Saint of the Day – 23 January – Saint Maimbod (Died c 880) Martyr, Irish Pilgrim in France, Missionary Preacher, Born in Ireland and died in c 880 in Kaltenbrunn, Alsace, Gaul (modern France). Maimbod is regarded as an unofficial Patron of eye diseases and ailments. Also known as – Mainbeouf, Mainbodo, Maimbodus.
In the wake of St Columban, many Irish Monks travelled to France and Italy, spreading the Faith “on a pilgrimage for the love of Christ.” Maimbod was one of them, a pilgrim to the Tombs of many Saints and holy Shrines of the Blessed Virgin Mary. As he wandered, he preached, spreading the Faith throughout northern Italy and France.
In Burgundy, a nobleman gave him hospitality and unsuccessfully pressed him to settle there. Upon Maimbod’s departure, the nobleman gave Maimbod a pair of gloves as a reminder to pray for him.
He was praying at the Church of Domnipetra near Alsace, when he was set upon by robbers who, believed he had money because he was wearing gloves, murdered him.
There is a second version of his death which omits the gloves and relates his murder having been accomplished by pagans, enraged by Maimbod’s confession of Christ.
When miracles began to occur at his Tomb in Domnipetra, Count Aszo of Monteliard asked the blind Bishop Berengarius for a gift of the Saint’s Relics. Berengarius delegated the translation ceremony to his co-adjutor, Bishop Stephen. During the rite, Berengarius miraculously received his sight and instituted a Feast in honour of the Saint. Maimrod’s Relics were destroyed during the French Revolution.
Maimbod was Canonised by the confirmation of his cult on 24 November 1900 by Pope Leo XIII. His Feast today is especially celebrated in the Diocese of Besançon.
St Raymond of Peñafort OP (1175-1275) “Father of Canon Law” Dominican Priest, Doctor of Canon Law, the Third Master of the Order of Preachers, Founder of the Mercedarian friars, Writer, Teacher, Miracle-Worker. St Raymond of Peñafort’s Feast day was inserted in the General Roman Calendar in 1671 for celebration on 23 January. In 1969 it was moved to 7 January, the day after that of his death. He is the Patron Saint of canon lawyers, specifically and lawyers, in general. Biography: https://anastpaul.com/?s=st+raymond+penafort
St Abel the Patriarch St Agathangelus St Amasius of Teano St Aquila the Martyr St Asclas of Antinoe St Clement of Ancyra St Colman of Lismore St Dositheus of Gaza
St Ildephonsus (506-667) Archbishop of Toledo. Theologian, Scholar, Marian devotee, Writer, Evangeliser. Abbot Dom Guéranger calls him the Doctor of the Virginity of Mary. Saint Ildephonsus established the Feast of the Expectation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which is still kept in some places on 18 December. Biography: https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2018/01/23/saint-of-the-day-23-january-st-ildephonsus-607-667/
Bl Juan Infante St Jurmin St Lufthild St Maimbod (Died c 880) Martyr, Irish Pilgrim in France, Missionary Preacher, Bl Margaret of Ravenna St Martyrius of Valeria St Messalina of Foligno St Ormond of Mairé St Parmenas the Deacon St Severian the Martyr
Saint of the Day – 21 January – St Anastasius the Persian (Died 628) Martyr, Monk. Born in Persia as Magundat and died by strangulation and beheading in 628 in Persia. Patronages – against headaches, of goldsmiths.
The Roman Martyrology reads: “At Rome, at Aquiae, Salviae, St Anastasius, a Persian Monk, who, after suffering much at Caesarea in Palestine, from imprisonment, stripes and fetters, had to bear many afflictions from Chosroes, King of Persia, who caused him to be beheaded. He had sent before him, to Martyrdom, seventy of his companions, who were precipitated into rivers. His head was brought to Rome, together with his venerable likeness, by the sight of which, the demons are expelled and diseases cured, as is attested by the Acts of the Second Council of Nicacea.”
Anastasius was born in the City of Ray. He was the son of a Magian named Bau. He had a brother whose name is unknown. He was a cavalryman in the army of Khosrow II (590–628) and participated in the capture of the True Cross in Jerusalem which was carried to the Sasanian capital.
The occasion prompted him to ask for information about the Christian religion. He then experienced a conversion of faith, left the army, became a Christian and then a Monk at the Monastery of Saint Savvas (Mar Saba) in Jerusalem.
Anastasius was baptised by St Modestus, the Bishop of Jerusalem, receiving the Christian name Anastasius to honour the Resurrection of Jesus Christ (anástasis” in Greek meaning resurrection).
After seven years of the monastic observance, he was moved by the Holy Ghost to go in quest of Martyrdom and went to Caesarea, then subject to the Sasanians. There he interrupted and ridiculed the pagan priests for their religion and was, as a result, arrested by the local governor, taken prisoner, cruelly tortured to make him deny Christ and finally carried down near the Euphrates river, where his tortures was continued, while at the same time, the highest honours in the service of King Khosrow II, as a Magi, were promised him, if he would renounce Christianity.
Finally, after refusing to renounce Christ, with seventy others, he was strangled to death and decapitated on 22 January 628. His body, which was thrown to the dogs but was left untouched by them, was carried from there to Palestine, then to Constantinople and finally, to Rome, where the relics were venerated at the Tre Fontane Abbey.
A Passio written in Greek, was devoted to the Saint. An adapted Latin translation, possibly by Archbishop Theodore of Canterbury, was available to the Anglo-Saxon Historian, the Venerable St Bede, who criticised the result and took it upon himself to improve it. There are sadly, no surviving manuscripts of St Bede’s revision, although one copy did survive to the 15th Century.
St Antonio della Chiesa St Blaesilla of Rome St Brithwald of Ramsbury St Caterina Volpicelli St Dominic of Sora
Blessed Giuseppe Giaccardo SSP (1896-1948) St Guadentius of Novara
Blessed Maria Mancini of Pisa OP (1356-1431) Widow, Second Order Sister of the Order of Preachers, spiritual disciple of St Catherine of Siena, Prioress, Mystic, Reformer, Apostle of the poor and the sick. The Roman Martyrology states: “In Pisa, Blessed Maria Mancini, who, twice widowed and all her children lost, under the exhortation of St Catherine of Siena, began community life in the Monastery of St Domenic, which she led for ten years.” Her Life: https://anastpaul.com/2022/01/22/saint-of-the-day-22-january-blessed-maria-mancini-of-pisa-op-1356-1431/
Bl Walter of Himmerode Bl William Patenson
Martyrs of Puigcerda: St Orontius St Victor St Vincent
Saint of the Day – 21 January – Blessed Thomas Reynolds (1562-1642) Priest Marty.r Born in 1562 in Oxfordshire, England as Thomas Green and died by being hanged, drawn, and quartered on 21 January 1642 at Tyburn, London, England. Also known as – Richard Reynolds (not to be confused with the Saint of the same name, of the Order of Bridgettine Monks executed in England by Henry VIII), Thomas Green. Additional Memorials – 4 May as one of the 107 Martyrs of England and Wales, also known as Thomas Hemerford and One Hundred and Six Companion Martyrs, 29 October as one of the Martyrs of Douai, 1 December as one of the Martyrs of Oxford University. Thomas was Beatified on 15 December 1929 by Pope Pius XI.
Painting in of Blessed Thomas in the English College, Valladolid, Spain
We believe Thomas was born in Oxfordshire (or possibly Warwickshire) into a Catholic family. In keeping with the necessity of the times, he left England to study for the Priesthood on the continent, initially going to Rheims before continuing his studies from September 1590 in the English College, at Valladolid, Spain, as one of its first students and finally, at another newly founded Jesuit institution, the English College of St Gregory in Seville.
