THE COMMEMORATION OF ALL
THE FAITHFUL DEPARTED, COMMONLY CALLED ALL SOULS’ DAY
THE Church of Christ is composed of three parts the Triumphant in
Heaven, the Militant on earth, and the Patient, or suffering, in
Purgatory. * {* It may be explained to the non-Catholic reader that
Purgatory is the place or state in which souls, who deserve not the
punishment of eternal loss but nevertheless are yet unfit for the
vision of God, suffer for a while and are cleansed after death before
they go to Heaven. The suffering of Purgatory consists in the pain of
intense longing for God, whose blissful vision is delayed, and also, as
is commonly taught, in some pain of sense. That this last is inflicted
through the medium of material fire is not part of the official
teaching of the Church.}
Our charity embraces all the members of Christ. Our love for Him
engages and binds us to His whole Body, and teaches us to share both
the afflictions and the blessings of all that are comprised in it. The
communion of saints whom we profess implies a communication of certain
good works and a mutual intercourse among all the members of Christ.
This we maintain with the saints in Heaven by thanking and praising God
for their triumphs and crowns, imploring their intercession, and
receiving the help of their prayers for uh. All Saints’ day is set
apart in a special way for this purpose, and on the following day the
Church on earth particularly emphasizes her relations with the souls in
Purgatory by soliciting the divine mercy in their favour. Nor does it
seem to be doubtful that they pray also for us; though the Church never
addresses public suffrages to them, not being warranted by primitive
practice and tradition so to do.
It is certainly a “holy and
wholesome thought to pray for the dead” (a
Machabees. xii 46).
Holy because most acceptable to God, to whom no
sacrifices
are more honourable and pleasing than those of charity and mercy,
especially spiritual. The souls in Purgatory are heirs of Heaven, the
eternal possession of the Kingdom is secured to them, and their names
are written there. But patient suffering of punishment incurred must
first wholly cleanse them. Such is God’s hatred of the least sin, and
such is the opposition, which the stain of sin bears to His infinite
justice and holiness. His mercy recommends them to the charitable aid
that we, as their fellow-members in Christ, have in our power to afford
them. If a compassionate charity towards all that are in any distress,
even towards the most undeserving, be an essential ingredient of a
Christian spirit and one in which the very soul of religion and piety
towards God consists, how much more should we exert our charity for
those in spiritual need, no longer able to help themselves, and perhaps
bound to us by ties of blood or friendship?
The custom of
offering the Holy Sacrifice for an individual deceased person on a
particular
day was, of course, firmly established long before a special day was
set aside
for the memorial of all the dead in general. The first formal testimony
to a
collective day of the dead is found in the first half of the ninth
century,
when it was the custom in monasteries to commemorate their own dead and
their
benefactors all together on one day, the date varying. The earliest
definite
suggestion of a connection between the feast of All Saints and a
commemoration
of All Souls seems to be supplied by Amalarius early in the ninth
century. In
his De ordine antiphonarii he writes,
“After the office of the Saints I have inserted the office for the dead
for
many pass out of this world without at once being admitted into the
company of
the blessed.” It is quite possible that this passage may have been
before the
mind of St Odilo of Cluny two hundred years later, when he
directed the
congregation of which he was supreme head to observe November a as a
day of
commemoration of all the faithful departed, on which the office of the
dead was
to he said and Masses of requiem celebrated.
In any case, as stated above, the idea of a
collective memory of the departed was already familiar. For example, in
the
year 800 a compact was drawn up between the monasteries of Saint
Gall
and Reichenau concerning their mutual suffrages for each other’s
deceased
members. Besides praying for every monk when his death was announced,
both
communities agreed to observe November 14 in every year as a day of
commemoration of the religious who had passed away in either abbey. On
that
occasion each priest would offer Mass three times and the rest recite
the whole
psalter for the souls of the departed of both houses. It is noteworthy
that
November 14 was the beginning of what was known in Ireland as the
“Moses Lent” in
preparation for Christmas and Saint Gall was, of course, an Irish
foundation.
