The Twelfth Day of September
The feast of the Most Holy Name of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Sovereign Pontiff, Innocent XI, commanded this feast to be celebrated because of the brilliant victory obtained over the Turks at Vienna in Austria by the help of the Blessed Virgin. A totum duplex feast.
In Bithynia, St. Autonomus, bishop and martyr. He went there from Italy to avoid the persecution of Diocletian. After he had converted a great many people to the faith, one day while he was celebrating Mass, he was slain at the altar by enraged pagans, and thus became a sacrifice of Christ.
At Iconium in Lycaonia, St. Curonotus, bishop. He was beheaded at the time of the governor Perennius, thus receiving the palm of martyrdom.
At Alexandria, the birthday of the holy martyrs Hieronides, Leontius, Serapion, Silesius, Valerian, and Strato. In the reign of the Emperor Maximian, they were drowned in the sea for confessing the name of Christ.
At Meri in Phrygia, the holy martyrs Macedonius, Theodulus, and Tatian. At the time of Julian the Apostate, they underwent various torments at the hands of the governor Almachius, and then were placed on red-hot gridirons. Still rejoicing, they completed their martyrdom.
At Pavia, St. Juventius, bishop, of whom mention is made on February 8. St. Hermagores, a disciple of St. Mark the Evangelist, sent Juventius to Pavia along with the St. Syrus mentioned on December 9. Both these (missionaries) preached the Gospel of Christ at Pavia and distinguished themselves by their miracles and their great virtues. By their admirable deeds, they brought the faith even to the neighboring cities. Thus, with an honor befitting their pontifical dignity, their lives came to a glorious close.
At Lyons in Gaul, the death of St. Sacerdos, bishop.
At Verona, St. Silvinus, bishop.
At Anderlecht near Brussels in Brabant, St. Guy, confessor.
The death of the venerable brother Jerome Xavierre of Saragossa, 52nd master general of the Order. He was also a cardinal of the Holy Roman Church.
V. And elsewhere, many other holy martyrs, confessors and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
St. Alphonsus Maria Liguori, founder of the Congregation of our Most Holy Redeemer, bishop of Sant' Agata dei Goti, confessor and Doctor of the Church, who died in the Lord on August 1. A duplex feast.
At Rome, in the cemetery of St. Callistus, the birthday of St. Stephen I, pope and martyr. In the persecution of Valerian, he was celebrating Mass when the soldiers arrived to arrest him. He remained at the altar, intrepid and unmoved, and finished the Sacred Mysteries he had begun. He was beheaded while he was sitting on his throne. A memory.
At Nicaca in Bithynia, the suffering of St. Theodota and her three sons. Nicetius the consul of Bithynia, seeing that Evodius the eldest confidently confessed Christ, ordered him to be beaten with clubs; then he commanded that the mother and all her sons should be burned alive.
In Africa, St. Rutilius, martyr. To escape persecution, he often fled from one place to another and sometimes even bought himself out of danger. He was unexpectedly arrested and brought to the governor. He was subjected to many tortures and finally, being delivered to the flames, he received the crown of an admirable martyrdom.
At Padua, St. Maximus, bishop of that city, who, famed for his miracles, died a blessed death.
V. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
At Rome, on the Esquiline Hill, the Dedication of the Church of St. Peter in Chains. A totum duplex feast.
At Antioch, the suffering of the seven holy brothers, the Machabees, with their mother, who suffered under King Antiochus Epiphanes. Their relics were taken to Rome and buried in the aforesaid Church of St. Peter in Chains. A memory.
At Vercelli, the birthday of St. Eusebius, bishop and martyr. For his confession of the Catholic faith, he was sent into exile by the Emperor Constantius to Scythopolis in Palestine, and from there to Cappadocia. He afterward returned to his Church and suffered martyrdom at the hands of the persecuting Arians. His memory is more especially honored on December 15, on which day he was ordained bishop. His feast is kept on December 16.
At Nocera de'Pagani in Campania (Italy), the birthday of St. Alphonsus Maria Liguori, founder of the Congregation of our most Holy Redeemer, bishop of Sant' Agata dei Goti, and confessor. He was noted for his zeal for souls, his writings and his example. The Sovereign Pontiff, Gregory XVI, canonized him, and Pius IX declared him to be a Doctor of the Universal Church. His festival, however, is observed on August 2.
