscopi et Mártyris; qui (ut scribit sanctus Hierónymus) beáti Polycárpi, Smyrnénsis Epíscopi, discípulus fuit, et Apostolicórum témporum vicínis.  Is, cum advérsus hæréticos verbis ac scriptis plúrimum decertásset, tandem, in persecutióne Sevéri, cum omni fere civitátis suæ pópulo, coronátus est glorióso martyrio.
    At Lyons in France, St. Irenæus, bishop and martyr.  St. Jerome relates that he was the disciple of blessed Polycarp, bishop of Smyrna, and lived near the time of the apostles.  After having strenuously opposed the heretics by word and by writing, he was crowned with a glorious martyrdom along with almost all the people of his city, during the persecution of Severus.

 St. Irenaeus (130?-220)
The Church is fortunate that Irenaeus was involved in many of its controversies in the second century. He was a student, well trained, no doubt, with great patience in investigating, tremendously protective of apostolic teaching, but prompted more by a desire to win over his opponents than to prove them in error.

As bishop of Lyons he was especially concerned with the Gnostics, who took their name from the Greek word for “knowledge.” Claiming access to secret knowledge imparted by Jesus to only a few disciples, their teaching was attracting and confusing many Christians. After thoroughly investigating the various Gnostic sects and their “secret,” Irenaeus showed to what logical conclusions their tenets led. These he contrasted with the teaching of the apostles and the text of Holy Scripture, giving us, in five books, a system of theology of great importance to subsequent times. Moreover, his work, widely used and translated into Latin and Armenian, gradually ended the influence of the Gnostics.
The circumstances and details about his death, like those of his birth and early life in Asia Minor, are not at all clear.
Comment:    A deep and genuine concern for other people will remind us that the discovery of truth is not to be a victory for some and a defeat for others. Unless all can claim a share in that victory, truth itself will continue to be rejected by the losers, because it will be regarded as inseparable from the yoke of defeat. And so, confrontation, controversy and the like might yield to a genuine united search for God's truth and how it can best be served.

He was probably born about the year 125, in one of those maritime provinces of Asia Minor where the memory of the apostles was still cherished and where Christians were numerous.
Many Asian priests and missionaries brought the gospel to the pagan Gauls and founded a local church. To this church of Lyon, Irenaeus came to serve as a priest under its first bishop, Saint Pothinus, an oriental like himself. In the year 177, Irenaeus was sent to Rome. This mission explains how it was that he was not called upon to share in the martyrdom of St Pothinus during the terrible persecution in Lyons. When he returned to Lyons it was to occupy the vacant bishopric. By this time, the persecution was over.

It was the spread of gnosticism in Gaul, and the ravages it was making among the Christians of his diocese, that inspired him to undertake the task of exposing its errors. He produced a treatise in five books in which he sets forth fully the inner doctrines of the various sects, and afterwards contrasts them with the teaching of the Apostles and the text of the Holy Scripture. His work, written in Greek but quickly translated to Latin, was widely circulated and succeeded in dealing a death-blow to gnosticism. At any rate, from that time onwards, it ceased to offer a serious menace to the Catholic faith.

The date of death of Saint Irenaeus is not known, but it is believed to be in the year 202. The bodily remains of Saint Irenaeus were buried in a crypt under the altar of what was then called the church of Saint John, but was later known by the name of Saint Irenaeus himself. This tomb or shrine was destroyed by the Calvinists in 1562, and all trace of his relics seems to have perished.
Eódem die sancti Pápii Mártyris, qui, in persecutióne Diocletiáni Imperatóris, flagris cæsus, atque in lebétem, óleo et ádipe fervénti plenum, immíssus, áliaque horrénda supplícia perpéssus, demum, datis cervícibus, coronátur.
    St. Papius, martyr, Also during the persecution of Diocletian, who was scourged with knotted cords, cast into a cauldron of seething oil and grease, and after other horrible torments was beheaded, and thus won an eternal crown.
412 Cyrus and John from the city of Konopa, near Alexandria Transfer of the Relics of the Holy Martyrs, Unmercenaries and Wonderworkers many miracles, healings of the sick and infirm
(where they suffered in the year 311) to the nearby village of Manuphin, took place in the year 412. This Egyptian village prompted fear in everyone, since in a former time there was a pagan temple inhabited by evil spirits. Patriarch Theophilus (385-412) wanted to cleanse this place of demons, but he died. His wish was fulfilled by his successor in the See of Alexandria, the holy Patriarch Cyril (412-444). He prayed fervently in carrying out this project. An angel of the Lord appeared in a vision to the hierarch and commanded the venerable relics of Sts Cyrus and John be transferred to Manuphin. His Holiness Patriarch Cyril did the angel's bidding and built a church at Manuphin in the name of the holy martyrs.