Thomas was Ordained a Priest in Seville in 1592 and immediately returned to England, where he ministered to the recusant Catholic community until his arrest in 1606, in the wave of anti-Catholic measures that were taken, following the Gunpowder Plot of November 1605. Whilst the duration of his early years of ministry reflected the slightly less difficult times for Catholics during that period, the Gunpowder Plot changed the atmosphere, making it far more hostile.
Thomas was one of the Priests who were fortunate, in being just exiled from England rather than immediately Martyred, in response to the Plot. However, he soon returned and once more set about caring for Catholics in secret. This he continued for about twenty years until he was arrested in 1628.
He was put on trial and condemned to death but given a reprieve at the behest of the Queen, Henrietta Maria, wife of Charles I, a Catholic. Although imprisoned, he was kept under relatively mild conditions which included being allowed to receive visitors readily. Many Catholics visited him, not only to offer him care and support but also for his spiritual guidance and the Sacraments.
In 1635 he was one of a number of Priests who would pay a bond and then be released from prison which allowed him to minister to the local Catholic population in London on a regular basis. With the Crown at that time having Catholic sympathies and the rather more anti-Catholic feelings of Parliamentarians being diffused due to Parliament’s long suspension, this was a period when the pressures on Catholics were eased. It was due to this that a number of Priests were able to act in a similar manner to Thomas.
The financial needs of King Charles I forced him to recall Parliament in 1640. At this time, Parliament was increasingly being dominated by Puritan protestants who were hostile to Catholicism. As a result, conditions for Catholics and Priests became far more difficult with Priests, once more, being confined full time to their prisons. The trials and death sentences for Priests resumed and one of the early victims was Thomas. Now eighty years of age, by nature a gentle and slightly timid person and being somewhat infirm, Thomas admitted his fears of facing execution and how he would be able to manage the ordeal he was soon to undergo. He spent his final couple of days in prayer and asking for the prayers of his fellow Priests, imprisoned with him.
On the morning of his execution, 21 January 1642, Thomas was embued by grace with a sense of complete peace and serenity. He had been filled with the courage and strength of Christ, so much so, that he was no longer afraid of what lay ahead and using supplies that had been brought to him in prison, he said his final Holy Mass, before being summoned to his execution.
On arrival at Tyburn, he addressed the assembled crowd for nearly half-an-hour. He pointed out that in forty years work as a Priest in England, no-one could testify to him having ever uttered a word of treason and that his sole aim had been to ‘reduce strayed souls to the fold of the Catholic Church.’ He added that he had no desire to criticise or meddle with the actions of Parliament but rather, that God would bless them and teach them what to do best for the kingdom. He extended his prayers to the King and Queen and all the Kingdom which he hoped would flourish. He concluded by asking forgiveness of all he had offended and granting forgiveness to any, who sought it for actions against him, particularly in regard to his imminant death. Turning to the sheriff overseeing the execution, he specifically thanked him and for his patience whilst he addressed the crowd and prayed, that God would reward him for that, by one day making him a saint in Heaven. The sheriff in turn commended himself to Reynolds and was heard to remark to one of those present that he had never seen a man die like Thomas. Having finished his address, Thomas knelt to pray. He and Roe were placed in the cart, embraced one another, then recited the Miserere Psalm in turn, until the cart was pulled away.
When the sheriff offered Thomas a blindfold, he replied: “I dare look death in the face.” The sheriff allowed the Martyrs to hang till they expired to spare them the suffering of being drawn and quartered, which he only carried out after they were dead. Catholics amongst the crowd, of which there were found to be many, came forwards to dip cloths in their blood to provide Relics for veneration.
Thomas Reynolds was Beatified by Pope Pius XI on 15 December 1929, therefore, he is among the group of One Hundred and Seven Martyrs of England and Wales. On the image below, our Blessed Thomas Reynolds appears at no 81, the 5th image on the second-last row.
St Agnes of Aislinger St Anastasius of Constantinople St Aquila of Trebizond St Brigid of Kilbride St Candidus of Trebizond Bl Edward Stransham
St Epiphanius of Pavia (c 439–496) Bishop of Pavia, Italy from from 466 until his death. Papal and Secular Mediator and Peacemaker, Known as – “Epiphanius the Peacemaker,” “The Glory of Italy,” “The Light of Bishops.” The Roman Martyrology for 21 January reads : “In Pavia, Saint Epifanio, Bishop , who, at the time of the barbarian invasions, worked zealously for the reconciliation of the peoples, for the liberation of prisoners and for the reconstruction of the destroyed City.” Biography: https://anastpaul.com/2022/01/21/saint-of-the-day-21-january-saint-epiphanius-of-pavia-439-496/
St Eugenius of Trebizond St Gunthildis of Biblisheim
Blessed Josefa María Inés de Benigánim OAD (1625–1696) Nun of the Discalced Augustinian Nuns with the religious name of “Josefa María of Saint Agnes,” Virgin, Mystic, gifted with the charism of prophecy and counsel. She became known for her profound spiritual and theological insight as well as for her severe austerities she practised during her life. Her body is incorrupt. Blessed Josefa was Beatified on 26 February 1888, at Saint Peter’s Basilica by Pope Leo XIII. Biography: https://anastpaul.com/2020/01/21/saint-of-the-day-21-january-blessed-josefa-maria-ines-de-beniganim-oad-1625-1696/
St Lawdog St Maccallin of Waulsort
St Meinrad of Einsiedeln OSB (c 797–861) “Martyr of Hospitality,” Martyr, Priest, Monk, Hermit. In 1039, the year of Meinrad’s Canonisation as a Saint, his remains were brought back to Einsiedeln. During the French Revolution, Meinrad’s relics were hidden at Tyrol, Austria, by Abbot Conrad Tanner and his reliquary is now enshrined in the Grace Chapel of the Abbey Church at Einsiedeln. St Meinrad’s Life and Death: https://anastpaul.com/2021/01/21/saint-of-the-day-21-january-saint-meinrad-of-einsiedeln-osb-c-797-861-martyr/
St Patroclus of Troyes St Publius of Malta (Died c 112) Bishop Blessed Thomas Reynolds (1562-1642) Priest Martyr St Valerian of Trebizond St Vimin of Holywood St Zacharias the Angelic
Mercedarian Nuns of Berriz – Three pious Mercedarian Nuns at the Monastery of Vera Cruz, Berriz, Spain who are remembered together on the Mercedarian calendar – Cristina, Mary Magdalene and Mary of Jesus.
Blessed Martyrs of Laval – 19 Beati: Fifteen men and four women who were Martyred in Laval, France by anti-Catholic French Revolutionaries. The were born in France and they were Martyred on several dates in 1794 in Laval, Mayenne, France. They were Beatified on 19 June 1955 by Pope Pius XII at Rome, Italy.
Blessed André Duliou
Blessed Augustin-Emmanuel Philippot
Blessed François Duchesne
Blessed François Migoret-Lamberdière
Blessed Françoise Mézière
Blessed Françoise Tréhet
Blessed Jacques André
Blessed Jacques Burin
Blessed Jean-Baptiste Triquerie
Blessed Jean-Marie Gallot
Blessed Jeanne Veron
Blessed John Baptist Turpin du Cormier
Blessed Joseph Pellé
Blessed Julien Moulé
Blessed Julien-François Morin
Blessed Louis Gastineau
Blessed Marie Lhuilier
Blessed Pierre Thomas
Blessed René-Louis Ambroise
Martyrs of Rome – 30 Saints: Thirty Christian soldiers executed together in the persecutions of Diocletian. They were Martyred in 304 in Rome, Italy.
