Saint of the Day – 23 October – Saint Allucio of Campugliano (c 1070–1134) Layman, Apostle of the poor and of pilgrims, Penitent, peace-maker., miracle-worker. Born in c 1070 in Campugliano, Italy and died on 23 October 1134 in Campugliano, Italy of natural causes. Patronage – Diocese of Pescia, Italy, (proclaimed in 2000 by the Congregation for the Causes of Saints).
Allucio was born in Valdinievole near Pescia to Omodeo, a prosperous rural landowner. He spent his youth shepherding the family’s flock before devoting his life to acts of charity.
His journey of assisting pilgrims and travellers began with the restoration of the Hospice of Campugliano, which was practically in ruins. It was entrusted to his industrious piety. Allucio brought the building back to an admirable Shelter, in which work he was assisted by some comrades, who were rich like himself, in the zeal of charity. These friends formed the core of the Lay Apostalate which was later called Brothers of SaintAllucio.
To better assist the poor and needy, the young Allucio founded another hospice on Monte Albano. He created a third one near the bank of the Arno, over which he even built a bridge, for the convenience of pilgrims. The latter was not an easy ndertaking, not only for the technical problems but because Allucio had to convince and appease the local ferryman, who earned hefty earnings by carrying travellers from one bank to the other.
According to tradition, miracles multiplied in great numbers around the benefactor of the poor. For this reason, real diplomatic missions were delegated to him in distant Cities, which Allucio carried out successfully, managing to pacify them, for example, the two rival Cities of Ravenna and Faenza came at last to peace through his negotiations.
Among the miraculous interventions handed down by devotion, the most unusual was that of the man whose eyes had been gouged out, as punishment for some crime committed, according to the so-called “retaliation law,” common in the Middle Ages. Not out of contempt for justice but out of pity for the blinded, even if guilty, Allucio put his eyes back in the hollow sockets of the condemned, restoring his sight.
He built two Churches, a bridge over the Arno, three Shelters and Hospices for pilgrims and other travellers, including one on his own properties at Campigliano near Uzzano and others in mountain passes and river crossings. He was a generous almsgiver and carer of the sick and the poor. In all this work, the “Brothers of Saint Allucio,” grew in numbers and in their charitable works and became an powerful Apostolate.
As active as he was in doing good, he was equally strict with himself. He never ate meat, nor cheese, nor eggs. He fasted three times a week. And for seven consecutive Lents, he touched no food at all.
He died at Valdinievole on 23 October 1134 calm and active until the last moment. He was immediately made the subject of a lively popular cult.
His body was interred by the Brothers in the Church of Saint Luke in Campugliano. In 1344, his relics were enshrined in a stone urn at the High Altar of the Cathdral of Campugliano by Dominican Brother Paul Lapi by order of Bishop Guglielmo Dulcini of Lucca, Italy. In 1792, the relics were moved to the Chapel of Our Lady of the Rosary, Cathedral of Pescia and finally, in 1934, they were moved to the new Chapel built in his honour and dedicated to Saint Allucio in Campugliano.
He was Canonised on 23 October 1182 by the Bishop of Lucca, Italy on behalf of the Pope.
When Allucio’s relics were being translated in 1344, a Vita was discovered stored in the reliquary., which contained a record of the many miracles granted at the intercession of the Saint.
Feast of the Most Holy Redeemer – The Feast of the Most Holy Redeemer was a Catholic liturgical feast. It is celebrated in Venice as the Festa del Redentore. It is also celebrated by the Redemptorists and was celebrated in the City of Rome. The feast is found only in the special calendar of some Diocese and religious Orders and is celebrated with proper Mass and Office either on the third Sunday of July or on 23 October. https://anastpaul.com/2019/10/23/the-feast-of-the-most-holy-redeemer-23-october/
St John of Capistrano OFM (1386-1456) “The Soldier Saint.” Franciscan Friar and Priest, Confessor and Preacher. Famous as a preacher, theologian and inquisitor, trained lawyer, he earned himself the nickname ‘the Soldier Saint’ when in 1456 at age 70 he led a crusade against the invading Ottoman Empire at the siege of Belgrade with the Hungarian military commander John Hunyadi, called the Athleta Christi (“Christ’s Champion”) by Pope Pius II. (Optional Memorial) St John’s Story here: https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2017/10/23/saint-of-the-day-23-october-st-john-capistrano-ofm-1386-1456-the-soldier-saint/
Bl John Buoni St John of Syracuse St Oda of Aquitaine St Phaolô Tong Viet Buong St Romanus of Rouen St Severinus of Cologne St Syra of Faremoutiers St Theodoret of Antioch Bl Thomas Thwing St Verus of Salerno — Martyrs of Cadiz – 2 saints Germanus Servandus Martyrs of Hadrianopolis – 2 saints Dorotheus Severus Martyrs of Nicaea – 3 saints Euerotas Socrates Theodota
Martyrs of Valenciennes – 6 beati: A group of Urusuline and Briggittine nuns murdered together in the anti-Christian excesses of the French Revolution. They were guillotined on 23 October 1794 in Valenciennes, Nord, France and Beatified on 13 June 1920 by Pope Benedict XV. • Anne-Joseph Leroux • Clotilde-Joseph Paillot • Jeanne-Louise Barré • Marie-Augustine Erraux • Marie-Liévine Lacroix • Marie-Marguerite-Joseph Leroux
Martyred in the Spanish Civil War including Martyrs of Manzanares (7 beati): • Agapit Gorgues Manresa • Agustín Nogal Tobar • Andrés Navarro Sierra • César Elexgaray Otazua • Cristóbal González Carcedo • Dorinda Sotelo Rodríguez • Eduardo Valverde Rodríguez • Felipe Basauri Altube • José María Fernández Sánchez • Juan Nuñez Orcajo • Leonardo Olivera Buera • Manuel Navarro Martínez • Roque Guillén Garcés • Toribia Marticorena Sola
Saint of the Day – 22 October – Blessed Lucia Bartolini Rucellai (Died 1520) Widow, Tertiary of the Order of Preachers, Penitent, Prioress, Born in the 15th Century in Florence as Camila Bartolini and died in 1520 of natural causes.
Lucia was born in Florence, Italy, in the 15th century; She was a member of the noble Bartolini family and was Baptised with the name of Camila. When she was a teenager, she married Rodolfo Rucellai and went to live in the splendid Albertino Palace.
At thirty, however, Savonarola’s words took her out of worldly concerns, enkindling i her the fire of the deepest and most painful spirituality. Even Rudolfo, her husband, was shaken by the prophetic prayers of the preacher and decided, somewhat hastily, to part from his wife, who had no children, to wear the Dominican habit at San Marco.
Camila accepted her husband’s decision and became a tertiary of Saint Dominic. After a few months, Rodolfo Rucellai, more impulsive but less strong than his wife, got tired of the religious state and wanted to return to the world, trying to convince his wife to do the same. But then she was the one who objected with unexpected tenacity and indeed, Lucia, after painful work, had found in the new state, a spiritual wealth in comparison with which, all the flattery of the world seemed empty and doomed.
Rodolfo died shortly after and Camila became a nun with the name of Lucia, she remained in the Convent of the Dominican tertiaries, becoming the promoter of a new foundation, dedicated to Saint Catherine of Siena . After the tragic end of Savonarola, hanged and burned as a heretic, in the Piazza della Signoria, in May 1498, Lucia Bartolini was a wise and rigorous guide to the Florentine Convent of Santa Catalina, as Prioress, obtaining permission for her tertiaries to issue three vows and then wear the habit of the nuns of the Second Order.
Lucia was a mortified, penitent and very strict with herself,. She prayed with such fervour that, it was said, the Convent of Santa Catalina appeared crowned with flames, at the times when she was in prayer. And as soon as he died, in 1520, after a serenely accepted illness, her halo as a Blessed came to embellish the glory of the very wealthy Rucellai family, showering them with the glory of Heavenly riches.
Notre-Dame de Talant / Our Lady of Talant, near Dijon, France (also known as the Virgin of St Luke(1443) – 22 October:
Until the twelfth Century, the French “Mons de Talant,” located at the gates of Dijon and belonging to the Estate of the Abbey of Saint-Benigne, was a completely uninhabited place. Considered as if accursed by some, the grounds were given a wide berth and altogether avoided. To others, possessing a more lively imagination, the location was said to be frequented by fairies. In 1208, the Duke of Burgundy, Eudes III, undertook the construction of the Fortress of Talant in order to ensure a safer shelter of its treasures and archives, then in his Ducal Palace of Dijon. He founded north of the castle, a new fortified City and a Priory for some Monks of Saint Benedict. A Church, begun at the same time as the other works, was one of the earliest Gothic Churches in the Duchy of Burgundy. The finished enclosure of the City was 1110 meters long and flanked by 33 towers. Duke Eudes III welcomed, particularly all the serfs who fled the oppression of their lord. Many peasants, attracted by the notion of freedom and the ability to work freed from all hindrance, began to arrive in droves. In 1216, the Duke granted the inhabitants the right to administer themselves by promulgating “the Charter of Commune,” exempting them from taxation and military service. So many people were attracted to Talant that it became necessary to enlarge the Church. A bell tower was also added but the extra weight was too great and the walls began to bow outward. External buttresses were added in the 15th century to solve the problem. John the Fearless, eldest son of Philip the Bold, returning from the Crusade in 1396, brought back as a trophy the Statue “Virgin of St Luke” that he offered to Talant. The Statue of the Virgin is exposed in the Church and in 1443, the Bishop of Langres, Charles de Poitiers, Consecrated the Church to the Mother of God. During the Eighth War of Religion, in 1585, the partisans of Guise seized the fortress by cunning. After its return to the hands of the King in 1598, the decision was made to demolish the castle and the ramparts of the City. The work was finished in 6 months and Talant was reduced to the condition of a simple village. The Church of Notre-Dame remains, however and has been classified as an historic monument since 20 July 1908. The Statue of the Virgin of St Luke, can still be seen there.
St Abericus Marcellus St Alodia of Huesca St Apollo of Bawit St Benedict of Macerac St Bertharius of Monte Cassino St Cordula
St Donatus of Fiesole (Died 874) Bishop of Fiesole, Irish Nobleman, Monk, Priest, Poet, Confessor, Writer, Scholar, Professor, Adviser to Emperors Louis the Pious and Lothair I, Founder of San Martino a Mensola Abbey and leader of two military expeditions against the Saracens. His Life: https://anastpaul.com/2020/10/22/saint-of-the-day-22-october-st-donatus-of-fiesole-died-874/
Bl Esclaramunda of Majorca St Hermes of Adrianople St Ingbert St Leothade of Auch Blessed Lucia Bartolini Rucellai (Died 1520) St Lupenzius St Mark of Jerusalem
St Maroveus of Precipiano St Mellon St Moderan of Rennes St Nepotian of Clermont St Nunctus of Mérida St Nunilo of Huesca St Philip of Adrianople St Philip of Fermo St Rufus of Egypt St Symmachus of Capua St Valerius of Langres St Verecundus of Verona — Martyrs of Heraclea – 4 saints: A group of four clerics in Heraclea (modern Marmara Ereglisi, Turkey) who were arrested in the persecutions of Diocletian. They were imprisoned, abused and ordered to turn over all the scriptures that they had hidden from authorities; they refused and were executed together. Martyrs. – Eusebius, Hermes, Philip and Severus. They were burned at the stake in 304 in Adrianople (modern Edirne, Turkey).
