St. Sergius & Bacehus October 7

 St. Sergius & Bacehus

Feastday: October 7

Patron: of Syria, army, soldiers

Death: 303

This legend has Sergius an officer in the Roman army and Bacchus, an officer under him, and both were friends of Emperor Maximian. When they did not enter a temple of Jupiter with the Emperor, he ordered them to do so. When they further refused his order that they sacrifice to pagan gods, they were humiliated by being led through the streets of Arabissus in women's garb and then sent to Rosafa, Mesopotamia, where they were scourged so terribly that Bacchus died of the scourging; Sergius was then tortured further and beheaded.Their feast day is October 7th.

"Saint Sergius" redirects here. For other uses, see Saint Sergius (disambiguation).

Saints Sergius (or Serge) and Bacchus were fourth-century Roman Christian soldiers revered as martyrs and military saints by the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox Churches. Their feast day is 7 October.

According to their hagiography, Sergius and Bacchus were officers in Galerius' army, and were held high in his favor until they were exposed as secret Christians. They were then severely punished, with Bacchus dying during torture, and Sergius eventually beheaded. However, due to its historical anachronisms, the hagiography is considered ahistorical.

Sergius and Bacchus were very popular throughout Late Antiquity, and churches in their honor were built in several cities, including Constantinople and Rome. The close friendship between the two is strongly emphasized in their hagiographies and traditions, making them one of the most famous examples of paired saints. This closeness led the historian John Boswell to suggest that their relationship was a romantic one; though other historians have widely rejected this theory, it has led to popular veneration of Sergius and Bacchus in the gay Christian community.

Martyrs Saints Sergius and Bacchus

The saints' story is told in the Greek text known as The Passion of Sergius and Bacchus. The story is ostensibly set during the reign of Roman emperor Galerius (305 to 311), though it contains a number of contradictions and anachronisms that make dating difficult. The work itself may date to the mid-5th century.[2]

According to the text, Sergius and Bacchus were Roman citizens and high-ranking officers of the Roman army, but their covert Christianity was discovered when they attempted to avoid accompanying a Roman official into a pagan temple with the rest of his bodyguard. After they persisted in refusing to sacrifice to Jupiter in Galerius' company, they were publicly humiliated by being chained, dressed in female attire and paraded around town. Galerius then sent them to Barbalissos in Mesopotamia to be tried by Antiochus, the military commander there and an old friend of Sergius. Antiochus could not convince them to give up their faith, however, and Bacchus was beaten to death. The next day Bacchus' spirit appeared to Sergius and encouraged him to remain strong so they could be together forever. Over the next days, Sergius was also brutally tortured and finally executed at Resafa, where his death was marked by miraculous happenings.[2]

Historicity

The Passion, replete with supernatural occurrences and historical anachronisms, has been dismissed as an unreliable historical source. The work has been dated to mid-5th century, and there is no other evidence for the cult of Sergius and Bacchus before about 425, over a century after they are said to have died. As such, there is considerable doubt about their historicity.[2]

There is no firm evidence for Sergius and Bacchus' schola gentilium having been used by Galerius or any other emperor before Constantine I, and given that persecution of Christians had begun in the army considerably before the overall persecutions of the early 4th century, it is very unlikely that even secret Christians could have risen through the ranks of the imperial bodyguard. Finally, there is no evidence to support the existence of monks, such as the ones said in the Passion to have recovered Bacchus' body, living near the Euphrates during the 4th century.[2]

Instead, the Italian scholar Pio Franchi de Cavalieri has argued that The Passion of Sergius and Bacchus was based on an earlier lost passion of Juventinus and Maximinus, two saints martyred under Emperor Julian the Apostate in 363. He noted especially that the punishment of being paraded around in women's clothes reflected the treatment of Christian soldiers by Julian.[3] Historian David Woods further notes that Zosimus' Historia Nova includes a description of Julian punishing cavalry deserters in just such a manner, further strengthening the argument that the author of The Passion of Sergius and Bacchus took material from the stories of martyrs of Julian's time rather than that of Galerius.[2]

Woods argues that the tradition of the saints' martyrdom is a later development that became attached to otherwise obscure relics in the 5th century and that the Passion is a fiction composed after their cult had become popular. He concludes that "the martyrs Sergius and Bacchus did not exist as such".[2] Christopher Walter considers Sergius analogous to Saint George, "whose historicity is accepted, even if nothing genuine about his life is known." He suggests that Woods maybe "almost as inventive as the hagiographers themselves" in proposing lost sources for which there is no evidence. He accepts that at least some of the information in the Passion is accurate.[4]

Popularity and veneration

Basilica of Saint Sergius, Rasafa, Syria

Veneration of the two saints dates to the fifth century. A shrine to Sergius was built in Resafa (renamed Sergiopolis around 425), but there is no certain evidence for his or Bacchus' cult much older than that. Their cult grew rapidly during the early fifth century, in accordance with the growth of the cult of martyrs, especially military martyrs, during the period. The Resafa shrine was constructed of mudbrick, evidently at the behest of bishop Alexander of Hierapolis. The Passion has been dated to the mid-5th century on the grounds that it describes the construction of such a shrine as if it were a relatively recent occurrence. The original shrine was replaced with a sturdier stone structure in 518; this new site was patronized by important political figures including Roman emperor Justinian I, emperor Khosrow II of the Sassanid Empire, and al-Mundhir III ibn al-Harith, ruler of the Ghassanids.[2]

Traditionally, the feast day of Sergius and Bacchus has been celebrated on 7 October in the West.[5][6] In the Tridentine Calendar they shared the day with Pope Mark and the martyred pair Marcellus and Apuleius. In 1716, this day became the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, and the commemoration of Sergius, Bacchus and the other saints was moved to 8 October. They were restored to 7 October in 1969.[7]

Little Hagia Sophia (Church of the Saints Sergius and Bacchus), Istanbul, Turkey

In the Byzantine Empire, they were venerated as protectors of the army. A large monastery church, the Little Hagia Sophia, was dedicated to them in Constantinople by Justinian I, probably in 527. According to legend, during the reign of Justin I, his nephew Justinian had been accused of plotting against the throne and was sentenced to death, which was reversed after Saints Sergius and Bacchus appeared before Justin and vouched for Justinian’s innocence. He was freed and restored to his title of Caesar, and in gratitude vowed that he would dedicate a church to the saints once he became emperor. The construction of this Church of Saints Sergius and Bacchus, between 527 and 536 AD (only a short time before the erection of the Hagia Sophia between 532 and 537), was one of the first acts of the reign of Justinian I.[8]

Church of Saints Sergius and Bacchus, Rome, Italy

Sergius was a very popular saint in Syria and Christian Arabia. The city of Resafa, which became a bishop's see, took the name Sergiopolis and preserved his relics in a fortified basilica. Resafa was improved by Emperor Justinian and became one of the greatest pilgrimage centers in the East. Many other churches were built dedicated in the name of Sergius, sometimes with Bacchus. A church dedicated to Santi Sergio e Bacco was built in Rome in the 9th century. Christian art represents the two saints as soldiers in military garb with branches of palm in their hands. Their feast is observed on 7 October, and a Mass is assigned to them in the "Sacramentarium" of Pope Gelasius. The nomads of the desert looked upon Sergius as their special patron saint.

In the Armenian Church traditions Sergius, or Sarkis, was venerated as a Christian general in the Roman army. He was martyred with his son, Martyros, for witnessing to their faith in Christ. The feast is preceded by three-day fasting.