For the rather extravagant story of the
hermit who had heard the cries of rage of the demons complaining that
the prayers
said at Cluny rescued the souls of those whom they were torturing from
them, we
have the contemporary authority of Ralph Glaber and of others later. We
are
told that St Odilo, on this being reported to him, was moved to issue
his
famous decree. But the text of the ordinance says nothing of this tale
of the
hermit it merely states that, “as the feast of all the blessed saints
was already
celebrated throughout the Church of God, so it seemed desirable that at
Cluny
they should also keep with joyous affection the memory of all the
faithful
departed who have lived from the beginning of the world until the end”.
We have
a detailed account of how in St Odilo’s own lifetime this observance
was
carried out at the monastery of Farfa, near Spoleto, in Italy. It seems
to have
spread widely and rather rapidly, though there is no trace of any papal
enactment extending it to the Church in general. On the other hand two
or three
centuries passed before we find the entry Commemoratio
animarum commonly occurring under November 2 in calendars or
martyrologies. A striking illustration of this may be noted at
Canterbury.
Somewhere
about 1075 the archbishop,
Lanfranc, promulgated certain decrees for the Benedictine monks. In
these much
is made of the high Mass for the dead on November 2 before which on the
eve,
all the bells were to be rung and other solemnities observed. None the
less,
though we have four or five Canterbury calendars of the twelfth and
thirteenth
centuries, no one of them at that date makes mention of any such
celebration.
There is, however, a definite mention of All Souls’ Day in the
so-called
Protadius martyrology, compiled at Besançon in the middle of the
eleventh century.
It seems clear that
the privilege long enjoyed only in Spain and its dominions permitting
priests
to celebrate Mass thrice on All Souls’ day originated in the practice
of the
Dominican priory at Valencia, where it can be traced to the early
fifteenth century.
The number of influential people buried there in and around the church
was
considerable, and so many demands were made for special Masses on
November a
that these claims could only be satisfied by allowing friars of that
community
to offer two or even three Masses each on that day. This
irregularity was
apparently tolerated by local authority and grew into an established
custom. It
was eventually sanctioned and extended to the whole kingdom by Pope
Benedict
XIV in 1748, and during the first world war, in 1915, Pope Benedict
XV further extended the privilege to the whole Western church. With a
certain
nice appropriateness the Armenians make a special commemoration of the
dead on
Easter Monday.
On
the general
question of observance of the Connmemoratio omnium fidelium defunctorum, consult
Cabrol in DAC., vol. v, cc. 1419-1420; and Leclercq in the same, vol.
iv, cc.
427- 456, with vol. xii, CC. 34-38; also Kellner, Heortology,
pp. 326-328; Schuster, The Sacramentary, vol.
v, pp. 213-231 and H. Thurston, The Memory of our Dead, pp.
501-534 and
224-241. For further illustrations of folk-lore customs cf.
Bächtold-Stäubli, Handwörterbuch
des deutschen Aberglaubens, vol. i, pp. 267-273; for the
Canterbury
calendars, E. Bishop, The Bosworth
Psalter, pp; 68-69, 113; and for Spain.
Villanueva, Viage literario, vol ii pp 5 seq.
For the “Moses Lent”, see Analecta
Bollandiana vol lix (1941), p 234, n. 3; and J. Ryan, Irish
Monasticism (1931). pp. 392-393.
|
November 2, Feast
of All Souls
November 2 - OUR LADY OF
MONTLIGEON (France, 1884)
Mary and the Souls of
Purgatory (II): No Unholy Soul Can Be Happy in Heaven
I answer as follows: That, even supposing a man of unholy
life were suffered to enter heaven, he would not be happy there; so
that it would be no mercy to permit him to enter. (...)
How forlorn would he wander through the courts of heaven! He would find
no one like himself; he would see in every direction the marks of God's
holiness, and these would make him shudder. He would feel himself
always in His presence. He could no longer turn his thoughts another
way, as he does now, when conscience reproaches him. He would know that
the Eternal Eye was ever upon him; and that Eye of holiness, which is
joy and life to holy creatures, would seem to him an Eye of wrath and
punishment.
