Saint Patrobas
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A first century Christian in Rome greeted by name by Saint Paul the Apostle in the Epistle to the Romans.
Saint Patrobas
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A first century Christian in Rome greeted by name by Saint Paul the Apostle in the Epistle to the Romans.
Saint Philologus
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A first century Christian in Rome greeted by name by Saint Paul the Apostle in the Epistle to the Romans.
Saint John Zedazneli
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Priest. Leader of a group of twelve 6th century Syrian monks who evangelized Georgia, and introduced the monastic life to the region. Said to have befriended the bears that lived near his hermitage, and to have found them friendlier than most of the natives!
His companions were Abibos Nekreseli, Anton Martmkofeli, David Garejeli, Zenon Ikaltoeli, Tadeoz of Stephantsminda, Ise of Tsilkani, Ioseb of Alaverdi, Isidore of Samtavno, Miqael of Ulompo, Piros of Breta, Stephane of Khirsa, and Shio of Mgvime, and the group was known as the Fathers of the Church in the region.
Born
at Mesopotamia near Antioch
Blessed Frances d'Amboise
Also known as
• Francisca de Amboise
• Françoise d'Amboise
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Daughter of Louis d'Amboise, Viscount de Thouars, she grew up in the courts of Brittany. Duchess of Brittany, being married to Peter II, Duke of Britanny at age 15; she was betrothed to him at age four. It was not a happy marriage, and Peter sometimes abused her, but Frances softened Peter over the years, and he assisted in her charitable work. She established a Poor Clare convent at Nantes, France, and worked for the canonization of Saint Vincent Ferrer. Supported the Dominican convent at Nantes. Widowed in 1457, she devoted herself to religious life. Joined the Carmelite nuns at Bondon on 25 March 1468, making her final vows in 1469. Spiritual student of Blessed John Soreth. Worked in the infirmary for a while, and was elected prioress for life in 1473. Considered the foundress of the Carmelite nuns in France.
Born
28 September 1427 in Thouars, Deux-Sèvres, France
Died
• 4 November 1485 at Les Couêts, Nantes, France of natural causes while in a religious ecstasy
• miracles reported at her tomb
• her body had to be moved to save it during the Huguenot wars, and again in the French Revolution
Beatified
16 July 1863 by Pope Pius IX
Saint Felix of Valois
Also known as
Hugh of Valois
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Son of Count Raoul de Vermandois et de Valois and Alienor de Champagne. As a child, Felix received the blessings of Saint Bernard of Clairvaux and Pope Innocent II. Educated at the abbey of Clairvaux. As a young man, following his parents' extremely disruptive divorce, he renounced his wealth and took the name Felix. Cistercian monk at Clairvaux. Hermit in the Italian Alps. Priest. Hermit in the forest of Galeresse, diocese of Meaux, France. Friend and spiritual teacher of Saint John of Matha. The two of the founded the Order of the Holy Trinity for the Redemption of Captives (Trinitarians; Redemptionists) in order to ransom Christians held as slaves by Moors in Spain and Northern Africa. The Order received papal approval on 17 December 1198, and within 40 years there were over 600 houses worldwide. Today there are around 600 members of the Order working in prison ministries in over twenty countries continuing over 800 years of ministry.
Born
April 1127 in the province of Valois, France as Hugh
Died
• 4 November 1212 at the Cerfroi monastery, Picardy, France of natural causes
• buried in the church in Cerfroi, which became a pilgrimage destination
Canonized
• 1 May 1262 by Pope Urban IV
• confirmed on 21 October 1666 by Pope Alexander VII
• feast day fixed in 1679 by Pope Innocent XI
Bl. Martha Le Bouteiller
Feastday: November 4
Birth: 1816
Death: 1883
Beatified: Pope John Paul II
Blessed Martha Le Bouteiller was born as Aimee-Adele Le Bouteiller, in Percy, a villiage in the Manche Department of Normandy, France, in 1816. Her mother was widowed, so she spent much of her youth helping run the family farm. As she grew she started working as a housemaid to earn extra money to give to her mother.
As a young woman, Aimee-Adele found time to volunteer at her parish school, and attended pilgrimages with the children. Her parish community made annual pilgrimages to the shrine of Our Lady of Chappelle-sur-Vire.