At Rome, on the Via Latina, the holy martyrs Bonus, priest, Faustus and Maurus, with nine others, who are spoken of in the Acts of Pope St. Stephen.
Likewise at Rome, the suffering of the holy virgins Faith, Hope, and Charity, the children of St. Sophia. They obtained the crown of martyrdom under the Emperor Hadrian.
At Philadelphia in Arabia, the holy martyrs Cyril, Aquila, Peter, Domitian, Rufus, and Menander, crowned on the same day.
At Perge in Pamphylia, the holy martyrs Leontius, Attius, Alexander, and six other peasants, who were beheaded under the governor Flavian in Diocletian's persecution.
At Gerona in Spain, the birthday of St. Felix, martyr. After various kinds of tortures, he was ordered by Dacian to be mangled until he rendered up his unconquered spirit to Christ.
In the territory of Paris, St. Justin, martyr.
At Vienne in Gaul, St. Verus, bishop.
At Winchester in England, St. Ethelwold, bishop.
In the country of Lisieux in Gaul, St. Nemesius, confessor.
The death of the venerable brother Joachim Torriani of Venice, 35th master general of the Order.
V. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
At Calaruega in Spain, Blessed Mannes, brother of our Father St. Dominic. He possessed sincerity and simplicity to a high degree, and was devoted to contemplation. Rich in merit and renowned for his miracles, he died a holy death in the Cistercian monastery of St. Peter at Gamiel. A duplex feast.
At Rome, the holy martyrs Abdon and Sennen, Persians. Under the Emperor Decius, they were brought to Rome bound in chains, and for the Christian faith were first scourged with leaden tipped whips and then slain with the sword. A memory.
At Assisi in Umbria, St. Rufinus, martyr.
At Tuburbe in Africa, the holy virgins and martyrs Maxima, Donatilla, and Secunda. In the persecution of Valerian and Gallienus, Maxima and Donatilla were forced to drink vinegar and gall and were then severely beaten. They were tortured on the rack, burnt on gridirons, and then rubbed with lime. Afterward, they were thrown to the beasts, along with Secunda, a girl of twelve years of age. As the beasts did not harm them, all three were slain by the sword.
At Caesarea in Cappadocia, St. Julitta, martyr. She went to law to recover her goods from an influential man who had defrauded her. He maintained that since she was a Christian she ought not to be heard. She was immediately ordered by the judge to offer incense to idols, so that she might present her case. She firmly refused. Being cast into the flames, she rendered up her soul to God, but her body remained unhurt by the fire. St. Basil the Great has celebrated the excellence of her glory in a beautiful eulogy.
At Auxerre, St. Ursus, bishop and confessor.
V. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
At Tarascon, in the province of Narbonne in Gaul, St. Martha, virgin, the hostess of our Saviour, and the sister of SS. Mary Magdalene and Lazarus. A simple feast.
At Rome, on the Via Aurelia, St. Felix II, pope and martyr. He was removed from his see by the Arian Emperor Constantius for his defense of the Catholic faith, and secretly put to the sword at Cera in Tuscany, meeting with a glorious death. His body was taken thence by the clergy, and buried on the Via Aurelia. Afterward it was removed to the Church of SS. Cosmas and Damian. There it was found under the altar by the Sovereign Pontiff, Gregory XIII, together with the relics of the holy martyrs, Mark, Marcellian, and Tranquillinus. It was again buried in the same place, together with the other relics, on July 31. In that altar were found also the bodies of SS. Abundius, priest, and Abundantius, deacon, both martyrs. Not long after, these were removed to the Church of the Jesuits on the day before their birthday.
Likewise at Rome, on the Via Portuensis, the holy martyrs Simplicius, Faustinus, and Beatrice, in the time of the Emperor Diocletian. The two former, after many and varied tortures, were ordered to undergo capital punishment; Beatrice, their sister, was strangled in prison for confessing Christ. A memory.
At Rome likewise, the holy martyrs Lucilla and Flora, virgins, Eugene, Antoninus, Theodore, and eighteen of their companions, who suffered martyrdom under the Emperor Gallienus.