Martyrs of Tarragona: Augurius, Eulogius, Fructuosus.
Saint of the Day – 20 January – Saint Neophytus of Nicaea (Died c 303) Martyr, Confessor, Lay Youth. Died at Nicaea by the sword.
The Roman Martyrology reads: “At Nicaea, in Bithynia (present day Turkey), St Neophytus, Martyr who, in the fifteenth year of his age was scourged, cast into a furnace and exposed to wild beasts. As he remained uninjured and constantly Confessed the Faith of Christ, he was at last killed with the sword.”
Neophytus was born to Christian parents who were named Theodore and Florentia.
During the Diocletianic persecution he presented himself to the local Governor named Decius. Roused to fury by his unexpected boldness, Decius had him scourged, then laid out on a bed of fire. When he had been preserved by grace, through these torments, he gave him up to wild beasts.
But since the Saint remained unharmed, a certain pagan fell on him with a sword and slew him. This occurred in c 303, 10 years before the Edict of Milan permanently established religious toleration for Christianity within the Roman Empire.
In 2014 the underwater Byzantine Basilica of Saint Neophytus was discovered in Lake İznik, modern-day Turkey. The Basilica had been built in the place where he was killed on the shore of the lake and subsequently became submerged after an earthquake.
St Pope Fabian (c 200 – c 250) Martyr, Confessor, Peacemaker, Administrator and Reformer, Apostle of Charity. Bishop of Rome from 10 January 236 until his death in 250, succeeding Anterus. He is famous for the miraculous nature of his election, in which a dove is said to have descended on his head to mark him as the Holy Spirit’s unexpected choice. He was succeeded by Cornelius. Biography: https://anastpaul.com/2019/01/20/saint-of-the-day-20-january-st-pope-fabian-c-200-c-250-martyr/
St Ascla of Antinoe St Basilides the Senator St Bassus the Senator Blessed Benedict Ricasoli (Died 1107) Monk, Hermit Bl Bernardo of Poncelli Bl Cyprian Michael Iwene Tansi St Daniel of Cambron Bl Didier of Thérouanne St Eusebius the Senator
Saints of the Day – 19 January – St Marius and Family of Perisa – Martha, Audifax, Abacjum (Died c 270) Martyrs, Husband, Wife and 2 Sons – in the time of Emperor Claudius. Born in Persia and died on the Nymphae Catabassi Way in Rome in c 270. Patronage – Caselette, Italy. Also known as – Maris, Mario.
The Roman Martyrology today states: “At Rome, on the Cornelian road, the holy Martyrs, Marius and his wife Martha, with their sons, Audifax and Abachum, noble Persians, who came to Rome, through devotion, in the time of the Emperor Claudius. After they had been beaten with rods, tortured on the rack and with fire, lacerated with iron hooks and had endured the cutting off their hands, Martha was put to death in the place called Nympha. The others, were beheaded and cast into the flames.”
Marius, a Persian nobleman, his wife Martha and his sons Audifax and Abachum, came to believe in Christ and became Christians. In imitation of the early Christians of Jerusalem, they gladly gave away their fortune to the poor.
Then the family travelled to Rome to venerate the tombs of the Apostles and lend their aid to the persecuted Christians. Among other things, they gathered the ashes of the Martyrs and buried them with respect.
The family’s assistance to Christians exposed them to persecution. They were seized and delivered to the judge Muscianus or Marcianus, who, unable to persuade them to deny their faith, condemned them to various tortures. Despite the torture, the Saints refused to deny Christ.
Marius and his two sons were thus beheaded on the Via Cornelia and their bodies were burnt. Martha, meanwhile, was killed at a place called in Nymphae Catabassi (later called Santa Ninfa), thirteen miles from Rome. Tradition states that Martha was cast into a well.
According to tradition, a Roman lady named Felicitas secured the half-consumed remains of the father and sons and also the mother’s body from the well and had the sacred relics secretly interred on her estate at Buxus, today Boccea. This occurred on 20 January. A Church arose at Boccea and during the Middle Ages, it became a place of pilgrimage.
The Relics of the Martyrs later suffered various vicissitudes – some were transferred to the Churches of Sant’Adriano al Foro and Santa Prassede, in Rome and part of these Relics were sent to Eginhard, the biographer of Charlemagne, who lodged them in the Monastery of Seligenstadt. Some Relics went to Prüm Abbey where their presence was recorded in the early 11th century. The original reliquary chest was destroyed during the French occupation at the end of the 18th Century. The current chest dates from the 19th Century.
The Martyrs Feast was included today, 19 January, in the General Roman Calendar from the 9th century to 1969, when they were excluded because nothing is known with certainty about them except their names, their place of burial (the cemetery at Nymphas on the Via Cornelia) and the day of their burial (19 or 20 January).
St Marius and Martha with the Madonna and child and Saints
Sts Marius and Family of Perisa – Martha, Audifax, Abacjum (Died c 270– Martyrs, Husband, Wife and 2 Sons – in the time of Emperor Claudius.
St Canute (1040-1086) Martyr, King of Denmark, known as Canutus the Holy – Canutus was an ambitious King who sought to strengthen the Danish monarchy, devotedly supported the Roman Catholic Church and had designs on the English throne. Slain by rebels in 1086, he was the first Danish King to be Canonised. He was recognised as Patron Saint of Denmark in 1101. Biography: https://anastpaul.com/2019/01/19/saint-of-the-day-19-january-st-canutus-1040-1086/
St Abachum of Persia + (St Marius and Family of Persia – Martyrs) Bl Andrew of Peschiera St Arsenius of Corfu St Audifax of Persia + (St Marius and Family of Persia – Martyrs) St Bassian of Lodi (c 320–c 409) About St Bassian: https://anastpaul.com/2020/01/19/saint-of-day-19-january-st-bassian-of-lodi-c-320-c-413/ Bl Beatrix of Lens St Branwallader of Jersey St Catellus of Castellammare St Contentius Bl Elisabetta Berti St Faustina of Como St Fillan St Firminus of Gabales St Germanicus of Smyrna St Godone of Novalesa St John of Ravenna St Joseph Sebastian Pelczar St Liberata of Como St Martha of Persia + (St Marius and Family of Persia – Martyrs) St Messalina iof Foligno St Ponziano of Spoleto St Remigius of Rouen
St Wulstan (c 1008–1095) Bishop of Worcester , England, from 1062 to 1095, Monk, Prior, a man of extreme holiness and penitence who was admired by all, he was a he was a man of iron will, immense charm and unworldly humility and piety and suffered no luxury, preferring always the poor to himself. Biography: https://anastpaul.com/2021/01/19/saint-of-the-day-19-january-saint-wulfstan-c-1008-1095/
Martyrs of Numidia – 9 Saints: A group of Christians Martryred together for their faith. The only details to survive are nine of their names – Catus, Germana, Gerontius, Januarius, Julius, Paul, Pia, Saturninus and Successus. 2nd century Numidia in North Africa.
Martyrs of Carthage – 39 Christians Martyred together in Carthage, date unknown. We have no information about them except 9 of the names – Catus, Germana, Gerontius, Januarius, Julius, Paul, Pia, Saturninus and Successus. Died IN Carthage, North Africa (modern Tunis, Tunisia).
Saint of the Day – 18 January – Blessed Beatrix d’Este the Younger (c 1230-1262) Benedictine Nun, founded a Convent. Born in c 1230 at Castello Estense, Ferrara and died on 18 January 1262 of natural causes. Beatrix was Beatified in 1774 by Pope Clement XIV. Her memorial date was decreed by Pope Pius VI for today. Additional Memorial – 19 January. Also known as – Beatrice.