God cannot change His
nature. Holy He must ever be. But while He is holy, no unholy soul can
be happy in heaven.
John Henry Cardinal Newman Sermon
(1: 3 & 8, 1834 - 1869)
The Church has encouraged
prayer for the dead from the
earliest times
as an act of Christian charity. "If we had no care for the dead,"
Augustine noted, "we would not be in the habit of praying for them."
Yet pre-Christian rites for the deceased kept such a strong hold on the
superstitious imagination that a liturgical commemoration was not
observed until the early Middle Ages, when monastic communities began
to mark an annual day of prayer for the departed members.
In the middle of the 11th century, St. Odilo, abbot of Cluny
(France),
decreed that all Cluniac monasteries offer special prayers and sing the
Office for the Dead on November 2, the day after the feast of All
Saints. The custom spread from Cluny and was finally adopted throughout
the Roman Church.
The theological underpinning of the feast is the
acknowledgment of
human frailty. Since few people achieve perfection in this life but,
rather, go to the grave still scarred with traces of sinfulness, some
period of purification seems necessary before a soul comes face-to-face
with God. The Council of Trent affirmed this purgatory state and
insisted that the prayers of the living can speed the process of
purification.
Superstition still clung to the observance. Medieval popular
belief
held that the souls in purgatory could appear on this day in the form
of witches, toads or will-o’-the-wisps. Graveside food offerings
supposedly eased the rest of the dead.
Observances of a more religious nature have survived. These
include
public processions or private visits to cemeteries and decorating
graves with flowers and lights. This feast is observed with great
fervor in Mexico.
November 2, 2009
Feast of All Souls
The Church has encouraged prayer for the dead from the
earliest times as an act of Christian charity. "If we had no care for
the dead," Augustine noted, "we would not be in the habit of praying
for them." Yet pre-Christian rites for the deceased kept such a strong
hold on the superstitious imagination that a liturgical commemoration
was not observed until the early Middle Ages, when monastic communities
began to mark an annual day of prayer for the departed members.
In the middle of the 11th century, St. Odilo, abbot of Cluny (France),
decreed that all Cluniac monasteries offer special prayers and sing the
Office for the Dead on November 2, the day after the feast of All
Saints. The custom spread from Cluny and was finally adopted throughout
the Roman Church.
The theological underpinning of the feast is the acknowledgment of
human frailty. Since few people achieve perfection in this life but,
rather, go to the grave still scarred with traces of sinfulness, some
per iod of purification seems necessary before a soul comes
face-to-face with God. The Council of Trent affirmed this purgatory
state and insisted that the prayers of the living can speed the process
of purification.
Superstition still clung to the observance. Medieval popular belief
held that the souls in purgatory could appear on this day in the form
of witches, toads or will-o’-the-wisps. Graveside food offerings
supposedly eased the rest of the dead.
Observances of a more religious nature have survived. These include
public processions, private visits to cemeteries and decorating graves
with flowers and lights. This feast is observed with great fervor in
Mexico.
Comment: Whether or not one should pray for the dead is one of
the great arguments which divide Christians. Appalled by the abuse of
indulgences in the Church of his day, Martin Luther rejected the
concept of purgatory. Yet prayer for a loved one is, for the believer,
a way of erasing any distance, even death. In prayer we stand in God's
presence in the company of someone we love, even if that person has
gone before us into death.
Quote: “We must not make purgatory into a flaming concentration camp on
the brink of hell—or even a ‘hell for a short time.’ It is blasphemous
to think of it as a place where a petty God exacts the last pound—or
ounce—of flesh.... St. Catherine of Genoa, a mystic of the 15th
century, wrote that the ‘fire’ of purgatory is God’s love ‘burning’ the
soul so that, at last, the soul is wholly aflame. It is the pain of
wanting to be made totally worthy of One who is seen as infinitely
lovable, the pain of desire for union that is now absolutely assured,
but not yet fully tasted” (Leonard Foley, O.F.M., Believing in Jesus).
|
Publius, Victor, Hermas,
& Papias Martyrs in northwest Africa
In Africa natális sanctórum Mártyrum
Públii, Victóris, Hermétis, et Pápiæ.