Also at Rome, St. Serapia, virgin. In the reign of Emperor Hadrian, she was handed over to two evil young men. She could not be corrupted by them, nor could she afterward be injured by flaming torches. By command of the judge Derillus she was scourged and then beheaded with the sword. Her body was buried by St. Sabina in her own tomb near the Vindician field, but the memory of her martyrdom is kept more especially on September 3, on which day their common tomb was finished, adorned, and consecrated as a fitting place of prayer.
At Gangra in Paphlagonia, St. Callinicus, martyr. He was scourged with iron rods and subjected to other tortures. Last of all, when cast into a furnace, he rendered up his spirit to God.
In Norway, St. Olaf, king and martyr.
At Troyes in Gaul, St. Lupus, bishop and confessor, who went forth with St. Germanus to combat the Pelagian heresy in Britain. By his fervent prayer he defended the town of Troyes from the fury of Attila, when he was laying waste to all Gaul. At last, after fulfilling worthily the office of the priesthood for fifty-two years, he died in peace.
In the city of St. Brieuc in Gaul, St. William, bishop and confessor.
Likewise, the death of Blessed Prosper, Bishop of Orleans.
At Todi in Umbria, St. Faustinus, confessor.
In the city of Mamia, St. Seraphina.
At Rome, Blessed Urban II, pope, who followed the policy of St. Gregory VII. He was resplendent for his zeal for learning and religion. He aroused the faithful to be crusaders and recover the holy places of Palestine from the power of the infidels. The Sovereign Pontiff, Leo XIII, ratified and confirmed the cult given him from time immemorial.
The death of the venerable brother Barnabas Sassone of Naples, 34th master general of the Order.
V. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
I think it's time to resurrect the near-daily postings of the Dominican martyrology.
In the monastery of Fossa Nuova, near Terracina, St. Thomas Aquinas of the Order of Preachers, confessor and Doctor of the Church. He was most illustrious for nobility of birth, holiness of life, and knowledge of theology. He preserved until death the grace of virginity. On account of the extraordinary superiority of his learning, he rightly gained the tide of "Angelic Doctor." His writings, remarkable for the solidity of doctrine and approved by our Lord Himself, marvellously illuminate as dazzling lights the Catholic Church and every school of the orthodox world. Leo XIII declared him to be the celestial patron of all Catholic schools. A totum duplex feast of the first class.
At Carthage, the birthday of the holy martyrs Perpetua and Felicitas. Felicitas, who was with child, was granted a respite, in accordance with the law, until she was delivered. St. Augustine observes that when she was in labor she had sorrow, but when she was thrown to wild beasts she was glad. Together with Perpetua and Felicitas, during the reign of Severus, there suffered Revocatus, Saturninus, and Secundulus. Secundulus died in prison but all the others were killed by the wild beasts. The feast of Perpetua and Felicitas is kept March 6.
At Casearea in Palestine, the suffering of St. Eubulus. He was a companion of St. Hadrian. Two days after the latter's death, he was mangled by the lions and killed by the sword. He was the last one to receive the crown of martyrdom in that city.
At Nicomedia, St. Theophilus, bishop who, because of his veneration of holy images, was driven into exile where he died.
At Pelusiurn in Egypt, St. Paul, bishop and confessor. He too died in exile and for the same reason as St. Theophilus.
At Brescia (in Italy), St. Gaudiosus, bishop and confessor.
In the Thebaid, St. Paul, called the Simple.[1]
V. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
Footnotes: [1] He was so called because of his childlike disposition and his humility.
At Pisa, Blessed Jordan (of Pisa), confessor, of our Order. He was famous for his teaching, preaching, virtues, and miracles. A semi-duplex feast.
SS. Perpetua and Felicitas, who, on March 7, received from the Lord the glorious crown of martyrdom.
At Tortona (in Italy), St. Marcian, bishop and martyr. While Trajan was emperor, he was slain for the sake of Christ and thus received his crown.
At Nicomedia, the birthday of the holy martyrs Victor and Victorinus, who, together with Claudian and his wife Bassa, for three years were kept in prison and subjected to many tortures. They died while in prison.
