Saint of the Day – 15 February – Saint Walfrid/Galfrido della Gherardesca (Died c765) Abbot. Born in 8th Century Pisa, Italy and died on 15 February 765 at Palazuollo, Italy of natural causes. Also known as – Galfrido, Gualfredo, Gualfredus, Qualfredo, Qualfredo della Gherardesca, Valfred, Vilfrid, Walfridus, Wilfrido, Walfredo.
Galfrido della Gherardesca was born in the 8th Century in Pisa in the region of Tuscany in central Italy. He was the eldest of five siblings and became a prominent citizen of Pisa. He married Thesia and had five sons and at least one daughter.
Midway through life, Walfrid and his wife both yearned to seek a life dedicated to God alone in a monastic community. Walfrid joined two other married men, his friend Fortis from Corsica and the latter’s relative, Gunduald and together the three founded the Benedictine Monastery “Palazzuolo” in Monte Verde between Volterra and Piombino. They also founded a Nunnery nearby for their wives and Walfrid’s daughter, Rattruda. They dedicated their Monastery to Saint Peter .
Walfrid ruled the “Palazzuolo” from the beginning as Abbot. Many Novices came to join the Monks, including Walfrid’s favourite son Gimfrid (later the second Abbot) and Gunduald’s only son, Andreas, who would become the Monastery’s third Abbot and write Walfrid’s biography. Soon the community numbered 60 Monks. Gimfrid was Ordained a Priest but some time later he fled the Monastery and took several men and valuables with him. Walfrid sent a party out to look for his son but also asked that he be given a sign which would remind him, for the rest of his life, of his moment of weakness. Gimfrid was brought back on the third day with his middle finger on his right hand so damaged that he could never use it again. He repented and did penance and became the Monastery’s second Abbot after his father, who ruled wisely for ten years longer, after this incident.
Walfrid died on 15 February 765 in Palazzuolo. On the same day, his wife is also said to have died and they were buried together. He was Canonised on 12 September 1861 by Pope Pius IX (1846-1878).
St Berach of Kilbarry St Craton St Decorosus of Capua St Dochow St Druthmar of Corvey St Eusebius of Asehia St Farannan of Iona
St Faustinus AND St Jovinus (Died c 120) Martyrs, Priest and Deacon respectively. Brothers. Both Evangelists, Preachers. Born at Brescia, Lombardy, Italy and the two brothers died together. They was thrown to the lions but the animals refused to touch them. Then beheaded in 120 at Brescia, Italy.
St Faustus of Monte Cassino St Georgia St Joseph of Antioch St Onesimus the Slave St Quinidius of Vaison
Saint of the Day – 14 February – Saint Eleuchadius (2nd Century) Bishop of Ravenna and Confessor, Philosopher. Born in Greece and died in Ravenna, Italy of natural causes.
Unknown Ancient Bishop
According to the very authoritative Episcopal list of Ravenna, Eleucadius was the second successor of Saint Apollinaris and, therefore, his Episcopate probably took place towards the middle of the 2nd Century.
He did not die as a Martyr, however, a small Cemetery area developed around his tomb which took its name from him. These are the only certain facts about him.
In the 6th Century the Passio of Saint Apollenaris says that Eleucadius was a Philosopher and that he was Ordained a Deacon by the First Bishop himself, St Apollinaris. In the 9th Century it was added that he was of oriental origin, that he died on 14 February, that he wrote many works on the Old and New Testaments, on the Incarnation and Death of Our Lord. In the 11th Century, St Peter Damian laments the loss of these works.
Among these and other reports offered to us by medieval literary sources, we can, at most, piously accept what St Peter Damian tells us about a vast and enlightened pastoral activity carried out by the Saint. All these testimonies, however, are worth proving how lively his cult was among the Bishops of Ravenna, in addition to the cults of St Apollinaris and St Severus. St Peter Damian dedicates only one sermon to Eleucadius which is an outstanding testimony to the celebration of 14 February today’s feast, in which the venerable Confessor Eleuchadius is solemnly praised. His Relics are enshrined in Pavia having been translated there after being rediscovered during some construction work.
The Saint’s praise also appears in the Roman Martyrology on the traditional date of 14 February.
St Nostrianus of Naples St Theodosius of Vaison St Valentine of Terni
St Vitale of Spoleto
Martyrs of Terni: Three Christians who gave proper burial to Saint Valentine of Terni. Martyred in the persecutions of Aurelius. 273 in Terni, Italy – Apollonius, Ephebus, Proculus.
Martyrs of Alexandria: A group of Christians murdered in various ways for their faith in Alexandria, Egypt. We know the names and a few details about 16 of them – Agatho, Agatone, Ammonio, Ammonius, Antonius, Bassiano, Bassianus, Cirione, Cyrio, Dionysius, Dionysius, Lucio, Moses, Moses, Proto and Tonione.
Saint of the Day – 13 February – Saint Stephen of Rieti (Died c590) Abbot Died in c590 of natural causes. Also known as – Stefano, Stfan, Stefanus.
The Roman Martyrology reads: “At Rieti, the Abbot St Stephen, a man of wonderful patience, at whose death, as is related by the blessed Pope, St Gregory, the holy Angels were present and visible to all.”
The Monastery in Rieti
We know almost nothing about Stephen of Rieti. The only sources in which the Saint is mentioned, are the “Dialogues” and a sermon of Saint Gregory the Great.
In this last text Stephen is indicated as an example of perfect patience, a contemporary of St Egli (?) and originally from Rieti.
He was the Abbot in the Monastery of San Eleuterius of Rieti which was founded by St Equitius (5th-6th Century).
Tradition has it that St Stephen was a man of “rude (plain) manners” of a holy life and who loved to spend long periods in prayer. Furthermore, his patience was proverbial, so much so that, Saint Gregory mentions it in an episode when an evil man set fire to the wheat on the threshing floor of the Monastery.
Even for those who harassed him, he always had a good word, considering him a friend and collaborator.
The Feast of the Holy Face of Jesus: In the 19th Century Jesus expressed His wishes to Sister Mary of St Peter (1816-1848), a Carmelite Nun in Tours, France, that there be an actual Devotion to his Holy Face. Our Lord wanted this in reparation for blasphemies against Him and His Holy Name as well, as for the profanation of Sunday (when people engage unnecessarily in commerce and other such labours and chores on Sunday, a day meant for rest and reflection on God). In August of 1843 He dictated to her the well-known Golden Arrow Prayer. He also gave her Promises for those who would honour His Holy Face. The first Holy Medal of the Holy Face was given to Ven Pope Pius XII, who approved the Devotion and the Medal. In 1958 he formally declared the Feast of the Holy Face of Jesus as Shrove Tuesday for all Catholics. https://anastpaul.com/2022/03/01/feast-of-the-holy-face/
Shrove Tuesday: Shrove is the past tense of the word Shrive, which means “to hear a confession, assign penance and absolve from sin.” In the Middle Ages, especially in Northern Europe and England, it became the custom to confess one’s sins on the day before Lent began in order to enter the penitential season in a repentant spirit.