Robert Lentz's 1994 icon of Saints Sergius and Bacchus

The close friendship between the two is strongly emphasized in their hagiographies and traditions, making them one of the most famous examples of paired saints; scholar John Boswell considers them to be the most influential set of such an archetype, more so than even Saints Peter and Paul.[9][10] In his Same-Sex Unions in Premodern Europe, Boswell further argues that Sergius and Bacchus's relationship can be understood as having a romantic dimension, noting that the oldest text of their martyrology describes them as erastai, which can be translated as "lovers".[11] He suggested that the two were even united in a rite known as adelphopoiesis or "brother-making", which he argued was a type of early Christian same-sex union or blessing, reinforcing his view of tolerant early Christian attitudes toward homosexuality.[11] Boswell's methodology and conclusions have been disputed by many historians.[2][12][13][14][15][16][17]

Regardless, in the wake of Boswell's work, Sergius and Bacchus have become popularly venerated in the gay Christian community.[18][19] A 1994 icon of Sergius and Bacchus by the gay Franciscan iconographer Robert Lentz, first displayed at Chicago's Gay Pride Parade, has become a popular gay symbol.[20]

Saint Bridget of SwedenPatron Saint of Sweden. October 7

Saint Bridget of Sweden

Patron Saint of Sweden

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Saint Bridget of Sweden’s Story

 

St. Bridget was born of the Swedish royal family, in 1304. In obedience to her father, she was married to Prince Ulpho of Sweden, and became the mother of eight children, one of whom, Catherine, is honored as a Saint. After some years she and her husband separated by mutual consent. He entered the Cistercian Order, and Bridget founded the Order of St. Saviour, in the Abbey of Wastein, in Sweden. In 1344 she became a widow, and thenceforth received a series of the most sublime revelations, all of which she scrupulously submitted to the judgment of her confessor. By the command of Our Lord, Bridget went on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, and amidst the very scenes of the Passion was further instructed in the sacred mysteries. She died in 1373.

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மறைசாட்சி எர்னஸ்ட் Ernst von Neresheim OSB. October 7

இன்றைய புனிதர்

2020-10-07

மறைசாட்சி எர்னஸ்ட் Ernst von Neresheim OSB

பிறப்பு

11 ஆம் நூற்றாண்டு,

ஜெர்மனி

இறப்பு

7 அக்டோபர் 1148,

மெக்கா, சவுதி அரேபியா

இவர் ஜெர்மனியிலுள்ள அவுக்ஸ்பூர்க்கில் (Augsburg) 1119 ஆம் ஆண்டு பெனடிக்டின் துறவற மடத்தில் சேர்ந்தார். இவர் நேரஸ்ஹைம் என்ற ஊரில் பெனடிக்டின் துறவற இல்லம் ஒன்றையும் துவங்கினார். நாளடைவில் இத்துறவற இல்லத்தின் தலைவராகவும் தேர்ந்தெடுக்கப்பட்டார். பின்னர் இவர் புனித நாட்டிற்கு பயணம் மேற்கொண்டார். அவ்வேளையில் இவர் சிறைபிடித்து செல்லப்பட்டார். பின்னர் மெக்காவில் வைத்து சித்ரவதைக்குள்ளாக்கப்பட்டார். அச்சமயத்தில் பல துன்பங்களின் மத்தியில் கொலை செய்யப்பட்டார்.

செபம்:

இரக்கமே உருவான இறைவா! புனித பெனடிக்டின் சபையில் உழைத்து மரித்த ஒவ்வொரு துறவிகளையும், உமது வான் வீட்டில் சேர்த்தருளும். இவர்களின் இறைவேண்டலால் அச்சபையை தொடர்ந்து வழிநடத்தியருள வேண்டுமென்று இறைவா உம்மை மன்றாடுகின்றோம்.

இந்நாளில் நினைவுகூறப்படும் பிற புனிதர்கள்

• கொலோன் நகர் ஜெரால்டு Gerold von Köln

பிறப்பு: 1201, கொலோன் Köln, ஜெர்மனி

இறப்பு: 7 அக்டோபர் 1241, கிரேமொனா Cremona, இத்தாலி

• பதுவை நகர் மறைசாட்சி ஜஸ்டீனா Justina von Padua

பிறப்பு: 3 ஆம் நூற்றாண்டு, பதுவை, இத்தாலி

இறப்பு: 300, பதுவை

• திருத்தந்தை மார்குஸ் Marcus

பிறப்பு: 3 ஆம் நூற்றாண்டு, உரோம், இத்தாலி

இறப்பு: 7 அக்டோபர் 336, உரோம், இத்தாலி

✠ பதுவை நகர புனிதர் ஜஸ்டினா ✠(St. Justina of Padua). அக்டோபர் 7

† இன்றைய புனிதர் †

(அக்டோபர் 7)

✠ பதுவை நகர புனிதர் ஜஸ்டினா ✠

(St. Justina of Padua)

மறைசாட்சி:

(Martyr)

பிறப்பு: ---

இறப்பு: கி.பி. 304

ஏற்கும் சமயம்: 

ரோமன் கத்தோலிக்க திருச்சபை

(Roman Catholic Church)

முக்கிய திருத்தலம்: 

புனிதர் அந்தோனியார் ஆலயம், லிஸ்பன் நகர்

(Church of Saint Anthony of Lisbon)

பாதுகாவல்: 

பதுவை, பல்மநோவா

(Padua; Palmanova)

நினைவுத் திருவிழா: அக்டோபர் 7

புனிதர் ஜஸ்டினா, பதுவை நகரின் பாதுகாவலரும், கத்தோலிக்க புனிதரும் ஆவார். இவர், பதுவை நகரின் அரச பரம்பரையில் பிறந்தவரும் கன்னியரும் ஆவார். அவர் இளவரசியாக முடி சூடப்பட்டவர் என்றும், மார்பிலே கூரிய வாள் ஒன்றினை அணிந்திருந்தவர் என்றும் கிறிஸ்தவ கலைகள் கூறுகின்றன.

ஆறாம் நூற்றாண்டில், பதுவை நகரின் பொதுநிலையினர், புனித ஜஸ்டினாவுக்காக ஒரு பேராலயத்தினை அர்ப்பணித்தனர். 'எப்ரேஷியன் பேராலயத்தின்' (Euphrasian Basilica) 'பிரிஸ்பிட்டரி வளைவின்' (Presbytery arch) இடது பக்கத்திலுள்ள மறைசாட்சிகளாய் மறைந்த அருட்கன்னியரின் சித்திரங்களில் இவரது சித்திரமும் உள்ளது. 'சாண்ட அப்போலினரிஸ் (Sant'Apollinare Nuovo) பேராலயத்தில் நடைபெறும் அருட்கன்னியரின் ஊர்வலத்தில் இவரும் இடம்பெற்றுள்ளார்.

ஜஸ்டினா, அப்போஸ்தலர் புனித பேதுருவின் சீடர் என்று இடைக்கால சரித்திர வரலாறுகள் கூறுகின்றன. பதுவை மறை மாவட்டத்தின் முதலாம் ஆயரான 'புனித ப்ராஸ்டாசிமஸ்' (Saint Prosdocimus) ஜஸ்டினாவின் ஞானத்தந்தை என்றும் கூறுகின்றன. 'புனித ப்ராஸ்டாசிமஸின்' வரலாறு, அவர் அப்போஸ்தலர் புனித பேதுருவால் அந்தியோக்கியாவிலிருந்து அனுப்பப்பட்டவர் என கூறுகிறது. 

எப்படியாகினும், மேற்கூறப்பட்ட கூற்றுக்கள் நடைமுறையில் சாத்தியமற்றவை. காரணம், கி.பி. 304ம் ஆண்டு வாழ்ந்த இளம்பெண்ணான ஜஸ்டினாவுக்கு கி.பி. 100ம் ஆண்டு மரித்த புனிதர் ப்ராஸ்டாசிமசை சந்தித்திருக்க வாய்ப்பே இல்லை.

