SAINT WITE (CANDIDA) OF DORSET
feast day is June 1.
Saint Candida of Whitchurch
Also known as
Gwen, Hwitn, White, Whyte, Wite, Witt, Witta
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Martyred by pagan Danes. There is a holy well devoted to her at nearby Morcombe Lake.
Died
• in Dorset, England
• relics still exist in their shrine at Whitchurch Canonicorum, Dorset; believed to be the only relics in a parish church that survived the Protestant Reformation
It is sad that so little is known about St. Wite (Candida, Gwen, Blanche; her name means “white”), one of the most beloved and visited saints, venerated by modern Orthodox living in the UK. By irony, she is in a very select company of local early saints whose shrines and relics have remained undisturbed in their resting-places from before the Norman Conquest and that even survived the bloody Reformation1. In other words, their veneration has continued for over a millennium without interruption. And today numerous miracles still occur by the prayers of St. Wite of Dorset both near her relics and her holy well. Let us recall who she was.
Unfortunately, we cannot say for certain when exactly this saint of God lived. According to a long-standing tradition, maintained for centuries in Dorset, St. Wite was a local righteous woman who lived in the ninth century in Charmouth, now a spot two miles away from the village of Whitchurch Canonicorum, where her relics have been kept. It is possible that she was an anchoress who served God in unceasing prayer and solitude, maintained fires as beacons on the cliffs to protect sailors, and was eventually martyred by the pagan Danes, who through the ninth century made regular raids on English monasteries2. Not only did these Vikings attack, plunder and burn down monasteries situated both near the sea coasts and inland, they would also lay waste to the surrounding countryside and put to death Christians and ascetics. St. Wite most probably fell victim to one such raid. Some scholars give the year 830 as the possible date of her martyrdom, though no early records of this saint survive.
However, some who speculate have put forward alternative versions about St. Wite’s origin and life. Some claim that she was not an Anglo-Saxon woman from Dorset, but the Welsh princess St. Gwen, who lived in the fifth century and became the mother of two Welsh saints. Others claim that she was the martyr St. Candida who was executed in Carthage in the fourth century; others—that her name is a corruption of the male name St. Albinus (Witta) of Buraburg, one of the companions of St. Boniface, the enlightener of Germany, whose relics were allegedly translated to England by King Athelstan in the 930s and enshrined in Dorset (it is known that Athelstan collected relics of many saints and arranged for them to be brought from the Continent to monasteries of south-western England). But it is obvious that the above versions are groundless and not based on any documents or traditions, and we think it would be much more reasonable to rely on the mainstream and local oral tradition of Dorset.
Tradition says that soon after her death St. Wite’s relics were translated to the chapel of the village of Whitchurch Canonicorum (the name means, “St. Wite’s church of the canons”—the first church on this spot was owned by the canons of Salisbury). This village sits at the south-west extremity of Dorset, between the towns of Bridport and Lyme Regis, in the valley of the River Char, in a very idyllic area, and its name in this form is first mentioned in 1262. The chapel (and, later, church) in the village was dedicated in her honor in Latin—St. Candida’s Church. In the late ninth century King Alfred the Great gave this church, which he may have founded, to his youngest son Aethelweard. Soon numerous pilgrims began to visit this shrine and many miracles were performed by the holy maiden, anchoress and martyr.
After the Norman Conquest, the church was given to the Abbey of St. Wandrille of Fontenelle in Normandy and in 1190 it was granted to the Bishop of Sarum (later called Salisbury). By the thirteenth century the parish of Whitchurch Canonicorum had become one of the largest in England, and the bishops of Salisbury demanded that its parish tithes be paid directly to them. The chronicler William of Worcester and John Gerard (the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries) both mentioned St. Wite’s relics, while Thomas More referred to the custom of offering her cakes and cheese on her feast-day, which was confined to her church—according to the Oxford Dictionary of Saints.
It is a real miracle that St. Wite’s relics were not destroyed and her shrine was not even touched during the Reformation and the Cromwellian atrocities, while nearly all the saints’ relics, shrines, icons, statues, carvings, stained glass and other images were barbarously destroyed, smashed or burned down. Perhaps her shrine looked so humble that it was mistaken for an ordinary tomb of little significance and spared.