In Africa, the birthday of the holy martyrs Publius,
Victor, Hermes, and Papias.
Martyrs in northwest Africa (Benedictines). MM (RM) |
304 St.
Victorinus
of Pettau Bishop and martyr Originally a Greek
Pœtovióne,
in Pannónia superióre,
natális sancti Victoríni, ejúsdem civitátis
Epíscopi, qui, post multa
édita scripta (ut sanctus Hierónymus testátur), in
persecutióne
Diocletiáni, martyrio coronátus est.
At
Pettau in Styria, the birthday of St. Victorinus,
bishop of that
city, who, after publishing many writings, as is attested to by St.
Jerome, was crowned with martyrdom in the persecution of Diocletian.
ST
Jerome speaks
well of this early exegete and tells us, in the words of Alban Butler,
“that
his works were sublime in sense though the Latin style was low, the
author being
by birth a Grecian”. From being a rhetorician he became bishop at
Pettau in Upper
Pannonia and he wrote commentaries on a number of books of the Old and
New
Testaments. St Jerome quotes from these, but he sometimes qualifies his
good
opinion of the bishop. Victorinus opposed certain heresies of his time
but was
himself reputed to be inclined to Millenarianism, i.e. expectation
of a temporal reign of Christ on earth for a
thousand years. St Victorinus is believed to have died a martyr in the
persecution under Diocletian. He was at one time supposed to have been
the first
bishop of Poitiers, owing to an erroneous latinization of the name of his see.
The passio of
St. Victorinus having
perished, we know little concerning him beyond what can be gleaned from
casual
references in the writings of St Jerome, Optatus of Milevis and
Cassiodorus.
See the Acta Sanctorum, November,
vol. i. This Victorinus does not seem to have been commemorated in the Hieronymianum, but Florus of Lyons assumed
that a St Victor, whose name does occur on November 2, referred
to him. See Quentin, Martyrologes
historiques, pp. 310 and 380; and Bardenhewer, Geschichte
de, altkirchilchen Literatur, 2nd ed., vol.
ii, pp. 657-663.
He became bishop of
Pettau, in Pannonia (later
Styria, Austria).
He was martyred during the persecutions of Emperor Diocletian (r. 284-305).
Victorinus was also the author of several biblical cornrnentaries,
although he may have been an adherent of Millenarianism, a heresy of
that time.
Victorinus of Pettau BM (RM) Born in Greece; died in
Styria, c.
303. Victorinus became bishop of Pettau in Styria, Upper Pannonia, and
was martyred during the persecutions of Diocletian.
One of his beliefs was that Christ would come a second time
to reign on
earth for a thousand years. This was later considered an error and a
heresy. The result, sadly, is that scarcely any of Victorinus's
writings have survived, for--although a saintly man and a martyr--his
views were considered tainted. All we possess is a commentary he wrote
on the Book of revelation and another book, a mixture of speculative
science and theology, On the creation of the world.
In fact he was the first Christian ever to write Latin
expositions of
the Scriptures. Saint Jerome admired him, and tells us he wrote
commentaries on many Old and New Testament books. He reports that,
although the Latin was vulgar, Victorinus was a bishop of great
learning. Thus a piece of unnecessary censorship has denied us access
to the mind and thinking of one of our early Christian forefathers.
Even the account of his sufferings and death at the hands of the
emperor has disappeared (Benedictines, Bentley, Encyclopedia,
Husenbeth).
|
303
St. Justus of Trieste Martyr
Tergéste pássio beáti Justi, qui in eádem
persecutióne, sub Manátio Præside, martyrium
consummávit.
At Trieste, blessed Justus, who fulfilled his
martyrdom in the same persecution under the governor Manatius.
at Trieste who was thrown into
the sea. He is still venerated at
Trieste, Italy.
