Saint Gertrude of Nivelles
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Younger daughter of Saint Pepin of Landen and Saint Ida of Nivelles; sister of Saint Begga of Ardenne. Devoted to her faith from an early age, she turned down a noble marriage to pursue the religious life. Following the death of Pepin in 639, and on the advice of Saint Amand of Maastricht, Ida built a double monastery at Nivelles where both she and her daughter retired. Gertrude became abbess about age 20.
Known for her hospitality to pilgrims and the aid given to Irish missionary monks. Gertrude gave land to Saint Foillan, on which he built the monastery at Fosses, Belgium. She helped Saint Ultan in his evangelization. In 656, Gertrude resigned her office in favour of her niece, Saint Wilfetrudis of Nivelles, and spent the rest of her days studying Scripture and doing penance. Mystic and visionary. Died at the significant age of 33, the age of Our Lord at His death.
The cultus of Saint Gertrude spread widely in the Low Countries, neighbouring regions, and England, and folklore attached to her name. As late as 1822, offerings of gold and silver mice were left at her shrine in Cologne, Germany; mice represented souls in Purgatory, to whom she had a great devotion. Patron of gardeners because fine weather on her feast day meant it was time to begin spring planting. Her patronage of travellers comes from her hospitality to pilgrims. She is invoked as a patroness of those who had recently died, who were popularly supposed to experience a three-day journey to the next world; they spent the first night under the care of Gertrude, and the second under Michael the Archangel.
There is a legend that one day she sent some of her subjects to a distant country, promising that no misfortune would befall them on the journey; when they were on the ocean, a large sea-monster threatened to capsize their ship, but disappeared upon the invocation of Saint Gertrude. In memory of this occurence travellers during the Middle ages drank the so-called "Sinte Geerts Minne" or "Gertrudenminte" before setting out on their journey.
Born
626 at Landen, Belgium
Died
17 March 659 at Nivelles, Belgium of natural causes
Saint Patrick
புனிதர் பேட்ரிக்
அயர்லாந்தின் அப்போஸ்தலர்:
பிறப்பு: கி.பி. 386
பெரிய பிரித்தானியா
இறப்பு: மார்ச் 17, 461
ஏற்கும் சமயம்:
கத்தோலிக்க திருச்சபை
கிழக்கு கத்தோலிக்க திருச்சபைகள்
கிழக்கு மரபுவழி திருச்சபை
ஆங்கிலிக்கம்
லூதரனியம்
முக்கிய திருத்தலங்கள்:
அர்மாக் (Armagh), வட அயர்லாந்து (Northern Ireland),
கிலாஸ்டோன்பரி மடம் (Glastonbury Abbey),
இங்கிலாந்து (England)
நினைவுத் திருவிழா: 17 மார்ச்
பாதுகாவல்:
அயர்லாந்து (Ireland), நைஜீரியா (Nigeria), மொன்செராட் (Montserrat),
பாஸ்டன் (Boston), நியூயார்க் உயர் மறைமாவட்டம் (Archdiocese of New York),
மெல்பேர்ண் உயர் மறைமாவட்டம் (Archdiocese of Melbourne),
பாம்புகளுக்கு எதிராக, பாவ சோதனைக்கு எதிராக, பொறியாளர்கள்.
புனிதர் பேட்ரிக், 5ம் நூற்றாண்டைச் சேர்ந்த ரோமன்-பிரிட்டானியா கிறிஸ்தவ மறைப்பணியாளரும், அயர்லாந்தின் "அர்மாகி'ன்" (Armagh) ஆயராக இருந்தவரும் ஆவார். இவரே அயர்லாந்துக்கு கிறிஸ்தவத்தை கொண்டு வந்தார் என்பர். ஆதலால் இவர் அயர்லாந்தின் திருத்தூதர் என அழைக்கப்படுகின்றார். புனிதர் “கொலம்பா” (Columba) மற்றும் புனிதர் “பிரிஜிட்” (Brigit of Kildare) ஆகியோருடன் இவரும் அயர்லாந்தின் பாதுகாவலர் ஆவார்.
இவரது காலத்தை உறுதியுடன் அறிய இயலவில்லை. ஆயினும் இவர் அயர்லாந்தில் 5ம் நூற்றாண்டின் பிற்பகுதியில் பணிபுரிந்தார். இவரே அயர்லாந்தின் அர்மாகி'ன் (Armagh) முதல் ஆயர் என்பது மரபு.