St Catherine de Ricci OP (1522-1590) Virgin, Tertiary of the Order of Preachers, Mystic, Stigmatist, Ecstatic, Counsellor to many in both secular and spiritual matters, a highly admired Administrator and Advisor,blessed with many mystical charism including visions of Christ, both as a Baby and Adult, bilocation and miracles. Her body is incorrupt. A Mighty Handmaid: https://anastpaul.com/2022/02/13/saint-of-the-day-13-february-saint-catherine-de-ricci-op-1522-1590/
St Fusca of Ravenna St Gilbert of Meaux St Gosbert of Osnabruck St Guimérra of Carcassone St Huno
St Julian of Lyon St Lucinus of Angers St Marice St Martinian the Hermit St Maura of Ravenna St Modomnoc St Peter I of Vercelli St Stephen of Lyons St Stephen of Rieti (Died c590) Abbot
Saint of the Day – 12 February – St Anthony Kauleas of Constantinople (c829-901) Bishop, Confessor, Defender of orthodoxy. Anthony was a pious man exercising mortification and penances. He generously endowed monastic foundations and founded or re-founded the Kauleas Monastery with the support of the emperor, who preached at the Church’s dedication. Buried in the Church of his Monastery, Anthony was held responsible for many miracles. Born in c829 near Constantinople and died on 12 February 901 of natural causes. Also known as – Anthony Cauleas, Antony Cauleas, Antony Kauleas, Antony II of Constantinople, Antonius of Constantinople.
The Roman Martyrology reads: “At Constantinople, St Anthony, a Bishop in the time of the Emperor Leo VI.”
Anthony was born near Constantinople, in a place where his parents had retreated, for fear of iconoclastic persecution. Upon the death of his mother, Anthony, then just twelve years old, entered a Monastery in the Byzantine imperial Capital. There, in the course of time, he became the Abbot with the name of “Anthony II Kaukeas” (having been preceded by Antonio I Cassimatas, 821-837). Anthony’s father too entered Anthony’s Monastery and received the religious Habit directly from his son’s hands.
The Eastern Church was, at that time, in a state of great confusion, after the Emperor had expelled the legitimate Constantinopolitan Bishop, Saint Ignatius and, in 867, had imposed the ingamous Photius on the Episcopal throne. However, in 886, he too was forced to leave the Episcopal Seat probably pushed by the new Emperor Leo VI who wanted to install his younger brother Stephen. Photius did not resist and retired to a Monastery, while the followers of St Ignatius did not recognise the legitimacy of Stephen’s election, as he was Ordained Deacon by Photius himself. In this context, upon Stephen’s death in 893 Anthony was elected as the Bishop of Constantinople.
His work was immediately characterised by multiple efforts aimed at reconciling the two factions, finally managing to persuade the Archbishop, Stiliano Mapas, leader of the Ignatians, to put an end to the schism. It is not historically clear ,whether the intervention of the Bishop of Rome was necessary to resolve the dispute or whether he simply sanctioned the solution already reached by Anthony. The fact is that both Churches, both Rome and Constantinople, recognised “Ignatius, Photius, Stephen and Anthony” as an authentic and valid succession of Bishops of the Byzantine See. Peace was officially stipulated in 899 and Anthony died shortly afterwards, in 901.
Apart from his particular role in the universal history of the Church, as described so far, there is not much further information on Anthony’s life, other than what his contemporaries have passed down — his great spirit of mortification, prayer and penance. He founded a splendid Monastery in which he wanted to be buried which was later renamed in his honour “tou koulea, or tou kyr antoniou.”
The Seven Holy Founders of the Order of the Blessed Virgin Mary (the Servites) Pope Leo XIII Canonised them all on 15 January 1888. After the Canonisation of the Seven Founders, their Feast was inserted in the General Roman Calendar for celebration on 11 February, the anniversary of the granting of canonical approval to the order in 1304. In 1909, 11 February became the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes and the Feast of the seven founders was moved to 12 February. In 1969 the Feast was moved to 17 February. HERE: https://anastpaul.com/2018/02/17/saints-of-the-day-17-february-the-seven-holy-founders-of-the-servite-order-osm-formation-on-15-august-1233/
St Alexius of Kiev St Ammonius of Alexandria Bl Anthony of Saxony St Anthony Kauleas of Constantinople (c829-901) Bishop
St Modestus of Alexandria St Modestus of Carthage St Modestus the Deacon Bl Nicholas of Hungary St Sedulius Bl Thomas of Foligno
Martyrs of Albitina – 46 Saints: During the persecutions of Diocletian, troops were sent to the churches of Abitina, North Africa on a Sunday morning; they rounded up everyone who had arrived for Mass and took them all to Carthage for interrogation by pro-consul Anulinus. The 46 who proclaimed their Christianity were executed. We know some of their names and stories. They were tortured to death in 304 in prison at Albitina, North Africa.
Saint of the Day – 11 February – St Severinus of Agaunum (Died c507) Abbot, Miracle-worker, gifted with Prophecy and healing the sick. Born in Burgundy, France and died in c507 at Chateau-Landon in Gatinais, of natural causes whilst travelling towards his Monastery. Patronage – of Agaunum, Switzerland.
The Roman Martyrology reads: “At Chateau-Landon, St Severin, Abbot of the Monastery of Aqaunum, by whose prayers the Christian King Clovis, was deliovered from a long sickness.”
Severinus, of a noble family in Burgundy, was educated in the Catholic faith at a time when the Arian heresy reigned supreme in that region. He forsook the world in his youth and dedicated himself to God in the Monastery of Saint-Maurice-en-Valais at Agaunum, which consisted only of scattered cells until, some time later, the Catholic King, Sigismund, built there the great Abbey of Saint-Maurice.
Severinus became the holy Abbot of Saint-Maurice, with its distinct Convents for men and women, all of whom, bore voluntarily, the yoke of penance and celibacy, without solemn vows. The Abbot had governed his community for many years in the exercise of penance and charity, when, in 504, Clovis, the first Christian King of France, who was lying ill of a fever, sent his Chamberlain to conduct the Saint to Court. After his Physicians had, for two years endeavoured, without success, to cure him, Clovis was told that the sick from all parts recovered their health by the prayers of our Saint Severinus. The Abbot, therefore, took leave of his Monks and Nuns and told them he would never see them again in this world.
The Monastery of Saint-Maurice-en-Valais at Agaunum
On his journey he healed Eulalius, Bishop of Nevers, who had been deaf and dumb for some time; he also healed a leper at the gates of Paris. And coming to the Palace, he immediately restored the King to perfect health, by covering him with his own cloak. He cured many other sick persons at the Court and in Paris. The King, in gratitude, distributed large alms to the poor and released all his prisoners.