Martyrs of Adianople: • Blessed Alexander • Blessed Anna • Blessed Elisabeth • Blessed Glyceria • Blessed Heraclius • Blessed Theodota
Martyred in the Spanish Civil War: • Blessed Álvaro Ibáñez Lázaro • Blessed Andrés Zarraquino Herrero • Blessed Estanislao García Obeso • Blessed Germán Caballero Atienza • Blessed José Menéndez García • Blessed Josep Casas Lluch • Blessed Luis Minguel Ferrer • Blessed Pedro Lorente Vicente • Blessed Victoriano Ibañez Alonso
Saint of the Day – St Wendelin (c 554-617) Pilgrim, Hermit, Monk and Abbot. Born in c 554 in Scotland and died in 617 at Tholey, Germany of natural causes. Patronages – country folk, herdsmen. Also known as – Wendelin of Trier, Wendel, Wendolinus, Wendelinus. Additional Memorial – 22 October in the Diocese of Trier in Germany.
There is very little definite information about this saint; his earliest biographies (two in Latin and two in German), did not appear until after 1417. The name “Wendelin” means “wanderer” or “pilgrim” in Old High German.
Wendelin was a Prince, the son of a Scottish King. After a piously spent youth he secretly left his home on a pilgrimage to Rome. On his way back he settled as a Hermit in Westricht in the Diocese of Trier.
When a great landowner criticised him for his “idle” life, he entered this man’s service as a herdsman. Later a miracle obliged the landowner to allow him to return to his solitude. Wendelin then established a company of Hermits from which sprang the Benedictine Abbey of Tholey. He was consecrated Abbot about 597, according to the later legends. Tholey was apparently founded as a collegiate body about 630.
The story is told that when Wendelin was working as a herdsman he often took his flock to a mountain to pray there in silence. On one of these occasions, his master came upon him there and was angry because he could not imagine that Wendelin had time to get the flock home before sunset. However, when the master arrived home he discovered the shepherd and his flock already there. Realising that this was a miracle from God he granted Wendelin his greatest desire and built him his own Hermit’s cell in the vicinity of the farm.
Wendelin was buried in his cell and a Chapel was built over the grave and the small Town of Sankt Wendel grew up nearby. The Saint’s intercession was considered powerful in times of pestilence and contagious diseases among cattle. When, in 1320, a pestilence was halted through the intercession of Wendelin, Baldwin, Archbishop of Trier had the Chapel rebuilt. Baldwin’s successor, Bohemond II, built the present beautiful Gothic Church, dedicated in 1360, to which the Wendelin’s relics were transferred. Since 1506 they have rested in a stone sarcophagus.
The exposed relics of St Wendelin at Wendalinusbasilika St Wendelin during the 650th Anniversary of the consecration of the Basilica.
Wendelin is the patron saint of country people and herdsmen and is still greatly venerated especially in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Poland and South Africa.
Madonna del Rosario / Our Lady of the Rosary, Noepoli, Potenza, Basilicata, Italy – 21 October
The Church of Maria del Rosario, built in 1830, is located in a farmhouse in Noepoli. It has one nave and a marble altar along with a Statue of Our Lady of the Rosary from the seventeenth century and a wooden Crucifix from the sixteenth century.
The community of Noepoli prepares for the celebration of the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary with a Rosary Novena that begins on 12 October in the Churche. On 20 October, the Holy Rosary of the afternoon is followed by a prayer vigil in honour of Our Lady of the Rosary. The townspeople gather on 21 October for a procession around the village. . The beautiful festa continues with local musicians and dancing and finishes with spectacular fireworks.
St Agatho the Hermit St Asterius of Périgord St Asterius of Rome St Berthold of Parma St Celina of Meaux
Bl Hilarion of Moglena St Hugh of Ambronay Bl Imana of Loss Bl Iulianus Nakaura St John of Bridlington St Letizia St Maurontus of Marseilles St Malchus of Syria
St Petrus Yu Tae-Ch’ol St Pontius de Clariana St Raymond of Granada Bl Sancho of Aragon Bl Severinus of Bordeaux Bl Tuda of Lindisfarne Bl Viator of Lyons St William of Granada St William of Montreal St Zaira St Zoticus of Nicomedia — Martyrs of Nicaea – 279 saints:
Martyrs of Nicomedia – 3 saints: Caius of Nicomedia Dasius of Nicomedia Zoticus of Nicomedia
Martyred in the Spanish Civil War: • Blessed Genaro Fueyo Castañon • Blessed Isidro Fernández Cordero • Blessed Segundo Alonso González
Saint Ursula and Companions: (Died c 238) Legendary princess, the daughter of a Christian British king and Saint Daria. She travelled Europe in company of either 11 or 11,000 fellow maidens; the 11,000 number probably resulted from a misreading of the term “11M” which indicated 11 Martyrs, but which a copyist took for a Roman numeral. Ursula and her company were tortured to death to get them to renounce their faith, and old paintings of them show many of the women being killed in various painful ways. Namesake for the Ursuline Order, founded for the education of young Catholic girls and women. There are other saints closely associated with Ursula and her story – travelling companions who were martyred with her
Antonia of Cologne Cesarius of Cologne Cyriacus of Cologne Daria Fiolanus of Lucca Ignatius of Cologne James of Antioch Mauritius of Cologne Pontius of Cologne Sulpitius of Ravenna Vincent of Cologne Travelling companion, but escaped the massacre: • Cunera led by a dove to the lost tomb of Ursula: • Cunibert of Cologne
Saint of the Day – 20 October – Saint Cornelius the Centurion (1st Century) traditionally believed to have become the First Bishop of Caesarea, a Roman Centurion who is considered to be the one of first Gentile to convert to the Faith, (along with the conversion and Baptism of the Ethiopian eunuch – Acts 8). as related in Acts of the Apostles 10:1-49. The Baptism of Cornelius and his household, is an important event in the history of the early Church, for it points to the first century use of infant Baptism.
St Peter Baptising Cornelius, the Centurion, by Francesco Trevisani, 1709
“Now in Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a Centurion of the Cohort called the Italica, devout and God-fearing along with his whole household, who used to give alms generously to the Jewish people and pray to God constantly. One afternoon about three o’clock, he saw plainly in a vision, an Angel of God come in to him and say to him, “Cornelius.” He looked intently at him and, seized with fear, said, “What is it, sir?” He said to him, “Your prayers and almsgiving have ascended as a memorial offering before God. Now send some men to Joppa and summon one Simon who is called Peter. He is staying with another Simon, a tanner, who has a house by the sea.” When the Angel who spoke to him had left, he called two of his servants and a devout soldier from his staff, explained everything to them and sent them to Joppa.
St Cornelius’ dream
The next day, while they were on their way and nearing the city, Peter went up to the roof terrace to pray at about noontime. He was hungry and wished to eat and while they were making preparations, he fell into a trance. He saw heaven opened and something resembling a large sheet coming down, lowered to the ground by its four corners. In it were all the earth’s four-legged animals and reptiles and the birds of the sky. A voice said to him, “Get up, Peter. Slaughter and eat.” But Peter said, “Certainly not, sir. For never have I eaten anything profane and unclean.” The voice spoke to him again, a second time, “What God has made clean, you are not to call profane.” This happened three times and then the object was taken up into the sky.
Domenico Fetti – St Peter’s vision of a sheet with animals
While Peter was in doubt about the meaning of the vision he had seen, the men sent by Cornelius asked for Simon’s house and arrived at the entrance. They called out inquiring whether Simon, who is called Peter, was staying there. As Peter was pondering the vision, the Spirit said [to him] “There are three men here looking for you. So get up, go downstairs and accompany them without hesitation because I have sent them.” Then Peter went down to the men and said, “I am the one you are looking for. What is the reason for your being here?” They answered, “Cornelius, a centurion, an upright and God-fearing man, respected by the whole Jewish nation, was directed by a holy angel to summon you to his house and to hear what you have to say.” So he invited them in and showed them hospitality. The next day he got up and went with them, and some of the brothers from Joppa went with him.
On the following day he entered Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends. When Peter entered, Cornelius met him and, falling at his feet, paid him homage. Peter, however, raised him up, saying, “Get up. I myself am also a human being.” While he conversed with him, he went in and found many people gathered together and said to them, “You know that it is unlawful for a Jewish man to associate with, or visit, a Gentile but God has shown me that I should not call any person profane or unclean. And that is why I came without objection when sent for. May I ask, then, why you summoned me?” Cornelius replied, “Four days ago at this hour, three o’clock in the afternoon, I was at prayer in my house when suddenly a man in dazzling robes stood before me and said, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and your almsgiving remembered before God. Send therefore, to Joppa and summon Simon, who is called Peter. He is a guest in the house of Simon, a tanner, by the sea.‘ So I sent for you immediately and you were kind enough to come. Now, therefore, we are all here in the presence of God to listen to all that you have been commanded by the Lord.”
St Peter at St Cornelius’ house
Then Peter proceeded to speak and said, “In truth, I see that God shows no partiality. Rather, in every nation whoever fears him and acts uprightly is acceptable to him. You know the word [that] he sent to the Israelites as he proclaimed peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all, what has happened all over Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached, how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the holy Spirit and power. He went about doing good and healing all those oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.m We are witnesses of all that he did both in the country of the Jews and (in) Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree. This man God raised (on) the third day and granted that he be visible, not to all the people but to us, the witnesses chosen by God in advance, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. He commissioned us to preach to the people and testify, that he is the one appointed by God as judge of the living and the dead. To him all the prophets bear witness, that everyone who believes in him will receive forgiveness of sins through his name.”
While Peter was still speaking these things, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who were listening to the word. The circumcised believers who had accompanied Peter were astounded that the gift of the Holy Spirit should have been poured out on the Gentiles also, for they could hear them speaking in tongues and glorifying God. Then Peter responded, “Can anyone withhold the water for baptising these people, who have received the Holy Spirit even as we have?” He ordered them to be baptised in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they invited him to stay for a few days. ” – Acts 10:1-49
A Centurion by James Tissot (not necesarily St Cornelius)
Dedication of the Abbey of Our Lady, Pontigny, France (1114) – 20 October:
The Abbot Orsini wrote: “The Dedication of the Church of Pontigny, four leagues from Auxerre, under the title of Our Lady. This Abbey was founded in 1114 by Thibaud, Count of Champagne.”