இவருக்கு சுமார் 16 வயதிருக்கும் போது, பெரிய பிரிட்டானியாவில் இருந்த தனது இல்லத்திலிருந்து அயர்லாந்து கடற்கொள்ளையர்களால் பிடிக்கப்பட்டு, அயர்லாந்துக்கு அடிமையாக எடுத்துச் செல்லப்பட்டார். ஆறு ஆண்டுகள் அடிமையாக மிருகங்களைப் பராமரித்து வாழ்ந்த பின்னர், அங்கிருந்து தப்பித்து வீடு திரும்பினார். ஒரு குருவாக திருநிலைப்படுத்தப்பட்ட பின்பு, வடக்கு மற்றும் மேற்கு அயர்லாந்தில் பணி புரிந்தார். பிற்காலத்தில், அவர் ஆயராக பணியாற்றினார். ஆயினும் அவர் பணிபுரிந்த இடங்களைப் பற்றி சிறிய அளவே அறியக் கிடைக்கின்றது. ஏழாம் நூற்றாண்டு முதலே அயர்லாந்தின் பாதுகாவலர் என்னும் பட்டத்திற்காக இவர் வணக்கம் செலுத்தப்பட்டார் என்பதற்கான சான்றுகள் உள்ளன.
புனிதர் பேட்ரிக்கின் நினைவுத் திருநாள் ஆண்டுதோறும் இவரின் இறந்த நாளான 17 மார்ச் அன்று கொண்டாடப்படுகின்றது. இது அயர்லாந்துக்கு வெளியேயும் கலாச்சாரம் மற்றும் சமய நிகழ்வாக கொண்டாடப்படுகின்றது. அயர்லாந்து மறைமாவட்டத்தில் இது பெருவிழாவும் கடன் திருநாளும் ஆகும்.
Also known as
• Apostle of Ireland
• Maewyn Succat
• Patricius, Patrizio
Profile
Kidnapped from the British mainland around age 16, and shipped to Ireland as a slave. Sent to the mountains as a shepherd, he spent his time in the field in prayer. After six years of this life, he received had a dream in which he was commanded to return to Britain; seeing it as a sign, he escaped. He studied in several monasteries in Europe. Priest. Bishop. Sent by Pope Celestine to evangelize England, then Ireland, during which his chariot driver was Saint Odran, and Saint Jarlath was one of his spiritual students. In 33 years he effectively converted the Ireland. In the Middle Ages Ireland became known as the Land of Saints, and during the Dark Ages its monasteries were the great repositories of learning in Europe, all a consequence of Patrick's ministry.
Born
between 387 and 390 at Scotland as Maewyn Succat
Died
between 461 and 464 at Saul, County Down, Ireland of natural causes
Name Meaning
• warlike (Succat - pagan birth name)
• noble (Patricius - baptismal name)
Blessed Juan Nepomuceno Zegrí y Moreno
Also known as
• John Nepomucene Zegrí y Moreno
• Johannes Nepomuk Zegrí y Moreno
Profile
Son of Antonio Zegrí Martín and Josefa Moreno Escudero. A pious child, he received a good religious education, and felt an early call to the priesthood. Studied at Saint Dionysius Seminary, Granada, Spain. Ordained at Granada on 2 June 1855. Parish priest at Huétor Santillán and San Gabriel de Loja in Granada. Synodal judge. Canon of the cathedral of Malaga, Spain. Visitor of the religious orders in his diocese. Spiritual director of seminarians. Preacher and royal chaplain to Queen Isabel II.
In Malaga on 16 March 1878, Juan founded the Congregation of the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mercy to work for the spiritual and physical improvement of the poor. The Congregation soon spread throughout Spain. However, a scandal developed when some of the Sisters accused Juan of impropriety, and on 7 July 1888 he was ordered away from the Congregation. A lengthy investigation followed during which Juan kept his silence and obeyed all orders of his superiors. On 15 July 1894 he was cleared of all the false allegations, and though he voluntarily stayed away from the Congregation, he again was recognized as its founder.