Saint Severinus, returning toward Agaunum, stopped at Chateau-Landon in Gatinais, where two Priests served God in a solitary Chapel. Foreseeing his imminent death, he asked admittance among them and they received this stranger, whom they soon greatly admired for his sanctity. His death followed shortly after, in 507. This site became the Abbey of Saint Severinus, with a beautiful Church dedicated to him. His Relics were later scattered, when this Church was plundered during the French Revolution.
Quinquagesima Sunday: This Season is seventeen (17) days long and includes the three Sundays before Ash Wednesday. The length of the Season never changes but the start date is dependent on the movable date of Easter, which can fall between 22 March-25 April. For many early Christians Quinquagesima marked the time after which meat was forbidden. In many places, this Sunday and the next two days, were used to prepare for Lent by a good Confession; hence in England, we find the names Shrove Sunday and Shrovetide. Shrove is a form of the English word “shrive,” which means – to obtain absolution for one’s sins by way of Confession and doing penance.. As the days before Lent were frequently spent in merry-making, Pope Benedict XIV by the Constitution “Inter Cetera” (1 January 1748) introduced a Forty Hours’ Devotion to keep the faithful from dangerous amusements and to make some reparation for sins committed. Quinquagesima also means, the time between Easter and Pentecost, or from the Saturday after Easter to the Sunday after Pentecost; it is then called Quinquagesima Paschae paschalis, or laetitae.
St Calocerus of Ravenna St Castrensis of Capua St Dativus the Senator Bl Elizabeth Salviati St Etchen of Clonfad St Eutropius of Adrianopolis St Felix the Senator
St Gobnata (6th Century) Abbess, Founder of a Convent and ‘Order’ of Sisters, Miracle-worker, Apostle of the sick. Patronages – of bees, beekeepers. About St Gobnata or Abigail:
St Lucius of Adrianople St Pedro de Jesús Maldonado-Lucero St Saturninus of Africa St Secundus of Puglia St Severinus of Agaunum (Died c507) Abbot St Simplicius of Vienne (Died c417) Bishop St Theodora the Empress
Guardians of the Sacred Scriptures: Also known as – Anonymous Martyrs in Africa– Martyrs of Africa – Martyrs of Numidia – Martyrs of the Sacred Books A large number of Christians tortured and murdered in Numidia (part of modern Algeria) during the persecutions of Diocletian but whose names and individual lives have not survived. They were ordered to surrender their sacred books to be burned. They refused. Martyrs. c 303 in Numidia.
Martyrs of Africa – 5 Saints: A group of five Christians who were Martyred together; we know nothing else but the names of four of them – Cyriacus, Oecominius, Peleonicus and Zoticus.
Saint of the Day – 10 February – Saint Soteris the Martyr (Died c304) Virgin Martyr. Her name is derived from the Greek and means saviour. Also known as – Soteris of Rome, Soteres.
The Roman Martyrology reads: “At Rome, on the Appian Way, St Soteres, Virgin and Martyr, who was descended of a noble race, as St Ambrose testifies but for the love of Christ, set at naught the consular and other dignities of her family. On her refusal to sacrifice to the gods, she was, for a long time, cruelly buffeted. After she had overcome varioys other torments, she was struck with the sword and joyfully went to her heavenly Spouse.”
Soteris was a woman of very great beauty, who, in contrast to the women of her station at that time, dressed modestly and consecrated her virginity to Christ. She was arrested on account of her faith and underwent torture, before being finally beheaded around 304 during the persecutions of Diocletian.
Her remains were buried in the Catacombs of Callixtus along the Appian Way which also contained the remains of Saint Cecilia and many other Martyrs. In the same region, a great Basilica was erected in her honour.
Saint Ambrose has told us that he and his siblings, were descended from St Soteris’ family and he has left us some writings regarding our Saint.
St Paganus Bl Paul of Wallachia Bl Pierre Frémond St Porfirio St Prothadius of Besançon St Salvius of Albelda St Silvanus of Terracina St Soteris the Martyr (Died c304) Virgin Martyt St Troiano of Saintes St Trumwin of Whitby
Martyred Soldiers in Rome: A group of ten Christian soldiers who were Martyred together for their faith. We know little more about them but four of their names – Amantius, Hyacinth, Irenaeus and Zoticus. • 120 at Rome, Italy. They were buried on the Via Lavicana outside RomeAmantius, Hyacinth, Irenaeus, Zoticus.
Saint of the Day – 9 February – Saint Ansbert of Rouen (Died c695) Bishop of Rouen, Abbot of Fontenelle Abbey, Scholar of renown, Defender and Protector of the poor. Born at Chaussy-sur-Epte, France and died in 695 at Hainaut then in France, now part of modern Belgium, of natural causes,. The Name Amsbert Name means: “the one who shines through God” (Old High German). Also known as – Ansbert of Fontenelle, Ansberto… Aubert… Additional Memorial – 1 March – a collective Feast Day for all the Saints of Fontanelle Abbey.
Window of St Ansbert in Rouen Cathedral
Ansbert, a member of an important Neustrian family close to the King and was highly educated. He had a significant professional career in the King’s Court and is said to have served as a senior member of the Court of the Merovingian King, Clotaire III. As such, he was both Chancellor and referendary.
In 673, the same year Clotaire died, Ansbert renounced his secular pursuits and became a Monk of the Benedictine order. Six years later, he was elevated to Abbot of his Monastery, the illustrious Fontenelle Abbey. He followed two other Saints in that Office – Wandrigisil, the Abbey’s Founder and first Abbot and Lambert, the second Abbot, who vacated the office when he was named the Bishop of Lyons.
He was Ordained a Priest in Rouen and appointed the third Abbot of his Monastery after Lambert around 677. He held the office until 679. Under his leadership, Fontenelle prospered. His enterprises included a great expansion and refinement of the Abbey’s library and the establishment of local hospitals for the poor.
During his time as Abbot, Ansbert served as the Confessor to King Theodoric III. After several years, in either 683 or 684, Ansbert was appointed as the Archbishop of Rouen following the death Bishop, Saint Ouen. His former mentor, Saint Lambert, performed his Consecration and Ansbert was succeeded as Abbot at Fontenelle by Hildebert (Died 701), who is also venerated as a Saint.
Despite his high office and eminent reputation, Ansbert was removed from the Bishopric around the year 690. By “a false accusation or slanderous lie,” the powerful Chancellor of the Frankish Court, Pepin of Heristal, arranged his dismissal, either because of some kind of political opposition or because Ansbert’s “holy zeal was not well-received” and “his austere life caused offence.” He was sent into exile at the Monastery of Hautmont, where he stayed until his death, sometime between 692 and 695. At some time during that period, Pepin reconsidered his actions and agreed renege and to allow Ansbert to return but sadly Ansbert died before he was able to return to his See.