Her precious relics rest to this day in the thirteenth-century stone shrine, set in the wall of the north transept of the Anglican parish church of the Holy Cross and St. Candida. Her tomb was rediscovered accidentally in 1900, when a crack appeared on this medieval structure. It was decided to repair the shrine which was believed to be empty. To the amazement of the vicar and congregation, a leaden coffin, on which was inscribed, “Hic requiescunt reliquie sancte Wite” (“Here lie the relics of St. Wite”), was found inside it and opened. The well-preserved bones of a small woman were discovered inside. Judging by her remains it was concluded that the woman lived in about the ninth century, was aged about forty, and led an ascetic life. As is the case with medieval reliquaries, the shrine still has three oval holes in its base (the actual shrine consists of two parts: the lower base with the openings, and the upper stone coffin which houses the leaden casket with the relics), where people can place their sick limbs in the hope of healing. Before the Reformation it was a popular custom to insert the hands or other parts of the body into these openings, or place handkerchiefs, bandages, notes or other personal articles belonging to the sick person on his behalf by someone else if the person in question was too weak to walk to the church, and then bring them back to him. Many believed that this helped. In addition, it was a custom in the Middle Ages to light a candle with the length equal to that of the cured body part after the healing. And nowadays this practice has been revived in some sense: hundreds of paper prayer requests, photographs, testimonies of healing and offerings of thanksgiving are left here by pilgrims from all over Britain and abroad. The faithful note a particular atmosphere of holiness and peace inside and around this church and find it a unique experience to stand at St. Wite’s shrine and pray to her just as thousands of medieval Christians did for centuries on the same site.
The Church of the Holy Cross and St. Candida stands in a very quiet, rural setting. Although it stands on a Saxon foundation, this unusually large church for a small settlement retains the features of the Norman (the arcade, the south aisle), the Early English and Perpendicular Gothic styles; its massive bell-tower, a local landmark, is seventy-five feet tall. The church has a chancel, a nave, two transepts, two aisles, the porch, and a vestry. The baptismal font in the shape of a chalice is Norman, and the rare carved pulpit is Jacobean. The tower walls have a number of ancient carved stone panels, one of which depicts a Viking longship and an axe—symbolizing St. Wite’s martyrdom at the hands of the marauding pirates. This magnificent church is nicknamed “the Cathedral of the Vale”—the “Vale” in this case is Marshwood Vale.
Orthodox, along with Catholics and Anglicans in England come and venerate St. Wite’s relics, and Whitchurch Canonicorum remains a popular pilgrimage destination for believers, not least Russian Orthodox.
Saint Justin Martyr
புனித ஜஸ்டின் (St.Justin)
மறைசாட்சி(Martyr), தத்துவமேதை
பிறப்பு
100 ஆம் ஆண்டு
சிரியா
இறப்பு
165
புனிதர்பட்டம்: 1035, திருத்தந்தை 9ஆம் பெனடிக்ட்
இவர் கிரேக்கமொழி பேசும் பெற்றோருக்கு மகனாக பிறந்தார். சிறு வயதிலிருந்தே தத்துவ கலையை ஆழமாகக் கற்றுத்தேர்ந்தார். இவரது காலத்தில் இருந்த ப்ளேட்டோ(Plato) போன்ற தத்துவமேதைகளுடன் நெருங்கிய தொடர்புகொண்டிருந்தார். எல்லாம் வல்ல இறைவனைப்பற்றி இந்த தத்துவ ஞானம் தனக்கு முழுமையான விளக்கம் அளிக்க இயலவில்லை என்றுணர்ந்தார். ஒருநாள் அலெக்சாண்டிரியா நகருக்கு அருகில் கடற்கரையில் நடந்து போய்கொண்டிருந்தார். தற்செயலாக ஒரு வயது முதிர்ந்த கிறிஸ்தவரை சந்தித்தார்.. அவருடன் நெடுநேரம் உரையாடினார். அதன்பயனாக விவிலியத்தில், இறைவாக்கினர்கள் எழுதிய இறைவாக்குகளைப்படித்தார். நாளடைவில் மீட்பரின் முன்னறிவிப்பு இறைவாக்கை சரியாக புரிந்துகொண்டார்.
கிறிஸ்தவர்கள் எத்தனை மனவலிமையுடன் கிறிஸ்துவிற்காக வேதனைகளை தாங்கிக்கொண்டார்கள். என்பதை உணர்ந்து வேதனைப்பட்டார். இறைவாக்கினர்களை நினைத்து வியப்படைந்தார். சாவைத் தழுவினாலும், இந்த மறைசாட்சிகளிடம் காணப்பட்ட முகமலர்ச்சியும், ஆர்வமும் அவரை மிக ஆழமாகத் தொட்டது. இவர்களின் வீரச்சாவும் இவர் திருநூலைப் படித்ததன் பயனுமாக கிறிஸ்துவை ஏற்றுக்கொண்டார். கிறிஸ்துவுக்காக வாழ முடிவெடுத்தார். பின்னர் தமது தத்துவமேதைக்குரிய உடையிலேயே பல பயணங்களை மேற்கொண்டு, இறுதியாக உரோம் நகரை அடைந்தார். 4 நற்செய்தியாளர்களும் எழுதிய இறைவாக்குகளைப் பற்றி தெளிவாகப்படித்தார். முடிவில் அவர்கள் எழுதியவைகள் அனைத்தும் உண்மை என்பதை உணர்ந்து ஏற்றுக்கொண்டார். இதன் பயனாக, இவரது நாட்களில் ஞாயிறு திருவழிபாடு எவ்வாறு நடைபெற்று வந்தது என்பதைப்பற்றி விரிவாக எழுதிவைத்தார். அனைத்திற்கும் மேலாக, திவ்விய நற்கருணையில் இறைப்பிரசன்னத்தை பற்றியும் அதில் நாம் கொண்டிருக்கவேண்டிய விசுவாசப் பற்றுறுதி பற்றியும் மிகவும் ஆழமாக விவரித்து எழுதியுள்ளார்.