The Roman Martyrology states: “In Ferrara, Blessed Beatrice d’Este, Nun, who, on the death of her future husband, having renounced the kingdom of this world, consecrated herself to God in a Monastery founded by herself under the rule of Saint Benedict.”
By Bartolomeo Veneto, 1510
An account of her life was written, in both medieval Latin and the Italian vernacular, by a Monk, Brother Alberto of the Church of the Holy Spirit. This text was unknown for centuries, until it was rediscovered in the eighteenth Century in an “old Ferrarese codex.”
Beatrix was the daughter of Azzo IX, the Marquis d’Este and Lord of Ferrara and of Giovanna di Puglia, Beatrice was born in Ferrara around 1230. She was educated following the examples of her aunt St Beatrix the Elder, a Nun in Gemmola (Padua)
She was given in marriage to Galeazzo, son of Manfredi and Mayor of Vicenza. On travelling to join him in Milan, she received the painful news of his death in battle, against Frederick II.
She returned to Ferrara and retired to monastic life on the islet of St Lazzarus, west of the City, with some court maids, there receiving the habit.
In 1257, as the number of Nuns grew, she obtained from Pope Innocent IV, permission to move to the Monastery of St Stephen della Rotta, near which, in 1267, the Church of St Anthony Abbot was built. Beatrix made her vows by the hands of the Bishop John, embracing the Rule of St Benedict.
Beatric lived in holiness and died on 18 January 1262 and not, as Muratori believed, in 1270. She was buried in a wing of the large cloister transformed into a Chapel and her sepulchre soon became the destination of pilgrimages .
Pope Clement XIV approved the cult on 23 July 1774 and Pope Pius VI granted the Mass and the Office in 1775, setting the celebration for 19 January in Padua, since the 18th was the now suppressed Feast of the Chair of St Peter in Rome.
From Beatrix’s marble tomb, at certain times of the year, a liquid miraculously exudes and a delicate perfume is released from her bones. The many graces obtained on the occasions of public calamities, make the place an object of great veneration.
Quote/s of the Day – 17 January – St Anthony Abbot (251-356)
“The fruits of the earth are not brought to perfection immediately but by time, rain and care. Ssimilarly, the fruits of men ripen through ascetic practice, study, time, perseverance, self-control and patience.”
“Regard as free, not those, whose status makes them outwardly free but those, who are free in their character and conduct. For we should not call men truly free when they are wicked and dissolute, since they are slaves to worldly passions. Freedom and happiness of soul consist in genuine purity and detachment from transitory things.”
“. . . You should know that there is present with you, the Angel whom God has appointed for each man. . . This Angel, who is sleepless and cannot be deceived, is always present with you; he sees all things and is not hindered by darkness. You should know, too, that with him, is God!”
Saint of the Day – 17 January – Blessed Joseph of Freising (Died 764) the 3rd Bishop of Freising from 747/8 until his death., Founder of Churches and Monasteries. Died 17 January 764 of natural cause, Germanys. Also known as – Joseppus/Josef of Verona.
There is no direct evidence of Joseph’s place of origin, or place of birth. It is sometimes claimed that he was a native of Verona in Italy, whence his alternative name but it is equally possible that he was from Bavaria or northern Austria, or perhaps the Tyrol.
He is presumed to have been a Monk in St Corbinian’s new foundation, Freising Abbey before being appointed at the Bishop of Freising, the third to hold the office. The previous Bishop, St Erembert is believed to have been his Tutor and to have brought him up in the Monastery of St Corbinian.
As Bishop, Joseph paid special attention to increasing the possessions of his Diocese – a document dated in the year 750 has been preserved which records the donation to Joseph, of the area around Erching – today’s district of Hallbergmoos – by Bavarian Duke Tassilo III.
Joseph was also active as a founder of Churches and religious houses. In particular, he founded Isen Abbey in 752 and dedicated it to Saint Zeno of Verona.
After 760, he was closely involved, with the respective founders in the establishment of Schäftlarn and Scharnitz Abbeys. At Schäftlarn the founders gave him the power of supervision of the Monastery and the right to appoint the Abbots. Here, his first appointment was Aribo, Joseph’s successor as Bishop. At Scharnitz he appointed Atto, Aribo’s successor as Bishop of Freising, also to be highly successful in the acquisition of estates for the Diocese.
After his death on 17 January 764, Joseph was buried in the Church of Isen Abbey, founded by himself, where his tomb was restored in 1743. The Church survived the secularisation of Bavaria in 1802-03 and is still in service as St Zeno’s, the Parish Church of Isen.
Saint of the Day – 16 January – Saint Titian of Oderzo (Died 632) Bishop of Oderzo and Confessor, Defender of the True Faith against the heresy of the Arians, Miracle-worker. Born in Heraclea, Italy and died on 16 January 632 in Oderzo, Italy of natural causes. Patronages – the City and Diocese of Oderzo, Treviso, Italy and of the Diocese of Vittorio Veneto (which,until 1939, bore the ancient name of Ceneda) also in Italy. Also known as – Titian of Venice, Tiziano of Oderzo.
According to ancient tradition, Titian belonging to a wealthy and distinguished family, was born around the year 555: on the Island of Eraclea/Heraclea. In his adolescence, Titian was sent to Oderzo, for his education, where St Florian was Bishop and where the Cathedral school was highly regarded.
As he grew older, Titian felt his vocation to the Priesthood mature prompted by his inclination to put himself at the service of poor people but also by the examples of his teacher St Florian. The latter, in due course, was happy to Ordain him a Deacon and then a Priest. Having demonstrated an excellent pastoral preparation, Titian was entrusted with the task of Treasurer and was promoted to Archpriest of the Cathedral. In exercising these trusted duties, Titian found a new opportunity to exercise charity towards the poor, who were many.
St Florian, having renounced the Episcopate, desiring to become a missionary among the pagans, with the hope, moreover, of seizing the Palm of Martyrdom, the clergy and people found no person more worthy than Titian to succeed him as shepherd and guide. According to ancient tradition, he was the Bishop of Oderzo for about 25 years.
As the Bishop, Titian had to fight strenuously to protect his See from the Arians. As historians assure us, by the zealous protection of their Bishop Titian, the Diocese of Oderzo remained immune from yielding to the heresy.
The civil situation, in those days, was profoundly upset by the invasion of the Longobards, against whom, Bishop Titian protect his people. The Lombards did not occupy the City of Oderzo, which still remained, for more than a century, the stronghold of the Byzantine Empire of the Venices.
Titian, rich in virtues and merits, surrounded by fame as a miracle-worker, died on 16 January 632. His body was placed in a separate tomb in the Church of his City, where the people immediately flocked to venerate him as a Saint, recognising the great merits acquired during his lifetime and testifying to the many miracles obtained through his intercession.
The Heracleans for their part did not delay in claiming the relics but in vain, due to the strenuous opposition of the Opitergians. Fellow citizens and relatives of the Saintly Titian, who came one day to Oderzo from Eraclea, under the pretext of visiting his tomb, abducted his body when night fell and carried it off by boat. The locals, soon realising what had happened, gave chase to the robbers and caught up with them in the vicinity of the castle of Motta, where the Monticano flows into the Livenza.
At this point a beautiful miracle, so dear to the people devoted to St Titian occurred and is illustrated by the painter Pomponio Amalteo in five splendid panels (1530) is conserved in the Diocesan Museum of Sacred Art. At the gates of the City. St Titian performed a great miracle, suddenly curing a young woman who had been seriously ill for a long time.