பதுவையின் பாதுகாவலரான ஜஸ்டினா, புனித மாற்குவின் பிறகு, வெனிஸ் நகரினதும் இரண்டாம் பாதுகாவலராவார்.

† Saint of the Day †

(October 7)

✠ St. Justina of Padua✠

Martyr:

Born: ----

Died: 304 AD

Venerated in: Roman Catholic Church

Major shrine: Church of Saint Anthony of Lisbon

Feast: October 7

Patronage: Padua and Palmanova

Saint Justina of Padua is a Christian saint, known for converting Cyprian, a pagan magician of Antioch. She is said to have been martyred in the year 304 AD. Justina was said to have been a young woman who took private vows of chastity and was killed during the persecutions of the Roman emperor Diocletian. She is a patron saint of Padua. Her feast day is October 7.

She suffered at Padua in the persecution of Dioclesian, about the year 304, or, according to some, in that of Nero. Fortunatus ranks her among the most illustrious holy virgins, whose sanctity and triumph have adorned and edified the church, saying that her name makes Padua illustrious, as Euphemia Chalcedon, and Eulalia the city Emerita. And in his poem on the life of St. Martin, he bids those who visit Padua, there to kiss the sacred sepulchre of the blessed Justina, on the walls of which they will see the actions of St. Martin represented in figures or paintings. A church was built at Padua, in her honour, about the middle of the fifth age, by Opilio, prefect of the prætorium, who was consul in 453.

Her precious remains, concealed in the irruption of Attila, who destroyed Aquileia and Padua in the middle of the fifth century, were found in 1177, and are kept with great veneration in the famous church which bears her name. It was most elegantly and sumptuously rebuilt in 1501, and, with the adjoining Benedictine monastery, (to which it belongs,) is one of the most finished models of the building of that nature in the world. A reformation of the Benedictine Order was settled in this house in 1417, which was propagated in many parts of Italy under the name of the Congregation of St. Justina of Padua.

The great monastery of Mount Cassino, head of the whole Order of St. Bennet, having acceded to this reformed Congregation, it was made the chief house thereof by Pope Julius II., and the jurisdiction of the president or general, was transferred by him from St. Justina’s to the abbot of Mount Cassino; from which time this is called the Congregation of Mount Cassino, and is divided into seven provinces. The great monastery of St. Justina may be said to be the second in rank. St. Justina is, after St. Mark, the second patroness of the commonwealth of Venice, and her image is stamped on the coin.

Near the tomb of St. Justina, in the cemetery, were found the relics of several other martyrs, who are said in her acts and those of St. Prosdecimus, first bishop of Padua, and other such monuments, to have suffered with her. The relics of St. Justina were placed in a shrine or chest under the high altar of the new church, in 1502. When the new choir was built these were translated with the utmost solemnity into a sumptuous vault under the new high altar, in 1627. Another famous church of St. Justina stands in the city of Venice, formerly collegiate, now in the hands of nuns. The senate makes to it the most solemn procession on the 7th of October, in thanksgiving for the victory of Lepante, gained over the Turks on that day, which is her festival.

✠ புனிதர் மாற்கு ✠(St. Mark)34ம் திருத்தந்தை:(34th Pope)அக்டோபர் 7

† இன்றைய புனிதர் †

(அக்டோபர் 7)

✠ புனிதர் மாற்கு ✠

(St. Mark)

34ம் திருத்தந்தை:

(34th Pope)

பிறப்பு: --- 

ரோம் (Rome)

இறப்பு: அக்டோபர் 7, 336 

ரோம் (Rome)

நினைவுத் திருவிழா: அக்டோபர் 7

திருத்தந்தை புனிதர் மாற்கு (Pope Saint Mark) ரோம் நகர ஆயராகவும், கத்தோலிக்க திருச்சபையில் திருத்தந்தையாகவும் கி.பி. 336ம் ஆண்டு, ஜனவரி மாதம், 18ம் தேதி முதல், கி.பி. 336ம் ஆண்டு, அக்டோபர் மாதம், 7ம் தேதி வரை, மிகக் குறுகிய காலமே (எட்டு மாதங்களும் இருபது நாட்களும்) ஆட்சி செய்தார். இவருக்கு முன் ஆட்சி செய்த திருத்தந்தை, “புனிதர் சில்வெஸ்டர்” (St. Sylvester) ஆவார்.

திருத்தந்தையர்களின் வரலாறு (Liber Pontificalis) என்னும் பண்டைய நூல், இவர் ரோம் நகரில் “பிரிஸ்கஸ்” (Priscus) என்பவருக்கு மகனாகப் பிறந்தார் என்று கூறுகிறது.

இவரது ஆட்சிக்கால நிகழ்வுகள் :

ஆயர்களின் பட்டியல் மற்றும் மறை சாட்சிகளின் பட்டியல் என்னும் தொகுப்புகள் இவர் காலத்தில்தான் தொடங்கப்பட்டன என்பது மரபுச் செய்தி. புதிதாகத் திருத்தந்தையாகத் தெரிந்தெடுக்கப்படுபவருக்கு அருட்பொழிவு வழங்கும் உரிமைகொண்ட மூன்று ஆயர்களுள் 'ஓஸ்தியா' (Ostia) நகர ஆயருக்கு முதன்மைப் பொறுப்பு உண்டு என்று இவர் உறுதிப்படுத்தினார். இன்றைய திருச்சபை வழக்கப்படி, கர்தினால் குழுவின் தலைவர் ஓஸ்தியா நகர ஆயர் என்னும் மரியாதைப் பொறுப்பு கொண்டுள்ளார். 

இயேசு கிறிஸ்து இறைத்தன்மை கொண்டவர், கடவுளின் மகன் என்று நிசேயா சங்கம் 325ல் அறிவித்திருந்தது. ஆனால் 'ஆரியுஸ்' (Arius) என்பவர் இக்கொள்கையை ஏற்க மறுத்து, இயேசு கடவுளின் படைப்புகளில் மிகச் சிறந்தவரே தவிர கடவுள்தன்மை கொண்டவரல்ல என்று போதித்தார். இந்தத் தவறான போதனையால் திருச்சபைக்குள் குழப்பம் ஏற்பட்டது. இது திருத்தந்தை மாற்குவின் காலத்தில் நிகழ்ந்தது.

இவர் கட்டிய ஆலயங்கள் :

ரோமில் உள்ள புனித மாற்கு பேராலயத்தைக் (Basilica of San Marco) கட்ட இவரே அடித்தளம் இட்டார் என்று கருதப்படுகிறது. ரோம் நகரின் வெளியே, பேரரசர் “கான்ஸ்டன்டைன்” (Emperor Constantine) அவர்களிடமிருந்து நன்கொடையாகப் பெற்ற நிலத்தில், “பால்பீனாவின் கல்லறை” (Catacomb of Balbina) என்றழைக்கப்படும் பாதாள கல்லறைத் தோட்டத்தின் மேலே, கல்லறை ஆலயத்தைக் கட்டியவரும் இவரே என்று தெரிகிறது.

இறப்பும் திருவிழாவும் :

திருத்தந்தை மாற்கு இயற்கைக் காரணங்களால் இறந்தார். அவரது உடல் புனித பால்பீனா ஆலயத்தின் அடியில் உள்ள கல்லறையில் அடக்கம் செய்யப்பட்டது. திருத்தந்தை மாற்குவின் நினைவுத் திருவிழா அக்டோபர் 7ம் நாள் கொண்டாடப்படுகிறது.