The former abbey of Pontigny is nestled in the Serein valley in the north of Burgundy, and is one of the oldest sites of the Cistercian order. Being only the second Cistertian monastery, it was established in the year 1114 by Blessed Hugh of Macon, the companion of Saint Bernard, in this valley north of Auxerre in the French Department of Yonne. It is notable, that Hugh later became the Bishop of Auxerre.
The Monks valued the land, the woods and streams they were surrounded by and cultivated large farms around their Abbey. They raised various crops, bread pigs and sheep and made terracotta bricks. It was that strong economic base that enabled them to construct the great Romanesque style Church that reached an impressive length of 120 metres that still stands intact today. In the year 1164 the Abbey received the Archbishop of Canterbury and Primate of England St Thomas à Becket while he was an exile due to his opposition to King Henry and in 1206 the Queen of France, Alix de Champagne, was buried in the choir of the Abbey. The wealthy Abbey was looted and burned by the Huguenots in about 1529 during the Wars of Religion. During the French Revolution the Abbey was suppressed, and its buildings largely sold or destroyed, save for the Church. Unlike most Churches during the time of the French Revolution, the Abbey of Pontigny is completely preserved and is now thought to be the largest Cistercian Church in France. The Church is notable for its arches and columns with twin bays, its vaults on two columns and portal with tympanum cross and wrought iron hinges. Known as the Church of Notre-Dame-et-Saint-Edme Pontigny, or Our Lady of Saint Edmond of Pontigny, the old Church Abbey monastery became the Parish Church of the village of the same name after the French Revolution. The church of Notre-Dame-et-Saint-Edme Pontigny is now abandoned and it is used simply as a kind of cultural meeting place.
St Adelina St Aderald St Aidan of Mayo St Andrew of Crete St Artemius Megalomartyr St Barsabias St Bernard of Bagnorea St Bradan St Caprasius of Agen St Cornelius the Centurion (1st Century) traditionally believed to have become th First Bishop of Caesarea
Blessed James Strepar OFM (c 1340-1409) Archbishop of Halicz, Poland from 1392 until his death Religious Priest of the Order of Friars Minor, Missionary. St Pius X proclaimed Blessed James, along with St Anthony of Padua, the Patrons of the Conventual Franciscan Order of Krakow Province. He was given the title of “Protector of the Kingdom, Defender and Guardian of the Homeland,” for his exceptional merits, including civil ones. Such was he considered by all. He was Canonised by by Pope Pius VI on 11 September 1791. His body is incorrupt. His Life: https://anastpaul.com/2020/10/20/saint-of-the-day-20-october-blessed-james-strepar-ofm-c-1340-1409/
Saint of the Day – 19 October – Saint Philip Howard (1557–1595) Martyr, Married Layman, Father, Convert, 13th Earl of Arundel, Born on 28 June 1557 at Norfolk, England and died on 19 October 1595 of malnutrition after eleven years in the Tower of London, London, England – he was just 38 years old.Patronages – the Diocese of Arundel and Brighton, England, victims of betrayal, difficult marriages, falsely accused people, separated spouses. Additional Memorial – 25 October as one of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales.
St Philip, born on 28 June 1557, was 13th Earl of Arundel. His father Thomas, IV Duke of Norfolk, was beheaded by Queen Elizabeth in 1572 for involvement in the affair of Mary, Queen of Scots. Philip Howard, Baptised by the Archbishop of York in the Chapel of Whitehall Palace, had Philip of Spain as one of his Godfathers.
St Philip with his father Thomas, 4th Dyke of Norfolk
Philip married Anne, daughter of Lord Dacre of Gilsland, when he was fourteen. He graduated at St John’s College, Cambridge in 1574 and was about eighteen when he attended Queen Elizabeth’s Court. Handsome, high-born, quick-witted and articulate, he neglected his wife and God.
A London event in 1581 proved to be life altering for Philip. A debate took place: on one side was a group of Protestant scholars. On the other, was [St] Father Edmund Campion, a Jesuit Priest, physically weak from torture on the notoriously grisly rack but still mentally sharp and another English Priest, [St.] Father Ralph Sherwin. With no opportunity to prepare, they defended the Faith persuasively, which greatly impressed young Philip. These humble suffering Confessors awakened Philip’s soul and he returned to Arundel to think about reconciliation with the Catholic Church, which he knew meant death. Sadly, both Campion and Sherwin were martyred by the British throne before the end of 1581. Philip reformed his life. Not only did he reconcile with his wife, Anne, he became quite dedicated to her. In 1584, he was received into the Catholic Church and became devoted to the practice of the Faith, although it was necessary for him to keep this quiet. Philip and Anne were suspected of sheltering persecuted Jesuit Priests in their home. The change in Philip was noted by the Queen and he sensed that he was in danger.
In 1585 he made a plan to escape from his London home to Belgium with his family and his brother. He sent a long letter of explanation to the Queen and the group set out from Littlehampton on the south coast of England. Before they could reach their destination, he was arrested at sea and returned to London. Philip was convicted of treason for being a Roman Catholic and for leaving England without permission. He was fined £10,000 and imprisoned in the Tower of London in April of 1585. Three years later, he was accused again of treason because he allegedly prayed in prison for the success of the Spanish Armada. This mid-1588 Spanish naval effort to remove Queen Elizabeth from the British throne and re-establish Catholicism, was unsuccessful. Interestingly, King Philip II of Spain was Philip Howard’s Godfather at his infant Baptism as well as his namesake. Philip was tried in April of 1589 and as was usually the case at the time, with accused Catholics, the extremely biased outcome was a sentence of execution. The execution required the Queen’s signature but she never signed it. Since Philip did not know this, he was left in prison thinking that his death was imminent. Instead, he was left to die in prison after having been placed there at age twenty-eight. He was allowed study and devotional books and spent his time in prayer, study and penance. He prayed ardently to be able to see his wife and children again; the youngest, his only son, was born after his incarceration. His trial and imprisonment were totally at Queen Elizabeth’s pleasure–the only treason he had committed was being reconciled to the Catholic Church.
One of the Priests who had been sheltered by the Howards was [St] Robert Southwell, who was also being held in the Tower. Philip’s pet dog served as a go-between for the men, who supported and encouraged each other with messages. By the autumn of 1595, he was dying and made one last plea to the Queen to be able to see his wife and children. Her reply was that if he would just attend one Protestant service, he would see his family and regain the Queen’s favour. “Good Queen Bess” indeed! He refused, and died alone on 19 October 1595 at age thirty-eight. He is believed to have contracted dysentery and suffering from malnutrition but some suspected that he was poisoned. He was 39 years old and had spent the last eleven years of his life in the Tower of London. He was buried in the Tower Church with his father and grandfather. Anne, who continued to protect and provide for renegade Priests, obtained permission in 1624 to transfer his remains to Arundel Castle.
Note St Philip’s dog
Written on the step before the Shrine is this inscription: ‘The more affliction we endure for Christ in this world, the more glory we shall obtain with Christ in the next‘. This is a translation of the original Latin cut by St Philip over the fireplace in the Beauchamp Tower, which visitors to the Tower of London can still see: Quanto plus afflictionis pro Christo in hoc saeculo, tanto plus gloriae cum Christo in futuro. Arundell – 22 June 1587.
The Cathedral of Arundell and Brighton is named for St Philip Howard. It had been named for St Philip Neri before the Canonisation of today’s Saint in 1970.
Virgen del Camino / Our Lady of the Way, Valverde de la Virgen, León, Castile and León, Spain (1505) – 19 October:
On 2 July 1505, while watching his sheep, Alvar Simón Fernández saw the Virgin, radiant with light and heard her say: “Go to the city and tell the Bishop to come to this place and install this image my Son wishes to appear here, for the good of this land.” The shepherd answered, “Señora, how will they believe it was you who sent me?” She asked for his slingshot and with it launched a small stone, saying, “When the Bishop sees this stone it will be so large that he will know I have sent you and where you find the stone, is where my Son and I want you to put the image.”
The miraculously-located Shrine was outside the City of León on the Camino de Santiago, the pilgrim road to Compostela, hence the title Virgin of the Way The Virgen del Camino was declared Patron of the León region in 1914. The Statue is a 84 centimetre wooden Pietà, which the Basilica’s website dates to 1514. Its coronation, which Pope Benedict XI authorised in 1917, was carried out on 19 October 1930. The large, modern Sanctuary was completed in 1961 and houses the Statue. The Virgin of the Way is honoured today and on 15 September, the feast of Our Lady of Sorrows.
St Paul of the Cross CP (1604-1775) Priest, Mystic, Preacher, endowed with miraculous powers of healing and prophecy, Founder of the Congregation of the Passion of Jesus Christ known as the Passionists. Canonised on 29 June 1867 by Blessed Pope Pius IX who placed his Feast on 28 April. It was moved in 1969. So great was his eloquence when he spoke of the Passion that both he and his hearers would shed tears and the most hardened hearts were moved to repentance. (Optional Memorial) About St Paul here: https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2017/10/19/saint-of-the-day-st-paul-of-the-cross-1604-1775/
Bl Agnes of Jesus St Altinus St Aquilinus of Evreux St Asterius of Ostia St Beronicus of Antioch St Desiderius of Longoret St Ednoth St Ethbin St Eusterius of Salerno St Frideswide
St Varus of Kemet St Verano of Cavaillon — Martyred in the Spanish Civil War: 18 Beati • Blessed Antonio Elizalde Garvisu • Blessed Constantino Miguel Moncalvillo • Blessed Dionisio Arizaleta Salvador • Blessed Emiliano Pascual Abad • Blessed Eusebio de Las Heras Izquierdo • Blessed Ferran Castán Messeguer • Blessed Francesc Solá Peix • Blessed Francisco Marco Martínez • Blessed Francisco Milagro Mesa • Blessed Francisco Simón Pérez • Blessed Josep Ferrer Escolà • Blessed Josep Ribé Coma • Blessed Julio Leache Labiano • Blessed Juan Senosiaín Zugasti • Blessed Manuel Font y Font • Blessed Narcís Simón Sala • Blessed Nicolas Campo Giménez • Blessed Pere Vives Coll
Saint of the Day – 18 October – St Amabilis of Auvergne (c 397- c 475) Priest, Confessor, Miracle-worker. Tradition tells that snakes and demons fled from his voice, often the images and medals depicting him bear the words “The demons flee as well as snakes and fire.” Born probably in Rimo, France in c 397 and died in Auvergne in c 475 of natural causes. Patronages – against demonic possession, against fire, against mental illness, against poison, against snake bite, against wild beasts, of Auvergne, France, of Riom, France. Also known as – Amabilis of Riom, Amabilis the Cantor. Additional Memorial – 1 November.
In the sixth century, St Gregory of Tours in his ‘De gloria confessorum,’ described the popular belief in this Saint’s power over demons and serpents as well as the veneration at his tomb. Gregory reports that he, himself witnessed two miracles there.