The Translation and the miracle which occurred
To solve the problem, after a fierce battle between the inhabitants of Oderzo and Eraclea, it was decided that St Titian’s Relics should be placed in a wagon pulled by oxen. Wherever the oxen stopped would be where the Relics would be housed. The oxen stopped at Ceneda and this is where the relics have remained to this day.
His Relics are now in the crypt of the Cathedral of Ceneda, in a bronze urn fashioned in neo-Byzantine style, in the form of a sarcophagus. He is depicted in various paintings in the Cathedrals of Oderzo and Ceneda and there are ten Parishes dedicated in his name
St Peter Enthroned with Sts Paul, Titian of Oderzo (to the left of St Peter), Justina of Padua, John the Baptist, Mark and Augusta. The Painting resides in tSt Titian’s Patronal Church of Fontanelle in Ceneda.
St Henry of Coquet St Honoratus of Arles St Honoratus of Fondi Bl James of Luino St James of Tarentaise Bl Joan of Bagno di Romagna Bl Konrad II of Mondsee St Leobazio St Liberata of Pavia St Melas of Rhinocolura St Otto of Morocco St Peter of Morocco St Priscilla of Rome St Sigeberht of East Anglia St Titian of Oderzo (Died 632) Bishop St Triverius St Valerius of Sorrento
Quote/s of the Day – 15 January – The Memorial of St Macarius of Egypt (c 300-390) Priest, Abbot, Hermit, Father
“The heart itself is only a small vessel, yet dragons are there and lions, there are poisonous beasts and all the treasures of evil, there are rough and uneven roads, there are precipices but there too is God and the Angels, life is there and the Kingdom, there too is light and there, the Apostles and heavenly cities and treasures of grace. All things lie within that little space!”
Prayer for Mercy and Forgiveness By St Macarius of Egypt (c 300-390)
Lord, be merciful now that my life is approaching its end and the evening awaits me. There is not enough time for me to cleanse myself of my sins, for they are so many. Heal me while I am still on earth and I shall be truly healthy. In Thy mercy, move me to repent, so that I shall not be ashamed, when I meet Thee in Heaven. Amen
“Then go and learn, neither to be moved with injuries nor flatteries. If you die to the world and to yourself, you will begin to live to Christ.”
“The Son of man is Lord of the Sabbath.” Luke 6:5
“ … The Lord calls on us to rest, telling us: “Come to me, all you who labour and are burdened and I will give you rest” (Mt 11:28) And He gives rest to all souls who trust Him and come to Him, by delivering them from painful, oppressive and impure thoughts. Then they completely stop indulging in evil, celebrating a true, a delightful and holy Sabbath, a feast of the Spirit in inexpressible joy and rejoicing. They offer a pure and acceptable worship to God, coming from a pure heart. That is the true and holy Sabbath.”
“And as soon as He sees you seek Him fervently, He will make Himself known to you. He will appear to you, grant you His help, bestow the victory on you and save you from your enemies. In fact, when He sees how you are looking for Him, how you continually place all your hope in Him, then He will instruct you, teach you true prayer, give you that authentic charity that is Himself. Then, He will become everything to you: your Paradise, Life-giving Tree, Precious Pearl, Crown, Architect, Farmer, One subject to suffering but not afflicted with suffering, Man, God, Wine, Living Water, Lamb, Bridegroom, Soldier, Armour, Christ Who is “All in All” (1Cor 1B,28).
Saint of the Day – 15 January – St Macarius of Egypt (c 300-390) Priest, Abbot, Hermit, Desert Father of the Church, Spiritual student of Saint Anthony Abbot, Ascetic, Miracle-worker , known as “The Glowing Lantern.” Macarius was one of the famed Desert Fathers, who fled society in the fourth century to live a life of austerity and prayer in the desert.Born in c 300 at Upper Egypt and died in 390 of natural causes. Also known as – Macarius the Elder, Macarius the Great, “The Glowing Lantern.”
The Roman Martyrology reads today: “In Egypt. St Macarius, Abbot, disciple of St Anthony, very celebrated for his life, wisdom and miracles.”
Macarius was born in Lower Egypt around the year 300. At the wish of his parents Macarius entered into marriage but was soon widowed. Shortly after, his parents died. Macarius distributed all his money among the poor and needy. He found a teacher in an experienced Hermit, who lived in the desert not far from the village. The Hermit accepted the youth, guided him in the spiritual science of solitude and silence, fasting and prayer and taught him the handicraft of weaving baskets.
A while later, a pregnant woman accused him of having defiled her. Macarius did not attempt to defend himself and accepted the accusation in silence. However, when the woman’s delivery drew near, her labour became exceedingly difficult. She did not manage to give birth until she confessed Macarius’s innocence. A multitude of people then came asking for his forgiveness but he fled to the Nitrian Desert to escape all mundane glory.
As a Hermit, Macarius spent seven years living on only pulse and raw herbs. He spent the following three years consuming four or five ounces of bread a day and only one vessel of oil a year. While in the desert, he visited St Anthony Abbot and learned from him the laws and rules of monasticism. When he returned to the Scetic Desert at the age of forty, he bwas Ordained a Priest. The fame of his sanctity drew many followers. The community, which took up its residence in the desert, was of the semi-eremitical type. The Monks were not bound by any fixed rule; their cells were close together and they met for the celebratiion of the Holy Mass only on Sundays. He presided, as Abbot, over this monastic community for the rest of his life.
A young man applying to Macarius for spiritual advice, he directed him to go to a burying-place, and upbraid the dead; and after, to go and flatter them. When he came back, the saint asked him what answer the dead had made: “None at all,” said the other, “either to reproaches or praises.” “Then,” replied Macarius, “go and learn, neither to be moved with injuries nor flatteries. If you die to the world and to yourself, you will begin to live to Christ.” He said to another: “Receive, from the hand of God, poverty as cheerfully as riches, hunger and want as plenty and you will conquer the devil and subdue all your passions.” A certain Monk complained to him, that in solitude he was always tempted to break his fast, whereas in the Monastery, he could fast the whole week cheerfully. “Vain-glory is the reason,” replied the Saint; “fasting pleases, when men see you but seems intolerable, when that passion is not gratified.”
For a brief period of time, Macarius was banished to an island in the Nile by the Emperor Valens, along with St Macarius of Alexandria (Died 395), during a dispute over the doctrine of the Nicene Creed. Both men were victims of religious persecution by the followers of then Bishop Lucius of Alexandria. During their time on the island, the daughter of a pagan priest had become ill. The people of the island believed that she was possessed by an evil spirit. Both Saints prayed over the daughter and by their intercession she was cured. saved her. The pagan people of the island were so impressed and grateful that they were converted and built a Church. When word of this got back to the Emperor Valens and Bishop Lucius of Alexandria, they quickly allowed both men to return home. At their return they were met by a multitude of Monks in joyous celebration.
Macarius’ face used to be enlightened with grace in an amazing way, to the extent that many fathers testified that his face used to glow in the dark and thus, he was called “The Glowing Lantern.” This description was transferred to his Monastery, and thus it was called “the glowing lantern of the wilderness” or “the glowing Monastery,” which meant the place of high wisdom and constant prayer. Today it belongs to the Coptic Orthodox Church.
Macarius died peacefully around the age of 90, in the year 390. After his death, the natives of his village appropriated his body and built a great Church for him in their village. Today, the body of Macarius is found in his Monastery, the Monastery of Saint Macarius in Scetes, Egypt.
The entirety of the Nitrian Desert is sometimes called the Desert of Macarius, for he was the pioneer Monk in the region. The ruins of numerous Cells in this region, support the local tradition that the cloisters of Macarius, were equal in number to the days of the year.