Window of St Ansbert at the Church of St Quen in Rouen
Ansbert’s body was returned to Fontenelle and buried there . At the beginning of the 8th Century, Abbot Bainus of Fontenelle transferred his Relics to St-Pierre. While fleeing from the Normans, the Relics were moved several times. In 944 they were in Boulogne-sur-Mer , then they were transferred with those fof St Wandregisil to the Abbey of Saint-Pierre-au-Mont-Blandin in Ghent , where they remained up to their destruction by the Protestants in 1578.
St Ansbert’s first Vita or life story was written around 800. A collective day of remembrance for all the many Saints associated with Fontenelle Abbey is celebrated on 1 March. Saint Ansbert’s own annual Feast Day is 9 February on which date he is mentioned in the Roman Martyrology.
St Scholastica Novena – The LAST DAY: CLICK on the LINK BELOW: St Scholastica Novena
St Alexander of Rome St Alexander of Soli St Alto of Altomünster St Ammon of Membressa St Ammonius of Soli St Ansbert of Rouen (Died c695) Bishop St Attracta of Killaraght St Brachio of Auvergne St Cuaran the Wise St Didymus of Membressa St Donatus the Deacon St Eingan of Llanengan St Emilian of Membressa Bl Erizzo Bl Francisco Sanchez Marquez Bl Godeschalk of Želiv St Lassa of Membressa Bl Marianus Scotus St Maro St Nebridius of Egara St Nicephorus of Antioch St Poëmus of Membressa St Primus the Deacon
St Raynald of Nocera (c1150-1217) Bishop of Nocera, Umbria, Italy, Hermit, Monk, Abbot. His body is incorrupt. The Roman Martyrology reads: “In Nocera Umbra, St. Rainaldo, Bishop, formerly a Camaldolese Monk of Fonte Avellana, who, while carrying out the Episcopal office, firmly preserved the habits of monastic life.” Biography: https://anastpaul.com/2022/02/09/saint-of-the-day-9-february-saint-raynald-of-nocera-c-1150-1217/
St Romanus the Wonder Worker St Ronan of Lismore St Sabino of Abellinum
St Sabinus of Canosa (c461–566) Bishop, Confessor, Benedictine Monk, Papal Legate, miracle-worker, graced with the charism of prophecy, Defender of the Faith against heretics, friend of Saint Benedict of Nursia, builder of Churches and Monasteries, following the Benedictine discipline of Ora et labora. His Life: https://anastpaul.com/2021/02/09/saint-of-the-day-9-february-saint-sabinus-of-canosa-c-461-566-bishop/
St Teilo of Llandaff
Martyrs of Alexandria: An unknown number of Christians who were massacred inthe 4th Century Alexandria, Egypt by Arian heretics for adhering to the true Faith.
Martyrs of Membressa: A group of 44 Christians Martyred together. We know little else about them some names – Ammon, Didymus, Emilian, Lassa, Poemus They were Martyred in Membressa in Africa.
Quote of the Day – 8 February –St John of Matha O.SS.T (1160-1213) Confessor, Priest, Founder of The Order of the Most Holy Trinity and of the Captives
Excerpt from The Mantle of St John de Matha A Legend of “The Red, White and Blue” (1154–1864) By John Greenleaf Whittier (1807–1892).
A STRONG and mighty Angel, Calm, terrible and bright, The Cross in blended red and blue Upon his mantle white!
Two captives by him kneeling, Each on his broken chain, Sang praise to God who raiseth The dead to life again?
Dropping his Cross-wrought mantle, “Wear this” the Angel said; “Take thou, O Freedom’s Priest, its sign,— The white, the blue and red.”
Then rose up John de Matha In the strength the Lord Christ gave, And begged through all the land of France The ransom of the slave.
The gates of tower and castle Before him open flew, The drawbridge at his coming fell, The door-bolt backward drew.
For all men owned his errand And paid his righteous tax; And the hearts of lord and peasant Were in his hands as wax.
At last, outbound from Tunis, His bark her anchor weighed, Freighted with seven-score Christian souls Whose ransom he had paid!
Saint of the Day – 8 February – Saint Stephen of Muret (c1046-1124) Abbot, Founder of the Abbey of Grandmont (the Mother House) and the Order of Grandmont. Born in c1046 at Thiers, Auvergne, France and died on 8 February 1124 at his Monastery in Muret, France of natural causes. St Stephen was Canonised in 1189 by Pope Clement III. Also known as – Stephen of Grandmont, Stephen of Thiers, Étienne de…
The Roman Martyrology reads: “At Muret, near Limoges, the birthday of the Abbot, St Stephen, Founder of the Order of Grandmont, celebrated for his virtues and miracles.”
The early life of Stephen, a native of Thiers, France, is uncertain due to historical inaccuracies in the medieval biography of the Saint. We do know that he was born of a noble family, being the son of the the Viscount of Thiers and that he was educated in Italy possibly by Milo, the Archbishop of Benevento for a certain time.
After returning to France and finding his parents had died, Stephen undertook the consecrated life as a Hermit. Having built a small Hermitage in the forests of Muret, Stephen vowed himself to God thus: “I, Stephen, renounce the devil and all his pomps and offer myself to God the Father, Son and Holy Ghost, the one true God in three Persons.”
He also prayed to the Blessed Virgin Mary, declaring: “Holy Mary, Mother of God, I commend my body, soul,and senses to thou Son and to thee.”
Thereafter, Stephen spent the next forty-eight years of his life in this wilderness, devoting himself to prayer and penitential self-denial. When on one occasion two Papal Legates visited him, they inquired as to whether he was a Monk, a Hermit, or a Canon. He replied, “I am a sinner.”
Other men intending to imitate Stephen came to join him, so that the Hermitage of Muret grew into a monastic community and a new Religious Congregation which would later be known as the Order of Grandmont.
Although Stephen certainly established the Order of Grandmont, a religious order of “extreme austerity and poverty,” he did little for his disciples except offer them the example of his holy life and it was not until after his death that the Order was firmly established.
St Stephen’s Relics are preserved in the Parish Church of St Sylvestre, Canton of Laurière. below we see the Reliquary housing St Stephen’s head. In 1167, he was initially honoured by Bishop Gerald II of Limoges and formally Canonised by Pope Clement III in 1189.
St Cyriacus of Rome St Dionysus of Armenia St Elfleda of Whitby St Emilian of Armenia St Giacuto St Gisela St Honoratus of Milan St Inventius of Pavia Bl Jacoba de Settesoli St Kigwe St Laureatus of Rome St Lucius of Rome St Meingold St Mlada of Prague St Nicetius of Besançon St Oncho of Clonmore St Paul of Rome
St Sebastian of Armenia St Stephen of Muret (c1046-1124) Abbot
Martyrs of Constantinople: Community of 5th Century Monks at the Monastery of Saint Dius at Constantinople. Imprisoned and Martyred for loyalty to the Vatican during the Acacian Schism. 485 in Constantinople.