Notice the snake at his feet
Amabilis served as a Cantor in the Church of Saint Mary at Clermont and then as the Precentor at Clermont Cathedral . Later as Parish Priest at Riom, where, in 1120, a Church was dedicated to him. He acquired a reputation for holiness in his lifetime.
In the seventh century his relics were transferred to Riom from Clermont. Riom grew up around the collegiate Church of Saint Amable, which was the object of pilgrimages. In the eighteenth century a dispute occurred over these relics between neighbouring Clermont and Riom, where Amabilis is Patron.
Chapel of St Amabilis in the Church dedicated to him at Riom
Relics
St Amabilis Church
Public processions in his honour have been traditional in Riom for more than 1500 years, where he is invoked against fire and snakes. Father Antoine Déat, a Missionary in Canada , introduced his cult to North America, where he is also still venerated today. A chapel is dedicated to him in the Notre-Dame Basilica in Montreal.
Notre-Dame de Reims / Our Lady of Rheims – Dedication of the Church of Our Lady of Rheims (405) built by St Nicasius – 18 October:
Dedication of Our Lady of Rheims, built by St Nicasius (died c 407), Archbishop of that City period in the year 405. It was Saint Nicasius who prophesised that France would be invaded by the Vandals, telling the people of Rheims to prepare themselves. When the Vandals finally arrived at the City gates, St Nicasius went out to meet them with his sister, a faithful deaconess. All were killed but their sacrifice gave time for more of the people of Rheims to flee to safety. It is interesting to note, that when St Nicasius was beheaded he was praying Psalm 119. He was slain at the moment when he reached the phrase “Adhaesit pavimento anima mea,” which means, “my soul is attached to dust.” After he was decapitated, his head struck the ground and he miraculously continued the psalm, saying: “Vivifica me, Domine, secundum verbum tuum,” which means, “revive me, Lord, with your words.” This was the Church where King Clovis humbly confessed his belief in the Triune God and was baptised by St Regimius in 496 and where, all of the subsequent French Kings were crowned. In the Gallery of the Kings there is a magnificent painting of the baptism of King Clovis surrounded by images of all of his successors.
The Baptism of King Clovis by the Master of Saint Giles (16th cent)
This Church, having fallen to ruins, was later rebuilt by Ebo and Hincmar. It was finished in the year 845 and still remains a place of pilgrimage to the Mother of God. At one time enemies of the Cathedral chapter set fire to a monastery of Rheims. Among the relics which the sacristan tried to save was an ivory statue of the Virgin, containing some of her hair. The sacristan prayed fervently to the Virgin that she would preserve this relic. The Abbot, entering the ruins of the Church, found the Statue upright and unharmed as if placed there reverently. From thence forward, the image was believed to be miraculous. The present Cathedral takes the place of the older churches, the previous one having been damaged by fire in 1210. It was not completed until the 14th century, and is the beautiful Gothic Cathedral that can still be seen today, after much restoration work after the bombardments of WWI and II.
St Acutius of Pozzuoli St Amabilis of Auvergne (c 397- c 475) Priest, Confessor St Asclepiades of Antioch St Athenodorus St Brothen Bl Burchard I St Cadwaladr of Brittany Bl Domenico of Perpignano St Eutychius of Pozzuoli St Gwen St Gwen of Tagarth St Gwendoline
Bl Margherita Tornielli St Monon of Nassogne St Proculus of Pozzuoli Bl Theobald of Narbonna St Tryphonia of Rome — Martyrs of Africa – 9 saints: A group of Christians martryed together in Africa. The only details that have survived are the names – Beresus, Dasius, Faustinus, Leucius, Lucius, Martialis, Victoricus, Victrix and Viktor. They were martyred in c.300 in Africa.
Martyred in the Spanish Civil War: • Blessed Alfredo Almunia López-Teruel • Blessed Francisco Roselló Hernández • Blessed Isidro Juan Martínez
Saint of the Day – 17 October – Blessed Contardo Ferrini TOSF (1859-1902) Layman, Third Order Franciscan, Profesor, Civil and Canon Lawyer, Apostle of the poor, writer, A recognised specialist in Roman and Byzantine law, Contardo Ferrini was a Professor at several Universities but his name is mainly linked to the University of Pavia , where he studied in 1880 and later became a Professor. He was also a fervent Roman Catholic, who lived a devout life of prayer and service to the poor. Born on 4 April 1859 at Milan, Italy and died on 17 October 1902 at Suna, Verbano-Cusio-Ossola, Italy of typhus, aged 43. Patronages – academics, colleges, schools, universities.
The Roman Martyrology mentions him today: “In Suna near Lake Maggiore, Blessed Contardo Ferrini, who, in educating young people, with his example of faith and Christian life, went far beyond human science.“
Contardo Ferrini was born on 5 April 1859 in Milan to Rinaldo Ferrini and Luigia Buccellati. He was Baptised at the font where Blessed Frédéric Ozanam, also a native of Milan, had been Baptised 46 years before. After receiving his First Holy Communion at age 12, he joined a Blessed Sacrament Confraternity.
Contardo’s father, a Professor of mathematics and science, taught his son at an early age. By the time he was a young man, he spoke several languages. His apparent love for his faith caused friends to call him by the nickname St. Aloysius (St. Aloysius Gonzaga). He entered University of Pavia at age 17 and, two years later, was appointed Dean of Students. At age 21 he became a Doctor of the law at the University. His doctoral thesis, which related penal law to Homeric poetry, was the basis of his being awarded a scholarship to the University in Berlin, where he specialised in Roman-Byzantine law, a field in which he became internationally acclaimed as expert.
Blessed Bartholomew Longo and Contardo Ferrini
During Contardo’s stay in Berlin, he wrote of his excitement at receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation for the first time in a foreign country. The experience brought home to him, he wrote, the universality of the Church.
Upon his return to Italy, he was a Lecturer in Universities at Messina, Modena and Pavia. He received his first Professorship at age 26. Contardo, atthis time, attempted to discern a vocation as a secular priest, a religious, or as a married person. Ultimately, he remained an unmarried layperson. He vowed himself to God, became a member of the Third Order of St. Francis in 1886 and was a member of the Saint Vincent de Paul Society, to which he had been introduced by his father, a member of a St Vincent de Paul Conference himself.
As a faculty member at the University of Pavia, he was considered an expert in Roman Law. Over the course of his career he published books, articles and reviews. He taught for a time at the University of Paris. He became a Canon Lawyer in addition to being a Civil Lawyer. Mountaineering was an favourite hobby.
An anecdote, unsourced, about Contardo is that he was asked to attend a dinner party and, once there, found it tedious. His resort was to invite all the guests to join him in praying the Rosary.
In 1900, Contardo developed a heart lesion. In Autumn 1902, he went to his country home in Suna in order to rest. There he became ill with typhus. He died at age 43 on 17 October 1902. Residents of Suna immediately declared him a saint. His fellow faculty members at the University of Pavia wrote letters in which he was described as a saint. In 1909 Pope Pius X appointed Cardinal Ferrari to open a cause. Contardo was declared Venerable by Pope Pius XI and he was Beatified by Pope Pius XII on 13 April 1947. His body is venerated in a Chapel of Milan’s Catholic University. He is a patron of universities, colleges and academics. Yesterday we read some of the history of Milan Duomo and the 3159 Saint Statues there. One of the 2245 Spire Saints, on one the lofty Spires of this breathtaking Cathedral, resides our Blessed Contardo.
Twenty First Sunday after Pentecost Twenty Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Könnyezo Szuz Mária / Our Lady of Tears or the Weeping Madonna (Sajópálfala, Miskolci, Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén, Hungary) (1717) – Third Sunday of October, 16 February:
During the Turkish occupation of the late 1600s, the town of Sajópálfala in northeastern Hungary was destroyed and deserted. Not long after Greek Catholics resettled the area. The painting of the Madonna and Child in their village Church perspired and wept bloody tears, from 6 January to 16 February 1717.
The investigating Bishop took the picture to Eger, where it stayed in the Franciscan Church until the Communists dissolved the religious orders in 1950. Then the painting was lost to the faithful of Sajópálfala, who had made an annual pilgrimage to Eger on the Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows.
In 1969, they located the original weeping image in a Church in the Diocese of Pécs, where a friar had taken it when the Eger Monastery closed. On 25 October 1973, after 256 years, the Weeping Virgin Mary returned to the Church of the Visitation in Sajópálfala, where the main pilgrimage days are now Pentecost Sunday and the third Sunday in October.
Bl Battista de Bonafede St Berarius I of Le Mans St Catervus St Colman of Kilroot Blessed Contardo Ferrini TOSF (1859-1902) Layman, Third Order Franciscan
St Ethelbert of Eastry St Ethelred of Eastry St Florentius of Orange
Bl Gilbert the Theologian St Heron of Antioch Bl Jacques Burin St John the Short/Dwarf St Louthiern St Mamelta of Persia St Nothelm of Canterbury St Richard Gwyn St Rudolph of Gubbio St Rufus of Rome St Serafino of Montegranaro St Solina of Chartres St Zosimus of Rome — Martyrs of Nicomedia – 3 saints: A group of Christians martyred in the persecutions of Diocletian. The only details about them that have survived are their names – Alexander, Marianus and Victor. 303 in Nicomedia (in modern Turkey).
Martyrs of Valenciennes -5 beati: A group of Ursuline nuns martyred in the persecutions of the French Revolution. • Hyacinthe-Augustine-Gabrielle Bourla • Jeanne-Reine Prin • Louise-Joseph Vanot • Marie-Geneviève-Joseph Ducrez • Marie-Madeleine-Joseph Déjardins
Martyrs of Volitani: A group of martyrs who were praised by Saint Augustine of Hippo. In Volitani, proconsular Africa (in modern Tunisia).
Martyred in the Spanish Civil War: • BlessedFidel Fuidio Rodriguez • BlessedJosé Sánchez Medina • BlessedPerfecto Carrascosa Santos • BlessedTársila Córdoba Belda de Girona
Saint of the Day – 16 October – St Hedwig of Andechs (1174-1243) Mother, Widow, High Duchess of Poland, Apostles of orphans, the poor, the sick, founder with her husband of Monasteries, schools and Churches, Administrator, peace-maker, Born in 1174 in Castle Andechs, Bavaria (part of modern Germany) and died on 15 October 1243 at at Trzebnica, Silesia (part of modern Poland). Also known as – Hedwig of Silesia, Hedwig von Andechs, Jadwiga Slaska, Hedvigis, Hedwiges, Avoice.Patronages – against jealousy, brides, duchesses, death of children, difficult marriages, widows, Silesia, Diocese of Görlitz, Germany, Andechs Abbey, Bavaria, Germany, 6 cities. She was Canonised on 26 March 1267 by Pope Clement IV.