Born
11 October 1831 at Granada, Spain
Died
17 March 1905 at Malaga, Spain of natural causes
Beatified
9 November 2003 by Pope John Paul II
Saint Jan Sarkander
Also known as
• John Sarkander
• Johannes Sarkander
• Martyr of the Confessional
Profile
Son of Georg Mathias Sarkander and Helene Kornicz Sarkander. Born in a time and place in the midst of the turmoil of the Protestant Reformation. His father died when Jan was still young, and the family moved to Pribor. He married, but his wife died when they were young, and they had no children.
Educated by Jesuits at Prague, receiving a master of philosophy degree in 1603. Studied theology in Austria. Ordained in 1607 at Grozin. Curate at Boskowitz in 1613. Parish priest at Olmütz in 1616. There he became the center of a struggle for the hearts and souls of the local people; he was supported by Baron von Labkowitz of Moravia, but bitterly opposed by the wealthy anti-Catholic landowner Bitowsky von Bystritz.
The year 1618 saw the start of the Thirty Years War between Catholic and Protestant armies. When Protestant forces occupied Hollenschau, Jan was briefly exiled to Poland, but returned to minister to his oppressed parish flock. Polish forces moved into the area in 1620, and battle seemed imminent. Jan visited the field commander, carrying the Blessed Sacrament in a monstrance as a shield and chastisement. No battles were fought in the area of Hollenshau.
Siezing the opportunity to brand him a spy, and thus explain the lack of attack by the Polish troops, his enemy von Bystritz denounced Father Jan as a traitor. Jan was arrested, taken to Olmütz, and tortured for a confession, for revenge, and to get him to break the seal of the confessional and supply damaging information about his patron and parishioner Baron von Labkowitz. Sarkander was racked, beaten and murdered, but he clung to his faith and gave his tormentors nothing.
Born
20 December 1576 at Skotschau (Skoczow), Austrian Silesia (in modern Poland)
Died
• covered in flammable material and set on fire on 17 March 1620 at Olomouc, Moravia (in the modern Czech Republic)
• remains at the Cathedral of Jan Sarkander at Olomouc (in modern Czech Republic)
Canonized
Sunday 21 May 1995 by Pope John Paul II at Olomouc, Czech Republic
Blessed Conrad of Bavaria
Also known as
• Conrad di Baviera
• Conrad of Clairvaux
• Conrad of Molfetta
• Conrad the Confessor
• Corrado, Konrad
Additional Memorial
9 February (translation of relics; diocese of Molfetta, Italy; Cistercians)
Profile
Son of Duke Henry IX of Bavaria. Educated at Wiengarten Abbey in Ravensburg, Germany, and in Cologne, Germany. Joined of the Cistercians c.1124. Spiritual student of Saint Bernard of Clairvaux in Cologne in 1147. Pilgrim to the Holy Lands as part of the spiritual Crusade, and died on the road.
Born
1105 Veitsburg, Baden-Württemberg (in modern Germany
Died
• 1154 at the Santa Maria ad Cryptam Benedictine monastery near Modugno, Italy of natural causes
• interred in a cave near the monastery, a traditional resting place for the monastery's dead
• relics translated to the cathedral of Molfetta in 1785
• reliquary restored and relics re-enshrined in August 2007
Beatified
1832 by Pope Gregory XVI (cultus confirmation)
Saint Gabriel Lalemant
Additional Memorial
19 October as one of the Martyrs of North America
Profile
Nephew of the Jesuit missionaries Charles and Jerome Lalemant. Entered the Jesuits in Paris, France on 24 March 1630. Missionary, arriving in Canada on 20 September 1646. Assigned as assistant to Saint John de Brebeuf among the Huron in early 1649, he was soon martyred with him. One of the Martyrs of North America.
Born
10 October 1610 at Paris, France
Died
• tortured to death over the course of three hours on 17 March 1649 at the Saint Ignatius mission in the Huron country, Canada
• interred by fellow priests at Saint Mary's mission
• some relics moved to Quebec in the spring of 1650
Canonized
29 June 1930 by Pope Pius XI
Blessed Maria Bárbara Maix
Also known as
Maria Bárbara of the Holy Trinity
Profile
Exiled from Austria for political reasons, she arrived in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on 9 November 1848. Drawn to the religious life, she founded the Congregation of the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary on 8 May 1849.