147 ஆம் ஆண்டிலிருந்து இதுவரை கிறிஸ்தவர்கள் துன்புறுத்தப்பட்டது போல, இனியும் துன்புறுத்தப்படக்கூடாது. என்று மன்னன் ஆன்றோனினுஸ் பயஸ்(Androninus Pius) ஆணை பிறப்பித்தான். ஜஸ்டின் எழுதிய பல நூல்களில் ஒன்றில் "உலகில் எப்பகுதியிலும், எக்காலத்திலும் உண்மையை சுட்டிக்காட்டிய ஞானிகள் அனைவரும் கிறிஸ்துவ சமுதாயத்தை சார்ந்தவர்கள் என்று மிக அழுத்தம், திருத்தமாக குறிப்பிட்டுள்ளார். 166 ல் ஜஸ்டின் எழுதிய மற்றொரு நூலில், நாம் பெற்றுக்கொண்ட விசுவாச பேருண்மைப்பற்றி தெளிவாக விளக்கியுள்ளார். இதனால் இந்நூல் அப்போதைய அரசன் மார்க்ஸ் அவுரேலியுசுக்கு(Marks Aureliyas) எரிச்சல் மூட்டியது. இதனால் கோபம்கொண்ட அரசன், கிறிஸ்துவ விசுவாசத்தையும், ஜஸ்டினையும் அழிக்க எண்ணி, அவரை சிறைப்பிடித்து சென்றான். அங்கு பல கொடுமைகளை அனுபவித்த ஜஸ்டின் தனது 67 ஆம் வயதில் தலைவெட்டப்பட்டு இறந்தான். அவர்தான் இறக்கும்வரை, எந்த ஒரு தத்துவக்கலையும், இறுதியில் கிறிஸ்துவிடம் மட்டுமே கொண்டு சேர்க்கமுடியும் என்பதை இடையூறாது போதித்தார்.
Also known as
Justin the Philosopher
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Pagan philosopher who converted to Christianity at age 30 by reading the Scriptures and witnessing the heroism and faith of martyrs. He used his philosophical and oratorical skills to publicly dispute with pagans and explain his new faith, and he became one of the first great Christian apologists. He later opened a school of public debate in Rome, Italy. All this high profile Christianity naturally brought him to the attention of the authorities, and he died a martyr.
Born
c.100 at Nablus, Palestine
Died
• beheaded in 165 at Rome, Italy
• relics in the Capuchin church, Rome
Blessed Giovanni Battista Scalabrini
Also known as
• John Baptist Scalabrini
• Apostle of the Catechism
Profile
Third of eight children in a deeply religious family. Studied philosophy and theology at the seminary at Como, Italy. Ordained on 30 May 1863. Professor and rector of Saint Abundius Seminary. Pastor of Saint Bartholomew's Church in 1870. Bishop of Piacenza, Italy on 30 January 1876 at age 36.
Conducted diocesan visitation five times, visiting all 365 parishes, half of which could only be reached by foot or mule. Celebrated three Synods, one of which was dedicated to the Eucharist. Encouraged frequent Communion and perpetual adoration. Reorganized seminaries and reformed their curricula, anticipating the Thomistic reform of Pope Leo XIII. Preacher, teaching always to love the Pope and the Church.
Worked with cholera victims, visited the sick and prisoners, helped the poor and bankrupt nobility. Saved thousands of farmers and workers from famine, selling his horse, chalice, and the pectoral cross that Blessed Pope Pius IX had given him in order to buy food. Founded an institute to help hearing and speech-impaired women. Organized assistance for young single women employed in rice fields. Established mutual aid societies, workers' associations, rural banks, cooperatives, and Catholic Action groups. Ordered that catechism be taught in all parishes. Planned and presided over the first National Catechetical Congress in 1889.
He was convinced that devotion to religion and one's country could be reconciled in the hearts of Italians. Promoted reconciliation between Church and State, and helped solve a painful moral dilemma for Italian Catholics. He aimed at preparing this religious reconciliation on a practical level, combining religious belief and patriotic love in his work with migrants. Worked with millions of Italians forced to emigrate, often in dire conditions, always in danger of losing their faith and their attachment to religious practice.
With the approval of Pope Leo XIII, on 28 November 1887 he founded the Congregation of the Missionaries of Saint Charles (Scalabrinians) for religious, moral, social and legal care of migrants. Convinced Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini, the Mother of Migrants, to leave for America in 1889 to care for children, orphans and sick Italian migrants. In 1895 founded the Congregation of the Missionary Sisters of Saint Charles for migrants. Even the sister Apostles of the Sacred Heart of Jesus were encouraged to care for migrants. His spirituality and his love for migrants inspired the Scalabrinian Lay Missionary Women.