An example of all virtues, especially worthy to be imitated, is presented to us today, in the life of St Hedwig. Her father was Berthold, Duke of Carinthia and Count of Meran. Her mother, Agnes, was of equally high birth. She was one of eight children – of her four brothers, two became Bishops, Ekbert of Bamberg and Berthold of Aquileia. Mechtilde became Abbess of Kitzingen and another sister, became the mother of St Elizabeth of Hungary. Already in Hedwig’s childhood it was visible that God had gifted her with a mind far beyond her age. She possessed an innate inclination to all virtues and nothing of what usually delights the young, touched her heart, just as little pleasure did she evince, in later years, in the honours, riches and amusements of the world. Reading and praying were her only enjoyments. All her books were devout works and her prayers were said mostly before an image of the Blessed Virgin, whom she loved and honoured like a worldly mother.
When scarcely twelve years old, she was given in marriage to Henry, Duke of Poland and Silesia. Although married so early in life, her conduct was so sensible and virtuous, that everyone was greatly astonished at it. Among her maxims was this: “The greater one is by birth, the greater one must be in virtue and the more distinguished we are in station, the more we must distinguish ourselves by our conduct, in order to be a bright example to others.” She became the mother of three sons and three daughters, all of whom she educated most piously.
She was a little over twenty, and her husband thirty years of age, when their sixth child was born; after which, desiring to serve God more perfectly, she made a vow before the Bishop, in which her husband joined, to live in future in perpetual continence.
From that hour, Hedwig grew daily more and more perfect in all Christian virtues, occupying every moment left her from the cares she bestowed upon her children, in prayers and deeds of charity. She found especial comfort in assisting at Holy Mass; hence, she was not satisfied with one but went to as many as she could; and the manner in which she conducted herself in Church was a proof of her deep devotion. Towards widows and orphans, her kindness was truly motherly and many of them she fed in her palace, serving them herself, sometimes on bended knees. She frequently visited the sick in the hospitals; encouraged them to be patient and assisted them by rich alms. She never hesitated to wash the feet of the lepers, or to kiss the sores of the sufferers. She persuaded the Duke, her husband, to build a large convent not far from Breslau, for the Cistercian nuns, which she made a home for poor children, who were educated there and afterwards, provided for according to their station. Nothing could be more modest and plain than the garments of the holy Duchess and her example in this respect induced others living at Court to attire themselves with great simplicity. In the midst of the dissipation of the Court, the Saint lived so austere a life, that it was more to be admired than to be followed.
To prove her virtue, God visited her with a great many cares and sorrows. The enemy invaded the dominions of her spouse, who was wounded in a battle and made prisoner. When this news was brought to her, she raised her eyes confidently to heaven, saying: “I hope to see him again soon, well and free.” She herself went to Conrad, the Duke who had imprisoned her husband and spoke so earnestly to him that he restored her husband to liberty. Soon after, Henry became dangerously ill and Hedwig nursing him most faithfully, did everything to make his death happy. To those who pitied her after his death, she said: “We must adore the decrees of the Almighty, not only in days of happiness but also in those of sorrow and bereavement.” Three years later, she lost her first-born son, who was killed in a battle with the Tartars and this sad event found her as submissive to the will of Providence as she had been on the death of her husband.
Soon after the burial of the Duke in 1238, at the Cistercian Monastery of Nuns, Trzebnica Abbey, Hedwig had too followed him into the Convent, which, at her request, he had founded, to be further removed from all temporal vanity and to serve the Lord more peacefully and perfectly. The widow moved into the Convent of Cistercian Nuns which was led by her daughter Gertrude, assuming the position of a lay sister and donning the habit. She observed most strictly the regulations of the Order, desiring to do the meanest work and to be considered the least of the Sisters. In her austerity to herself she had now full liberty. She fasted daily, except on Sundays and festivals but her fasts were much more rigorous than those of others, for she abstained from all meat and wine and partook only of herbs, bread and water. She wore, day and night, rough hair-cloth and an iron girdle which she had already worn while at Court. She went bare-footed over snow and ice and slept, when well, on the bare boards and when ill, on straw covered with a coarse cloth. Her sleep lasted hardly three hours before Matins; the remainder of the night she occupied in prayer, which she only interrupted to scourge herself to blood. So severe a life emaciated her body to a skeleton. While working, she always raised her soul to the Most High by mental prayer,and she was often found in an ecstasy, or raised high above the ground. Her conversation was only of God, virtue and piety. Towards the Crrucified Saviour, she bore the deepest devotion and the mysteries of His bitter Passion and Death were the objects of her daily meditations, during which, she frequently shed tears. Mary, the Blessed Virgin, was most ardently loved by her,and her whole countenance glowed at the bare mention of her holy name.
So holy a life could only be followed by a happy death, of which a severe sickness was the messenger. Before others became aware that her life was in danger, the Saint asked for the last Sacraments and she received them with a devotion which drew tears from the eyes of all who were present. Before her end, S. Catherine of Alexandria, St Thecla, St Ursula and St Magdalen appeared to her, all of whom she had greatly honoured during her life. These heavenly visitors comforted her and accompanied her to the mansions of everlasting bliss.
Twenty-five years after her death, her holy body was exhumed, as so many extraordinary miracles had taken place at her intercession. On opening the coffin, the whole Church was filled with fragrance. The flesh of the whole body was consumed, except that of three fingers on her left hand. With these she had frequently held a picture of the Blessed Virgin, which she constantly carried with her. While dying, she held this picture so fast, that after her death it could not be removed and it was buried with her. Pope Clement IV. placed the Duchess among the Saints on account of her many great virtues, of the miracles which she had wrought while she lived and of those which took place after her death, through her intercession. The inhabitants of Poland venerate her as one of their special Patrons. (By Father Francis Xavier Weninger, 1876)
Dedication of the Church of Our Lady of Milan (1417) by Pope Martin V – 16 October:
The Abbot Orsini wrote: “Dedication of Our Lady of Milan, by Pope Martin V, in the year 1417. This Church was built in 1388 by John Galleas, Duke of Milan.”
The magnificent Milan Cathedral is a Gothic Cathedral that has its roots in the fourth centurY. Today it is one of the most famous and celebrated structures in all of Europe. It is the second largest Church in Italy after St Peter’s Basilica in Rome and the third largest Catholic Church in the world.
Dedicated to the Mother of God, the present Cathedral was begun in the 14th century but was not completed until the 20th century when the last gate was finally installed in 1965. Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte himself ordered that the façade be finished in the year 1805, as he desired to see the beautiful structure completed. He guaranteed that the French would pay for the work, although they never actually did. Even so, it took seven years to complete the work. There were other additions that followed, including stained glass windows and various arches and lace-like spires. In the end it can be said, that the Cathedral required 6 centuries to complete and is one of the largest Cathedrals in the entire world.
The Madonnina Spire or guglia del tiburio (“lantern spire“), one of the main features of the Cathedral, was erected in 1762 at the height of 108.5 m (356 ft), as designed by Francesco Croce. At the top of the spire is the polychrome Madonnina Statue, designed and built by Carlo Pellicani in 1774, during the episcopacy of Bishop Giuseppe Pozzobonelli who supported the idea to place the Madonnina at the top of the Cathedral, By tradition, no building in Milan may be higher than the Madonnina.
The first Church thought to occupy the location was built by Saint Ambrose, although there is an old baptistery which was constructed in about 335. The good Abbot appears to have been incorrect in dating the Cathedral from 1388, as there is a plate attached to a stone on the Church which states: “El Principio del Duomo di Milano Nel Anno 1386.”
St Ambrose barring Theodocius from Milan Cathedral
The Milan Cathedral houses a Holy Nail which was used to Crucify Christ. It is marked by a tiny red light located in the dome above the apse. There are more Statues on this Cathedral than any other in the world, 3159 in total. 2245 of these are on the exterior together with 96 gargoyles and 135 spires. It is said that if the Statues were placed on top of each other, they would reach a height of about 5,300 meters (3.3 miles).
The Cathedral is 158.5 meters (520 feet) long, 92 meters (302 feet) wide. It has a cruciform plan in the form of a Latin cross that covers nearly 12,000 square meters. 40,000 people can fit comfortably within. Its construction was up five naves, a central and two lateral on each side, resting on 40 columns of 24.50 meters (80 feet) each.
Access to the Cathedral is made through five large bronze doors from Piazza Duomo. The central one [pic. below] is the oldest and was created in the nineteenth century by Ludovico Pogliaghi.
After exploring the inside, visitors can pay a small fee to take a fascinating trip to the Duomo’s roof via steps or elevator. It is an amazing experience to walk among the forest of spires and the view from the roof is unmatched. On a clear day you can see as far as the Alps and Apennines.
St Amandus of Limoges St Ambrose of Cahors Bl Anicet Koplinski Bl Augustine Thevarparampil St Balderic St Baldwin St Bertrand of Comminges St Bolonia St Conogon of Quimper St Dulcidius of Agen St Eliphius of Toul St Eremberta of Wierre St Florentinus of Trier
Bl Gerald of Fossanuova St Hedwig of Andechs (1174-1243) Mother, Widow, High Duchess of Poland Bl Jesús Villaverde Andrés Bl Józef Jankowski St Junian St Lull St Magnobodus of Angers
St Martinian of Mauretania St Mummolinus St Saturian of Mauretania St Silvanus of Ahun St Victor of Cologne St Vitalis of Noirmoutier — Martyrs in Africa – 220 saints: A group of 220 Christians martyrs about whom we know nothing but that they died for their faith.
Martyrs of North Africa – 365 saints: A group of 365 Christians who were martyred together in the persecutions of the Vandal king Genseric. The only details that have survived are the names of two of the martyrs – Nereus and Saturninus. 450 in North Africa.
Saint of the Day – 15 October – Saint Aurelia of Strasbourg (Died 1027) Virgin Recluse, Princess Died on 15 October 1027 at Regensburg, Gemany of natural causes. Aurelia’s name means – “she who shines like gold,.” Patronage – against fever. Also known as – Aurelia of Ratisbon, Aurelia of Regensburg.
Aurelia was a Princess of the Hugo Capet family, who fled to Alsace to escape from marriage and lived as a Recluse. Only Bishop Wolfgang of Ratisbon knew of her hermitage and he cared for her spiritual and material welfare.
Royal documents from the 10th century validate the existence of a Church built over the crypt in which the tomb of Saint Aurelia was situated. The Church was dedicated to Aurelia and her tomb was highly revered by the faithful, during the Middle Ages. Aurelia was invoked particularly for help in cases of fever.
After the Protestant Reformation, the aforementioned Church passed into the hands of the Lutherans, who in 1524 desecrated the Saint’s tomb and disposed of the relics but without succeeding in eliminating the cult that remains alive to this day.
Virgen de los Remedios / Virgin of the Remedies, Rubite, Granada, Spain (12th Century) – 15 October:
The Virgin of Los Remedios is the title of the Virgin Mary which was promoted by the Trinitarian Order, founded in the late 12th century. The devotion became tied to the re-conquest of Spain, then still at its height. In the following century it spread to other parts of Europe. When Spain began the exploration and conquest of the Americas, it was a favourite devotion of the Spanish conquistadores. It remains a popular devotion in Spain. Patronages – Diocese of San Cristóbal de La Laguna, the island of Tenerife, and the city of Cali, Colombia.