From that time this place was purified of the Enemy's influence, and by the prayers of the holy Martyrs Cyrus and John there began to occur many miracles, healings of the sick and infirm. An account Sts Cyrus and John is located under January 31.

 Orthodoxe und Katholische Kirche: Cyrus und Johannes - Übertragung der Gebeine - 28. Juni

Cyrus wurde in Alexandria geboren. Er war Arzt und Christ und behandelte alle Armen unentgeltlich an Leib und Seele. Er konnte durch sein Bekenntnis zu Christus viele heiden bekehren. Während der diokletianischen Verfolgung floh er in die arabische Wüste. Auch hier wirkte er weiter als Arzt und Heiler, wobei er auch viele Kranke durch Gebet und Handauflegung heilen konnte.

Johannes war ein Soldat und lebte in Edessa. Auf einer Pilgerreise nach Jerusalem hörte er von Cyrus, ging zu ihm in die Wüste und wurde sein Schüler. Beide gingen nach der Legende dann nach Canopis in Ägypten, um Athanasia und ihren Töchtern Theoktista, Theodotia und Eudoxia, die verhaftet worden waren, beizustehen. Cyril und Johannes wurden ebenfalls verhaftet und hingerichtet. Beide werden zu den heiligen Ärzten gezählt. Im 5. Jahrhundert wurden ihre Reliquien von Cyrill von Alexandria nach Menuthis übertragen (Festtag 28. Juni). Cyrill wollte dem Kult der Isis, die als heilende Göttin verehrt wurde, begegnen. Am Grab der Märtyrer sollen sich nach dem Bericht des Patriarchen Sophronios über 79 Wunderheilungen ereignet haben. Da über Cyrus und Johannes nichts weiter bekannt ist, könnte ihre Lebensgeschichte auch eine Legendenbildung zur Begründung der Heilkraft ihrer Reliquien sein.
5th v. Saint Crummine Bishop and disciple of Saint Patrick of Ireland.
Saint Patrick placed Crummine over the church in Lachan County, Westmeath.
6th v. Saint Austell Confessor and disciple of Saint Newman of Cornwall, England.
Modern scholars believe that Austell was a woman named Hoystill, a daughter of Brychan of Wales.
6th century Saint Benignus Bishop and martyr. He is mentioned in Pope Pelagius II's decretal concerning his resignation from his see. Benignus retired to Utrecht, in the Netherlands. He is listed in the Roman Martyrology, and his relics were found in Utrecht, in 996.
Trajécti sancti Benígni, Epíscopi et Mártyris.    At Utrecht, St. Benignus, bishop and martyr.
660 Saint Theodichildis She served as the first abbess of the Benedictine house of Jouarre, Meaux, France. In some lists she is called Telchildis.
683 SAINT LEO II Pope he accomplished good works which have caused his name to be blessed by all succeeding generations
"Whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you shall receive it, and it shall come to you. St. Mark 11:24"

The pontificate of this great Pope was very brief but very fruitful, since in the ten months of his reign he accomplished good works which have caused his name to be blessed by all succeeding generations. Born in the seventh century in Sicily, he had been a Canon Regular, that is, an ecclesiastical dignitary who resided in his bishop’s palace, was charged with recitation of the Office in the cathedral, and was relied upon to serve as the auxiliary of the Ordinary. Saint Leo was a devout student of Holy Scripture, and was well versed in the Greek as well as the Latin language.

In his day grave difficulties frequently arose between the Holy See and the emperors of Constantinople, whose representatives at Ravenna tried to control the bishops of that see; the latter had been striving to become autonomous. Saint Leo published a decree ordering that in the future no bishop of Ravenna could enter into function before being consecrated for that office at Rome, by the Roman Pontiff.