Martyrs of Persia: An unknown number of Christians murdered in early 6th-century Persia. Legend says that so many miracles occurred through the intercession of these Martyrs that the King decreed an end to the persecution of Christians.
Saint/s of the Day – 7 February – Blessed Jacques or James Salès SJ (1556-1593) Priest Martyr of the Society of Jesus and Blessed William or Guillaume Saultemouche SJ (1555-1593) Martyr, Jesuit Lay Brother. These two young Jesuits died on 6 February 1593, Fr Jacques aged 26 was shot in the back by the protestants and Brother William was stabbed repeatedly until he died, all the while holding the dead body of Fr Jacques. Pope Pius XI Beatified the two Martyrs of the Blessed Sacrament on 6 June 1926.
Jacques Salès and William Saultemouche were Martyred for their defence of belief in the Real Presence in the Most Holy Eucharist during a conflict with Huguenots (French Calvinists) during the height of France’s War of Religion.
Jacques, who already as a child, showed extraordinary piety. His devotion to the Holy Eucharist and regular participation in the Holy Mass, gained him the favour and patronage of the local Priest. He attended the Jesuit school at Billom from 1568-1572 and developed a strong devotion to our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. He wanted to join the Jesuits but felt that he was needed at home, since he was his parents’ only son. He moved to Paris to study at Clermont College and found his desire to join the Society stronger than ever. His father, finally gave him permission and he entered the Novitiate at Verdun in 1573.
In 1585, his studies led the young Jesuit to become a Teacher of Theology, at Pont-à-Mousson. He wanted to be a Missionary and wrote Father General, Claudio Acquaviva, to be accepted anywhere America, China or Japan. The response was negative; Father General reminded to him that France itself was a mission territory, given the conflict between Catholics and Huguenots.
Father Salés determined to devote himself to confronting the errors of Huguenots. He remained teaching at the University and gave some missions in nearby towns, including Metz which was a fervent centre of Calvinism. Calvinists sometimes joined the Catholics at his lectures and tried to interrupt the Jesuit Preacher by heckling him. Nevertheless, Salés was successful in confirming Catholics in their faith.
Blessed Jacques
In 1590 Fr Jacques was sent to Tournon to take the Chair of ‘controversial’ Theology. Here, he was responsible for devising a plan of studies to treat the theological issues that divided Catholics and Protestants, showing the truth of Catholicism and responding to the objections of the Protestants. He continued travelling around to give missions and wrote several booklets to aid people in understanding orthodox theology — one of these booklets explained the Holy ucharist.
His final mission came in 1593. The Baron of Montréal had regularly requested a Jesuit to give the Advent and Lenten series of sermons in Aubenas, a Town which the Catholics had regained control of from the Huguenots. The Baron wanted someone who could refute the Calvinist ministers, who were becoming more bold in their attacks on Catholics. Fr Jacques was picked for the mission and accompanying him was Brother William Saultemouche who had served as porter at Pont-à-Mousson and was known for his simplicity and gentle character.
Blessed William
Fr Jacques opened his sermons in Aubenas on 29 November, explaining Catholic belief, without insulting or denigrating the Protestants. He moved onto other Towns in the area after he finished in Aubenas but then returned to Aubenas, with BrotherWilliam on 5 February 1593 because the tension between Catholics and Huguenots was growing more serious.
That evening the Jesuit Teacher was visiting a Calvinist family when he heard the sound of a mob outside so he rushed to the Catholic Church where he found Brother William. They prayed for awhile and then returned to their residence. Early the next morning three soldiers forced their way into the Jesuit residence and found the two Jesuits at prayer. They were taken to Huguenot headquarters and were examined by a few Calvinist ministers who tried, unsuccessfully, to get the Jesuits to deny their faith. Frustrated by their intransigence, the minister in charge of the interrogation decided that the Jesuit Priest must be killed. Soldiers took Fr Jacques outside where they met Brother William who insisted on accompanying his companion. In the square outside the headquarters, Fr Jacques was asked one last time to deny his belief in Christ’s Real Presence in the Blessed Sacrament. When he refused, he was shot in the back and fell to the ground. A soldier then drove the bayonet of his rifle through his chest. Brother Saultemouche folded his arms around the Priest and was stabbed by a sword until he too was dead. The Calvinists then had the bodies of the two Jesuits dragged through the streets of Aubenas.
Six days later the bodies were dumped into the ruins of an old Church which was used as a dump. That night two Catholics came and retrieved the bodies and buried them in a nearby garden, where, however, the Calvinists continued to offend them with outrageous acts at their tomb!
After two years, they were exhumed and handed over to Madame de Chaussy, who had requested them and which she then donated to the Church of the new Jesuit College of Aubenas. In 1898, the Relics were moved to the Chapel of Saint-Claire, built on the site of the Martyrdom (I believe that beautiful window above is located there). Praise be to God!
St Romuald (c 951-1027) Monk, Abbot, Ascetic, Founder of the Camaldolese Order and a major figure in the Eleventh-Century “Renaissance of eremitical asceticism.” His Feast Day is today and was thus from 1595. It was changed to 19 June in 1969 after Vatican II. St Romuald’s body is incorrupt. St Romuald’s Life: https://anastpaul.com/2018/06/19/saint-of-the-day-19-june-st-romuald-c-951-1027/
St Scholastica Novena – THE SEVENTH DAYA: CLICK THE LINK BELOW: St Scholastica Novena
St Adaucus of Phrygia St Amulwinus of Lobbes St Anatolius of Cahors Bl Anselmo Polanco Bl Anthony of Stroncone
St Augulus St Chrysolius of Armenia St Fidelis of Merida Blessed Jacques Salès SJ (1556-1593) + Priest Martyr St John of Triora St Juliana of Bologna
St Lorenzo Maiorano (Died 545) Bishop of Siponto, Italy, Miracle-worker gifted with Prophecy and visions. Collaborator with St Michael in the Apparition at Gargano, known as “The Defender of the People.” St Lorenzo is also called the “Patron saint of Foreigners” by the citizens of Siponto, having been a foreigner himself. His Life: https://anastpaul.com/2023/02/07/saint-of-the-day-7-february-saint-lorenzo-maiorano-died-545-bishop/
St Luke the Younger
Blessed Mary of Providence/Eugénie Smet HHS (1825-1871) Nun and Founder of the Society of the Helpers of the Holy Souls. Her apostolate has spread throughout the world – now in 24 countries and continues to minister to the Souls in the Body of Christ — both those on earth and those who have departed this world. Beatified in Rome on 26 May 1957 by Pope Pius XII. Biography: https://anastpaul.com/2021/02/07/saint-of-the-day-7-february-blessed-mary-of-providence-hhs-1825-1871/
St Maximus of Nola St Meldon of Péronne St Moses the Hermit Bishop St Parthenius of Lampsacus
Saint of the Day – 6 February – Blessed Angelus of Furci OSA (1246-1327) Priest and Friar of the Order of Augustinian Hermits, Theologian, renowned Preacher, Provincial Superior. Born in 1246 at Furci, in the Abruzzi region, Diocese of Chieti, Italy and died on 6 February 1327 at the Augustinian Convent in Naples, Italy of natural causes. Patronages – of Furci, one of the more than 50 Patrons of Naples,. Additional Memorial – 13 September on some calendars (translation of Relics?). Beatified on 20 December 1888 by Pope Leo XIII (cult confirmed). Also known as Angelo, Angel.