This Statue of the Virgin of Los Remedios, is kept in the Cathedral of the Diocese of San Cristóbal de La Laguna (Tenerife, Spain)
St Antiochus of Lyon St Aurelia of Strasbourg (Died 1027) Virgin Recluse, Princess St Callistus of Huesca St Cannatus of Marseilles Bl Cipriano Alguacil Torredenaida St Euthymius the Younger Bl Josefa Martínez Pérez St Leonard of Vandoeuvre Bl Narcis Basté y Basté Bl Pere Verdaguer Saurina Bl Ramón Esteban Bou Pascual St Sabinus of Catania St Severus of Trier
St Willa of Nonnberg — Martyrs of Cologne: A group of 360 Christian soldiers martyred together in the persecutions of Diocletian and Maximian. They were martyred in 303 outside the city walls of Cologne, Germany.
Martyred in the Spanish Civil War: • Blessed Cipriano Alguacil Torredenaida • Blessed Josefa Martínez Pérez • Blessed Narcis Basté y Basté • Blessed Pere Verdaguer Saurina • Blessed Ramón Esteban Bou Pascual
Saint of the Day – 14 October – Saint Angadrisma of Beauvais (Died c 615) Virgin, Abbess, miracle-worker. Born in c 615 in the Diocese of Thérouanne, France and died in c 696 at the Oroër-des-Vierge Abbey, Beauvais, France of natural causes. Patronages – against drought, against fire, against natural disasters, against slander, of Beauvais, France, City of and of the Diocese of Beauvais-Noyon-Senlis. Also known as – Andragasyna, Angadreme, Angadresima, Angadrême, Angradesma.
The Roman Martyrology states today : “Near Beauvais in Neustria, now in France, Saint Angadrisma, Abbess of the Monastery founded by Saint Brolph and called the Oratory because she had several places of prayer, in which she ceaselessly served the Lord.”
Angadrisma lived in the Diocese of Thérouanne in northern France. She was the daughter of Robert I, Bishop of Tours and a cousin to Lambert, the Bishop of Lyons.
Her education was profoundly influenced by St Homer, Bishop of the Diocese and by her cousin, St Lambert, who at that time was a Monk in Fontanelle.
It was probably their influence that supported the girl in her desire to become a nun, and which encouraged her, at a young age, to make a private vow of her Virginity. she was, however, promised in an arranged marriage, to St Ansbert of Chaussy. To avoid the wedding, Angadrisma prayed fervently that she would become physically repellent. Her prayers were answered when she afflicted with leprosy.
The young gentleman, Ansbert, later became the Bishop of Rouen, married another person and Angadrisma was free to receive the religious habit from the hands of St Ouen, the Archbishop of Rouen; from that day her illness disappeared. She became Abbess of the Benedictine Convent of Oroër-des-Vierges, near Beauvais.
Many miracles are attributed to her and she is credited with having extinguished a fire that threatened to destroy the Convent . She led the sisters in prayer, holding aloft the relics of the holy Founder St Ebrulf of Ouche.
When the Convent was destroyed by the Normans in 851, the Saint’s relics were transferred to the Church of St Michele in the City. During the French Revolution they were again moved and placed in the Cathedral of Beauvais, which is a spectacular building, see below.
Saint Fortunatus of Todi (Died 537) Bishop, Confessor, miracle-worker. An entry in the Roman Martyrology under 14 October records: “At Todi in Umbria, St Fortunatus, Bishop, who, as is mentioned by blessed Gregory, was endowed with an extraordinary gift for casting out unclean spirits.” About St Fortunatus: https://anastpaul.com/2020/10/14/saint-of-the-day-14-october-saint-fortunatus-of-todi-died-537/
St Franciszek Roslaniec St Gaudentius of Rimini St Gundisalvus of Lagos Bl Jacques Laigneau de Langellerie St Lupulo of Capua St Lupus of Caesarea St Manacca St Manehildis St Modesto of Capua Bl Richard Creagh
St Rusticus of Trier St Saturninus of Caesarea St Stanislaw Mysakowski St Venanzio of Luni — Martyrs of Caesarea – (4 saints): Three brothers and a sister martyred together in the persecutions of Diocletian – Carponius, Evaristus, Fortunata and Priscian. In 303 in Caesarea, Cappadocia (in modern Turkey) – their relics enshrined in Naples, Italy.
Martyred in the Spanish Civil War: • Blessed Ana María Aranda Riera • Blessed Jacques Laigneau de Langellerie
Saint of the Day – 13 October – Saint Lubentius (Died 370) Priest, Missionary, Disciple of St Martin of Tours and St Maximinus of Trier. Patronage – sailors on the River Lahn. Also known as – Lubencio, Lubenzio, Lubin.
Lubentius was delivered by his parents when a small child, to St Martin of Tours, to educate him. St Martin Baptised him and treated him as a son. Martin later sent him to Bishop St Maximinus of Trier in Germany, to be educated for the priesthood. When Lubentius came of canonical age, Maximin Ordained him Priest.
He worked as a Parish Priest in Kobern. In 349, St Maximin us died while visiting relatives in Acquitaine. His successor, St Paulinus of Trier, sent Lubentius to retrieve the Saint’s body. Lubentius travelled to Acquitaine and after diligent search, discovered the Church where St Maximinus’ body had been buried. He and his companions, obtained the keys to the Church from the sleeping custodian and made off with the body, bringing it back to Trier.
According to the records of the 12th century, he worked as a Missionary along the Lahn river and founded a famous Church at Dietkirchen.
He died in Kobern. His body was interred in the collegiate Church of Saint Lubentius in Dietkirchen, Limburg, Germany. Some relics were granted to Kell, Andernach, Germany, some relics to Lahnstein, Germany and also to Trier, Germany.
Bust containing the relics of St Lubertius at the Church he built in Dietkirchen.
St Lubentius Church on a rock outcrop above the river Lahn
Our Lady of Fatima: The Sixth & Final Apparition & the Miracle of the Sun (1917) 13 October (104th Anniversary +2021)
The Day the Sun Danced… The Miracle of the Sun which occurred miraculously on 13 October 1917, attended by a large crowd who had gathered in Fátima, Portugal, in response to a prophecy made by three shepherd children, Lúcia Santos and Francisco and Jacinta Marto. The prophecy was that the Virgin Mary (referred to as Our Lady of Fátima), would appear and perform miracles on that date. Newspapers published testimony from witnesses who said that they had seen extraordinary solar activity, such as the Sun appearing to “dance” or zig-zag in the sky, careen towards the Earth, or emit multicolored light and radiant colours. According to these reports, the event lasted approximately ten minutes.
The local Bishop opened a canonical investigation of the event in November 1917, to review witness accounts and assess whether the private revelations from Mary were compatible with Catholic doctrine. The local Priest conducting the investigation was particularly convinced by the concurring testimony of the extraordinary solar phenomena, received from secular reporters, government officials and other skeptics in attendance. Bishop José da Silva declared the miracle “worthy of belief” on 13 October 1930, permitting “officially the cult of Our Lady of Fatima” within the Catholic Church.
At a gathering on 13 October 1951 at Fátima, the Papal Legate, Cardinal Federico Tedeschini, told the million people attending, that on 30 October, 31 October, 1 November and 8 November 1950, Pope Pius XII himself witnessed the miracle of the Sun from the Vatican gardens.
St Maurice of Carnoet St Regimbald of Speyer St Romulus of Genoa St Simbert of Augsburg St Theophilus of Antioch St Venantius — Three Crowns of Cordoba – (3 saints): Three Christian men martyred in the persecutions of Diocletian – Faustus, Januarius and Martial. They were burned to death in 304 in Cordoba, Spain.
Martyred in the Spanish Civil War: • Blessed Àngel Presta Batllé • Blessed ángel Ramos Velázquez • Blessed Antonio Ayet Canós • Blessed Ruperto García Arce • Blessed Salustiano González Crespo • Blessed Tomás Pallarés Ibáñez • Blessed Francesc Mitjá i Mitjá • Blessed Herminio Motos Torrecillas • Blessed Joan Puig Serra
Quote/s of the Day – 12 October – “Month of the Holy Rosary” and the Memorial of St Serafino of Montegranaro OFM Cap (1540-1604)
“Be constant in secret prayers which God, Who indeed sees in secret, rewards in the open. Hold fast to this exercise of a most excellent way of life. that you may find hidden treasure in the day of need.”
St Basil the Great (329-379) Father and Doctor of the Church
“I have nothing, just a Crucifix and a Rosary but with these, I hope to benefit the Friars and become a Saint.”
Said by St Serafino upon entering the Novitiate
“… [I] resolved to recite a Rosary for anyone who caused me trouble. Then I heard the voice from the Tabernacle say, ‘Your prayers for those who mortify you, are very pleasing to Me. In exchange, I am ready to grant you many graces.‘”
Saint Serafino prayed each day:
“Holy Mother, pierce me through, In my heart each wound renew Of my Saviour Crucified.”
Saint of the Day – 12 October – St Serafino of Montegranaro OFM Cap (1540-1604) Franciscan Capuchin Lay Friar, Confessor, gifted with the charism of prophecy, mystic, Apostle of the poor, spiritual advisor, devoted to the Blessed Sacrament, the Holy Rosary and to the Blessed Virgin Mary, wonder-worker . Born as Felice Rapagnano in1540 at Montegranaro, Italy and died on 12 October 1604 at Ascoli Piceno, Italy of natural causes. Also known as – Serafino of Ascoli Piceno, Serafinus, Seraphim, Seraphin. Felix, Felice.
The Roman Martyrology states: “At Ascoli, St Seraphinus, Confessor, of the Order of Minorite Capuchins, distinguished by holiness of life and humility. Hre was enrolled among the Saints by the Sovereign Pontiff Clement XIII.”
Born Felice (Felix) Rapagnano at Montegranaro, then in the March of Fermo, he was the second of four children of poor but pious parents, Gerolamo Rapagnano and Teodora Giovannuzzi. His father was a mason. Because of their poverty, the family depended on the productivity of all of its members. The eldest son, Silenzio, followed in his father’s footsteps as a mason. The slighter and less manually adept Felix, was hired out to a local farmer as a shepherd. Felix enjoyed shepherding since it afforded him time for prayer. Even at an early age, he had an inclination toward silence, seclusion and prayer. When their father died, however, he was summoned home. His brother understood that Felix lacked the skills of a mason but hoped to use him as an unskilled laborer. All attempts proved futile. Felix could not even learn how to slake lime. He did learn, however, to put up with the physical and emotional abuse heaped upon him by his irascible brother.