We have 50 of his sermons to savour his wisdom. Below is a link to a video series of the sermons as well as a Pdf, which also contains great details of his life.
St Maurus OSB (c 512-584) Benedictine Monk, Abbot and Deacon, Miracle-worker. Maurus was the first disciple of Saint Benedict of Nursia (512–584). He is mentioned in Saint Gregory the Great’s biography of the latter as the first oblate, offered to the Monastery by his noble Roman parents as a young boy, to be brought up in the monastic life. The formula and blessing of St Maurus were universally adopted and approved for use in the Blessing of the Sick. His Life and Miracles: https://anastpaul.com/2021/01/15/saint-of-the-day-15-january-saint-maurus-osb-c-512-584/
St Blaithmaic of Iona St Bonitus of Clermont St Britta St Ceolwulf of Northumbria St Emebert of Cambrai St Ephysius of Sardinia St Eugyppius Bl Geoffrey of Peronne Bl Giacomo Villa St Gwrnerth St Habakkuk the Prophet St Isidore of Scété St Isidore the Egyptian St Ita of Killeedy St John Calabytes St Liewellyn St Lleudadd of Bardsey St Macarius of Egypt (c 300-390) Priest, Hermit, Spiritual student of Saint Anthony Abbot.
St Malard of Chartres St Maximus of Nola Bl Peter of Castelnau St Placidus
Saint of the Day – 14 January – St Macrina the Elder (Died c 340) Widow, Mother of the elder St Basil and, therefore, the Grandmother of St Basil the Great, St Gregory of Nyssa, St Peter of Sebaste and St Macrina the Younger. Macrina was a native of Cappadocia, in what is now eastern Turkey. Patronages – against poverty, of the poor, of widows. Also known as – Macrina of Caesarea.
The Roman Martyrology says today: “St Macrina, disciple of St Gregory Thaumaturgus and the grandmother of St Basil, whom she brought up in the Faith.”
Our knowledge of the life of the elder Macrina is derived mainly from the testimony of the great Cappadocian Fathers of the Church, her grandchildren – Basil, Gregory of Nyssa (Vita Macrinae Junioris) and the panegyric of St Gregory of Nazianzen on St Basil.
Two of these grandsons helped shape the Faith which we proclaim today—Basil the Great, a Doctor of the Church and his brother, Gregory of Nyssa, who helped the Church better articulate her understanding of the Trinity. Both of these men played crucial roles in formulating the Nicene Creed which Catholics still recite every Sunday at Mass. Macrina raised both of these men and their influential younger sister, Macrina the Younger. She gave all these great Saints their first religious instruction as children.
The works of Basil indicate that she studied under Gregory Thaumaturgus (or the Wonderworker), the great father of the Faith in Cappadocia, he of whom it is said that when he arrived in the territory, there were only seventeen Christians in the Town of Neocaesarea; when he died in 268, there were only seventeen pagans. It was his teachings, handed down through Macrina to Basil and Gregory that were particularly formative for the two Cappadocian brothers.
Her home was at Neocaesarea in Pontus and according to Gregory Nazianzen, during the persecution of Christians under Galerius and Diocletian, Macrina fled with her husband to the shores of the Black Sea. They left their home and hid in the woods for seven years. They were often hungry and had to live off the land and whatever animals they could hunt. After they were finally allowed to go home to Neocaesarea, another round of persecution took effect and their possessions were confiscated. These trials are the reason for her patronage of the poor.
She was widowed and is also the Patron of widows. She is said to have died in the early 340s
Bl Amadeus of Clermont St Barbasymas St Caldeoldus of Vienne St Datius of Milan St Engelmaro St Eufrasio of Clermont St Euphrasius the Martyr
St Felix of Nola (Died c 253) Priest, Confessor, Apostle of Charity .Patronages – against eye disease, against eye trouble, against false witness, against lies, against perjury, domestic animals, of Nola, Italy. The Roman Martyrology states of him today: “At Nola in Campania, the birthday of St Felix, Priest, who (as is related by Bishop, St Paulinus of Nola), after beomg subjected to torments by the persecutors, was cast into prison and extended, bound hand foot, on (snail) shells and broken earthenware. During the night, however, his bonds were loosened and he was delivered by an Angel. The persecution over, he brought many to the Faith of Christ by his exemplary life and teaching and renowned for many miracles, he rested in peace.” Biography: https://anastpaul.com/2019/01/14/saint-of-the-day-14-january-st-felix-of-nola-died-c-253/
St Felix of Rome St Fermin of Mende St Fulgentius of Ecija St Glycerius of Antioch
St Isaias the Martyr St Jesaja of Sinai St Macrina the Elder (Died c 340) Widow, Grandmother of St Basil the Great, St Gregory of Nyssa, St Peter of Sebaste and St Macrina the Younger. St Nino of Georgia Bl Odoric of Pordenone
St Paul of Africa St Potitus Bl Rainer of Arnsberg St Sabas of Sinai St Sava of Serbia St Successus of Africa St Theodolus of Sinai Bl William de Sanjulia
Martyrs of Mount Sinai: A group of Monks on Mount Sinai who were Martyred by desert Bedouins. Their names and exact number have not come down to us. Martyred by Bedouins.
Martyrs of Raithu – 43 Saints: A group of 43 Monks in the Raithu Desert near Mount Sinai, Palestine, near the Red Sea. They were Martyred for their faith by desert Bedouins. Their names have not come down to us. Martyred by Bedouins.
Saint of the Day – 13 January – Saint Leontius of Caesarea (Died 337) Bishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia. Leontius died in 337 of natural causes. He is sometimes called “the Angel of Peace.”
The Roman Martyrology states today: “At Caesarea, in Cappadocia, St Leontius, the Bishop, who strongly opposed the Gentiles under Licinius and the Arians, under Constantine.”
Leontius attended the First Council of Nicaea in 325 and was highly praised in the writings of Saint Athanasius (297-373) the Archbishop of Alexandria, a Father and Doctor of the Church. He was known to the Greeks by the spiritual title “the Angel of Peace.”
Saint of the Day – 12 January – Saint Tatiana of Rome (Died c 226) Virgin, Martyr. Died by being beheaded in c 226 in Rome, Italy. Patronage – students, school children. Also known as – Martina, Tatienne.
The Roman Martyrology reads today: “At Rome in the time of the Emperor Alexander, St Tatiana, Martyr who was torn with iron hooks and combs, thrown to the beasts and cast into the fire but, having received no injury, was beheaded and thus, went to Heaven.”
Tatiana was a Christian Martyr in the 3rd Century, in Rome during the reign of Emperor Alexander Severus. According to legend, she was the daughter of a Roman civil servant who was secretly Christian. He raised his daughter in the Faith and she became prominent in helping the early Church. This was dangerous, bringing her to the attention of the persecutors and one day the jurists Ulpian, captured Tatiana and attempted to force her to make a sacrifice to Apollo. She prayed and miraculously an earthquake destroyed the Apollo statue and part of the temple.
Tatiana was then blinded and beaten for two days, before being brought to a Circus and thrown into the pit with a hungry lion. But the lion did not touch her,and instead, lay at her feet. This resulted in a death sentence being pronounced and after being tortured, Tatiana was beheaded with a sword.
Tatiana was venerated as a Saint from the early days of the Church. The miracles performed by Tatiana are said to have converted thousands upon thousands,and many converted to the Faith immediately. She is the Oatron Saint of students.