† Saint of the Day †

(October 7)

✠ St. Mark ✠

34th Pope:

Birth Name: Marcus

Born: ----

Rome

Died: October 7, 336

Rome

Feast: October 7

Pope Saint Mark or Marcus was pope from January 18, 336 to October 7, 336. The successor of Sylvester I, who had reigned 21 years, Mark's time as the bishop of Rome lasted less than a year.

Before coming to the papacy, Mark was apparently an important leader of the Roman church dating back to the time of Pope Miltiades. He thus lived through the period of Christianity's transition from being a persecuted sect to its status as the favored religion of the Roman empire. He also seems to have had a role in the early stages of the Donatist controversy and certainly witnessed Emperor Constantine I's generosity to the Roman church, as well as the emperor's calling of the Council of Nicaea, his later vacillation on the Arian controversy, and his moving of the capital of the Roman Empire to Byzantium.

Some evidence suggests that the early lists of bishops and martyrs known as the Depositio episcoporum and Depositio martyrum were begun during Mark's pontificate. Mark also is said to have issued a constitution confirming the power of the bishop of Ostia to consecrate newly elected popes and is credited with the foundation of the basilica of San Marco in Rome and the Juxta Pallacinis basilica just outside the city.

Mark died of natural causes and was buried in the Catacomb of Balbina. His feast day is on October 7.

The Liber Pontificalis says that Mark was a Roman and that his father's name was Priscus. Little is known of his younger days, but it seems that Mark had been an important figure in the Roman church for several decades before becoming pope. Constantine the Great's letter to the Roman church's leaders, which summoned a conference of the bishop for the investigation of the Donatist dispute, is directed to Pope Miltiades, but also to a certain "Mark" (Eusebius, Church History X.5). This Mark was evidently a key member of the Roman clergy, either a well-known presbyter or first deacon, and is likely identical with the later pope.

At Rome, Mark must have taken an active role in the remarkable transition of the church from a persecuted sect to the emperor's favored religion. He may have witnessed the triumphal entry of Constantine I as a new convert into Rome in 312 and must have rejoiced with his fellow Christians at the Edict of Milan in 313, officially establishing the toleration of Christianity and restoring the properties confiscated in recent persecutions. If he was a chief deacon, he may even have administered the process in Rome. It is likely that he was present at the time of Constantine's giving the Lateran Palace to Pope Miltiades as the papal residence, where Mark himself would later live.

We do not know what role if any, he had in the Council of Arles at which the Donatists were first condemned, but since Constantine's letter seems to have been directed to him, Mark may have had some role in organizing or participating in it. The Donatists took the view that the ordination of clergy by bishops who had cooperated with the pagan emperors should be considered invalid. This policy was condemned in Miltiades' day as heretical, leading to a major schism that would last well into the next century. 

In 321, Mark must have heard of the decree of Constantine declaring Sunday to be a state "day of rest," at the same time further distancing the Christian church from the "detestable" Jews. Controversy continued to challenge the church, meanwhile, with regard to the treatment of those who had committed apostasy during the previous persecutions. The Novatianists, who were noted for their commitment to die rather than compromise with the pagan emperors and who refused communion to former apostates, continued to be a respected presence both in Rome and elsewhere in the empire.

The Arian controversy also broke out during this period. Although no documents exist specifying Mark's position on this issue, it is likely that he supported the view of his fellow Roman churchmen that Christ not only pre-existed his Incarnation but that he existed eternally with God the Father, with whom he shared the "same substance." The Arians, on the other hand, took the view that Christ was of a "like substance" with the Father and that, although he pre-existed with the Father as the Logos, he had come into being at a certain point in time, rather than being "eternally begotten" by the Father.

No doubt Mark heard the news of the Council of Nicaea in 325, and in 326 it is likely that he stood by as Sylvester I consecrated the Basilica of Saint Peter which had been built by Constantine over the tomb of the Apostle. Perhaps he had the opportunity of reading the Easter letter of bishop Athanasius of Alexandria in which Athanasius specified the 27 Christian books and letters which later became the authoritative list of the New Testament canon.

We can imagine the mixed emotions he may have felt when the emperor moved the capital of the Roman Empire to Byzantium, renaming it "New Rome." Finally, Mark must have felt deep concern to hear in 335 that a synod of church leaders in Jerusalem had reversed Nicaea's condemnation of Arius and that Constantine, under the influence of the new patriarch of Constantinople, Eusebius of Nicomedia, had agreed to the banishment of the erstwhile anti-Arian leader Athanasius.

Papacy:

The date of Mark's election, (January 18, 336) is given in the Liberian Catalogue of popes and is considered historically certain. So is the day of his death (October 7 of the same year) that is specified in the Depositio episcoporum, which is nearly contemporaneous with him.

Two decrees are attributed to Mark by the author of the Liber Pontificalis. According to the one, he invested the bishop of Ostia with the pallium as the symbol of papal authority and ordained that this bishop was to consecrate the future bishops of Rome. It is certain that, towards the end of the fourth century, the bishop of Ostia indeed bestowed the Episcopal. consecration upon the newly-elected pope. Saint Augustine expressly bears witness to this. Thus, it is possible that Mark had confirmed this privilege by an official decree. However, it is also known that the bishop of Ostia usually consecrated the new pope even before this time. Since the Liber Pontificalis is notorious for its anachronisms regarding papal institutions, however, the report must be treated cautiously. As for the bestowal of the pallium, this account cannot be established from sources of the fourth century, since the oldest memorials which show this badge, in the form of a white stole which the pope himself also wore, belong to the fifth and sixth centuries. The oldest written mention outside the Liber Pontificalis of a pope bestowing the pallium dates from the sixth century.

The "Liber Pontificalis" remarks further of Pope Mark that "he made regulation(s) for the whole church." However, we do not know to which constitutions this refers. During the time in question, churches elsewhere indeed looked to Rome for leadership in resolving controversies, but the papacy had not yet emerged as an institution with the authority to dictate policy to the "whole church."

Mark is also said to have been responsible for the construction of two buildings. One of these was built within the city and is identified with the present church of San Marco, being named after the pope's namesake Mark the Evangelist. It is mentioned in the fifth century as a Roman titular church. The other was outside the city and was a cemetery church, which the pope caused to be constructed over the Catacomb of Balbina, between the Via Appia and the Via Ardeatina. Pope Mark obtained gifts of land and liturgical furniture for both basilicas from Constantine I. Thus it does not appear that either Constantine's moving his capital to Byzantium or his change of heart toward the Arians affected his willingness to show generosity toward the Roman church.

Legacy:

Mark was buried in the Catacomb of Balbina, where he had built the cemetery church. His grave is expressly mentioned as being located there in the itineraries of pilgrims of the seventh century. The feast of the deceased pope was given on October 7 in the old Roman calendar of feasts, which was also inserted in the "Martyrologium Hieronymianum". It is still kept on the same date. A laudatory poem to a certain Saint Mark of this period was composed by the order of Pope Damasus I and is preserved in an ancient manuscript, although scholars are divided as to whether it refers to Pope Mark. A purported letter to him by Athanasius is now considered to be a forgery.

தூய ஜெபமாலை அன்னை. October 07

(07-10-2020)

தூய ஜெபமாலை அன்னை

1571 ஆம் ஆண்டு கிறிஸ்தவர்களுக்கும் இஸ்லாமியருக்கும் இடையே லாபந்தோ என்னும் இடத்தில் கடுமையாகப் போர் நடந்தது. இந்தப் போரில் கிறிஸ்தவர்களே வெற்றி பெற்றார்கள். இதற்கு அடிப்படைக் காரணம் உரோமை நகரில் இருக்கக்கூடிய தூய பேதுரு சதுக்கத்தில் கிறிஸ்தவர்கள் தங்களுடைய கைகளில் ஜெபமாலை ஏந்தி அன்னை மரியாவிடம் ஜெபித்ததே ஆகும். அன்னை மரியாவே எதிரிகளிடமிருந்து கிறிஸ்தவர்களுக்கு வெற்றியைத் தேடித்தந்ததால் அப்போது திருத்தந்தையாய் இருந்த ஐந்தாம் பவுல் இதனை அன்னை மரியின் வெற்றியின் விழா என்று கொண்டாடப் பணித்தார்.