In Cyprus, St. Conon, martyr. In the reign of the Emperor Decius, his feet were pierced with nails; then he was forced to run before a chariot until, failing to his knees, he died while praying.
In Syria, the suffering of forty-two holy martyrs who were arrested at Amorium (in Phrygia). They were conducted to Syria where, after a glorious combat, they received the palm of martyrdom as victors.
At Constantinople, St. Evagrius who, in the time of Valens, was chosen bishop by the Catholics. Sent by the (Arian) Emperor into exile, he died in the Lord.
At Bologna, St. Basil, bishop, who was ordained by Pope St. Silvestr. He governed the Church entrusted to him in the greatest holiness both by word and example.
At Barcelona in Spain, Blessed Ollegar, at first a canon and later Bishop of Barcelona, and Archbishop of Tarragona.
At Viterbo, St. Rose, virgin, of the Third Order of St. Francis.
At Ghent in Flanders, St. Colette, virgin. At first she followed the rule of the Third Order of St. Francis. Then, guided by the Spirit of God, she restored many monasteries of nuns of the Second Order to their ancient discipline. Adorned with divine virtues and renowned for innumerable miracles, she was inscribed by the Sovereign Pontiff, Pius VII, in the roll of the saints.
V. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
Ash Wednesday and the beginning of the fast of the holy season of Lent.
At Antioch, the birthday of St. Phocas, martyr. After suffering many outrages for the name of the Redeemer, he triumphed over the Old Serpent. His victory over him is manifested to the people of today by reason of this miracle, that if one is bitten by a serpent and in faith touches the door of the martyr's basilica, forthwith the power of the poison ceases, and he is instantly healed.
At Caesarea in Palestine, St. Hadrian, martyr. In the persecution of Diocletian, he was first cast to a lion for the faith of Christ, at the command of the governor Firmilian. Afterward, slain by the sword, he received the crown of martyrdom.
On the same day, the suffering of St. Eusebius Palatinus, and nine other martyrs.
At Caesarea in Palestine, St. Theophilus, bishop. Under the Emperor Severus, he was remarkable for his wisdom and holiness of life.
Also in Palestine, on the banks of the Jordan, St. Gerasimus, hermit and abbot, who flourished in the time of the Emperor Zeno.
At Naples in Campania, the death of St. John-Joseph of the Cross, priest, of the Order of Friars Minor, and confessor. By zealously imitating St. Francis of Assisi and St. Peter of Alcantara, he added great glory to the Seraphic Order. Pope Gregory XVI enrolled him in the canon of the saints.
V. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
At Vilna in Lithuania, the confessor Blessed Casimir, son of King Casimir. The Sovereign Pontiff, Leo X, inscribed him in the number of the saints. A simplex feast.
At Rome, on the Appian Way, the birthday of St. Lucius I, pope and martyr. He was sent into exile for the faith of Christ in the persecution of Valerian, and afterward by the will of God was permitted to return to his Church. When he had labored much against the Novatians, he obtained his martyrdom by being beheaded. St. Cyprian highly praised him.
At Nicomedia, St. Hadrian, martyr, with twenty-three others. All gained martyrdom under the Emperor Diocletian, by having their legs broken. Their relics were taken to Byzantium by the Christians, and buried there with reverence and honor. The body of St. Hadrian was afterward transferred to Rome on September 8, on which day his feast is commemorated.
At Rome, on the Appian Way, nine hundred holy martyrs, who were buried in the cemetery of St. Cecilia.
In the Chersonese, the suffering of the holy Bishops Basil, Eugene, Agathodorus, Elpidius, Actherius, Capito, Ephrem, Nestor, and Arcadius.
On the same day, St. Caius Palatinus. He and twenty-seven others were drowned in the sea.
Likewise, the suffering of SS. Archelaus, Cyril, and Photius.
V. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
At Florence, Blessed Villana (de'Botti), widow, who joined the Order of St. Dominic. She became noted for her love of the Crucified Saviour, for her admirable patience, self-denial, contempt of worldly things, and for other virtues. A semi-duplex feast.
At Rome, the birthday of the holy martyrs Macarius, Rufinus, Justus, and Theophilus.