Felix kept in mind stories he had heard about the desert ascetics and of their fasting and penances and dreamed of becoming like them. He confided in a friend, Luisa Vannucci from Loro Piceno, who encouraged him to enter religious life. She specifically mentioned the Capuchins because she was familiar with these Friars and with their reputation for virtue. Immediately, he left for Tolentino and presented himself to the Capuchin Provincial, expecting to be admitted that very day. But such was not the Capuchin custom. Instead, he was sent home, in all likelihood because of his age, he was just eighteen and fragile condition. In 1556, he repeated his request to the Prior Provincial, who this time accepted him and sent him to the Novitiate of the Province at Jesi.
After he completed a year of probation, Felix received the religious name of Serafino (meaning “seraph” or “celestial being or the burning one”). Upon entering the Order, he remarked, “I have nothing, just a Crucifix and a Rosary but with these, I hope to benefit the Friars and become a Saint.” Serafino was distinguished from the first, by his unaffected simplicity, mortification and obedience, as well as a great charity towards the poor. He had a special devotion to the Blessed Sacrament and to the Blessed Virgin. He was assigned to serve variously as a porter or questor at various Friaries throughout the March but most of his religious life was spent at Ascoli Piceno.
Serafino’s physical appearance was described as that of a peasant – hair always rumpled, clumsy at manual tasks and mainly illiterate. But his holiness was recognised by many. At times, he was discouraged by the ridicule of his Capuchin brothers. He would regain his composure through prayer. He explained, “When I entered religious life I was a poor, unskilled labourer, lacking both talent and potential. I remained as I was and this caused so many humiliations and rebukes, which the devil used as opportunities to tempt me to leave religious life and retreat to some desert, withdrawing into myself. I entrusted myself to the Lord and, one night I heard a voice coming from the Tabernacle say, ‘To serve God you must die to yourself and accept adversity, of whatever type.’ So I accepted them and resolved to recite a Rosary for anyone who caused me trouble. Then I heard the voice from the Tabernacle say, ‘Your prayers for those who mortify you are very pleasing to me. In exchange, I am ready to grant you many graces.‘”
A Capuchin custom was to keep rooms near the Porter’s Office available for the use of travelLers and pilgrims. At whatever hour of the night, Serafino would answer the door. Many recounted that, after the City gates had been closed for the night, they had sought refuge at the Capuchin Friary, which were usually located outside the City walls and that they had been welcomed warmly by Serafino. He spent entire nights in Church. Friars testified that, after everyone else had gone to bed, they would often hear him walking toward the Church to spend the night in adoration before the Blessed Sacrament. There he was heard praying, “Peace, Lord, I ask peace for so-and-so.” He once confided that the reason he spent so much of the night before the Tabernacle was because, in his room, he was greatly tempted against chastity, even in his old age.
Memories agree, that Serafino was endowed with the gift of reading the secrets of hearts and with that of miracles and prophecy. Although unlettered, Serafino’s advice was sought by secular and ecclesiastical dignitaries. His reputation reached as far as the Dukes of Bavaria and Parma, the nobles of Bologna and Cardinal Ottavio Bandini. The Bishop of Ascoli, the eminent theologian Cardinal Girolamo Bernerio, also sought out his advice.
Serafino was austere in his person. Only once in his life did he accept a new religious habit and then, only out of obedience. For forty continuous years, he ate only soup or salad. In keeping with the spirituality prevalent at the time, Serafino had a personal devotion of serving as many Masses as possible. To avoid having people kiss his hand or tunic to show their respect, he would carry a Crucifix with him, offering it for them to kiss instead.
However, Serafino was also endowed with a great sense of humour. Once, a woman asked him if she would give birth to a boy or a girl. He attempted to avoid answering. But the woman insisted, saying, “How shall I know what name to choose?” Chuckling, Serafino responded, “As far as that goes, choose Ursula and Companions,” indicating that throughout her life the woman would give birth to a succession of girls.
Even before Serafino’s burial in 1604, his first biographer put pen to paper. He was Canonised by Pope Clement XIII on 16 July 1767. Pope Clement Canonised Serafino together with John Cantius, Joseph Calasanz, Joseph of Cupertino, Jerome Emiliani and Jane Frances de Chantal. In the Papal Bull of Canonisation, the illiterate and physically clumsy Capuchin was acclaimed as a person who “knew how to read and understand the great book of life which is our Saviour, Jesus Christ. For that reason, he deserves to be listed among Christ’s principal disciples.”
Serafino’s tomb is in the Capuchin friary at Ascoli Piceno. A Church at San Lorenzo Nuovo is dedicated to him.
Serafino was in love with the mystery of Christ and of Our Lady. He was enthralled to meditate on them and would go into ecstasy. He would have liked to be in the fraternity at Loreto or in Rome to be able to serve as many Masses as possible each day. This was the source of his zeal – to work with Christ to save souls. He was remembered and venerated – for his brief and penetrating spiritual exhortations; for his extremely fruitful vocational apostolate; for his veneration for priests; for his compassion for the sick, the troubled and the poor; for his courageous commitment to make peace in society and in families; for his missionary enthusiasm and his desire for martyrdom. Although he was almost illiterate he could speak about the things of God with extraordinary ability and unction. When he was obliged, by obedience, to give a sermon in the refectory, his words in commenting on the psalm Qui habitat in adiutorio Altissimi, or the sequence Stabat Mater dolorosa were so full of feeling that he used to reduce everyone to tears. Dear holy Saint Serafino, pray for us all!
Virgen de Zapopan / Our Lady of Zapopan, Zapopan, Jalisco, Mexico, (1541) – 18 January, 12 October:
Today the village of Zapopan is a quiet little place not many miles from Guadalajara, reached by an excellent highway. Its tranquility and religious atmosphere must be a far cry from pre-Conquest times, when it was a feudal district and tributary of the powerful King of Tonala. In those days the Indians of the district worshiped an idol called Teopintzintl, “The Child God,” to which they offered gifts of hare and partridge. When the kingdom of Tonala bowed to Nuno de Guzman in 1530, Zapopan came under Spanish dominion. The Indian Queen, Chihuapili Tzapotzinco, ordered all the chieftains under her rule, to render their obedience to the Spanish Crown and in March of 1530 the Governor of Atemajac, under whose jurisdiction lay Zapopan, complied with this order. The Mixton War of 1541, however, depopulated the district and the Commander of Tlaltenango, Francisco de Bobadilla, obtained the Viceroy’s permission to repopulate Zapopan with Indians from Tlaltenango, thus lessening the chance of another uprising.
On the eighth of December, 1541, the people of Zapopan was resettled in accordance with the agreement, and on that day, the Franciscan Fray Antonio de Segovia, gave to the newly settled colony, a small image of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception. For ten years it had accompanied him on his apostolic journeys. In fact, only a short while before, while the Mixton War was still in progress, Fray Antonio, with his missionary companion Fray Miguel de Bolonia, had gone among the warring Indians, the image about his neck, exhorting them to make peace with the Spaniards. It is related that while Fray Antonio was preaching, the Indians saw luminous rays issuing from the image of Our Lady, and that this fact, as much as his preaching, caused them to stop fighting. In thirty-six hours Fray Antonio de Segovia brought to the Viceroy for pardon, more than six thousand Indians, who had laid down their arms. From that time Fray Antonio called the image La Pacificadora, “She Who Makes Peace.”
The image is made of paste – pieces of cornstalk, smoothed and cemented together with glue. It is little more than 30 centimetres in height and represents the Virgin Mary under her title of the Immaculate Conception. The hands, joined before the breast, are of wood. The original sculpture donated by Fray Antonio de Segovia consisted only of the upper half, it is believed, the lower section having been added at a later date. As the lower half is not in proportion to the upper, the reconstruction gives a stunted effect to the image. However, nowadays the Statue is always covered with rich vestments of fabric, the disproportion is not apparent.
In its sculptured form, the Statue represents Our Lady standing with her feet upon a rudely formed crescent moon. She wears a red tunic and a dark blue mantle outlined in gold. One may find much to be desired in the image, considered as a work of art. Yet we must remember that it has the honour of being the first image of the Virgin Mary venerated in the State of Jalisco and that it has seen the Church, in that part of Mexico, grow from the tiniest seed to the great, many-branched tree of the present-day Catholic Faith. Furthermore, for over four centuries, Our Lady of Zapopan has been a constant channel of heavenly favours to the people of Jalisco. A beautiful Church has bee built to house and enshrine her and it remains a vital source of devotion and pilgrimage. Our Lady under this title is celebrated on 18 January and 12 October.
St Amelius of Mortara St Amicus of Mortara
St Carlo Acutis (1991-2006) Aged 15 Layman
St Cyprian St Domnina of Anazarbus St Edisto St Edistius of Ravenna
Martyred in the Spanish Civil War: • Blessed Bartolomé Caparrós García • Blessed Eufrasio of the Child Jesus • Blessed José González Huguet • Blessed Pedro Salcedo Puchades • Blessed Rafael Lluch Garín
Saint of the Day – 11 October – Saint Gummarus (717-774) Lay Hermit, Confessor, Soldier, Courtier, Married. Born in 717 at Brabant, Belgium and died in 774 of natural causes. Patronages – childless people, courtiers, cowherds, difficult marriages, glove makers, hernia sufferers, separated spouses, woodcutters. Also known as – Gommarus of Lier, Gomer, Gommaire, Guntmar, Gummar, Gommar.
Gummarus was a native of a noble family of Emblehem, referring to an area including Lier and not just the Town of Emblem, in Brabant and a relative of King Pepin the Younger, who called him to his Court and entrusted him with important offices. The King arranged a marriage between Gummarus and a wealthy noblewoman named Guinmarie, who was extravagant and haughty. His wife appears to have been shrewish, as well as abusive to their household servants in his absence. They had no children.
Gummarus accompanied Pepin on a number of military campaigns and spent eight years in the field. Upon his return from military campaigns, Gummarus tried to reconcile with his wife and remedy the injustices she had laid upon the people in their service. That he might have a place of quiet and retirement and in order to attend his private devotions, he built a Chapel called Nivesdunc.
Gummarus and his wife eventually separated. He became a Hermit at Nivesdunc and the Town of Lier, Belgium grew up around the site of the hermitage and where, with Saint Rumbold of Mechelen he founded an Abbey. Gummarus died at his Abbey in 774. In 815 he was recognised as a Saint.
Saint Rumbold ands Saint Gummarus, at the Cathedral of Mechelen
The site of his hermitage is now St Peter’s Chapel. The Church of St Gummarus was built in Brabant in 1378. Every year on the first Sunday after 11 October, the City of Lier, holds the St Gummarus Fair, which includes a procession in which the Saint’s relics are carried through the streets of Lier.