John was devoted to the Eucharist and spent hours in adoration before the Blessed Sacrament, to Our Lady, preaching many Marian homilies, and making Marian pilgrimages. His last conscious words were, "Lord, I am ready, Let us go".
Born
8 July 1839 at Fino Mornasco, Como, Italy
Died
dawn 1 June 1905, feast of the Ascension of the Lord
Beatified
9 November 1997 by Pope John Paul II
Saint Hannibal Mary di Francia
Also known as
• Annibale Maria di Francia
• Hannibal di Francia
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Third of four children of Francis the Marquises of Saint Catherine of Jonio, a Papal Vice-Consul, a knight, and Honorary Captain of the Navy; his mother was Anna Toscano, an Italian aristocrat. His father died when Hannibal was fifteen months old. The boy developed a devotion to the Eucharist and the Virgin Mary. At age 17, while in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament, he received a call to religious life. Ordained 16 March 1878. Immediately after he moved into the Avignone ghetto, one the most impoverished areas he could find, and began a life's work with the poor. In 1882 he founded the Anthonian Orphanages, so-called because they were under the patronage of Saint Anthony of Padua; they were noted for their operation as an extended family. In order to expand this work to a much larger sphere of physically and spiritually poor he founded The Daughters of Divine Zeal in 1887, and The Rogationists in 1897; they were canonically approved on 6 August 1926. He believed in the need for a strong priesthood; he started the Holy Alliance and Pious Union of the Evangelical Rogation, worldwide movements of prayer for vocations, and published the periodical God and Neighbor with information about these movements and their work. He worked to be a model for the seminarians who came to work in his schools, and cared for the physical and spiritual needs of his brothers and sisters in the religious life. He was considered a saint during his life, and received a vision of the Virgin Mary just before his death. The groups he founded continue to day, working all over the world in prayer, publishing, orphanages, schools, training for the deaf and mute, care for the aged, home for single mothers, and schools of all types.
Born
5 July 1851 at Messina, Italy
Died
1 June 1927 at Messina, Italy of natural causes
Canonized
16 May 2004 by Pope John Paul II
Blessed Theobald Roggeri
Also known as
• Theobald of Vico
• Theobald of Alba
• Theobald Roggeris
Additional Memorial
1 February (part of the miracle of the bells at the discovery of his relics)
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Born to a wealthy, noble Piedmont family, his reading of the Gospel caused him to abandon position for a simple life. Cobbler in Alba, Italy. Theobald proved himself a skillful craftsman, and his master hoped that the young apprentice would marry his daughter and carry on the business. Theobald, however, had made a private vow of chastity, and abandoned the trade. Following a pilgrimage to Compostela, Spain, he worked as a porter, spending his day carrying sacks of grain. He gave away as much of his wages as he could to people even more poor than himself, and there are ballads about him in which he gave away the grain and flour he was supposed to deliver. Venerated in Liguria and the Piedmont regions.
Born
late 11th century in Vico, Liguria, Piedmont, Italy
Died
• 1150 of natural causes
• at his request, Theobald was buried in a patch of ground between the church of San Lorenzo and the church of San Silvestro
• his grave became a place of pilgrimage and healing miracles, but afater many decades faded into obscurity and its location was lost
• relics re-discovered late in the evening of 31 January 1429 by the bishop of Alba, Italy; legend says the church bells of all the area churches rang on their own at sun-up the following day in celebration
• relics enshrined in a chapel in the cathedral of Alba
Beatified
1841 by Pope Gregory XVI (cultus confirmation)
Blessed John Storey
Additional Memorial
1 December as one of the Martyrs of Oxford University
Profile
Educated at Oxford. Doctor of law. President of Broadgate Hall (modern Pembroke College) form 1537 to 1539. First Regius Professor of civil law. Married in 1547.
Member of the English Parliament in 1547. Opposed anti-Catholic laws enacted by King Edward VI. Imprisoned from 1548 to 1550 for opposed the Bill of Uniformity.
On his release, he and his family moved to Leuven, Belgium, but returned to England in August 1553 when Catholic Queen Mary ascended to the throne. Chancellor to Bishop Edmund Bonner. Member of Parliament again from 1553 to 1560. In 1560 he opposed the Bill of Supremacy, and incurred the ire of Queen Elizabeth. Imprisoned in Fleet Prison on 20 May 1560, he escaped, was captured at Marshalsea, and re-imprisoned.
Escaping again, he fled the country to Antwerp, Belgium. There he renounced his English citizenship, and became a subject of the Catholic Spanish crown. Customs official in Flanders.
Kidnapped at Bergen-op-Zoon by agents of Queen Elizabeth in August 1570. Returned to England, he was locked in the Tower of London and repeatedly tortured. Indicted on 26 May 1571 for conspiring against the Queen's life. Throughout his misery, John claimed his innocence, and the court's lack of jurisdiction over him, a Spanish subject. Condemned on 27 May 1571. Martyr.