Justus of Trieste M (RM)
Died 289 or 303. Although Saint Justus was
citizen of Trieste devoted to penance and charity, he was martyred
under Diocletian by being weighted down and cast into the sea. A priest
named Sebastian buried his body when it washed up on the shore. Records
at the cathedral in Trieste show that his relics were still there in
1040 and 1624 (Benedictines, Encyclopedia, Farmer). In art, Saint
Justus is shown in classical dress, holding a palm and a cathedral,
with flowers across his chest. He is still much honored as the patron
of Trieste (Roeder). The antiquity of his cultus is demonstrated by an
extant 6th-century mosaic (Farmer).
|
315 St. Carterius Martyr with 9 other
companions soldiers of Emperor Licinius Licinianus
Sebáste, in Arménia, sanctórum Cartérii,
Styríaci, Tobíæ, Eudóxii, Agápii et
Sociórum Mártyrum, sub Licínio Imperatóre.
At Sebaste in Armenia, the Saints Carterius,
Styriacus, Tobias, Eudoxius, Agapius, and their companions, martyrs
under Emperor Licinius.
Styriacus, Tobias, Eudoxius, Agapius, and five other
companions burned
at the stake in Sebaste. They were soldiers in the army of Emperor
Licinius Licinianus.
Carterius, Styriacus, Tobias, Eudoxius, Agapius & Comp. MM (RM) Ten
Christian soldiers in the army of the emperor Licinius, burnt at the
stake at Sebaste in Armenia (Benedictines).
|
334 St.
Theodotus
Bishop of Laodicea signature to Council of Nicaea 325
Laodicéæ, in Syria, sancti Theódoti
Epíscopi, qui non solum verbis, sed rebus quoque et
virtútibus fuit ornátus.
At Laodicea in Syria, St. Theodotus, a bishop
powerful in words and adorned with good works and virtues.
(modern Turkey) who was involved
in the Arian controversy of the era. A
friend of the historian Eusebius of Caesarea (who was an Arian), he was
much praised by the writer. A participant in the deliberations of the
Council of Nicaea (325), he was a supporter of the Semi-Arian position
but nevertheless gave his signature to the orthodox decrees of the
council.
Theodotus of Laodicea B (RM). Theodotus was bishop of Laodicea at the
time of the Arian troubles and a great friend of the Arianizing
Eusebius the historian, who is loud in his praise. Theodotus subscribed
to the Nicene formula, but seems to have sided with the Arians and the
semi-Arians until his death (Benedictines).
|
387 St.
Marcian Hermit
and founder born in Cyrrhus; miracles; “God speaks to us every day by
His creatures and by this universe which we behold. He speaks to us by
His gospel, wherein He teaches us what we ought to do both for others
and ourselves. What more can Marcian say that can be of use?”
[A titular see of Syria. The city of the
same name was the capital of the extensive district of Cyrrhestica,
between the plain of Antioch and Commagene.]
Cyri, in Syria, sancti Marciáni
Confessóris. At Cyrus in Syria, St. Marcian,
confessor.
THE
city of Cyrrhus
in Syria was the birthplace of St Marcian; his father was of a
patrician
family. Marcian himself left his friends and country and, that he might
not do
things by halves, retired into the desert of Chalcis, between Antioch
and the
Euphrates. He chose in it the most remote part and shut himself up in a
small
enclosure, wherein he built himself a cell so narrow and low that he
could
neither stand nor lie in it
without bending his body. This solitude was to him a paradise, and his
whole
employment was to sing psalms, read, pray and work. Bread was all his
food and
this in a small quantity; but he never went a day without taking some,
lest he should
not have strength to do what God required of him.
The supernatural light which he received in contemplation gave him a wonderful
knowledge of
the great truths
and mysteries of faith; and notwithstanding his care to live unknown to
men,
the reputation of his holiness spread abroad and he was prevailed upon
to admit
two first disciples, Eusebius and Agapitus. In time St Marcian had a
considerable body of followers, over whom he appointed Eusebius abbot.