Angelus was born in Furci in Abruzzo , Italy in 1246 to wealthy parents, who, being childless, obtained the blessing of this child through the intercession of St Michael the Archangel. These devout folks, had gone on a pious pilgrimage to St Michael’s Sanctuary, above the cave at Gargano where St Michael had appeared. At Baptism he received the name Angelus which he later retained in religion.
Educated to a high and exemplary standard by his parents, Angelus was later entrusted to a maternal uncle, the Benedictine Abbot of Cornaclano, near Furci, with whom he made rapid progress, both in science and in sanctity. When his uncle died, Angelus returned to Furci.
After his father also died shortly afterwards in 1266, he went to Vasto, where he joined the Augustinians, where he completed his required studies and rose to the Priesthood. Around the age of twenty-five he was sent to study at the Sorbonne in Paris, where he remained for five years.
After his return to Italy, he taught in various Convents of his Order, until he was assigned to the Augustinian Convent in Naples, from where he never moved again until his death. He distinguished himself as a Theologian andPreacher – indeed, historians attribute to him, a commentary on St Matthew’s Gospel – a collection of sermons which sadly today we have lost.
In 1287 Angelus was elected Superior of the Neapolitan Province. Later he refused the Bishoprics of Acerra and Melfi. He died in Naples in the Convent of St Agostino alla Zecca on 6 February 1327 and was buried there. The people, who already venerated him as a saint when he was alive, began to recommend themselves to him, obtaining favours and graces. He was later included among the Patron Saints of Naples and celebrated on 6 February and 13 September. There is also great devotion towards him in Furci, where his sacred body was transferred in August 1808. On 20 December 1888 Pope Leo XIII approved its cult ab immemorial.
Saint Pedro Bautista Blásquez y Blásquez OFM (1542-1597) Priest Martyr and the 26 Martyrs of Japan – Died by Crucifixion on 5 February 1597. Canonised on 8 June 1862 by Pope Pius IX.
St Amand of Moissac St Amand of Nantes St Andrew of Elnone Blessed Angelus of Furci OSA (1246-1327) Priest and Friar of the Order of Augustinian Hermits St Antholian of Auvergne St Brinolfo Algotsson Cassius of Auvergne Bl Diego de Azevedo St Ethelburga of Wessex Bl Francesca of Gubbio St Gerald of Ostia St Gonsalo Garcia OFM St Guarinus St Guethenoc St Hildegund St Ina of Wessex St Jacut St Liminius of Auvergne St Maximus of Aurvergne St Mel of Ardagh St Melchu of Armagh St Mun of Lough Ree St Relindis of Eyck St Revocata St Saturninus St Tanco of Werden St Theophilus St Theophilus the Lawyer
St Vaast of Arras (c 453-539 or 540) Bishop – The First Bishop of Arras, France , Hermit, Ascetic, Miracle-worker, Advisor to King Clovis. The Roman Martyrology reads: “In Arras in Belgian Gaul, today in France, Saint Vedastus, Bishop, who, sent by Saint Remigius Bishop of Rheims to the devastated City, catechised King Clovis, re-established the Church and held it for about forty years and brought to an end, the need of work for evangelisation among the previously still pagan peoples of the region.” St Vaast is another Patron of eye diseases, problems and blindness. Biography: https://anastpaul.com/2022/02/06/saint-of-the-day-6-february-saint-vaast-of-arras-c-453-539-or-540/
St Victorinus of Auvergne
Martyrs of Emesa: At Emesa in Phrenicia, in the time of the Emperor Maximian, St Silvanus, the Bishop, who after having governed that Church for forty years, was delivered to the beasts with two other Christians and, having his limbs all mangled, received the Palm of Martyrdom. The other two are recorded as St Luke the Deacon and St Mucius the Lector.
Saint of the Day – 5 February – Saint Genuinus of Sabion (Died c605) Bishop , Miracle-worker. Born in the 6th Century probably in Rome and died in c605 in Sabiona, Italy of natural causes. Patronages – of the Mines and of Miners, the Diocese of Bolzano-Bressanone, Italy, the City and Diocese of Brixen, Italy. Also known as – Genuino, Ingenium, Ingenuin, Ingenuino, Ingenuinus, Ingwin, Jenewein. Additional Memorial – 13 May (translation of Relics).
Genuinus was the Bishop of Sabion in South Tyrol, a small Town which has since disappeared, the area being incorporated into a larger City – Brixen. It was located at Klausen near present-day Bressanone (then Brixen)in northern Italy. At the time, the Diocese belonged to the Archdiocese of Aquileia and only in 798 was it transferred to Salzburg.
Genuinus attended the synod of Marano in 588.
Genuinus died around 605. At the beginning of the 6th Century, South Tyrol suffered greatly from attacks by Lombards and Bajuvars and, therefore, some assume that he died as a Martyr, while others seem to think that he died in exile.
In 1141, the blessed Bishop Hartmann of Brixen (1090-1164) transferred his Relics to the High Altar of the Cathedral of Brixen together with the Relics of one of his successors, Saint Albinus (Died 1005), who was Bishop of Brixen. They are both remembered today, 5 February. A translation festival is also celebrated in Brixen on 13 May. St Genuinus is portrayed as a Bishop, most often together with his successor, St Albinus. Even the Roman Martyrology links them in one sentence: “At Brixen, the Bishops Genuinus and Albinus, whose lives were illustrious for holiness and miracles.”
The Relics of St Genuinus and St Albinus under the High Altar of the Cathedral of Brixen
St Buo of Ireland St Calamanda of Calaf St Dominica of Shapwick St Fingen of Metz Bl Françoise Mézière St Gabriel de Duisco St Genuinus of Sabion (Died c605) Bishop St Indract St Isidore of Alexandria St Jesús Méndez-Montoya Bl John Morosini St Kichi Franciscus St Modestus of Carinthia
Bl Primo Andrés Lanas St Saba the Younger St Vodoaldus of Soissons
Martyrs of Pontus: An unknown number of Christians who were tortured and martyred in assorted painful ways in the region of Pontus (in modern Turkey) during the persecutions of Maximian.
The Twenty-Six Martyrs of Japan: 26 Saints – the First Martyrs of Japan. Martyred on 5 February 1597 by Crucifixion, also known as Pedro Bautista Blasquez y Blasquez and 22 companions, along with Paulus Miki and 2 companions, were Beatified on 14 September 1627 by Pope Urban VIII, and Canonised on 8 June 1862 by Pope Pius IX.