ஜெபமாலை சொல்லும் வழக்கம் பதிமூன்றாம் நூற்றாண்டிலிருந்தே இருந்திருக்கிறது என்று வரலாற்று ஆசிரியர்கள் சொல்வார்கள். பதிமூன்றாம் நூற்றாண்டின் தொடக்கத்தில் இயேசுவின் இறைத்தன்மையை மறுக்கும் அல்பிஜீயன்ஸ் என்ற தப்பறைக் கொள்கை திருச்சபைக்கு அதிகமாக ஊறுவிளைவித்து வந்தது. இதை எதிர்த்து டொமினிக் எனப்படும் சாமிநாதர் அதிகமாகப் போராடி வந்தார். ஆனாலும் அவரால் வெற்றிகொள்ள முடியவில்லை. எனவே அவர் காட்டிற்குச் சென்று கடுமையான தவ முயற்சிகளை மேற்கொண்டார். அவர் தவ முயற்சிகளை மேற்கொண்ட மூன்றாம் நாளில் மரியா அவருக்குக் காட்சி கொடுத்து, “இந்த ஜெபமாலையை வைத்து நம்பிக்கையோடு ஜெபி, நிச்சயம் வெற்றி கிடைக்கும்” என்று சொல்லிவிட்டு மறைந்தார். மரியா சொன்னதற்கு ஏற்ப சாமிநாதர் தன்னுடைய இடத்திற்குச் சென்று ஜெபமாலை சொல்லி ஜெபித்தார். இதனால் அல்பிஜீனியன்ஸ் என்ற தப்பறைக் கொள்கையை பின்பற்றி வந்த மக்கள் மனம்மாறி இயேசுவை இறைமகனாக ஏற்றுக்கொண்டார்கள். அதன்பிறகு ஜெபமாலை சொல்லும் வழக்கம் மக்களிடத்தில் அதிகமாகப் பரவி வந்தது.

ஆலன் ரோச் என்ற புனிதர் ஜெபமாலை சொல்லும் வழக்கத்தை மக்களிடத்தில் அதிகமாகக் கொண்டு போய் சேர்த்தார். ஜெபமாலை சொல்வதனால் கிடைக்கும் நன்மைகள் என்ன என்பதைப் பற்றியும் தெளிவாக மக்களிடத்தில் எடுத்துச் சொன்னார். 1571 ஆம் ஆண்டு கிறிஸ்தவர்கள் இஸ்லாமியப் படையை செபமாலையின் துணைகொண்டு வெற்றிகொண்டதால் செபமாலையின் மீது மக்கள் இன்னும் அதிகமாக நம்பிக்கை கொள்ளத் தொடங்கினார்கள். 1715 ஆம் ஆண்டு இவ்விழா உரோமைத் திருச்சபையின் விழா அட்டவணையில் சேர்க்கப்பட்டது.

இதற்கிடையில் ஜெபமாலை சொல்வது பற்றி நிறைய விமர்சனங்கள் வந்தன. ஜெபமாலை சிறியவர்களும் வயதானவர்களும் சொல்லவேண்டியது அது எல்லாருக்கும் உரித்தானது அல்ல என்பது போன்ற விமர்சனங்களும் வந்தன.  இந்த நேரத்தில்தான்  1858 ஆம் ஆண்டு பிப்ரவரி மாதம் 18 தேதி முதல் ஆகஸ்ட் மாதம் 16 தேதி வரை லூர்து நகரில் மரியா பெர்னதெத் என்ற சிறுமிக்குக் காட்சி கொடுத்ததில் ஜெபமாலை சொல்லி ஜெபித்தார். இதனால் ஜெபமாலை என்பது ஒரு குறிப்பிட்ட சாரார் மட்டும் சொல்லவேண்டியது அல்ல, அது எல்லாரும் சொல்லவேண்டியது என்ற வழக்கம் உருவாகியது. 1917 ஆம் ஆண்டு பாத்திமா நகரில் அன்னை மரியா ஜெசிந்தா, லூசியா, பிரான்சிஸ்கா என்ற மூன்று சிறுமிகளுக்குக் காட்சிகொடுத்தபோது தன்னை ஜெபமாலை அன்னை என்றே வெளிப்படுத்தினார். அப்போது அவர் அவர்களிடம் ஜெபமாலை சொல்வதனால் கிடைக்கும் பயன்கள் என்ன என்பது பற்றியும் எடுத்துச் சொன்னார். இவ்வாறு ஜெபமாலை பக்தி திருச்சபையில் படிப்படியாக வளர்ந்தது. 1969 ஆம் ஆண்டு திருத்தந்தை ஆறாம் பவுல் இவ்விழாவை திருச்செபமாலையின் அன்னை விழா என அறிவித்து, அதனை உலகம் முழுவதும் கொண்டாடப் பணித்தார்.

ஜெபமாலை சொல்வது என்பது, ஏதோ சொன்ன ஜெபத்தை திரும்பத் திரும்பச் சொல்வது கிடையாது.  நாம் ஜெபமாலை சொல்கிறது இயேசுவின் பிறப்பு, வளர்ப்பு, இறப்பு, அவருடைய உயிர்ப்பு ஆகியவற்றை மரியாவின் வாழ்வோடு இணைத்து தியானிக்கின்றோம். அது மட்டுமல்லாமல் ஜெபமாலையை நாம் சொல்லி ஜெபிக்கின்றபோது நம்முடைய ஐம்புலன்களும் ஒன்றாகச் சேர்ந்து இயங்குகின்றன. அதலால் இதனை ஒரு மிகச் சிறந்த பக்தி முயற்சி என நாம் உணர்ந்துகொள்ளலாம்.

தூய லூயிஸ் தே மான்போர்ட் என்பவர் செபமாலையைக் குறித்து இவ்வாறு கூறுவார், “ஜெபமாலை சொல்கிறபோது நமக்கு வரும் தீவினைகள் முற்றிலுமாக நீங்கும். இறையருள் நமக்கு மேலும் மேலும் பெருகும்” என்று. திருத்தந்தை பனிரெண்டாம் பத்திநாதரோ, “ஜெபமாலை என்பது சாதாரண விஷயம் கிடையாது. அதனைச் சொல்லி ஜெபிக்கின்றபோது மீட்பின் வரலாற்றை நினைவுகூறுகின்றோம்; ஆண்டவர் இயேசு நமக்குச் சொல்லிக் கொடுத்த ஜெபத்தினை நினைவுகூறுகின்றோம்; வானதூதர் கபிரியேல் மரியாவிற்குச் சொன்ன மங்கள வார்த்தையை நினைவுகூறுகின்றோம்” என்பார்.

ஆகவே, நாம் அனுதினமும் சொல்லக்கூடிய செபமாலையின் உட்பொருளையும் வல்லமையையும் உணர்ந்தவர்களாய் நம்பிக்கையோடு ஜெபமாலை சொல்லி ஜெபிப்போம்.

---JDH---தெய்வீக குணமளிக்கும் இயேசு /திண்டுக்கல்.