Born
1504 in northern England
Died
hanged, drawn, and quartered on 1 June 1571 at Tyburn, England
Beatified
29 December 1886 by Pope Leo XIII (cultus confirmed)
Saint Crescentinus
Also known as
Crescentian of Saldo, Crescentino, Crescenziano, Crescentianus
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Imperial Roman soldier. Convert to Christianity. During the persecutions of Diocletian, Crescentinus fled to Thifernum Tiberinum (modern Città di Castello). There he is reported to have slain a dragon that had terrorized the region; this convinced the locals of the power of God and led to many conversions, and to the depictions of Crescentinus fighting a dragon. It is also possible that Crescentinus evangelized the region, made many converts, and the image of him slaying the dragon is represents him defeating the devil or paganism. Eventually, however, the anti-Catholic forces of Diocletian came to the area, and Crescentinus fell as a martyr.
Died
• beheaded on 1 June 303 at Saldo, Italy
• relics translated to Urbino, Italy in 1068 by Blessed Mainard of Urbino
Blessed John Pelingotto
Also known as
• John Pelino Goto
• Giovanni Pelino Goto
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Son of a wealthy merchant, John cared nothing for business, wealth or worldly success and preferred to live as a hermit. He eventually felt a call to help the poor and sick in the world, and gave away food, clothes and wealth, going hungry, living in rags, wearing a rope around his neck to indicate that he was a sinner in need of punishment, and falling into lengthy ecstasy. His family worried about his health, both physical and mental, and they had to bring him in from the street. He became a Franciscan tertiary, and with the support and discipline they provided, he was able to properly devote his life to prayer and charity.
Born
1240 at Urbino, Italy
Died
• 1 June 1304 in Urbino, Italy
• buried in the cloister cemetery at the San Francesco monastery, Urbino
• many miracles reported at his grave
• re-interred in the church at the cloister
Beatified
13 November 1918 by Pope Benedict XV (cultus confirmed)
Saint Simeon of Syracuse
Also known as
• Simeon of Trier
• Symeon...
Profile
His father was Greek, his mother Calabrian. Educated in Constantinople. Pilgrim to the Holy Lands where he supported himself by serving as tour guide to other pilgrims. Spoke Greek, Latin, Coptic, Syriac and Arabic. Monk in Bethlehem. Deacon. Hermit beside the River Jordan. Monk in Bethlehem. Hermit on Mount Sinai. Sent to seek alms from the Duke of Normandy for the support of other hermits on the mountain. Hermit near Trier, Germany under the direction of the abbot of the nearby Benedictine monastery of Saint Martin. One of the last great figures linking the Orthodox West with the Orthodox East.
Born
in Syracuse, Sicily
Died
• in 1035 in Trier, Germany of natural causes
• buried in his hermitage
• a collegiate church was built in the nearby city wall’s gate, known as the Porta Nigra, and his relics were enshrined there in 1037
• church destroyed and relics lost during a construction project in 1804
Canonized
1042 by Pope Benedict IX
Blessed Alfonso Navarrete-Benito
Also known as
• Alfonsus Navarrete
• Alphonso Navarrete
• Alphonsus de Mena
Additional Memorials
• 10 September (as one of the 205 Martyrs of Japan)
• 6 November (Dominicans as one of their Martyrs of the Far East)
Profile
Dominican priest. Missionary to the Philippines in 1578. In 1610 he returned to Europe to recruit missionaries, and in 1611 returned to the Orient as missionary and Dominican provincial vicar in Japan. His evangelism work brought many hundreds to Christianity. Martyr.
Born
21 September 1571 in Logroño, Spain
Died
beheaded on 1 June 1617 in Koguchi, Omura, Nagasaki, Japan
Beatified
7 May 1867 by Blessed Pope Pius IX
Saint Gaudentius of Ossero
Also known as
Gaudentius Auxerensis
Profile
Bishop of Ossero, Istria (in modern Croatia) in 1030. Falsely accused by some of the nobility who objected to his spiritual reforms, Guadentius travelled to Rome, Italy in 1032 to defend his name. On the way home, he fell ill in Ancona, and stayed there to recover. He then resigned his see, and became a Benedictine monk under Saint Peter Damian.
Born
in Trzic, Istria (in modern Croatia)
Died
• 31 May 1044 in Ancona, Italy of natural causes
• legend says that on 31 May 1144, a century to the day after his death, the relics of Gaudentius, stored in an iron-bound chest, floated ashore in Osor, Croatia as all the church bells rang by themselves
• relics in the Church of Saint Guadentius, Osor, Croatia
Saint Wystan of Evesham
Also known as
• Wystan of Mercia
• Vistano, Wigstan, Wigstow, Winston, Wistan, Wistanstow, Wistow
Profile
Prince of Mercia, the son of Wigmund of Mercia and Aelfflaed, daughter of King Ceolwulf I of Mercia. Killed in his youth by his regent Bertulph, king of Mercia, for opposing the marriage of Bertulph to Wistan's mother. Some writers have considered him a martyrs.