Once St
Flavian, Patriarch of Antioch, and other bishops paid him a visit
together, and
begged he would give them a spiritual conference according to his
custom. The
dignity of this company alarmed Marcian and he stood some time silent.
Being
urged to speak, he said, “God speaks
to us
every day by His creatures and by this universe which we behold. He
speaks to
us by His gospel, wherein He teaches us what we ought to do both for
others and
ourselves. What more can Marcian say that can be of use?”
St Marcian wrought
several miracles and was greatly humiliated by the reputation of a
wonderworker,
which consequently attached to him. He would not listen to requests for
any
miraculous intercession, and when a certain hermit came on behalf of a
man of Beroea
to get some oil blessed for his sick daughter, St Marcian refused
peremptorily.
But at the same hour the girl recovered.
Marcian
lived to a considerable age, and
during his last years was troubled by the indecent importunity of those
who
looked forward to having the custody of his dead body. Several people
went so
far as to build chapels in different places wherein to bury it, among
them
being his nephew Alipius. St Marcian therefore made Eusebius promise to
bury
him secretly. This accordingly was done and it was not till fifty years
after
the saint’s death that the place of burial was disclosed, when the
relics were
solemnly translated and became an object of pilgrimage.
We are entirely indebted to
Theodoret’s Religious History for our knowledge of St
Marcian. The Bollandists have
reprinted his Greek text with Latin translations and comments in
the Acta Sanctorum, November, vol. i.
Marcian was of a noble family. He left his position at the
emperor’s
court and a military career to become a hermit at Chalcis, the desert
near Antioch. There he attracted many disciples and began a monastic
group. He was renowned for his holiness and miracles.
Marcian of Chalcis, Hermit (RM) Born in Cyrrhus, Syria. Marcian was a
patrician who left the emperor's court and gave up a brilliant military
career in order to lead the solitary life in the desert of Chalcis,
which lies between Antioch and the Euphrates. He chose the most remote
regions of the desert in order to hide himself away in a cell so narrow
and low that he could neither stand nor lie in it without doubling
over. As hard as he tried to hide his singular struggle for holiness,
his reputation grew. First he attracted two illustrious disciples,
Eusebius and Agapitus, but more and more followed. Marcian thereupon
appointed Eusebius as abbot over the desert monks who came seeking
Marcian.
Marcian was a wonder-worker, though he again tried to hide it. He would
not listen to requests for miraculous intercession. When a hermit came
to him on behalf of a Beroean to get some oil blessed for the man's
sick daughter, Marcian refused peremptorily. At that same hour,
however, the girl recovered.
One other item of note. As Marcian grew older, he felt that the
vultures were indecently awaiting his death in hope of claiming his
relics. Some, including his nephew Alipius, actually built chapels in
which to house his future remains. Marcian coerced Eusebius to pledge
to bury him secretly. Eusebius kept his promise. Marcian's relics were
not discovered until fifty years after his death. At that time they
were solemnly translated and became an object of pilgrimage
(Benedictines, Encyclopedia, Walsh).
|
St.
Maura the
Irish sister of St. Brigid Scottish princesses martyred by pagan
outlaws while pilgrimage to Rome
There legend is that they were Scottish princesses who were murdered by
pagan outlaws while on a pilgrimage to Rome. Their bodies are enshrined
there. They are believed to be the same St. Maura and St. Britt who
were 5th century soldiers per St. Euphronius and St. Martin of Tours.
Also there is another legend of them by St. Baya.
|
345 St.
Acyndinus
& Companions Persian Christian priests and clerical assistants
martyred by King Shapur II
In Pérside sanctórum Mártyrum Acíndyni,
Pegásii, Aphthónii, Elpidíphori et
Anempodísti, cum plúrimis Sóciis.
In Persia, the holy martyrs Acindynus, Pegasius,
Aphthonius, Elpiderphorus, and Anempodistus, with many companions.
With Pegasius, Aphthonius,
Elpidephours, and Anempodistus, Persian
Christians, ordained priests, and with their companion clerical
assistants, martyred. These Christians were arrested and slain for the
faith during the reign of King Shapur II.