In 1841, during one such pilgrimage, Aimee-Adele paid a visit to a dilapidated abbey, that of St. Sauveur le Vicomte. The abbey is the same one where St. Marie Madeleine Postel founded a religious congregation, the School Sister of Mercy. After her visit, Aimee-Adele became resolved to enter the convent.
As a sister, she took the name Martha, a name associated with hard work, and she worked very hard. Her assignments included working on the abbey farm, in the gardens, and helping with the laundry. Eventually she was assigned to the cellar where cider was made. Sister Martha was so skilled at making cider that she became known as "Sister Cider" to her friends.
During the Franco-Prussian War, French troops were quartered in the Abbey. During this time she provided noteworthy care for the soldiers, particularly ensuring that every soldier was fed and had wine. Amongst the soldiers this was greatly appreciated.
Sister Martha also formed a special bond with the abbey's superior, Mother Placide Viel. The bond was strengthened amid tension between Mother Placide, who was often away from the abbey to raise funds, and the superior's elder cousin, Sister Marie Viel, who ran the abbey during Placide's absence.
Despite their professional and familial relationship, the two cousins did not get along very well and Sister Marie often treated the younger Mother Placide, poorly. As Sister Martha sympathized with Mother Placide, the two women formed a lasting friendship.
The friendship between the two women made Sister Martha a target for Sister Marie's frustration and Martha often suffered because of it. Still, Sister Martha remained strong, a steadfast and faithful friend to Mother Placide. The bond between the two was so great that when Mother Placide became ill and died, Sister Martha could not bear to say goodbye.
The friendship of the two women has come to exemplify the bond of sisterhood and friendship that commonly forms between those who live a vocation of service.
Sister Martha died in 1883. Blessed pope John Paul II beatified her on November 4, 1990.
St. Joannicus of Mount Olympus
Feastday: November 4
Death: 846
Hermit, prophet, and miracle worker who defied the Byzantine emperor Theophilus and his Iconoclast policies. Born in Bithynia, in modem Turkey, Joannicus was an Iconoclast until he was converted to the religious life at the age of forty. He became a recluse on Mount Olympus in Bithynia and a monk. Later, he defied the emperor and declared that sacred images would be restored to the Church. Empress Theodora did restore the icons.
St. Acepsimas
Feastday: November 3
Death: 5th Century
A hermit for most of his life, this saint always longed to be a priest. He lived in a cave near Cyrohas, praying and doing penance as a dedicated layman. After almost sixty years, Acepsimas was allowed to study for the priesthood. He underwent the training and was ordained, dying in a state of happiness just shortly after entering the priesthood.
St. Cristiolus
Feastday: November 3
Death: 7th century
Welsh confessor, the brother of St. Sulian. Cristiolus founded Christian churches, including the parish in Anglesey.
St Cristiolus's Church, Llangristiolus is a medieval church near the village of Llangristiolus, in Anglesey, north Wales. The village, about 1 mile (1.6 km) from the building, takes its name from the church. Reputedly founded by St Cristiolus in 610, the present building dates from the 12th and 13th centuries. Alterations were made in the 16th century, when the large east window in Perpendicular style was added to the chancel – a window which has been described by one guide to the buildings of north Wales as "almost too big to fit" in the wall.[3] Some restoration work took place in the mid-19th century, when further windows were added and the chancel largely rebuilt.
The church is still in use for weekly Sunday services (in Welsh and English), as part of the Church in Wales, and is one of four churches in a combined parish. It is a Grade II* listed building, a national designation given to "particularly important buildings of more than special interest",[4] in particular because of its age and the east window. The church contains a decorated font from the 12th century, as well as memorials from the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. Richard Owen, a 19th-century Calvinistic Methodist minister from Llangristiolus, is buried in the graveyard.
St. Domnus of Vienne
Feastday: November 3
Death: 657
Bishop of Vienne, France, successor of St. Desiderius, who was martyred. Domnus was known for ransoming captives taken in local wars.
St. Elerius
Feastday: November 3
Death: 6th century
Welsh saint who was a companion of St. Winefred. He was an abbot in a monastery in the north of Wales.
St. Englatius
Feastday: November 3
Death: 966
A Scottish bishop, also called Englat and Tanglen. He lived at Tarves, in Aberdeenshire, Scotland.
St. Florus
Feastday: November 3
Death: 389
First bishop of Lodeve, in Languedoc, France. He is venerated in the town where his relics were enshrined and is sometimes listed as Florus of Lodeve.