Bl Bartholomew Alvarez Bl Bernardo de Plano St Biccianus St Bernard of Corleone St Caesaria of Arles St Caroticus Bl Emmanuel d’Abreu St Eutropius St Ferreolus of Grenoble Bishop Martyr Bl John Gaspard Cratz St John of Ravenna Bl Lucia of Valcaldara St Martinian of Belozersk St Peter of Abessala St Probus of Verona St Quinctus the Soldier St Satyrus St Tatiana of Rome (Died c 226) Virgin, Martyr St Tigrius St Victorian of Asana Bl Vincent da Cunha
Martyrs of Africa – 44 Saints: A group of 44 Christian soldiers murdered together for their faith in Africa. The only details that survive are four of their names – Castulus, Modestus, Rogatus and Zoticus.
Martyrs of Ephesus – 42 Saints: Forty-two Monks Martyred at a Monastery in Ephesus (modern Turkey) during the persecutions of the Iconoclast Byzantine Emperor Constantine V. Their names have not come down to us. Martyred c 762.
Martyrs of Iona – 38 Saints: Thirty-eight Monks Martyred in Iona, Ireland. Their names have not come down to us. They were Martyred in 750 at Iona, Ireland.
Saint of the Day – 11 January – Saint Anastasius of Suppentonia (Died c 570) Monk, Abbot of the Monastery at Suppendonia, Italy. Died in c 570 at Suppentonia, Italy of natural causes. Patronage – of Castel Saint’Elia, Italy. Also known as – Anastasius of Castel Sant’Elia, Anastasius X.
The Roman Martyrology reads today: “At Suppentonia, near Mount Socrates, the holy Monk Anastasius and his companions, who were called by a voice from Heaven to enter the Kingdom of God.”
A source on Anastasius’ life is St Gregory the Great, who wrote that an Angel appeared to summon Anastasius and all of the Abbot’s Monks. Anastasius and all of his Monks all subsequently died one after the other within the next eight days.
St Nonnosus (Died c 570) Monk, was one of Anastasius’ Monks.
Saint of the Day – 10 January – St John Camillus the Good (Died c 669) Confessor, Archbishop of Milan from c. 641 until his death. Known as “the Good” for his great charity and generosity, his holiness, devotion and his many miracles. Additional Memorials – 2 January on some calendars, 15 January in Milan and 25 September together with all the Saint Bishops of Milan. Also known as – John Bonus, John Camillus, John the Good of Milan, Giovanni Bonus.
The Bishop of Milan, Honoratus, escaped to Genoa and Honoratus’ successors remained in Genoa. Genoa was then a suffragan Diocese of Milan. There, John the Good, is particularly remembered for being the first Bishop to return the Seat to Milan after more than 70 years absence.
John the Good was born in the Diocese of Genoa in the village of Recco (also the nearby town of Camogli claims the birth of John). It is not exactly known when he became Bishop of Milan but it is believed that his election was in consequence of the 641 conquest of Genoa by the Lombard’s King Rothari. John was the Bishop who returned the Seat and See of the Diocese to Milan.
There are two main sources for John’s life – the Catalogue of the Bishops of Milan (dated about the 10th Century) and a poem in his honour which can be dated from the 11th to the 13th Century. According to this Poem/Vita, John was distinguished for his generosity and charity, from which he was given the sobriquet “the Good.”
The Alter erected by St Charles Borromeo in Milan Cathedral. The immense windows beside it depict the life of St John the Good
In 649, John was invited to participate to the Lateran Council but he arrived in Rome when the Council had already ended. He, however, subscribed to all the Decrees issued by the Council.
According to the Vita, he accomplished many miracles and moved some of the Relics of Saint Syrus of Genoa to Desio. He died in c 669 leaving all his properties, including estates in Genoa, to the Church of Milan.
John’s body was initially buried in the little Church of Saint Michael in Milan and the first survey on his Relics was made by Archbishop Aribert (1018–1045). On 24 May 1582, shortly before the demolition of the Church of St Michael, Cardinal Saint Charles Borromeo translated John’s body to the south transept of the Cathedral of Milan, where it is still venerated. Our Saint John the Good, was a tall man, his body measures 1.90 metres (6 ft 3 in) in height.
John died on 2 January according to the catalogue, or on 10 January according to the Poem Vita. The latter date became his Feast day. Today, his Feast is celebrated on 2 January, or on 10 January where he is still listed for this date in the Roman Martyrology (or 15 January in the Cathedral of Milan and together with all the Saint Bishops of Milan on 25 September).
St Marcellinus of Ancona St Marciana Bl Martinus In Eon-min St Maurontius St Nearchus St Paschasia of Dijon
St Peter of Sebaste (c 340-c 391) Bishop of Sebaste in Lesser Armenia. Member of the glorious family of Saints – He was the younger brother of Basil of the Great, Gregory of Nyssa, the famous Christian Hermit Naucratius and Macrina the Younger and a close friend of Gregory of Nazianzen, all Saints. Of course, Basil and Gregory of Nazianzen are both Doctors too. About St Peter: https://anastpaul.com/2021/01/09/saint-of-the-day-9-january-st-peter-of-sebaste-c-340-c-391-bishop/
St Philip Berruyer St Polyeucte St Waningus of Fécamp (Died c 688) Monk, Abbot
Martyrs of Africa – 21 Saints: A group of 21 Christians murdered together for their faith in the persecutions of Decius. The only details to survive are 14 of their names – Artaxes, Epictetus, Felicitas, Felix, Fortunatus, Jucundus, Pictus, Quietus, Quinctus, Rusticus, Secundus, Sillus, Vincent and Vitalis. They were Martyred in c 250.
Martyrs of Antioch – 6 Saints: A group of Christians Martyred together during the persecutions of Diocletian – Anastasius, Anthony, Basilissa, Celsus, Julian and Marcionilla.
Saint of the Day – 8 January – Saint Severinus of Noricum (c410-482) Abbot, Hermit, Missionary, established Monasteries and refuge centres for those stricken by war. Severinus was graced with the gifts of prophecy and miracles. He is known as “The Apostle to Noricum” – Noricum is the Latin name for the Celtic Kingdom or Federation of Tribes which included most of modern Austria and part of Slovenia. Born in c410 and died on 8 January 482 at Favianae, Noricum of natural causes. Patronages – against famine, of linen weavers, prisoners, vineyards/vintners/wine farms, Austria, Bavaria, Germany, the Diocese of Linz, Austria. Also known as – Severrin, Severino.
Saint Severin blesses Austria – Hans Gustav Dittenberger von Dittenberg, 1849
The Roman Martyrology reads today: “This same day, among the inhabitants of Noricum (now Austria), the Abbot, St Severin, who preached the Gospel in that country and is called it’s apostle. By Divine Power, his body was carried to Lucullanum, near Naples and thence transferred to the Monastery of St Severin.”
It has been speculated that Severinus was born in either Southern Italy or in the Roman province of Africa. Severinus himself refused to discuss his personal history prior to arriving along the Danube in Noricum. However, he did mention experiences with eastern desert monasticism and his Vita draws connections between Severinus and Saint Anthony of Lérins (c 428-c 520) https://anastpaul.com/2021/12/28/saint-of-the-day-28-december-saint-anthony-of-lerins-c-428-c-520/
Little is known of his origins. The source for information about him is the Commemoratorium Vitae St Severini (511) by Eugippius (c 460-c 535), who was a disciple of Severinus. In 511 Eugippius wrote to Paschasius and asked his venerated and dear friend, who had great literary skill, to write a biography of St Severinus from the accounts of the Saint which he (Eugippius) had put together in crude and unartistic form. Paschasius, however, replied that the acts and miracles of the Saint could not be described better than had done by Eugippius. This Vita is available online at: https://www.tertullian.org/fathers/severinus_02_text.htm
St Severinus – St.Severin Parish Church Lower Austria
Severinus was a high-born Roman living as an Hermit in the East. He was an ascetic in practice. He is first recorded as travelling along the Danube in Noricum and Bavaria, preaching Christianity, procuring supplies for the starving, redeeming captives and establishing Monasteries at Passau and Favianae,
While the Western Empire was falling apart, Severinus, thanks to his virtues and organisational skills, committed himself to the religious and material care of the frontier peoples, also taking care of their military defence. He organised refugee camps, migrations to safer areas and food distribution.