He built three churches in Rome, to honor Saint Paul the Apostle, Saint Sebastian, and Saint George. Saint Leo was highly gifted in the domain of music, and he renovated the Gregorian literature or library, then in a state of confusion; he also composed new hymns, still conserved by the Church. He took special care of widows and orphans and the poor in general, relieving their sufferings with a truly apostolic charity.

Saint Leo confirmed the Acts of the Sixth Ecumenical Council which his predecessor had convoked at Constantinople against the Monothelite heresy, and translated its acts into Latin for the benefit of the Occidentals. When he died in July of 683, his death was deeply regretted by all the faithful. He was interred according to established custom in the church of Saint Peter. He is ordinarily pictured embracing a beggar or holding a book of music. Source: Les Petits Bollandistes: Vies des Saints, by Msgr. Paul Guérin (Bloud et Barral: Paris, 1882), Vol. 7
767 Saint Paul I, Pope {Pope from 757-767}. The brother of Pope Stephen II and a Roman, he was educated in the Lateran Palace, became a deacon under Pope Zachary, and wielded considerable influence in his brother’s administration. Elected to succeed Stephen, he took as his primary concern the threat posed to Rome and the Papal States by the Lombards.
Romæ sancti Pauli Primi, Papæ et Confessóris.    At Rome, Pope St. Paul I, confessor.
  Paul secured an alliance with the Frankish king Pepin the Short, thereby cementing the relationship between the Holy See and the Frankish Empire which culminated with the historically significant alliance between Pope Leo III and Charlemagne. Paul also opposed the Iconoclast policies of the Byzantine emperor Constantine V, thereby exacerbating further the deteriorating relationship between the papacy and the Byzantine Empire. He died on June 28 at Saint Paul’s Outside the Walls, in Rome.
9th v.St. John of Damascus "Of the Three Hands" The Icon of the Mother of God, Mary reattached his hand John placed on the icon a hand fashioned of silver, from which the icon received its name
In the ninth century during the time of the Iconoclasts, St. John of Damascus (December 4) was zealous in his veneration of holy icons. Because of this, he was slandered by the emperor and iconoclast Leo III the Isaurian (717-740), who informed the Damascus caliph that St. John was committing treasonous acts against him. The caliph gave orders to cut off the hand of the monk and take it to the marketplace. Towards evening St. John, having asked the caliph for the cut-off hand, put it to its joint and fell to the ground before the icon of the Mother of God. The monk begged Our Lady to heal the hand, which had written in defense of Orthodoxy. After long prayer he fell asleep and saw in a dream that the All-Pure Mother of God had turned to him promising him quick healing.

Before this the Mother of God bid him toil without fail with this hand. Having awakened from sleep, St. John saw that his hand was unharmed. In thankfulness for this healing St. John placed on the icon a hand fashioned of silver, from which the icon received its name "Of Three Hands." (Some iconographers, in their ignorance, have mistakenly depicted the Most Holy Theotokos with three arms and three hands.) According to Tradition, St. John wrote a hymn of thanksgiving to the Mother of God: "All of creation rejoices in You, O Full of Grace," which appears in place of the hymn "It is Truly Meet" in the Liturgy of St. Basil the Great.

St. John Damascene accepted monasticism at the monastery of St. Sava the Sanctified and there bestowed his wonderworking icon. The Lavra presented the icon "Of Three Hands" in blessing to St. Sava, Archbishop of Serbia (+ 1237, January 12). During the time of an invasion of Serbia by the Turks, some Christians who wanted to protect the icon, entrusted it to the safekeeping of the Mother of God Herself. They placed it upon a donkey, which without a driver proceeded to Athos and stopped in front of the Hilandar monastery. The monks put the icon in the monastery's cathedral church (katholikon). During a time of discord over the choice of igumen, the Mother of God deigned to head the monastery Herself, and from that time Her holy icon has occupied the igumen's place in the temple. At the Hilandar monastery there is chosen only a vicar, and from the holy icon the monks take a blessing for every obedience .
858 Saint Argymirus Martyr of Spain, native of Cabra, Spain, he held a high position in one of the Islamic domains in the peninsula. Fired because of his Christian faith, Argymirus became a monk. He made a public statement of his beliefs and was beheaded.
Córdubæ, in Hispánia, sancti Argymíri, Mónachi et Mártyris, qui in persecutióne Arábica, pro Christi fide, in equúleo pósitus et ense transfóssus est.
    At Cordova in Spain, St. Argymirus, monk and martyr, slain for faith of Christ during the persecution by Arabs.
875 Saint Egilo abbot of Prum, near Trier, Germany founder, also called Egilo and Eigil. He was abbot of Prum, near Trier, Germany. There he gave the habit to Saint Humphrey. In 860, he was directed by Emperor Charles the Bald to restore Flavigny Abbey in Dijon, France. He then founded the abbey of Corbigny, in Yonne.
976 Gero von Köln 971 holte Gero die byzantinische Prinzessin Theophanu als Braut für Oto II. nach Deutschland. Dabei brachte er auch Reliquien von Pantaleon nach Köln mit
Orthodoxe Kirche und Katholische Kirche: 28. Juni

