Old Stuff

The Twenty-first Day of January

At Rome, the suffering of St. Agnes, virgin. At the time of Symphronius, the prefect of the city, she was cast into the flames; at her prayer they were extinguished, and she was slain with the sword. St. Jerome thus speaks of her: "The life of St. Agnes is praised in the writing and the tongues of all peoples, especially in the churches, because she rose superior both to her (youthful) age and to the tyrant, and consecrated by her martyrdom her claim to chastity." A duplex feast.

At Athens, the birthday of St. Pubhus, bishop. After St. Dionysius the Areopagite, he admirably ruled the church of Athens. Great in virtue and resplendent for doctrine, he was gloriously crowned by martyrdom for Christ.

At Tarragona in Spain, the holy martyrs Fructuosus, bishop, Augurius and Eulogius, deacons. In the time of Gallienus, they were first thrown into prison, and then cast into the flames. When their bonds were burnt through, they stretched out their hands in prayer in the form of a cross, and so fulfilled their martyrdom. St. Augustine delivered a panegyric to the people on this their birthday.

In the monastery of Einsiedeln in Switzerland, St. Meinrad, priest and monk. In that same place, where later the monastery arose, he lived as a recluse and was slain by robbers. The body of this blessed man, which was formerly buried in the monastery of Reichenau, in Germany, was brought back to the monastery of Einsiedeln.

At Troyes in Gaut, St. Patroclus, martyr, who merited the crown of martyrdom under the Emperor Aurelian.

At Pavia, St. Epiphanius, bishop and confessor.

V. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.

R. Thanks be to God.