Feast : (07-10-2020)

Our Lady of the Rosary

This feast is celebrated on every October-7 from the year 1571. There was a war between Turkish army and Christian army in October 1571 at a place called Lepanto. The Christian army fought under the leadership of Dan Juan, an Austrian Military General. The situation then was that if the Turkish army won, there was every possibility that the entire Europe would come under Muslim control. Therefore Pope Pius-V requested all catholic Christians to recite rosary and pray to Mother Mary for the victory of the Christian army. People also recited rosary and prayed Mother Mary for the victory of the Christian army, in obedience to the request of the pope. In that war Christian army won on October 7, 1571. The news of the victory was conveyed to the Pope on October 7, 1571itself, when the Pope was talking with cardinals. He immediately directed the Church to celebrate the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary every year on October 7. All our prayers by reciting rosary will be heard and fulfilled. Family that recites rosary together will always remain united together.

---JDH---Jesus the Divine Healer---

St. Aurea October 6

 St. Aurea

Feastday: October 6

Death: 8th century

Abbess of Rouen. Born in Amiens, France, Aurea entered the religious life and became abbess of a very large community. She was known for her piety and wisdom.

St. Ceollach October 6

St. Ceollach

Feastday: October 6

Death: 7th century

Irish bishop of the Mercians or Middle Angles of England. He retired to lona, Scotland, but died in Ireland

Bl. Diego Luis de San Vitores October 6

 Bl. Diego Luis de San Vitores

Feastday: October 6

Birth: 1627

Death: 1672

Beatified: October 6, 1985, Vatican by Pope John Paul II

Image of Bl. Diego Luis de San Vitores

Blessed Diego Luis de San Vitores (1627-1672) was a Spanish Jesuit missionary who founded the first Catholic church on the island of Guam. He is responsible for establishing the Spanish presence in the Mariana Islands.

Diego Luis de San Vitores (November 12, 1627 – April 2, 1672) was a Spanish Jesuit missionary who founded the first Catholic church on the island of Guam. He is responsible for establishing the Christian presence in the Mariana Islands. He is a controversial figure to some today due to his conflict with the indigenous Chamorro leader Mata'pang.

Early life

A son of a nobleman, he was baptised Diego Jerónimo de San Vitores y Alonso de Maluendo. He was born on November 12, 1627, in the city of Burgos, Spain to Don Jerónimo de San Vitores and Doña María Alonso Maluenda. His parents attempted to persuade him to pursue a military career, but San Vitores instead chose to pursue his religious interests. In 1640, he entered the Jesuit novitiate and was ordained a priest in 1651. San Vitores was granted his request for a mission in the Philippines.

In 1662, San Vitores stopped in Guam on the way to the Philippines and vowed to return. Three years later, through his close ties to the royal court, he persuaded King Philip IV of Spain and Queen Maria Ana of Austria to order a mission in Guam be established.

Mission to Guam

In 1668, San Vitores set sail from Acapulco to Guam. San Vitores called the Chamorro archipelago "Islas Marianas" (Mariana Islands) in honour of the Queen Regent of Spain, Maria Ana of Austria, and the Blessed Virgin Mary. The missionary landed on Guam in the village of Hagåtña and was greeted by Chief Kepuha. Kepuha's family donated land to establish the first Catholic mission on Guam. On February 2, 1669, Padre San Vitores established the first Catholic Church in Hagåtña and dedicated it to "the sweet name of Mary," "Dulce Nombre de Maria."

According to former journalist and Guampedia editor, Tanya Champaco Mendiola: "The Chamorros initially welcomed San Vitores and the other Catholic missionaries and hundreds were readily converted. The nobles of the community may have believed this would elevate their social status while others village chiefs desired priests for their own village, probably as symbols of status. Some islanders apparently also received the sacrament of baptism more than once for the gifts of beads and clothing they were given. This enthusiasm for Catholicism did not last long, however, as several factors quickly came into play including the conflicts it created in the hierarchal caste system of the Chamorros. The church preached that once baptized, people were equal in the eyes of God. The missionary’s dogmatic zeal was also not well received as the Jesuits shunned long-standing traditional beliefs and practices in trying to assimilate the Chamorros in Christian doctrine. This included the rejection of the Chamorros long standing veneration of ancestors. As part of the religious practices of Chamorro culture, people had the skulls of deceased family members placed in baskets in places of honor in their homes. The Chamorros believed that this allowed their deceased to have a place to stay and often sought the guidance of their ancestors and favors from them in their daily endeavors. The missionaries told the Chamorros that their ancestors (including parents and grandparents) were burning in hell because they had not been baptized as Christians." [1]

The destruction of venerated ancestral skulls is often cited as a grave and insensitive offense by the missionaries against the indigenous Chamorro people.

After Chief Kepuha's death in 1669, Spanish missionary and Chamorro relations worsened and the Chamorro - Spanish War began in 1671, led on the Chamorro side by Maga'låhi (Chief) Hurao. After several attacks on the Spanish mission, a peace was negotiated. Though San Vitores claimed to want to emulate Francis Xavier, who did not use soldiers in his missionization efforts in India, as his model priest, he also felt that a military presence would be necessary to protect the priests serving Guam.[citation needed] In 1672, San Vitores ordered Churches built in four villages, including Merizo. Later that year, Chamorro resistance increased.

Martyrdom

A Chinese man named Choco, a criminal from Manila who was exiled in Guam, began spreading rumours that the baptismal water used by missionaries was poisonous. As some sickly Chamorro infants who were baptized eventually died, many believed the story and held the missionaries responsible. Choco was readily supported by the macanjas (medicine men) and the urritaos (young males) who despised the missionaries.

In their search for a runaway companion named Esteban, San Vitores and his Visayan companion Pedro Calungsod came to the village of Tumon, Guam on 2 April 1672. There they learnt that the wife of the village chief Matapang gave birth to a daughter, and they immediately went to baptise the child. Influenced by the calumnies of Choco, the chief strongly opposed;[2] to give Mata'pang some time to calm down, the missionaries gathered the children and some adults of the village at the nearby shore and started chanting with them the tenets of the Catholic religion. They invited Mata'pang to join them, but he shouted back that he was angry with God and was fed up with Christian teachings.

Determined to kill the missionaries, Mata'pang went away and tried to enlist another villager, named Hurao, who was not a Christian. Hurao initially refused, mindful of the missionaries' kindness towards the natives, but when Mata'pang branded him a coward, he became piqued and capitulated. Meanwhile, during that brief absence of Mata'pang from his hut, San Vitores and Calungsod baptised the baby girl, with the consent of her Christian mother.

When Mata'pang learnt of his daughter's baptism, he became even more furious. He violently hurled spears first at Pedro, who was able to dodge the spears. Witnesses claim that Calungsod could have escaped the attack, but did not want to leave San Vitores alone. Those who knew Calungsod personally meanwhile believed that he could have defeated the aggressors with weapons; San Vitores however banned his companions to carry arms. Calungsod was hit in the chest by a spear and he fell to the ground, then Hurao immediately charged towards him and finished him off with machete blow to the head. San Vitores absolved Calungsod before he too was killed.

Mata'pang took San Vitores' crucifix and pounded it with a stone whilst blaspheming God. Both assassins then denuded the corpses of Calungsod and San Vitores, tied large stones to their feet, brought them out to sea on their proas and threw them into the water.[3]

Cultural references

While San Vitores remains venerated by many, he is also a figure of criticism in indigenous Chamorro art and literature today. The controversy over his bloody legacy in the Marianas remains strong. The well-known Chamorro poet Craig Santos Perez critically considers San Vitores's negative impact in his poem "from achiote" and other works. The spoken-word poet Jay Baza Pascua seeks to rehabilitate Mata'pang's image as a great chief and leader in his poem "A Descendant of Mata'pang."

Academic critiques

Vince Diaz focuses on San Vitores, the canonization movement, and San Vitores's legacy of "mass destruction" among the indigenous peoples of the Marianas in his book Repositioning the Missionary.