The Reliquary enshrined at St Gummarus Church in Lier
Feast of the Divine Maternity – Second Sunday in October or 11 October:
The object of this feast is to commemorate the dignity of the Mary as Mother of God. Mary is truly the Mother of Christ, who in One Person unites the Human and Divine Nature. This title was solemnly ratified by the Council of Ephesus on 22 June, 431. It was long celebrated in Portugal, where the Maternity of Our Lady was declared a feast on 22 January in 1751, at the request of King Joseph Manuel. The feast, granted to the Dioceses of Portugal, Brazil, and Algeria, was assigned to the first Sunday in May. In the following year it was extended to the Province of Venice; in 1778, to the Kingdom of Naples; in 1807, to Tuscany. It was finally instituted in 1931 by Pope Pius XI in view of the fifteenth Centenary of the Council of Ephesus. At the same time the Pope ordered, at his own cost, the restoration of the Marian mosaics in Saint Mary Major, much decayed through age. He issued an encyclical letter, “Lux veritatis.”In this, among the objects of the new festival, is named one truth that was particularly close to the heart of Pius XI, “…that Mary, who is loved and revered so warmly by the separated Christians of the East, would not suffer them to wander and be unhappily led further away from the unity of the Church and, therefore, from her Son, whose Vicar on earth we are.” At present the feast is not found in the Universal Calendar of the Church but nearly all Diocesan calendars have adopted it.
St Alexander Sauli CRSP (1534-1592) Bishop “The Apostle of Corsica,” Clerk Regular of the Congregation of Saint Paul (The Barnabites) – St Alexander is referred to as “The Second Founder,” Missionary, Writer, Teacher of philosophy and theology at the University of Pavia, Reformer, Evangeliser, Confessor, Superior-General of the Barnabites in 1565. In addition, St Alexander Sauli was both friend, advisor and spiritual comfort to St Charles Borromeo, who held him in very high esteem. His Life: https://anastpaul.com/2020/10/11/saint-of-the-day-11-october-saint-alexander-sauli-crsp-1534-1592/
St Anastasius V St Anastasius the Apocrisarius St Andronicus of Ephesus St Andronicus the Soldier St Ansilio St Bruno the Great St Canice St Digna of Sicily St Dionisio de Santarem St Emilian of Rennes St Ethelburgh of Barking St Eufridus St Firminus of Uzes St Germanus of Besancon St Gratus of Oloron St Guiadenzio of Gniezno St Gummarus (717-774) Lay Hermit Bl James Grissinger St Juliana of Pavilly
St Nectarius of Constantinople St Phêrô Lê Tùy St Philip the Deacon St Philonilla St Placid St Placidia St Probus of Side St Santino of Verdun St Sarmata St Taracus of Cladiopolis St Zenaides — Martyrs of Vilcassin – 4 saints: Four Christians who were martyred together. We know little more than the names – Nicasius, Pienza, Quirinus and Scubicolus. Their martyrdom occurred in Vexin Lugdunense territory of Gaul (modern Vilcassin, France), date unknown.
Saint of the Day – 10 October – Saint John of Bridlington OSA (1319-1379) Priest, Prior, miracle-worker. In his lifetime he enjoyed a reputation for great holiness and for miraculous powers. John was commended for the integrity of his life, his scholarship , his humility and his quiet generosity. Born in 1319 at Thwing (near Bridlington), Yorkshire, England and died on 10 October 1379 of natural causes. Also known as – John Thwing, John of Thwing, John Twenge, John Thwing of Bridlington. Additional Memorial – 9 October among the Augustinian Canons Regular, 21 October on some calendars.
The Roman Martyrology states: “In Bridlington in England, St John, a Priest, who, Prior of the Monastery of the Canons Regular of St Augustine, shone with prayer, austerity and meekness.“
Born in 1320 in the village of Thwing on the Yorkshire Wolds, about nine miles west of Bridlington, he was of the Yorkshire family Twenge, which during the English Reformation would supply two Roman Catholic Priest-martyrs and was also instrumental in establishing the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary at Bar Convent, York.
John was educated at a school in the village from the age of five, completing his studies at Oxford University. He then entered the Augustinian Canons Regular community of Bridlington Priory. He carried out his duties with humility and diligence, and was in turn Novice Master, almsgiver, preacher and sub-prior. He became Canon of the Priory in 1346 and was eventually elected Prior in 1356. John initially declined out of humility but after being re-elected, probably in 1361, he took on the duties of Prior in January 1362. He served as Prior for 17 years before his death on 10 October 1379.
In his lifetime he enjoyed a reputation for great holiness and for miraculous powers. On one occasion he changed water into wine. On another, five seamen from Hartlepool in danger of shipwreck called upon God in the name of His servant, John of Bridlington, whereupon the Prior himself appeared to them in his Canonical habit and brought them safely to shore. The men left their vessel at the harbour and walked to the Monastery where they thanked John in person for saving their lives.
“The Vision of William Staunton,” recounts William’s visit to St Patrick’s Purgatory where he sees both purgatory and the earthly paradise and is conducted through the otherworld by St John of Bridlington and St Ive.
After his death from natural causes, the fame of the miracles brought by his intercession, spread rapidly through the land. Alexander Neville, Archbishop of York, charged his suffragans and others, to take evidence with a view to his Canonisation. Richard le Scrope, Archbishop of York, assisted by the Bishops of Durham and Carlisle, officiated at a solemn translation of his body on 11 March 1401. Pope, Boniface IX, shortly afterwards Canonised him. The Canonisation had been lost but the original Bull was unearthed in the Vatican archives by T A Twemlow, who was engaged in research work there for the British government.
At the English Reformation, Henry VIII was asked to spare the magnificent Shrine of the Saint but it was destroyed in 1537. The nave of the Church, restored in 1857, is all that now remains of Bridlington Priory.
Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time
La Naval de Manila / Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary , Quezon City, Philippines (1593) – Second Sunday of October: Also known as Nuestra Señora del Santísimo Rosario / The Grand Lady of the Philippines.
In 1593, the Governor General of the Philippines commissioned a Statue of Our Lady of the Rosary for the Dominican Church in Manila. A un-named Chinese sculptor carved the hardwood body and ivory hands and face, which has Asian features. About 4’8″ tall, the image is dressed in cloth of gold, with a crown and a halo of 24 stars and adorned with precious donated jewels. Our Lady holds the Child Jesus with her left hand and a Rosary with her right. The title “La Naval” refers to Our Lady’s help in the naval battles of Lepanto in 1571 and Manila in 1646, when a small Catholic fleet repeatedly repelled Dutch invaders. The Catholic Church in Manila first celebrated the feast of “La Naval” on 8 October 1646. Pope Pius X’s Apostolic Delegate crowned the Statue on 5 October 1907. Pope Pius XII also sent an Apostolic Letter on the occasion of the tricentenary of the Battle of La Naval de Manila on 31 July 1946. The Japanese bombing of 27 December 1941 destroyed the Church of Santo Domingo in Manila’s old walled city. Hidden for safekeeping, the holy Statue moved in 1954 to its present location in the Santo Domingo Shrine in Quezon City.
In 1646, naval forces of the Dutch Republic made several repeated attempts to conquer the Philippines in a bid to control trade in Asia. The combined Spanish and Filipino forces who fought, requested the intercession of the Virgin through the Statue prior to battle. They were urged to place themselves under the protection of Our Lady of the Rosary and to pray the Rosary repeatedly. They went on to rebuff the continued attacks by the superior Dutch fleet, engaging in five major battles at sea and losing only fifteen members of the Spanish Navy. After the Dutch retreat, in fulfillment of their vow, the survivors walked barefoot to the Shrine in gratitude to the Virgin. Later, on 9 April 1662, the Cathedral chapter of the Archdiocese of Manila declared the naval victory a miraculous event owed to the intercession of the Virgin Mary, declaring:
“Granted by the Sovereign Lord through the intercession of the Most Holy Virgin and devotion to her Rosary, that the miracles be celebrated, preached and held in festivities and to be recounted amongst the miracles wrought by the Lady of the Rosary, for the greater devotion of the faithful to Our Most Blessed Virgin Mary and Her Holy Rosary.“
St Cassius St Cerbonius of Populonia St Cerbonius of Verona St Clarus of Nantes Bl Demestrius of Albania Bl Edward Detkens St Eulampia St Eulampius St Florentius the Martyr St Fulk of Fontenelle St Gereon St Gundisalvus Bl Hugh of Macon St John of Bridlington OSA (1319-1379) Priest, Prior of the Monastery of the Canons Regular of St Augustine. Bl Leon Wetmanski St Maharsapor the Persian St Malo the Martyr St Patrician St Paulinus of Capua
Bl Pedro de Alcantara de Forton de Cascajares St Pinytus of Crete Bl Pontius de Barellis St Tanca St Teodechilde St Victor of Xanten
Martyrs of Ceuta – 7 beati: A group of seven Franciscan Friars Minor missionaries to Muslims in the Ceuta area of modern Morocco. Initially treated as madmen, within three weeks they were ordered to convert to Islam and when they would not they were first abused in the streets, then arrested, tortured and executed. • Angelo • Daniele di Calabria • Donnolo • Hugolinus • Leone • Nicola • Samuele They were beheaded in 1227 in Mauritania Tingitana (Ceuta, Morocco). Local Christians secreted the bodies away and gave them proper burial in Ceuta. They were Beatified in 1516 by Pope Leo X.
Saint of the Day – 9 October – Saint Donnino of Città di Castello (Died 610) Lay Hermit Also known as – Donino. Patronages – of Città di Castello together with Saint Flordio and Saint Amanzio, against arthritis, epilepsy, against rabid dog attacks
The Roman Martyrology states: “In Città di Castello in Umbria, St. Donnino, a hermit.”
Donnino collaborated with the Bishop Florido and the Priest Amanzio in the reconstruction of Città di Castello (then Castrum Felicitatis) after the destruction suffered during the Greek-Gothic war.
Hagiographies written of him in the 17th and 18th centuries recall his devotion and zeal. On the death of Bishop Florido (599 or 600) and of St Amanzio, shortly after, Donnino abandoned public life to retire to live in the hermitic solitude at the Rubbiano locality. He then moved to a second hermitage, closer to Città di Castello, today called Villa San Donino. Here he lived on wild herbs and spent his time in prayer and in the company of a dog. The saintly hermit died on 9 October 610.
During the years of the Donnino’s life the news of his presence, his holiness and spiritual gifts spread rapidly and large crowds began to visit him. Donino became their spiritual guide and an intercessor with God.
His body is now preserved inside an urn placed in the Church of Saint Donnino. Another place linked to the memory of this Saint is near Rubbiano, where there are some boulders and a miraculous spring where pilgrims pray for cures especially from arthritis and epilepsy.
Although a layman, Donino was in the past depicted with priestly vestments and the chalice and next to a small dog. The oldest representation is contained in the embossed and chiselled silver frontal donated by Pope Celestine II to the Cathedral of Città di Castello in 1144, where Donino is depicted together with the Saints Florido and Amanzio. His relics were subjected to canonical recognition in the years 1543, 1791 and 1869.
AnaStpaul 
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