At Alexandria, the suffering of SS. Caerealis, Pupulus, Caius, and Serapion.
Likewise the commemoration of the holy priests, deacons, and many others in the time of the Emperor Valerian. A most deadly pestilence was raging, but they willingly met their death while ministering to the sick. The religious faith of pious persons has honored them as martyrs.
At Rome, St. Hilary, pope and confessor.
In the territory of Lyons in the Jura Mountains, the death of St. Romanus, abbot. He first led an eremitical life there, and afterward, being renowned for many miracles and virtues, was the spiritual father of many monks.
At Pavia, the transferal of the body of St. Augustine, bishop, confessor and Doctor of the Church. Through the care of Luitprand, King of the Lombards, it was removed from the island of Sardinia (to Pavia).
V. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
At Rome, the birthday of the holy martyrs, Alexander, Abundius, Antigonus, and Fortunatus.
At Alexandria, the suffering of St. Julian, martyr. Though so crippled with gout that he could neither walk nor stand, he was brought to the judge, together with two servants of his who bore him in his chair. One of these denied the faith, but the other, named Eunus, persevered with his master in confessing Christ. They were placed upon camels, led about the whole city, and cut to ribbons with scourges. Finally, in the presence of a great throng they were burned to death.
In the same place, St. Besas, soldier. He had rebuked the people who insulted the aforesaid martyrs. Brought before the judge, he unwaveringly confessed the faith and was beheaded.
At Seville in Spain, the birthday of St. Leander, bishop of that city, brother of the Bishop St. Isidore, and of St. Florentina, virgin. By his preaching and zeal the Visigothic people, with the help of their King Recared, were converted from the Arian heresy to the Catholic faith.
At Constantinople, the holy confessors Basil and Procopius, who fought strenuously in the time of the Emperor Leo in behalf of the veneration of holy images.
At Lyons in Gaul, the subdeacon St. Baldomer, a man devoted to God. His tomb is noted for frequent miracles.
At Isola in the Abruzzi, St. Gabriel of the Seven Dolours, confessor and cleric of the Congregation of the Cross and Passion of our Lord. He was renowned for his great merits in his short life, and for his miracles after his death. Pope Benedict XV inscribed him in the canon of the saints.
V. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
At Perga in Pamphylia, the birthday of Blessed Nestor, bishop. Unremitting in his prayer day and night that the flock of Christ might protected, he was seized in the persecution of Decius. Confessing the name of the Lord with wonderful zeal and readiness, he was most cruelly, tortured on the rack by order of Pollio the governor. At last, when he firmly declared that he would always remain loyal to Christ, he was crucified and thus passed as victor to Heaven.
In the same place, the suffering of SS. Papias, Diodorus, Conon, and Claudian; they preceded St. Nestor in martyrdom.
Likewise the holy martyrs Fortunatus, Felix, and twenty-seven others.
At Alexandria, St. Alexander, a glorious old man[1]. He was one of the successors of Blessed Peter as bishop of that see. It was he who cast out of the Church the priest Arius when he had become tainted with heresy and convicted by divine truth. He afterwards was one of the three hundred and eighteen Fathers who condemned Arius in the Council of Nicaca.
At Bologna, St. Faustinian, bishop. By his preaching of the Word of God, he strengthened and increased the Church when it was being persecuted in the reign of Diocletian.
At Gaza in Palestine, St. Porphyrius, bishop who, in the time of the Emperor Arcadius, overthrew the idol Marna and its temple. After enduring many sufferings, he died a peaceful death in the Lord.
At Florence, St. Andrew, bishop and confessor.
In the province of Champagne in Gaul, St. Victor, confessor, whose eulogy was written by St. Bernard.
The death of the venerable brother Antoninus Cloche of France, 60th master general of the Order.
V. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
Footnotes: [1] When he became bishop of Constantinople (in 313 Or 317), he was seventy-three years old. With astonishing vigor he fought the enemies of the Church to the day of his death -- twenty-three years later.
In Judaea, the birthday of St. Matthias the Apostle. After the Lord's Ascension, he was chosen by lot by the Apostles to fill the place of Judas the traitor. He suffered martyrdom for preaching the Gospel. A totum duplex feast of the second class.
At Rome, St. Primitiva, martyr.
