Saint of the Day – 2 June – Saint Photinus of Lyons (c87-177) & Companions the First Bishop of Lyons, Martyr . Name means: the sweet one / the lovely one (Greek). Patronages – of the Archdiocese of Lyons and of the City of Lyons. Also known as – Pothin, Pothinus, Potino, Potinus.
The Roman Martyrology reads today: “At Lyons, many holy Martyrs (Photinus, the Bishop, Sanctus, the Deacond, Vetius, Epagathus, Maturus, Pontictus, Biblis, Attalus, Alexander and Blandina, with many others, whose many valiant combats in the time of Marcus Aurelius are recorded in a letter from the Church at Lyons to the Churches of Asia and Phrygia. …”
According to St Irenaeus, Photinus was born around the year 87, probably at Smyrna. He was a disciple of St Polycarp, the Apostolic Father and Martyr Bishop of Smyrna and accompanied him to Rome in 158.
St Pope Anicletus sent him to evangelise the Gauls. Photinus established himself at Lyons and founded there a flourishing Church, over which he presided for almost twenty years. In asserting his own authority as bishop of Lyons, St Irenaeus says that Pothinus had been his predecessor in the position and the first Bishop of that City.
By 177, a large number of the Christians in the area of Vienne and Lyons were Greeks from Asia. A violent persecution began against them while Photinus was the Bishop of Lyons and St Irenæus, who had been sent there by St Polycarp, was a Priest of that City.
Photinus died at the age of ninety, in 177, Martyred along with Alexander, Attalus, Espagathus, Maturus and Sanctius, during the tenure of Emperor Marcus Aurelius. Pothinus and several companions were seized by a mob and taken to the magistrate. Pothinus is believed to have died from the abuse he suffered in prison, while the others were killed by wild beasts in the local amphitheatre.
St Eusebius of Caesarea also reports on the number and nature of the battles for the Faith in Gaul. The Martyrology of St Jerome reports a total of 48 Martyrs.
St Ada of Ethiopia St Adalgis of Thiérarche St Armin of Egypt Venerated in Egypt but we have no information about him. St Barbarinus St Blandina the Slave St Bodfan of Wales St Daminh Ninh Bl Demetrios of Philadelphia St Dorotheus of Rome
St Evasius – Martyr. No other information has survived
Bl Giovanni de Barthulono
St Guido of Acqui (c 1004-1070) Bishop of Acqu in north-west Italy from 1034 until his death, zealous Reformer both in the lives of his clergy and his people. He built the Cathedral of Acqui amongst other religious buildings, including a Convent for Nuns. He donated his personal inheritance to the upkeep of the Diocese, the poor and for his building projects. Biography: https://anastpaul.com/2022/06/02/saint-of-the-day-2-june-saint-guido-of-acqui-c-1004-1070-patron-saint-against-famine/
St Photinus of Lyons (c87-177) 7 Companions Bishop Martyr St Rogate Bl Sadoc of Sandomierz St Stephen of Sweden
Martyrs of Lyons and Vienne: A group of 48 Christians from the areas of Vienne and Lyon, France, who were attacked by a pagan mob, arrested and tried for their faith, and murdered in the persecutions of Marcus Aurelius. A letter describing their fate, possibly written by Saint Irenaeus of Lyons, was sent to the churches in the Middle East. Only a few names and details of their lives have survived; some of them have separate entries on this date –
Alexander of Vienne Attalus of Pergamos Biblis of Lyons Blandina the Slave Cominus of Lugdunum Epagathus of Lugdunum Maturus the Novice Photinus of Lyons Ponticus of Lugdunum Sanctius of Vienne Vettius of Lugdunum They were Martyred in assorted ways at various times during the year 177.
Martyrs of Sandomierz: A group of 49 Dominicans, some of whom received the habit from Saint Dominic de Guzman himself. They worked separately and together to bring the faith and establish the Dominican Order in Poland, basing their operations in and around Sandomierz. In 1260 they were all Martyred by the Tartars as they were singing the Salve Regina at Compline; the custom of singing the Salve Regina at the deathbed of Dominicans, stems from this incident. We know a few details about a few of the martyrs, but most survive only as names – Zadok• Andrea, chaplain• James, novice master• Malachi, convent preacherPaul, vicar• Peter, guardian of the garden• Simone, penitentiaryfriarsAbel, Barnabas, Bartholomew, Clemente, Elia, John, Luke, Matthew, Philip deacons• Giuseppe, Joachim, Stefanosub-deacons• Abraham, Basil, Moses, Taddeoclerics• Aaron, Benedict, David, Dominico, Mattia, Mauro, Michele, Onofrio, Timothyprofessed students• Christopher, Donato, Feliciano, Gervasio, Gordian, John, Mark, Medardo, Valentinonovices• Daniele, Isaiah, Macario, Raffaele, Tobialay brothers• Cyril, tailor• Jeremiah, shoemaker, Thomas, organist. They were Martyred in 1260 at Sandomierz, Poland and Beatified on 18 October 1807 by Pope Pius VII (cultus confirmation).
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