Born
27 June 1818 in Vienna, Austria
Died
• 17 March 1873 in Catumbi, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil of natural causes
• relics in the chapel of São Raphael, Rua Riachuelo, 508, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
Beatified
6 November 2010 by Pope Benedict XVI
Saint Agricola of Châlon-sur-Saône
Also known as
• Aregl of Châlon-sur-Saône
• Agrele of Châlon-sur-Saône
Profile
Son of a Gallo-Roman senator. Bishop of Châlon-sur-Saône, France in 532; he governed the diocese for 48 years. Friend of Saint Gregory of Tours who wrote glowingly of him. Known for his simple, austere personal life, and his devotion to the spiritual lives of his flock.
Born
c.497
Died
580 at Châlon-sur-Saône, France of natural causes
Saint Withburgh of East Anglia
Also known as
• Withburgh of Dereham
• Vitburga, Wihtburh, Withburga
Profile
Born a princess, the youngest daughter of King Anna of East Anglia (part of modern England). Following the death of her father in battle, Withburgh became a nun and lived as an anchoress at East Dereham, Norfolk, England. Founded a convent there.
Died
c.743
Blessed Gertrude of Trzebnica
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Daughter of Saint Hedwig of Silesia and Duke Henry I. Engaged to the Count Palatine Otto of Wittelsbach, but he died before the wedding. Cistercian nun and then abbess in Trzebnica, Poland.
Born
c.1200
Died
December 1268 in Trzebnica, Poland of natural causes
Blessed Josep Mestre Escoda
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Priest in the archdiocese of Tarragona, Spain. Martyred in the Spanish Civil War.
Born
12 February 1899 in Dosaiguas, Tarragona, Spain
Died
17 March 1937 in Barcelona, Spain
Beatified
• 13 October 2013 by Pope Francis
• beatification celebrated in Tarragona, Spain
Saint Ambrose of Alexandria
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Rich nobleman of Alexandria, Egypt. Friend and financial supporter of Origen. Imprisoned for his faith in the persecutions of Maximinus but survived. Confessor of the faith.
Died
c.250 of natural causes
Saint Paul of Cyprus
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Cypriot monk. During the reign of the iconoclast emperor Constantine Copronymus, Paul was ordered to trample a crucifix. He refused, and was tortured and martryed.
Died
roasted to death hanging upside down over a slow fire in 775
Many Martyrs of Alexandria
Also known as
Martyrs of Serapis
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An unknown number of Christians who were martyred together by a mob of worshippers of the Graeco-Egyptian sun god Serapis.
Died
c.392 in Alexandria, Egypt
Saint Stephen of Palestrina
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Cistercian monk from the Clairvaux Abbey. Cardinal-bishop of Palestrina in 1141.
Died
1144
Canonized
• cultus originated within the Cistercians
• no formal recogition
Saint Thomasello
Also known as
Thomasellus
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Dominican. Student of Saint Thomas Aquinas.
Born
1242 at Etruria, Italy
Died
• 1270 at Perugia, Italy of natural causes
• buried in the Dominican church in Perugia
Saint Llinio of Llandinam
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Monk. Founded the abbey at Llandinam, Powys, Wales, and served as its first abbot.
Died
520 of natural causes
Saint Diemut of Saint Gall
Profile
Recluse in 12th century Saint Gall, Switzerland.
Saint Theodore of Rome
Profile
Martyr.
Died
martyred in 2nd century Rome, Italy
Saint Alexander
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two Saint Alexanders commemorated on March 16th, depending on the Christian tradition:
Hieromartyr Alexander I, Pope of Rome: This is the most likely saint you're interested in, considering the title "Hieromartyr" which refers to a martyr who was a church leader. Here's what we know about him:
Pope of Rome: He served as the Bishop of Rome for around ten years (estimates range from 10 to 17 years) around 115 AD
Martyrdom: According to tradition, he was martyred by order of Emperor Hadrian, possibly by burning, though details are uncertain
Saint Alexander the Wonderworker of Patmos: This saint is less commonly commemorated on March 16th. Here's a brief summary:
Wonderworker: He was believed to have performed miracles during his life.
Monastery Founder: He established a monastery on the Greek island of Patmos
Date of Death: He died on March 16th, but the year is uncertain, with estimates ranging from 1093 to 1122