At Rouen, the suffering of St. Practextatus, bishop and martyr.
At Caesarea in Cappadocia, St. Sergius, martyr. The inspiring Acts (of his life and death) are still extant.
In Africa, the holy martyrs Montanus, Lucius, Julian, Victorious, Flavian, and their companions. They were disciples of St. Cyprian, and suffered martyrdom under the Emperor Valerian.
At Treves, St. Modestus, bishop and confessor.
At Stilo in Calabria, St. John, called Theristus,[1] noted for holiness and his love of monastic life.
In England, St. Ethelbert, King of Kent, whom St. Augustine, Bishop of England, converted to the faith of Christ.
At Jerusalem, the first finding of the head of St. John the Baptist, the Precursor of the Lord.
V. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
Footnotes: [1] "Theristus"-- mower. He received this name because he helped some mowers to finish miraculously a large field in a short time.
At Scythopolis in Palestine, St. Severian, bishop and martyr, who was slain by the Monophysites because he so energetically opposed them.
In Sicily, the birthday of seventy-nine martyrs, at the time of Diocletian.
Undergoing different kinds of torments they obtained the crown by their profession of faith.
At Adrumetum in Africa, the holy martyrs Verulus, Secundinus, Syricius, Felix, Servulus, Saturninus, Fortunatus, and sixteen others. In the persecution by the Vandals, they were crowned with martyrdom for their confession of the Catholic faith.
At Damascus, St. Peter Mavimenus. To some Arabs who approached him when he was ill, he declared: "Everyone who does not belong to the Catholic Christian faith is lost, even as your false prophet Mohammed," whereupon the Arabs killed him.
At Metz in Gaul, St. Felix, bishop.
At Brescia (in Italy), St. Paterius, bishop.
Augustine Pipia, 61st master general of the Order. He was also a cardinal of the Holy Roman Church.
V. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
At Tyre, in Phoenicia, the commemoration of many blessed martyrs whose number is known only to God. In the reign of the Emperor Diocletian, they were slaughtered by Veturius, a military officer. They were killed in turn by numerous varieties of torture. Their bodies were torn by scourges, and then they were thrown to different kinds of wild beasts. When by the power of God the beasts did not harm them, they gained their martyrdom by a barbarous use of fire and sword. The Bishops Tyrannio, Silvanus, Peleus, and Nilus, and the priest Zenobius, encouraged the glorious multitude to victory, and they too by a happy test obtained the palm of martyrdom, together with them.
At Constantinople, St. Eleutherius, bishop and martyr.
In Persia, the birthday of St. Sadoth, bishop, and one hundred twenty-eight others. On refusing to adore the sun, they obtained glorious crowns by their cruel death under Sapor, the Persian King.
On the island of Cyprus, the holy martyrs Potamius and Nemesius.
At Catania in Sicily, St. Leo, bishop, who was resplendent with virtues and miracles.
On the same day, St. Eucherius, Bishop of Orleans, who, the more he was harassed by calumny and envy, the more famous he became for his miracles.
At Tournai in Gaul, St. Eleutherius, bishop and confessor.
V. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
At Paris, Blessed Reginald, confessor. He was dean of the Church of St. Aignan in Orleans. While at Rome, he received from the hands of our holy Father Dominic, the Dominican habit which the glorious Virgin Mary had shown him a short time before when he was dangerously ill. A semi-duplex feast.
At Florence, the birthday of St. Alexius Falconieri, confessor, one of the seven founders of the Order of Servants of the Blessed Virgin Mary. In the 110th year of his life, he died in blessedness, comforted by the presence of Christ Jesus and of the angels. His feast, with that of his companions, is kept on February 12.
At Rome, the suffering of St. Faustinus, whom forty-four others followed to the crown.
In Persia, the birthday of Blessed Polychronius, Bishop of Babylon. In the persecution of Decius, his face was beaten with rocks. He died with hands extended and his eyes raised to heaven.
At Concordia near Venice, the holy martyrs Donatus, Secundian, and Romulus, with eighty-six others, sharers in the same crown (of victory).