Gero, Sohn des thüringischen Markgrafen Christian war Kaplan von Kaiser Otto I.. Als er 969 zum Erzbischof von Köln gewählt wurde, widersetzte sich Otto der Ernennung. 971 holte Gero die byzantinische Prinzessin Theophanu als Braut für Oto II. nach Deutschland. Dabei brachte er auch Reliquien von Pantaleon nach Köln mit. Gero gründete die Abteien Dammersfeld und Gladbach. Er starb am 28.6.976 .
1019 Saint Heimrad Benedictine hermit and pilgrim. He was a monk at various abbeys before beginning his ceaseless pilgrimages to Rome and Jerusalem. He was considered a lunatic by many until he setteld as a hermit at Wolfhagen, Hesse Nassau. His tomb there drew many pilgrims.
Saint Paul the Physician, from the city of Corinth, in his youth took monastic tonsure at one of the monasteries. Here the saint toiled much and became an experienced ascetic.

Once Paul, through demonic malice, was slandered by a woman. She came to the monastery with a newborn infant and said, that St. Paul was the father. The Elder with humility and joy endured the slander, he did not deny it and he took the infant, as though it were his own son. When they began to reproach the saint for breaking his monastic vows, St. Paul said, "Brethren, let us ask the infant who his father is!" The newborn, pointing his hand at the blacksmith, said, "Here is my father and not the monk Paul." Seeing this miracle, people bowed down to the Elder, asking forgiveness. From this time St. Paul received from God the gift of healing the sick, whereby he received the name physician. St. Paul died at age 70 .
1262 Saint Xenophon of Robeika a student of St. Barlaam of Khutyn head of the Khutyn monastery after the igumen Isidore founded the Trinity Monastery on the banks of the Robeika River (not far from Novgorod)
St. Barlaam of Khutyn (+ 1192, November 6). He was the head of the Khutyn monastery after the igumen Isidore (+1243). Resigning as igumen, St. Xenophon founded the Trinity Monastery on the banks of the Robeika River (not far from Novgorod). Here he reposed blessedly on June 28, 1262.
1270 Saint Almus Cistercian abbot monk at Melrose when he was elected abbot of Scotland's Balmerino monastery, founded by Ermengardis, the widow of William I of Scotland.
Also called Alme and Alanus. He was a monk in the English Cistercian monastery at Melrose when he was elected abbot of Scotland's Balmerino monastery, founded by Ermengardis, the widow of William I of Scotland.
1353 Saints Sergius and Herman settled on the island of Valaam in 1329. The brethren gathered by them spread the light of Orthodoxy in this frontier land. The Karelian people began to regard Christianity with renewed suspicion, with its authority in the fourteenth century being undermined by the Swedes, who sought to spread Catholicism by means of the sword.

Sts Sergius and Herman died about the year 1353.
They are also commemorated on September 11 (The translation of their holy relics).

Many scholars consider Rublev's Trinity the most perfect of all Russian icons and perhaps the most perfect of all the icons ever painted. The work was created for the abbot of the Trinity Monastery, Nikon of Radonezh, a disciple of the famous Sergius, one of the leaders of the monastic revival in the 14th-century Russia. Asking Rublev to paint the icon of the Holy Trinity, Nikon wanted to commemorate Sergius as a man whose life and deeds embodied the most progressive processes in the late 14th-century Russia.