Madonna and Child Enthroned between San Severino and San Sossio – Protasio Crivelli, 1506
Serverinus offered practical leadership, as well as spiritual leadership. He was a tireless preacher and a marvellous Miracle-worker – he miraculously multiplied food reserves, cured the sick, cast out devils, commanded the elements of nature and once even resurrected the dead.
The main theme of his teaching was the value of penance. It was a propitious choice. The sufferings of his people under the Germanic invasions were acute and, uniting them with Christ’s sufferings for the reparation of sin and the conversion of sinners, enabled them to find meaning and strength amid calamity. He also practiced what he preached. In his constant barefoot journeying throughout Austria and Bavaria, he ate only one meal a day and slept on a sack which he carried around with him, wherever he happened to find himself at bedtime.
His efforts seem to have won him wide respect, including that of the Germanic chieftain Odoacer. Eugippius credits him with the prediction that Odoacer would become king of Rome. However, Severinus warned that Odoacer would rule not more than fourteen years.
Severinus also prophesied the destruction of Asturis in Austria, by the Huns. When the people would not heed his warning, he took refuge in Comagena. There he established refugee centres for people displaced by the invasion and founded Monasteries to re-establish spirituality and preserve learning in the stricken region.
He died in his monastic cell at Favianae while singing Psalm 150. Six years after his death, his Monks were driven from their Abbey and his body was taken to Italy, where it was at first kept in the Castel dell’Ovo, Naples, then eventually interred at the Benedictine Monastery rededicated to him, the Abbey of San Severino in the City of Naples.
Austrian postage stamp of their Patron Saint
St Severinus Statue on the Church in Church at Steinhof, Vienna
St Apollinaris the Apologist (Died 2nd Century) Confessor, Defender of the True Faith against heretics, Writer, renowned Scholar. Bishop, Apologist. The Roman Martyrology states: “In Hierapolis in Phrygia, in today’s Turkey, Saint Apollinaris, Bishop, who shone under the Emperor Marcus Aurelius for doctrine and holiness.” A Courageous and Zealous Life: https://anastpaul.com/2022/01/08/saint-of-the-day-8-january-saint-apollinaris-the-apologist-died-2nd-century/
St Athelm of Canterbury St Atticus of Constantinople St Carterius of Caesarea Bl Edward Waterson St Ergnad of Ulster St Erhard of Regensburg St Eugenian of Autun St Garibaldus of Regensburg St Gudule of Brussels St Helladius St Julian of Beauvais St Lucian of Beauvais St Maximian of Beauvais St Maximus of Pavia Bl Nathalan of Aberdeen St Patiens of Metz St Pega of Peakirk
St Severinus of Noricum (c 410-482) Abbot, Hermit, Missionary, the “Apostle to Noricum” (Noricum is the Latin name for the Celtic kingdom or federation of tribes that included most of modern Austria and part of Slovenia.) St Theophilus the Martyr St Thorfinn St Wulsin of Sherborne
Martyrs of Greece – 9 Saints: A group of Christians honoured in Greece as Martyrs, but we have no details about their lives or deaths – Euctus, Flix, Januarius, Lucius, Palladius, Piscus, Rusticus, Secundus and Timotheus
Martyrs of Terni – 4 Saints: A group of Christian soldiers in the imperial Roman army. Executed during the persecutions of Emperor Claudius. Martyrs. – Carbonanus, Claudius, Planus and Tibudianus. They were martyred in 270 in Terni, Italy.
Saint of the Day – 7January – St Valentine of Passau (Died 475) Bishop in Passau in the Rhaetia region, Switzerland, an area in the border region of modern Italy, Austria and Switzerland, Monk, Abbot, Missionary, Hermit, Miracle-worker. Died on 7 January 475 at Mais, Tyrol, Austria of natural causes. Patronages – against convulsions, against cramps/stomach pain, against epilepsy, against gout, against plague/epidemics, against demonic possession, of cattle diseases, of pilgrims, poor people, City and Diocese of Passau. Also known as • Valentine of Mais • Valentine of Raetia • Valentine of Ratien • Valentine of Retie • Valentine of Rezia • Valentine of Rhaetia • Valentine of Rhétie • Valentin, Valentinus.Additional Memorial – 4 August (translation of relics), 29 October a combined Feast with the other Patrons of Passau, St Stephen, the Protomartyr and St Maximillian Martyr Bishop of Passau for 20 years, who died in c 284 (Feast day 12 October)..
The 3 Patrons of Passau, St Valentine left, st Stephen centre and St Maximillian right
According to tradition, Valentine came to Passau around 430; there the construction of the first Church on the site of today’s Cathedral is attributed to him.
Valentine had been sent by the Pope to preach the Gospel in the Passau. He found that his work was without fruit and returned to Rome to implore the Holy Father to send him elsewhere. But the Pope Consecrated him Bishop and sent him back to Passau, to preach in season and out of season, whether it produced fruit or not.
The Bishop renewed his efforts but the pagans and Arians combined to drive him out of the City. Thereupon, he went into the Rhætian Alps and his teaching produced abundant fruit in the region. His Vita states, St Valentine was “teaching the word of God and doing great good, such that he was able to expel demons from the obsessed and cure those who were sick of all sorts of diseases.”
At length he resolved to serve God and purify his own soul, in a life of retirement. He, therefore, built a little Chapel and Monastery at Mais, in Tyrol and there he died. His Relics are enshrined at Passau.
A Monk who died in 482 wrote a Vita of the Bishop of Raetia. St Venantius Fortunatus knew of a Church dedicated to Saint Valentine in the Upper Inn Valley and another, probably on the Brenner Pass in the Alps.
otive image, 1843 from the Mariahill pilgrimage Church in Passau. Next to Bishop Valentin appears the Mother of God with the Jesus Child in her arms in a wreath of clouds. The text asks for a devotional Lord’s Prayer to Maria for the sinful person.
Around 1200, on the occasion of the discovery of his grave in the forecourt of Passau Cathedral, a life story was written by an Cathedral Chaplain – who said that Valentin worked in the area around Passau but was unsuccessful because of the wildness of the residents and finally retreated to the Alps after abuse and expulsion.
Below is a Painting by Franz de Neve “The Cures Wrought by Saint Valentine and the Beheading of St Maximilian” (after 1689) which resides in the Cathedral of St Stephen, Passau. In the foreground, St Valentine cures the sick. The beheading of St Maximilian is barely visible in the left edge of the background.
Bl Albert of Siena St Aldric of Le Mans Bl Ambrose Fernandez St Anastasius of Sens St Brannock of Braunton St Candida of Greece St Canute Lavard St Cedd St Clerus of Antioch St Crispin I of Pavia St Cronan Beg St Emilian of Saujon St Felix of Heraclea St Giuliano of Gozzano (c 350-c 391) Deacon, Missionary St Januarius of Heraclea St Julian of Cagliari St Kentigerna St Lucian of Antioch
St Pallada of Greece St Polyeuctus of Melitene St Reinhold of Cologne St Spolicostus of Greece St Theodore of Egypt St Tillo of Solignac St Valentine of Passau (Died 475) Bishop St Virginia of Ste-Verge Bl Wittikund of Westphalia
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