At Caesarea in Palestine, St. Theodulus, an old man, who was of the household of Firmilian the governor. Roused by the example of the martyrs, he confessed firmly Christ, was nailed to a cross, and by his noble triumph merited the martyr's palm (of glory).
Likewise St. Julian the Cappadocian. He was denounced as a Christian because he had kissed the remains of the martyrs. Being taken before the governor, he was ordered to be burned to death over a slow fire.
In the district of Terouanne in Gaul, St. Silvinus, Bishop of Toulouse.
In the monastery of Cluaincdhech in Ireland, St. Fintan, priest and abbot.
V. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
At Perugia, Blessed Nicholas Palea of Giovinazzo, confessor, of our Order, and founder of the monasteries at Perugia and Trani. He was received into the Order by our holy Father Dominic, who selected him to be his companion in preaching the Word of God. He shone to a wonderful degree by the exercise of every virtue. A semi-duplex feast.
At Rome, on the Via Flaminia, the birthday of St. Valentine, priest and martyr. After many wondrous works of healing and teaching, he was beaten with clubs and beheaded in the reign of Claudius Caesar. A memory.
Also at Rome, the death of St. Cyril, bishop and confessor. Together with his brother Methodius, also a bishop, whose birthday falls on April 6, Cyril brought many people and the riders of Moravia to the faith of Christ. Their feast is observed on July 7.
Also at Rome, the holy martyrs Vitalis, Felicula, and Zeno.
At Teramo, St. Valentine, bishop and martyr. After prolonged scourging, he was handed over to a guard; since he could not be made to yield, he was brought out of his prison in the dead of night, and beheaded at the command of Placidus, prefect of the city.
At Alexandria, the holy martyrs Cyrion, priest, Bassian, lector, Agatho, exorcist, and Moses. All were burned to death and thus passed to heaven.
At Teramo, SS. Proculus, Ephebus, and Apollonius, martyrs. They were keeping watch over the body of St. Valentine when, by the command of Leontius, the consular officer, they were seized and put to the sword.
At Alexandria, the holy martyrs Bassus, Anthony, and Protolicus, who were drowned in the sea.
Also at Alexandria, SS. Dionysius and Ammonius, who were beheaded.
At Naples in Campania, St. Nostrianus, bishop, who became famous for his defence of the Catholic faith against heretical attacks.
At Ravenna, St. Eleuchadius, bishop and confessor.
In Bithynia, St. Auxentius, abbot.
At Sorrento, St. Antoninus, abbot. When the monastery of Monte Cassino was laid waste by the Lombards, he departed to a solitary place near Sorrento, and there, renowned for miracles, died in the Lord. His body is glorified daily by many wonders, especially in the freeing of those possessed by demons.
V. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
At Prato in Etruria, St. Catherine de'Ricci of Florence, virgin, of the Order of Preachers. She was remarkable for the abundance of her divine gifts, and was canonized by the Sovereign Pontiff, Benedict XIV. She died rich in virtues and merit on February 2, but her feast is celebrated today. A totum duplex feast of the second class.
At Antioch, the birthday of St. Agabus, Prophet, whom Saint Luke mentions in the Acts of the Apostles. (Acts, 11:28, 21:10.)
At Todi in Umbria, St. Benignus, priest and martyr. At the time of the Emperors Diocletian and Maximian, he refused to cease spreading the Christian faith by word and example. He was therefore arrested by the pagans, suffered various tortures, and finally enriched his priestly office with the honor of martyrdom.
At Melitina in Armenia, St. Polyeuctus, martyr, who suffered much in the persecution of Decius, and obtained a martyr's crown.
At Lyons in Gaul, St. Julian, martyr.
At Ravenna, SS. Fusca, virgin, and Maura, her nurse. In the time of the Emperor Decius, they suffered greatly under the governor Quinctian, and at last gained martyrdom, being pierced with the sword.
At Lyons in Gaul, St. Stephen, bishop and confessor.
At Rieti, the abbot St. Stephen, a man of marvellous patience. At his death, as Pope St. Gregory relates, the holy angels who were present were seen by the by-standers.
V. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
The seven holy founders of the Order of the Servants of the Blessed Virgin Mary, confessors, whose deaths are noted on their respective days. As in life one single spirit of true brotherhood drew them together, so after death an undivided veneration of the people followed them. The Sovereign Pontiff, Leo XIII inscribed them together in the roll of the saints. A duplex feast.