Cynthia Ross Wiecko describes San Vitores and other Jesuit missionaries as "agents of empire": "Using the lens of ecological change brings Jesuits into a different perspective, one where it is difficult to see them as heroes. Although the socially disruptive effects of militarization and forced catholicization were immediately visible, the two forces also worked hand in hand to destroy ancient Chamorro settlements and profoundly disrupt land use patterns." [4]

Wiecko also states: "Population estimates ranged from 35,000 to 60,000, with an estimated total Chamorro population throughout the Marianas between 40,000 and 100,000. Introduced diseases—especially smallpox, influenza, and tuberculosis—contributed to most of the decline after 1668, but deaths from the Spanish-Chamorro Wars certainly played a role in the indigenous population's decline as well. Reflecting the devastating blows to Guam's native population, the first official Spanish census in 1710 indicated the Chamorro population to be 3,197. At that time, twenty percent of the population lived in and around Agaña, with the remaining population spread among the other reducción villages. By 1760, the total population numbered just 1,654 and later fell to only 1,318 in 1786. This was just a shadow of the once-thriving Chamorro society Europeans first encountered. . . . The evidence here indicates that imperial dominance and catholicization shared similar roots of brutality, directly affecting changes in the landscape, settlement patterns, and land use. The combined effects of both fundamentally altered the island's people and environmental history." [4]

Robert Haddock on A History of Health on Guam: “. . . as the Spanish eventually quelled the Chamorro rebellion, “peace” was established at the price of the extinction of a race.”

Francis X. Hezel, SJ writes: “ What began as a religious mission to proclaim the gospel of peace soon degenerated into an out-and out war of military conquest which, as the histories have it, killed off vast numbers of native Chamorros before the missionaries were finally able to make believers out of the few survivors.” (From Conversion to Conquest: the Early Spanish Mission in the Marianas, Journal of Pacific History, pp 115-137, 1982.)

Nicholas Goetzfridt states: "A good non-action example would be the Spanish non-response to massive Chamorro depopulation. The first census of 1710 revealed that—although published interpretative variations eventually find middle ground in the 3,500 range—3,539 Chamorros (the most commonly cited number) remained out of early or pre-San Vitores ‘contact’ estimates ranging from as high as 100,000 to as low as 35,000 Chamorros living in the Mariana Islands. Regardless of the unrecoverable correct number, this figure represents a massive decline in the Chamorro population that went even further after the forced centralization of Chamorros onto Guam (with the exception of a few hundred “refugees” on Rota—Underwood 1973) and into the established, church-centered enclaves of Pago, Inapsan, Inarahan (Inarajan/Inalåhan), Merizo (Malesso’), Umatac (Humåtac), and Agat (Hågat) enforced by Joseph de Quiroga y Losada following his administrative destruction of many Chamorro villages after his 1680 arrival on Guam. By the 1758 full census, only 1,711 “native Indians” remained, along with 170 soldiers and 830 “Spanish & Filipinos.” This Spanish non-action is evident in the paucity of details concerning any Spanish effort to, if not stem the tide of this decline (often linked to an impending or even realized “extinction” of Chamorros), then render some form of medical response, particularly to the several epidemics and disease outbreaks that pepper the Spanish record. To find any reference to a Spanish effort on this front is to hold a wilting moment of history that cannot be extended into the context of Spain's centuries-long colonization of the Mariana Islands. And yet as scholarship has concerned itself with the chronological and interpretative “facts” of Guam's history, such a blatant gap in the telling of the Spanish colonial era—extending, of course, to the northern Mariana Islands—has gone unaccounted for and has yet to materialize simply because it is not part of this regurgitated record."

St. Epiphania of Pavia October 6

St. Epiphania of Pavia

Feastday: October 6

Death: 800

Benedictine nun of Pavia, Italy. She was reported to be the daughter of King Ratchis of the Lombards, who became a monk at Monte Cassino.

Epiphania, Epifania or Pyphania (died 800) is recorded in the late medieval traditions of Pavia as daughter of Ratchis (744/749 – 756/757), King of the Lombards and of Italy.

She was buried in the monastery of S. Maria Foris Portam, which was founded in Pavia, the Lombard capital, by her father.

St. Erotis October 6

 St. Erotis

Feastday: October 6

Death: 4th century

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Greek martyr who died at the stake. He is sometimes identified with St. Erotheis.

Bl. Isidore of Saint Joseph October 6

 Bl. Isidore of Saint Joseph

Feastday: October 6

Birth: 1881

Death: 1916

Beatified: 1984, Rome, Italy by Pope John Paul II

Image of Bl. Isidore of Saint Joseph

Blessed Isidore of Saint Joseph, also known as 'the Brother of the Will of God' born Isidore de Loor, a lay brother of the Passionist Congregation, born on April 13, 1881 in Vrasene, Belgium; died October 6, 1916 at Kortrijk, Belgium. Beatified by Pope John Paul II in 1984.

St. Francis Trung October 6

 St. Francis Trung

Feastday: October 6

Death: 1858

Canonized: Pope John Paul II

Martyr of Vietnam. He was born at Phon-xa, Vietnam, in 1825 and joined the army. Arrested as a Christian, Francis was beheaded at An­hoa. He was canonized in 1988.

The Vietnamese Martyrs (Vietnamese: Các Thánh Tử đạo Việt Nam), also known as the Martyrs of Annam, Martyrs of Tonkin and Cochinchina, Martyrs of Indochina, or Andrew Dung-Lac and Companions (Anrê Dũng-Lạc và các bạn tử đạo), are saints on the General Roman Calendar who were canonized by Pope John Paul II. On June 19, 1988, thousands of overseas Vietnamese worldwide gathered at the Vatican for the Celebration of the Canonization of 117 Vietnamese Martyrs, an event chaired by Monsignor Tran Van Hoai. Their memorial is on November 24 (although several of these saints have another memorial, as they were beatified and on the calendar prior to the canonization of the group).

History

The Vatican estimates the number of Vietnamese martyrs at between 130,000 and 300,000. John Paul II decided to canonize those whose names are known and unknown, giving them a single feast day.

The Vietnamese Martyrs fall into several groupings, those of the Dominican and Jesuit missionary era of the 18th century and those killed in the politically inspired persecutions of the 19th century. A representative sample of only 117 martyrs—including 96 Vietnamese, 11 Spanish Dominicans, and 10 French members of the Paris Foreign Missions Society (Missions Etrangères de Paris (MEP))—were beatified on four separate occasions: 64 by Pope Leo XIII on May 27, 1900; eight by Pope Pius X on May 20, 1906; 20 by Pope Pius X on May 2, 1909; and 25 by Pope Pius XII on April 29, 1951.[citation needed] All these 117 Vietnamese Martyrs were canonized on June 19, 1988. A young Vietnamese Martyr, Andrew Phú Yên, was beatified in March, 2000 by Pope John Paul II.

Vietnamese martyrs Paul Mi, Pierre Duong, Pierre Truat, martyred on 18 December 1838.