Died
• murdered on 1 June 849 at Wistanstow, England
• buried in Repton Abbey, Derbyshire, England
• miracles reported at his tomb
• relics translated to the Evesham Abbey, and then the Evesham cathedral
Saint Pamphilus of Alexandria
Profile
Studied in Berytus, Phoenicia and in Alexandria, Egypt. Careful student of the works of Origen. Priest, ordained at Caesarea. Head of a catechetical school in Caesarea. Noted Bible scholar. In a day when books were hand-copied, Pamphilus was known for the size of his library which survived until destroyed by Arabs in the 7th century. Teacher of the noted historian Eusebius of Caesarea, helped him write an Apology of Origen, and was the subject of a biography by Eusebius. Arrested in 308 by governor Urban for the crime of being a Christian. One of a group of martyrs who were tortured and murdered together.
Born
Berytus, Phoenicia
Died
beheaded in 309 in Alexandria, Egypt
Blessed Jean-Baptiste-Ignace-Pierre Vernoy de Montjournal
Profile
Priest in the diocese of Moulins, France. Canon of Moulins. During the French Revolution he was arrested and sentenced to forced labour for the crime of being a priest. Imprisoned on a ship anchored off shore, he was tortured repeatedly, starved and left to die. One of the Martyrs of the Hulks of Rochefort.
Born
17 November 1736 in Molins, Allier, France
Died
1 June 1794 aboard the prison galley Deux-Associés in port at Rochefort, Charente-Maritime, France of general abuse and neglect
Beatified
1 October 1995 by Pope John Paul II
Saint Iñigo of Oña
Also known as
Eñeco, Eñecone
Profile
Hermit. Monk at San Juan de Peña, Aragon (part of modern Spain), and later served as prior. Hermit in the Aragon mountains. Reforming abbot at the monastery at Oña, Spain in 1029 at the request of King Sancho the Great. Known as a peacemaker and miracle worker.
Born
11th century at Bilbao, Spain
Died
• 1 June 1057 at the monastery at Oña, Spain of natural causes
• his holiness was so obvious to all that he was mourned by the Jews and Muslims of the city as well as the Christians
Canonized
1259 by Pope Alexander IV
Saint Reverianus of Autun
Also known as
Reverentianus, Reveriano, Reverie, Rivianus
Profile
Evangelizing bishop. Missionary to Gaul with Saint Paulus of Autun and ten companions whose names have not come down to us. Bishop of Autun, France, which formed the base of operations for the group. They were all martyred by order of Emperor Aurelian who was at war with the locals at the time.
Born
3rd century Italy
Died
• beheaded c.273 in Autun, France
• buried in Autun
• a monastery and church grew up around the group's grave site
• oil reported to flow from his relics and grave
• head in the church in Nuits, France; no other relics have survived
Saint Giuse Túc
Also known as
Joseph Tuc
Additional Memorial
24 November as one of the Martyrs of Vietnam
Profile
Christian peasant farmer in the apostolic vicariate of Central Tonkin (modern Vietnam). During the persecutions of emperor Tu-Duc, he was ordered to step on a crucifix to show his contempt for Christianity; he refused. Imprisoned, tortured and executed. Martyr.
Born
c.1843 in Hoàng Xá, Bac Ninh, Vietnam
Died
beheaded on 1 June 1862 in Hoàng Xá, Bac Ninh, Vietnam
Canonization
19 June 1988 by Pope John Paul II
Blessed Ferdinand Ayala
Also known as
• Ferdinand of Saint Joseph Ayala
• Fernando Ayala
• Fernando of Saint Joseph
• Hernando Ayala
• Hernando of Saint Joseph
Profile
Augustinian priest in 1603. Missionary to Mexico. Missionary to Japan. Augustinian vicar provincial in 1605. Worked with Blessed Alphonsus Navarette. Martyr.
Born
1575 in Ballesteros de Calatrava, Ciudad Real, Spain
Died
beheaded on 1 June 1617 in Koguchi, Omura, Nagasaki, Japan
Beatified
7 May 1867 by Pope Blessed Pius IX
Saint Paulus of Autun
Also known as
Paul, Paolo
Profile
Evangelizing priest. Missionary to Gaul with Saint Reverianus of Autun and ten companions whose names have not come down to us. Worked from Autun, France. They were all martyred by order of Emperor Aurelian who was at war with the locals at the time.
Born
3rd century Italy
Died
• beheaded c.273 in Autun, France
• buried in Autun
• a monastery and church grew up around the group's grave site
Saint Ronan of Cornwall
Also known as
• Ronan of Locronan
• Ronan of Quimper
• Ronanus, Ruadan, Rumon, Ruadhan, Ruan
Profile
An early missionary bishop, ordained by Saint Patrick, who preached in Cornwall, England, and in Brittany, France.
Born
in Cornwall, England
Died
• 6th century in Brittany (in modern France) of natural causes
• buried in Locronan, Brittany
Blessed Arnald Arench
Profile
Mercedarian friar. Professor in a medical school in Montpellier, France. Preacher and writer who made expeditions to ransom Christians who had been enslaved by Muslims. During one of these trips he was imprisoned and beaten daily by Muslims for adhering to Christianity. Martyr.