Acindynus and Companions MM (RM). Acindynus, Pegasius, Aphthonius,
Elpidephorus and Anempodistus were Persian Christians--priests and
clerics--who suffered for the faith under Shapur II (Benedictines).
|
362 Saint
Eustochium
of Tarsus died in prison, while engaged in prayer
Tarsi, in Cilícia, sanctæ Eustóchii,
Vírginis et Mártyris; quæ, sub Juliáno
Apóstata, post dira torménta, in oratióne
réddidit spíritum.
At Tarsus in Cilicia, in the reign of Julian the
Apostate, St. Eustochium, virgin and martyr, who breathed her last in
prayer in the midst of severe torments.
A maiden of Tarsus in Cilicia condemned to death under Julian the
Apostate. She was barbarously tortured, and as a consequence died in
prison, while engaged in prayer (Benedictines).VM (RM)
|
523 Saint
Ambrose
abbot of Sainte Barbe, near Lyons
There were two abbots named Saint Ambrose of the abbey of Agaune, Saint
Moritz, Switzerland. The former, who had formerly been abbot of Sainte
Barbe, near Lyons, is the one commemorated by the Roman Martyrology
(Benedictines).(RM) |
582 Saint Ambrose of
the
abbey of Agaune, Saint Moritz, Switzerland
In monastério
Agaunénsi, in Gállia, sancti Ambrósii
Abbátis.
In the
monastery of St. Moritz in Switzerland, St. Ambrose, abbot.
(Benedictines) |
699 Saint George
Bishop
of Vienne
Viénnæ,
in Gállia, sancti Geórgii
Epíscopi. At Vienne in France, the bishop St.
George.
Dates unknown; canonized in 1251. Bishop Saint George of
Vienne,
France, probably flourished at the beginning of the 8th century, though
some put November 2, 699, as the date of his death (Benedictines).B (RM) |
10th v.Scottish
Saint
Baya instructed Saint Maura in the eremitical life VV
(AC)
The Scottish Saint Baya instructed Saint Maura in the eremitical life.
Followers later gathered around Maura, who organized them into a
community of which she was abbess. Some authors identify Saint Baya
with Saint Begha or Bee. They might also be identical to Saints Maura
and Britta (Benedictines, Delaney).
|
1045
St. Amicus Benedictine hermit priest esteemed in Monte Cassino
Italy. A hermit priest who entered St. Peter's Monastery at Fonteavel
lana.
Amicus of Rambara, OSB (AC) Died early 11th century. Abbot of Rambara
(Benedictines).
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1340 St.
Jorandus
Benedictine hermit at
Kergrist and
Saint-Juhec in Pedernec.
Jorandus of Kergrist, OSB Hermit (AC). A monk-hermit at Kergrist and
later Saint-Juhec in Pédernec (Benedictines).
|
1430 Blessed
Thomas of Walden King Henry V chose him as his confessor and died in
his arms OC (PC)
(also known as Thomas Netter)
THIS
holy and
learned man has enjoyed a certain local cultus in the
Carmelite Order which has, however, not yet been
formally confirmed
by the Holy See. He was an Essex man, born at Saffron Walden about
1375, his
family name being Netter. He joined the Carmelites in London, studied
at Oxford,
where he took his doctorate in theology, and was ordained priest about
1400. He
made a name for himself as a professor, and in 1409 was sent to the
Council of
Pisa, where he is said to have supported the election of Pope Alexander
V. On his return to England Friar Thomas entered whole-heartedly
into the
opposition to the Lollards and other followers of the errors of John
Wyclif,
and he is regarded as the most able of the controversialists against
them and
their brethren on the continent—“never was there such a netter
of heretics”.
He
took part in the
trials of their leaders, notably Sir John Oldcastle, and his chief
writings
were directed against their errors, notably his Doctrinale
fidei. At this time the Carmelites were popular among
the nobility as confessors, and Thomas was appointed to that office for
King
Henry V, being at the same
time prior provincial of his order in England, though probably not yet
forty
years old. He was among the English
representatives at the Council of Constance, which condemned the
teachings of
Wyclif and Flits, and immediately after was a member of an embassy to
Poland on
behalf of the pope and the emperor. He is said to have established
friaries of
his order in Lithuania and Prussia.