Saint of the Day – 4 February – Saint Gilbert of Limerick (c1070–1145) Bishop, Canon Lawyer, Papal Legate to Ireland appointed by the Papacy of Pope Paschal II in c1106 and also then appointed as the Bishop of Limerick, Scholar and Philsopher, Church Reformer, Unknown date or place of birth and died in Bangor, Ireland in 1145 of natural causes. Also known as – Gille, Gillebertus, Gilla, Gilli.
“For the early Irish Lent began on the Sunday after Ash Wednesday. Gilbert of Limerick (†1145) insisted on Ash Wednesday.” This injunction was part of the programme of Church Reform which took place in the 12th Century, reform in which St Gilbert of Limerick was deeply involved.
We know very little about Gilbert’s private history and personal life. He refers to himself both as Gille and Gillebertus. It is not even clear whether he was of Irish or Norse extraction. Is is suggests that his family roots are almost certainly in the Hibero-Norse City of Limerick, Ireland but his choice to retire to Bangor, Co. Down where he died may refer to Bangor as his birthplace.
The first record we have of Gilbert is a letter which he sent in 1106, as the Bishop of Limerick, to St Anselm, at that time the Archbishop of Canterbury, sending a gift of pearls and congratulating him on “the victory of your labours in subduing the indomitable minds of the Normans.” St Anselm’s reply states that the two “have known each other and delighted in friendship, since our time in Normandy.”` This may suggest our Gilbert had been a pupil of St Anselm in north-eastern France.
The balance of evidence suggests that Gilbert was a Papal Legate for almost all his time as the Bishop of Limerick and that he headed the Synod of Raith Bressail in 1111. According to St Bernard of Clairvaux, he was the first to be a Legate “per universam Hiberniam — throughout all Ireland.”
The Synod of Raith Bressail , in 1111,was the second aimed at reforming the Irish Church and the first to include the whole country. The first, held in Cashel in 1101, legislated against the purchase of Church positions and regulated the relationship of Church and State, of marriage laws and, of clerical celibacy.
The Synod of Raith Bressail went further, instituting for the first time, a full system of Diocese in Ireland in a hierarchy subject to a Primate of all Ireland and, through him, to the See of St Peter in Rome and the Sovereign Pontiff. This was the greatest change in the Irish Church since the 5th Century. A document, the Acta, from this Synod, gives further circumstantial evidence for Gilbert’s own origin in Limerick – Limerick is given as a model Diocese (with “St Mary’s Church” as its Cathedral Church) in a level of detail, suggesting local knowledge. Gilbert records in his treatise ‘De Statu Ecclesiae’ that many Irish Bishops and Priests requested he explain the hierarchy he advocated.
St Mary’s Caythedral Church of Limerick
With Saint Malchus of Waterford and Ceallach of Armagh, he helped reorganise the Church in Ireland, replacing monastic rule with that by the Bishops and Diocesan structure and advocating for a uniform Liturgy.
As a Canon Lawyer, Gilbert was working in the Paris tradition which was founded on law based on custom, rather than the compilation and reconciliation of texts as practised by the (later) Gratian. As such his style is very different, “exhortatory rather than prescriptive, encouraging rather than demanding” – very different from what we would regard as a legal text today. The law was based on a common vision of life; an inportant aspect of it was the rights and duties owed to a lord.
The Treatise itself is a commentary on a diagram (the image below) in which the hierarchical structure of the Church is shown as a pyramid, made up of further interlocking pyramids. The Pope is at the apex, balanced by the Emperor and Noah at the other two points. The pyramids below balance the Archbishop with the Duke, then the Bishop, with the Count and finally the Priest with the soldier. 15
In 1115, Gilbert is recorded as being present at the Consecration of a new Bishop of St David’s in Westminster. In 1129, St Bernard of Clairvaux records that Gilbert, along with Maek Isu of Lismore prevailed on St Malachy to accept the vacant See of Armagh and that, in 1140, Malachy became the Papal Legate due to the retirement of St Gilbert having become unwell in his old age.
Gille’s death, his only mention in the Irish annals, is recorded in 1145 in Bangor Co. Down. The ‘De Statu Ecclesiae‘ survived in two manuscripts and a prologue to it, ‘De Uso Ecclesiastico’ in three. The two parts were published by Archbishop James Ussher in 1632.
SEXAGESIMASUNDAY: (Latin – Sexagesima, sixtieth) is the eighth Sunday before Easter and the second before Lent. The Ordo Romanus, St Alcuin and others, count the Sexagesima from this day to Wednesday after Easter. The name was already known to the Fourth Council of Orléans in 541. To the Latins it is also known as “Exsurge” from the beginning of the Introit. The station was at Saint Paul’s Outside the Walls of Rome and hence, the oratio calls upon the Doctor of the Gentiles. The Epistle is from Paul, 2 Corinthians 11 and 12, describing his suffering and labours for the Church. The Gospel (Luke 8) relates the falling of the seed on good and on bad ground, while the Lessons of the first Nocturn continue the history of man’s iniquity and speak of Noah and of the Deluge.
Bl Dionisio de Vilaregut St Donatus of Fossombrone St Eutychius of Rome St Filoromus of Alexandria St Firmus of Genoa Bl Frederick of Hallum St Gelasius of Fossombrone St Geminus of Fossombrone St Gilbert of Limerick (c1070–1145) Bishop
St Jane de Valois O.Ann.M and TOSF (1464-1505) Princess, Queen, Founder, Religious Sister, Mystic, Teacher. Founded the monastic Order of the Sisters of the Annunciation of Mary. From this Order later sprang the religious congregation of the Apostolic Sisters of the Annunciation, founded in 1787 to teach the children of the poor. She was Canonised on 28 May 1950 by Pope Pius XII. Biography: https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2018/02/04/saint-of-the-day-4-february-saint-jane-of-valois-o-ann-m-1464-1505/
St Themoius St Theophilus the Penitent St Vincent of Troyes St Vulgis of Lobbes
Jesuit Martyrs of Japan: A collective memorial of all members of the Jesuits who have died as Martyrs for the faith in Japan.
Martyrs of Perga – 4 Saints: A group of shepherds Martyred in the persecutions of Decius. The only details we have about them are the names – Claudian, Conon, Diodorus and Papias. They were Martyred in c 250 in Perga, Asia Minor (in modern Turkey).
Saint of the Day – 3 February – Saint Lawrence the Illuminator (Died 576) Bishop, Peacemaker – graced with the charism of granting clarity of understanding to both sides of disagreeing parties, Founded the Farfa Monastery where he died. Born in Syria and died in 576 at the Monastery at Farfa, Italy, of natural causes. Patronages – against eye diseases and blindness, of the blind – both bodily and spiritual cases. Also known as – Lawrence of Spoleto, Laurence …
Lawrence was driven into exile from Antioch, in 514, with 300 faithful during the persecution by the Monophysite patriarch, Severus of Antioch.
