Our Lady of Kieff (1010) and Memorials of the Saints – 15 April

Thursday of the Second Week of Easter +2021

Our Lady of Kieff (1010) – 15 April:

Kieff on the banks of the Dneiper River was the first resting place of this famous image of Mary. Here, according to legend, the Apostle Saint Andrew had once stopped on his way from Constantinople to Rome. Waking in the morning to the sights of the heights of Kieff, he was moved to prophecy:

“See those hills? On those hills shall shine hereafter, the grace of God.”

However, it was nearly 1,000 years, 1010, to be exact, before the Russian Prince Vladimir was baptised at Kieff with all his people and the teachings of the Gospel began to go out from the heights, which had so impressed the Apostle.
The Prince sent to Kherson for a picture of Our Lady which was, according to legend, painted by Constantine and according to another, commissioned by him, which seems more likely. The Prince endowed the Monastery in Petchersk to house the famous painting and here it remained until the fifteenth century.
In 1467 Ivan III, Grand Duke of Moscow, built the Church of the Assumption in the Kremlin as a memorial of his marriage. As a crowning jewel of his new Church, he asked for the famous image of Kieff. This aged City was both grieved and frightened at the demand. The people rose in protest; they did not want to lose their dearest treasure. Then the Blessed Virgin appeared in sleep to the Prince and told him to give up the painting because, she would personally ensure, that it was replaced. He gave it to the agents of the Duke of Moscow on the following morning and returned to his Church to find that another painting, exactly like it, had mysteriously appeared in the place of the one he had returned.
Kieff and Moscow were still disputing vigorously up to fifty years ago, the 400-year old customary disagreement over which City had the original picture of Our Lady of Kieff and which City had the one placed there by the Blessed Mother. There are thousands of copies now spread all over the world.

St Abbo II of Metz
St Abbondio of Como (Died c 564) Bishop
St Acuta
St Basilissa of Rome
Blessed Cesar de Bus (1544-1607)
Biography:
https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2017/04/15/saint-of-the-day-15-april-bl-cesar-de-bus/

St Crescens of Myra
St Eutyches of Rome
St Eutychius of Ferentino
St Huna of Slättåkra
St Hunna (of Strasbourg) (died 679)
The life of St Hunna:
https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2018/04/15/saint-of-the-day-15-april-st-hunna-died-679/

Bl Laurentinus Sossius
St Maro of Rome
St Maximus of Persia
St Mundus
St Nidger of Augsburg
St Olympiades of Persia
St Ortario of Landelles
St Paternus/Padarn of Wales (c 482-c 568)
About St Paternus:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/04/15/saint-of-the-day-15-april-st-paternus-of-wales-c-482-c-568/
St Pausilopo of Thrace
St Ruadhan of Lorrha (died 584)
About St Ruadhan:
https://anastpaul.com/2019/04/15/saint-of-the-day-15-april-st-ruadan-died-584/
St Sylvester of Réome
St Theodore of Thrace
St Victorinus of Rome
St Waltmann of Cambrai

Mercedarian Martyrs of Africa: A group of Mercedarian monks sailing to Africa as on a mission to redeem capture Christians. Captured by Moors, they were tortured and executed for their faith. Martyrs. 1393