Born
14th century France
Died
beaten to death in 1394 in Granada, Spain
Saint Conrad of Trier
Also known as
• Conrad of Treves
• Cuno...
Profile
Born to a noble Swabian family. Nephew of Saint Anno. Bishop of Trier, Germany, which involved him in the political fight over who had the right to choose the bishop of that diocese. On his way to Trier he was captured by opponents and murdered. Considered a martyr.
Born
Swabia, Germany
Died
thrown from a castle tower in 1066 at Uerzig, Germany
Saint Ischyrion
Also known as
Ischirione
Profile
Steward and servant of an Alexandrian magistrate in Roman imperial Egypt. During the persecutions of Decius, Ischyrion's employer demanded that he renounce Christianity and sacrifice to pagan gods. When Ischyrion refused, the magistrate ordered him beaten and martyred.
Born
Egyptian
Died
impaled c.250 at Alexandria, Egypt
Saint Caprasius of Lérins
Also known as
Caprais, Caprasio
Profile
Hermit in Provence and Lerins, France, and in Greece. Friend of Saint Honoratus of Arles and Saint Venantius. With Saint Honoratus, he founded a monastery at Lerins, and eventually served as its abbot.
Died
430 of natural causes
Blessed Leo Tanaka
Also known as
• Leo Tanaca
• Leone...
Additional Memorial
10 September as one of the 205 Martyrs of Japan
Profile
Layman catechist in the Archdiocese of Nagasaki, Japan. Martyr.
Born
c.1590 in Omi, Japan
Died
beheaded on 1 June 1617 on a rock near Omura, Nagasaki, Japan
Beatified
7 May 1867 by Pope Blessed Pius IX
Saint Fortunatus of Spoleto
Also known as
• Fortunatus of Territet
• Fortunato...
Profile
Fifth-century parish priest in the village of Territet near Spoleto, Italy. Famed for his love for the poor, his gentleness as a pastor, and as a miracle worker.
Saint Damian of Scotland
Also known as
Damianus
Profile
Two versions of his story exist:
1) He was a priest in Patras, Greece. With Saint Regulus of Scotland, he came to the west with the relics of Saint Andrew the Apostle.
2) He was a priest in Scotland who received Saint Regulus of Scotland and helped him enshrined the relics of Saint Andrew the Apostle.
Saint Seleucus of Alexandria
Profile
Student of Saint Pamphilus of Alexandria; fellow student with Saint Porphyrius of Alexandria. Seleucus applauded how strong and calm Saint Porphyrius remained under torture; this exposed him as a Christian, and he was martyred.
Born
Cappadocia
Died
beheaded in 309 in Alexandria, Egypt
Blessed Conrad of Hesse
Also known as
• Conrad of Herlesheim
• Conrad of Haina
• Konrad of...
Profile
Cistercian monk at the monastery in Haina, Germany where he served as cellar-master for 16 years.
Born
in Herlesheim, Upper Hesse, Germany
Died
c.1270 of natural causes
Blessed Gaius Xeymon
Also known as
Caius
Profile
Born to Christian parents. Dominican tertiary. Helped the friars with their missionary work, and was martyred for it.
Born
Japanese
Died
17 August 1627 at Nagasaki, Japan
Beatified
7 May 1867 by Pope Blessed Pius IX
Saint Proculus the Soldier
Also known as
Procolo
Profile
An officer in the Imperial Roman army. Martyred in the persecutions of Diocletian.
Died
crucified c.304 in Bologna, Italy
Saint Felinus of Perugia
Also known as
Felino of Perugia
Profile
Imperial Roman soldier. Martyred in the persecutions of Decius.
Died
• c.250 at Perugia, Italy
• relics translated to Arona, Italy in 979
Saint Gratian of Perugia
Also known as
Gratianus
Profile
Imperial Roman soldier. Martyred in the persecutions of Decius.
Died
• c.250 at Perugia, Italy
• relics translated to Arona, Italy in 979
Saint Clarus of Aquitaine
Also known as
Clair
Profile
Evangelizing bishop in the Aquitaine region of modern France. Martyr.
Saint Agapetus of Ruthenia
Also known as
Agapitus
Profile
Monk in Ruthenia (in modern Ukraine). Physician who did not charge for his services.
Died
c.1100 of natural causes
Saint Claudius of Vienne
Also known as
Claudio
Profile
15th bishop of Vienne, France, serving from c.440 to c.449. Part of the Council of Orange in 441. Part of the Synod of Vaison in 442.
Saint Porphyrius of Alexandria
Profile
Student of Saint Pamphilus of Alexandria with whom he was tortured and martyred.
Died
beheaded in 309 in Alexandria, Egypt
Saint Thespesius of Cappadocia
Profile
Martyred in the persecutions of Emperor Alexander Severus.