The tortures these individuals underwent are considered by the Vatican to be among the worst in the history of Christian martyrdom. The torturers hacked off limbs joint by joint, tore flesh with red hot tongs, and used drugs to enslave the minds of the victims. Christians at the time were branded on the face with the words "tà đạo" (邪道, lit. "Left (Sinister) religion")[1] and families and villages which subscribed to Christianity were obliterated.[2]

The letters and example of Théophane Vénard inspired the young Saint Thérèse of Lisieux to volunteer for the Carmelite nunnery at Hanoi, though she ultimately contracted tuberculosis and could not go. In 1865 Vénard's body was transferred to his Congregation's church in Paris, but his head remains in Vietnam.[3]

There are several Catholic parishes in the United States, Canada, and elsewhere dedicated to the Martyrs of Vietnam (Holy Martyrs of Vietnam Parishes), one of which is located in Arlington, Texas in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.[4] Others can be found in Houston, Austin, Texas,[5] Denver, Seattle, San Antonio,[6] Arlington, Virginia, Richmond, Virginia, and Norcross, Georgia. There are also churches named after individual saints, such as St. Philippe Minh Church in Saint Boniface, Manitoba.[7]

The Nguyen Campaign against Catholicism in the 19th century

The Catholic Church in Vietnam was devastated during the Tây Sơn rebellion in the late 18th century. During the turmoil, the missions revived, however, as a result of cooperation between the French Vicar Apostolic Pigneaux de Behaine and Nguyen Anh. After Nguyen's victory in 1802, in gratitude to assistance received, he ensured protection to missionary activities. However, only a few years into the new emperor's reign, there was growing antipathy among officials against Catholicism and missionaries reported that it was purely for political reasons that their presence was tolerated.[8] Tolerance continued until the death of the emperor and the new emperor Minh Mang succeeding to the throne in 1820.

Converts began to be harassed without official edicts in the late 1820s, by local governments. In 1831 the emperor passed new laws on regulations for religious groupings in Viet Nam, and Catholicism was then officially prohibited. In 1832, the first act occurred in a largely Catholic village near Hue, with the entire community being incarcerated and sent into exile in Cambodia. In January 1833 a new kingdom-wide edict was passed calling on Vietnamese subjects to reject the religion of Jesus and required suspected Catholics to demonstrate their renunciation by walking on a wooden cross. Actual violence against Catholics, however, did not occur until the Lê Văn Khôi revolt.[8]

During the rebellion, a young French missionary priest named Joseph Marchand was living in sickness in the rebel Gia Dinh citadel. In October 1833, an officer of the emperor reported to the court that a foreign Christian religious leader was present in the citadel. This news was used to justify the edicts against Catholicism, and led to the first executions of missionaries in over 40 years. The first executed was named Francois Gagelin. Marchand was captured and executed as a "rebel leader" in 1835; he was put to death by "slicing".[8] Further repressive measures were introduced in the wake of this episode in 1836. Prior to 1836, village heads had only to simply report to local mandarins about how their subjects had recanted Catholicism; after 1836, officials could visit villages and force all the villagers to line up one by one to trample on a cross and if a community was suspected of harbouring a missionary, militia could block off the village gates and perform a rigorous search; if a missionary was found, collective punishment could be meted out to the entire community.[8]

Missionaries and Catholic communities were able to sometimes escape this through bribery of officials; they were also sometimes victims of extortion attempts by people who demanded money under the threat that they would report the villages and missionaries to the authorities.[8] The missionary Father Pierre Duclos said:

with gold bars murder and theft blossom among honest people.[8]

The court became more aware of the problem of the failure to enforce the laws and applied greater pressure on its officials to act; officials that failed to act or those tho who were seen to be acting too slowly were demoted or removed from office (and sometimes were given severe corporal punishment), while those who attacked and killed the Christians could receive promotion or other rewards. Lower officials or younger family members of officials were sometimes tasked with secretly going through villages to report on hidden missionaries or Catholics that had not apostasized.[8]

The first missionary arrested during this (and later executed) was the priest Jean-Charles Cornay in 1837. A military campaign was conducted in Nam Dinh after letters were discovered in a shipwrecked vessel bound for Macao. Quang Tri and Quang Binh officials captured several priests along with the French missionary Bishop Pierre Dumoulin-Borie in 1838 (who was executed). The court translator, Francois Jaccard, a Catholic who had been kept as a prisoner for years and was extremely valuable to the court, was executed in late 1838; the official who was tasked with this execution, however, was almost immediately dismissed.[8]

A priest, Father Ignatius Delgado, was captured in the village of Can Lao (Nam Định Province), put in a cage on public display for ridicule and abuse, and died of hunger and exposure while waiting for execution; [1] the officer and soldiers that captured him were greatly rewarded (about 3 kg of silver was distributed out to all of them), as were the villagers that had helped to turn him over to the authorities.[8] The bishop Dominic Henares was found in Giao Thuy district of Nam Dinh (later executed); the villagers and soldiers that participated in his arrest were also greatly rewarded (about 3 kg of silver distributed). The priest, Father Joseph Fernandez, and a local priest, Nguyen Ba Tuan, were captured in Kim Song, Nam Dinh; the provincial officials were promoted, the peasants who turned them over were given about 3 kg of silver and other rewards were distributed. In July 1838, a demoted governor attempting to win back his place did so successfully by capturing the priest Father Dang Dinh Vien in Yen Dung, Bac Ninh province. (Vien was executed). In 1839, the same official captured two more priests: Father Dinh Viet Du and Father Nguyen Van Xuyen (also both executed).[8]

In Nhu Ly near Hue, an elderly catholic doctor named Simon Hoa was captured and executed. He had been sheltering a missionary named Charles Delamotte, whom the villagers had pleaded with him to send away. The village was also supposed to erect a shrine for the state-cult, which the doctor also opposed. His status and age protected him from being arrested until 1840, when he was put on trial and the judge pleaded (due to his status in Vietnamese society as both an elder and a doctor) with him to publicly recant; when he refused he was publicly executed.[8]

A peculiar episode occurred in late 1839, when a village in Quang Ngai province called Phuoc Lam was victimized by four men who extorted cash from the villagers under threat of reporting the Christian presence to the authorities. The governor of the province had a Catholic nephew who told him about what happened, and the governor then found the four men (caught smoking opium) and had two executed as well as two exiled. When a Catholic lay leader then came to the governor to offer their gratitude (thus perhaps exposing what the governor had done), the governor told him that those who had come to die for their religion should now prepare themselves and leave something for their wives and children; when news of the whole episode came out, the governor was removed from office for incompetence.[8]

Many officials preferred to avoid execution because of the threat to social order and harmony it represented, and resorted to use of threats or torture in order to force Catholics to recant. Many villagers were executed alongside priests according to mission reports. The emperor died in 1841, and this offered respite for Catholics. However, some persecution still continued after the new emperor took office. Catholic villages were forced to build shrines to the state cult. The missionary Father Pierre Duclos (quoted above) died in prison in after being captured on the Saigon river in June 1846. The boat he was traveling in, unfortunately contained the money that was set for the annual bribes of various officials (up to 1/3 of the annual donated French mission budget for Cochinchina was officially allocated to 'special needs') in order to prevent more arrests and persecutions of the converts; therefore, after his arrest, the officials then began wide searches and cracked down on the catholic communities in their jurisdictions. The amount of money that the French mission societies were able to raise, made the missionaries a lucrative target for officials that wanted cash, which could even surpass what the imperial court was offering in rewards. This created a cycle of extortion and bribery which lasted for years.[8]

St. Magnus October 6

 St. Magnus

Feastday: October 6

Bishop of Heraclea or Citta Nuova in Italy He was a Venetian, and became bishop of Oderzo. When the Lombards invaded in 638, Magnus transferred his see to Citta Nuova.

St. Mary Frances of the Five Wounds of Jesus October 6

 St. Mary Frances of the Five Wounds of Jesus

Feastday: October 6

Patron: of Naples (co-patron); Gallo World Family Foundation

Birth: 1715

Death: 1791

Mystic and stigmatic, a Franciscan tertiary. She was born in Naples and became a Franciscan tertiary at the age of sixteen. Maria lived at home where she was abused until she became a priest's housekeeper in 1753. She had visions, bore the wounds of Christ's Passion, and was a known prophetess; among her predictions was the coming of the French Revolution. Maria was canonized in 1867 by Pope Pius IX.