Friar
Thomas was
with Henry V in France in 1422, and
the king died in his arms at
Vincennes. The guardians of the infant Henry VI later appointed Thomas
to be
his tutor, so that in some degree he may have been responsible for that
king’s
subsequent holiness. Though Thomas was engaged so much in conflict with
stubborn and sometimes violent heretics, he was himself of a kindly
disposition
and affectionate in his relations with others. He went to France with
the boy
king in 1430, and died at Rouen on
November 2, leaving a reputation of holiness, which was confirmed by
miracles
at his tomb. Friar Thomas’s numerous written works, which received the
praise
of Pope Martin V, earned for him the title of Doctor
praestantissimus, “the Pre-eminent Teacher”, and Doctor
authenticus, “the Authoritative Teacher”.
His treatise De sacramentalibus includes a
discussion of canonization, which is of much interest in the history of
the
subject.
Thomas
Netter is not
included by the Bollandists even among the praetermissi on
this day. Neither is he mentioned in Stanton’s Menology, or
in the martyrologies of Whitford or Wilson. The
sources available have been indicated by B. Zimmerman in his Monumenta Historica Carmelitana (1907),
pp. 442-482 and also by the same learned writer in the Catholic
Encyclopedia, vol. x, pp. 764-765. cf. K. L.
Hine, History of
Hitchin (1927) vol.
i, pp. 133-138
Netter was a young friar at Hitchin.
Born at Saffron Walden,
1375; died at Rouen, 1430. Thomas Netter was
born at Saffron Walden and joined the Carmelites. He was an active
opponent of Lollardism and a prominent member of the Council of
Constance. King Henry V chose him as his confessor and died in his arms
(Benedictines).
|
1583 Bl.
John
Bodey English martyr and schoolmaster
He was born at Wells, Somerset, and educated at Oxford. Converting to
the faith, John studied law at Douai in 1557 and returned to England to
become a schoolmaster and to marry. When he repudiated King Henry
VIII’s claim of supremacy in spiritual matters, he was arrested in
1550. John was imprisoned at Winchester until 1583, when he was taken
on November 2 to Andover where he was hanged. He was beatified in 1929.
Blessed John Bodey M (AC) Born at Wells, Somerset, England; died at
Andover, 1583; beatified in 1929. John Bodey was a fellow of New
College, Oxford, who converted to Catholicism and studied law at Douai.
John returned to England and became a schoolmaster.
He was condemned for repudiating the royal supremacy in spiritual
matters and was hanged at Andover (Benedictines).
|
1843 Our
Lady of
Montligeon France
Prayer to Our Lady of Monligeon
Our Lady, freer of all mankind, Have mercy on all our dearly departed,
Especially on those who are most In need of the Lord's mercy.
Intercede for those who have passed away So that the purifying love of
God Leads them to full deliverance. May our prayers, united with
the prayers Of the whole Church, Obtain
for them a joy beyond all expectations, And bring consolation and
relief To our friends in sorrow and distress Here on earth.
Mother of the Church, On our journey towards life everlasting, As
pilgrims here on earth, Help us to live better lives each day. Heal the
wounds of our hearts and souls. Help us to become witnesses of
the Invisible, Already seeking those good things that the eye cannot
see. Make us apostles of Hope, Like watchmen awaiting the dawn.
Refuge of Sinners and Queen of All Saints, Gather us all together one
day in the Father's House, For the eternal Resurrection, Through Jesus
Christ our Lord. Amen. Adapted from
http://www.sanctuaire-montligeon.com/en
|
November
2 Feast of All Souls 
Saints of this Day November
02 Quarto Nonas
Novémbris 
"The Church, to
which Jesus Christ promised the
presence of the
Holy
Ghost and which therefore 
Quote: Pope
Paul
VI’s 1969 
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.