Died
230 in Cappadocia (in modern Turkey)
Saint Atto of Oca
Profile
Benedictine monk at Ona, Old Castile, Spain. Spiritual student of Saint Enneco. Bishop of Oca-Valpuesta, Spain.
Died
1044 of natural causes
Saint Peter of Pisa
Profile
Founded the Order of the Hermits of Saint Jerome in Italy.
Born
c.1355
Died
1435 of natural causes
Saint Juventius
Profile
Martyr.
Died
• Rome, Italy, date unknown
• relics translated to the Benedictine monastery at Chaise-Dieu, Evreux, France
Saint Secundus of Amelia
Profile
Martyred in the persecutions of Diocletian.
Died
drowned in 304 in the River Tiber at Amelia, Italy
Saint Telga of Denbighshire
Also known as
Tegla, Thecla
Profile
The patron of a church and a healing well in Ciwyd, Wales.
Saint Proculus of Bologna
Profile
Bishop of Bologna, Italy from 540 until his death. Martyred by Goths led by Goterne.
Died
542
Blessed Arnold of Geertruidenberg
Also known as
Arnoldus
Profile
Carthusian monk in Capella, Belgium.
Saint Dionysius of Ruthenia
Profile
Monk in Ruthenia (in modern Ukraine).
Died
c.1100 of natural causes
Saint Donatus of Lucania
Profile
Martyred by Saracens.
Died
Lucania region of southern Italy, date unknown
Saint Cronan of Lismore
Profile
Monk. Abbot of Lismore Abbey.
Died
717 of natural causes
Saint Firmus
Profile
Scourged and executed in the persecutions of Emperor Maximian Herculeus. Martyr.
Died
beheaded c.290
Saint Zosimus of Antioch
Profile
Martyr.
Saint Thecla of Antioch
Profile
Martyr.
Saint Melosa
Profile
Martyr.
Died
Thessalonica
Martyrs of Alexandria
Profile
A group five of imperial Roman soldiers assigned to guard a group of Egyptian Christians who were imprisoned for their faith in the persecutions of Decius. During their trial, they encouraged the prisoners not to apostatize. This exposed them as Christians, were promptly arrested and executed. Martyrs. Their names are - Ammon, Ingen, Ptolomy, Theophilis and Zeno.
Died
beheaded in 249 at Alexandria, Egypt
Martyrs of Caesarea
Profile
Three Christians martyred together in the persecutions of Galerius. We know little more about them than the name - Paul, Valens and Valerius.
Died
309 at Caesarea, Palestine
Martyrs of Lycopolis
Profile
Five foot soldiers and their commander who were martyred for their faith by order of the imperial Roman prefect Arriano during the persecutions of Decius.
Died
Lycopolis, Egypt
Martyrs of Rome
Profile
A group of spiritual students of Saint Justin Martyr who died with him and about whom we know nothing else but their names - Carito, Caritone, Evelpisto, Ierace, Liberiano and Peone.
Died
Rome, Italy
Martyrs of Saddi
Profile
A group of Christians martyred in the persecutions of Decius. We are not sure if they were murdered as a group, but their relics were all gathered and enshrined together because of their martyrdom. We know nothing else about them except the names - Benedict, Esuperantius, Eutropius, Faustinus, Fortunatus, Grivicianus, Justin, Orphitus, and Virianus.
Died
• at Pieve de' Saddi, Pietralunga, Italy
• relics enshrined in Pieve de' Saddi
• some relics transferred to the Santa Maria delle Grazie church in the mid-20th-century
Martyrs of Thessalonica
Profile
A group of 136 Christians who were martyred together. We know little more than their names –
• Agapa • Appia • Arabus • Aucias • Baricus • Bublasa • Bullodus • Carra • Cassus • Casta • Castula • Castus • Catulinus • Cecilia • Coteusa • Donata • Donatian • Donatus • Epagatus • Faustina • Felicia • Felix • Flavius • Fledus • Foedosa • Fortunata • Fortunatus • Gagus • Gaianus • Gemellina • Gemina • Germanus • Germanus • Getulla • Gosia • Hilarus • Honoratus • Hortensus • Januaria • Januarius • John • Lauta • Lucia • Lupus • Major • Majorus • Majosa • Malchus • Marcellianus • Marcellinus • Marcianus • Maria • Mark • Martial • Martian • Martinus • Matrona • Maxima • Melosa • Metunus • Mitunus • Nina • Novella • Optata • Paul • Paulina • Petruvius • Potinus • Prima • Primus • Priscus • Procula • Proculus • Publasus • Publius • Quintí • Quintus • Rogate • Rogatian • Rogatiana • Rogatus • Romana • Rufina • Rutilia • Rutilus • Sailis • Saturnin • Saturnina • Secunda • Sepacus • Sillesia • Sillica • Silvana • Silvanus • Surdida • Tertius • Tertula • Tertulus • Timothy • Urbana • Ururi • Vericus • Victoria • Victorina • Victuria • Vincent •
Died
in Thessalonica, Greece, date unknown