From the earliest times, the idea of the Trinity was controversial and difficult to understand, especially for the uneducated masses. Even though Christianity replaced the pagan polytheism, it gave the believers a monotheistic religion with a difficult concept of one God in three hypostases -- God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Not only the uneducated population but many theologians had difficulties with the concept of the triune God; from time to time, a heretical movement, like Arianism, questioned the doctrine, causing long debates, violent persecutions, and even greater general confusion. Trying to portray the Trinity, but always aware of the Biblical prohibition against depicting God, icon painters turned to the story of the hospitality of Abraham who was visited by three wanderers. In their compositions, icon painters included many details -- the figures of Abraham and Sarah, a servant killing a calf in preparation for the feast, the rock, the tree of Mamre, and the house (tent) -- trying to render as faithfully as possible the events described in the text:
Rublev's Trinity the most perfect of all Russian icons
"And the Lord appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day; And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground, And said, My Lord, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant: Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree: And I will fetch a morsel of bread, and comfort ye your hearts; after that ye shall pass on: for therefore are ye come to your servant. And they said, So do, as thou hast said. And Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah, and said, Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes upon the hearth. And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetcht a calf tender and good, and gave it unto a young man; and he hasted to dress it. And he took butter, and milk, and the calf that he had dressed, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat" (KJV, Genesis, 18: 1-8 and passim).

Very few artists before Rublev dared to eliminate all the narrative elements from the story, leaving only the three angels; usually those who did so had to deal with limited space. The results of their efforts did not find general acceptance or many copyists. Rublev was the first to make a conscious decision not to include in his composition the figures of Abraham and Sarah because he did not set out to illustrate the story of the hospitality of Abraham, as did many painters before him, but to convey through his image the idea of the unity and indivisibility of the three persons of the Trinity.

The doctrine of the Trinity, difficult to explain logically, found various interpretations. Some thought that the Trinity consisted of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Others believed that it was just God and two angels. In the 14th and 15th-century Russia, in the period of many heretical movements, the idea of the Trinity was often questioned. The heretics in Novgorod claimed that it is not permissible to paint the Trinity on icons because Abraham did not see the Trinity but only God and two angels. Other heretics rejected the idea of the three hypostases of God altogether. The church fought the heresies with all the means it had -- usually with polemical treaties, but also with force, if necessary.  Russian icon painters before Rublev subscribed to the same point of view that Abraham was visited by God (in Christ's image) and two angels. Hence, Christ was represented in icons of the Trinity as the middle angel and was symbolically set apart either by a halo with a cross, by a considerable enlargement of his figure, by widely spread wings or by a scroll in His hand.
1654 Saint John Southworth became a priest in 1619 in Douai One of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales relics are in Westminster Cathedral in London, discovered there in 1927. Pope Paul VI canonized him in 1970.
He was born in Lancashire and became a priest in 1619 in Douai. Sent to England that same year, he was arrested but released through the intercession of Queen Henrietta Maria. He joined Saint Henry Morse, subsequently working diligently during the plague of 1636. Arrested again, he was martyred by being hanged, drawn, and quartered at Tybum. His relics are in Westminster Cathedral in London, discovered there in 1927. Pope Paul VI canonized him in 1970.
1847 Saint Vincenza Gerosa Co-foundress of the Sisters of Charity native of Lovere, Italy gave her life to aiding the poor
Lúere, in diœcési Brixiénsi, sanctæ Vincéntiæ Gerósa Vírginis, Institúti Sorórum a Caritáte una cum sancta Bartholomǽa Capitánio Fundatrícis, quam Pius Papa Duodécimus albo sanctárum Vírginum accénsuit.
    At Lovere, in the diocese of Brescia, St. Vincenza Gerosa, virgin, who co-founded the Institute of the Sisters of Charity with St. Bartolomea Capitanio, and whom Pope Pius XII added to the list of holy virgins.
Originally named Catherine, orphaned in her youth and ever after gave her life to aiding the poor. About 1824, she and Saint Bartolomea Capitanio founded the Sisters of Charity of Lovere to help the poor and sick and educate children, Following the passing of Bartolomea in 1833, Vincenza assumed the directorship of the Order and expanded its efforts until her death after a long illness on June 29. She was canonized in 1975 by Pope Paul VI (r. 1963-1978).