He was Ordained to the Priesthood in Rome and sent to preach in Umbria, where he founded a Monastery near Spoleto. He was elected as the Bishop of Spoleto and served as its prelate for 20 years. He then resigned and retired to the famous Monastery of Farfa in the Sabine Hills near Rome which he had founded.
Saint Lawrence was renowned as a peacemaker who helped the parties to see the situation from the other side. It is said that he attained the surname “the Illuminator” because he had a special gift for curing blindness – both physical and spiritual .
St Anna the Prophetess St Berlinda of Meerbeke St Blasius of Armentarius St Blasius of Oreto St Caellainn St Celerinus of Carthage St Clerina of Carthage St Deodatus of Lagny St Eutichio St Evantius of Vienne St Felix of Africa St Felix of Lyons
St Laurentius of Carthage St Lawrence the Illuminator ) Died 576) Bishop St Leonius of Poitiers St Liafdag St Lupicinus of Lyon St Margaret of England St Oliver of Ancona St Philip of Vienne St Remedius of Gap St Sempronius of Africa St Tigrides St Werburga of Bardney St Werburga of Chester
Benedictine Martyrs: A collective memorial of all members of the Benedictine Order who have died as Martyrs for the Faith.
Saint of the Day – 2 February – St Jeanne de Lestonnac ODN (1556-1640) Widow, Mother, Founder of the The Sisters of the Company of Mary, Our Lady ODN (Latin: Ordinis Dominae Nostrae). Born on 27 December 1556 at Bordeaux, France and died on 2 February 1640 of natural causes. Patronages – of widows, abuse victims. Also known as – Jane de Lestonnac, Joan de Lestonnac, Joanne. Additional Memorial – 15 May on some Calendars.
Jeanne was born in Bordeaux in 1556 to Richard de Lestonnac, a member of the Parlement of Bordeaux and Jeanne Eyquem, the sister of the noted philosopher, Michel Eyquem de Montaigne. She grew up in a time where the conflict between the Protestants and the defenders of the Catholic Faith was at its height. This was evident in her own family. While her mother became an enthusiastic Calvinist and tried to persuade her to convert, her father and her uncle Montaigne, adhered to the Catholic Faith and were her support in withstanding her own mother’s influence. Jeanner remained a devoted Catholic.
At the age of 17 she married Gaston de Montferrant, with whom she had seven children, three of whom died in infancy. She was married for 24 years when her husband died. This marked the beginning of a very painful period in her life, with the further loss, within seven months, of her father, uncle and eldest son.
Copy of a Portrait of an 18-year old woman, attributed to Pieter Pourbus, 1574, in the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, possibly St Jeanne de Lestonnac (1556-1640).
Following her husband’s death, Jeanne, at the age of 46 and with her children now grown, turned to a contemplative life and entered the Cistercian Monastery in Toulouse, where she was given the religious name of “Jeanne of Saint Bernard.” She found great peace and satisfaction in the monastic life but, after six months, she became very ill and had to leave the Monastery. She then went to live on her estate La Mothe Lusié to recover her health and where she adopted the lifestyle of a secular Sister, performing many acts of charity, including food and alms distribution and Jeanne regularly met with young women of her social class, to pray and discuss religious questions. She sought for models of Catholic women to be her guides and cultivated an interest in the lives of St Scholastica, St Clare of Assisi, St Catherine of Siena and St Teresa of Avila.
A few years later, in 1605, an epidemic of the Plague erupted in Bordeaux. At risk to her own life, Jeanne returned to her native City to help care for the sick and suffering in the slums and poorest regions of Bordeaux.
Jeanne’s brother, a Jesuit attached to the college in Bordeaux, arranged a meeting between his sister and two Jesuit Priests – Jean de Bordes and François de Raymond. The Jesuits asked her to serve as founder of a new teaching order for young women. They encouraged her to establish for girls, in terms of formal education, what they were doing for boys. The three decided upon a cloistered community to follow the Benedictine Rule, modified to allow Sisters to teach. The group gained the approval of Pope Paul V in 1607. The community took the name of the Compagnie de Notre-Dame.
An old priory was purchased near the Château Trompette but moved in September 1610, to a larger old Monastery on Rue du Hâ. They were well-received and financially supported by the City’s elite. The first five members of the new Order took their religious vows on 10 December 1610. The community established its first school for girls in Bordeaux. Foundations proceeded in Beziers, Périgueux and Toulouse through Jeanne’s personal connections, as well as her connections with the Jesuits and Bordelaise political elite. By the time she died in 1640, 30 Houses existed in France that is roughly one new foundation per year for 30 years.
Two of her daughters and at least one granddaughter had now joined the Order. Revised Rules and Constitutions for the congregation were drawn up in 1638. Joeanne was now over 80 and her health was beginning to fail. She spent her last years in seclusion as she prepared for death. But in her last years she was highly honoured by her Order. She died peacefully on 2 February 1640 in Bordeaux, aged 84, just after the sisters had renewed their vows on the Feast of the Purification of Our Lady. Her body is said to have been as healthy and emitted a sweet smell for several days afterwards. She was buried in the Cemetery of the Convent in Rue du Ha.
St Jeanne was Beatified on 23 December 1900 by Pope Leo XIII and was CanoniSed on 15 May 1949 by Pope Pius XII. As of 2016, her religious order has over 1,450 Sisters found in 27 Countries throughout Europe, Africa, North America and South America.
Our Lady of the Candles – Nuestra Señora de la Purificación y la Candelaria, is a Marian title and image venerated by Filipino Catholics. The image, which is enshrined on the balcony of Jaro Cathedral, is known as the Patroness of Jaro District of Iloilo City and the whole of the Western Visayas. The Feast Day of Our Lady of the Candles is on Candlemas (2 February) and is celebrated in Iloilo City with a Solemn Pontifical Mass presided by the Archbishop of Jaro.
St Adalbald of Ostrevant St Adeloga of Kitzingen St Agathodoros of Tyana St Apronian the Executioner Bl Bernard of Corbara St Bruno of Ebsdorf St Candidus the Martyr St Columbanus of Ghent St Cornelius the Centurion St Felician the Martyr St Feock St Firmus of Rome St Flosculus of Orléans St Fortunatus the Martyr St Hilarus the Martyr St Jeanne de Lestonnac (1556-1640) Widow, Mother, Founder
St Lawrence of Canterbury (Died 2 February 619) The Second Archbishop of Canterbury, the successor of St Augustine of Canterbury from 604 until his death in 619, but he was Consecrated as Archbishop by his predecessor, St Augustine, during Augustine’s lifetime, to ensure continuity in the office, Benedictine Monk, Missionary. He was a member of the Gregorian mission sent from Italy to England to Christianise the Anglo-Saxons. About St Lawrence: https://anastpaul.com/2022/02/02/saint-of-the-day-2-february-saint-lawrence-of-canterbury-died-619/
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