In Africa, St. Damian, soldier and martyr.
At Carthage, the holy martyrs Modestus and Julian.
At Alexandria, the holy children Modestus and Ammonius, both martyrs.
At Barcelona in Spain, St. Eulalia, virgin. In the time of the emperor Diocletian, she suffered the rack, iron hooks, and the flames. At last, she was crucified and so received the glorious crown of martyrdom.
At Constantinople, St. Meletius, Bishop of Antioch. He repeatedly suffered exile for the Catholic faith, and at last at Constantinople went to the Lord. SS. John Chrysostom and Gregory of Nyssa celebrated his virtues with highest praise.
Also at Constantinople, St. Anthony, bishop, in the time of the Emperor Leo VI.
At Verona, St. Gaudentius, bishop and confessor.
V. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
At Lourdes, in France, the Apparition of the Blessed and Immaculate Virgin Mary. A totum duplex feast.
At Adrianople in Thrace, the holy martyrs Bishop Lucius and companions. In the reign of Constantius, the Bishop steadfastly suffered many things at the hands of the Arians and finished his martyrdom in chains. His companions, who were the more noble of the citizens, refused to receive the Arians who had already been condemned by the Council of Sardice; for this reason, they were sentenced to death by (the Arian) Count Philagrius.
In Africa, the birthday of the holy martyrs the priest Saturninus, Dativus, Felix, Ampehus, and their companions. In the persecution of Diocletian, when they had assembled according to their custom to celebrate the Lord's Supper, they were seized by the soldiers, and suffered death under the Proconsul Anolinus.
In Numidia, the commemoration of many holy martyrs, who were arrested in the same persecution. As they refused to give up the Holy Scriptures in accordance with the Emperor's edict, they were tortured by most severe punishments and finally put to death.
At Rome, Pope St. Gregory II, who boldly withstood the impiety of Leo the Isaurian, and who sent St. Boniface to preach the Gospel in Germany.
Likewise, Pope St. Paschal I, who removed the bodies of many holy martyrs from their tombs and buried them with honor in various churches of the city.
At Ravenna, St. Calocerus, bishop and confessor.
At Milan, St. Lazarus, bishop.
At Capua, St. Castrensis, bishop.
In the town of Landon in Gaul, St. Severinus, abbot of the monastery of St. Maurice d'Agaune. By his prayers, the Christian king Clovis was freed from a long-standing sickness.
In Egypt, St. Jonas, monk, renowned for his virtues.
At Vienne in France, the transferal of the body of St. Desiderius, bishop and martyr, from the neighborhood of Lyons where he had died on May 23.
V. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
The Tenth Day of February
At Monte Cassino, St. Scholastica, virgin, the sister of St. Benedict the abbot. He beheld her soul in the form of a dove leaving her body and entering heaven. A duplex feast.
At Rome, the holy martyrs Zoticus, Irenaeus, Hyacinth, and Amantius.
In the same place, on the Via Lavicana, ten holy martyrs (all of them) soldiers.
Likewise at Rome, on the Appian Way, St. Soteris, virgin and martyr, As St. Ambrose relates, she was of noble birth, and for the sake of Christ she held in little esteem the consulships and prefectures of her kinsfolk. Being ordered to sacrifice, she refused, and was severely struck with blows for a long time. When she had endured other kinds of torture, she was put to the sword, and so passed joyfully to her Bridegroom.
In Campania, St. Silvanus, bishop and confessor.
At Malavalle, near Siena, St. William, hermit.
In the territory of Rheims, St. Austreberta, virgin, famed for miracles.
V. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
At Somascha in the district of Bergamo, St. Jerome Emiliani, confessor, who was the founder of the Congregation of Somascha. He was celebrated both during life and after death for his many miracles, and was inscribed in the calendar of the Saints by the Sovereign Pontiff, Pope Clement XIII. However, his feast day is observed on July 20.
At Rome, the holy martyrs Paul, Lucius, and Cyriacus.
In Lesser Armenia, the birthday of the holy martyrs Dionysius, Emilian, and Sebastian.
At Constantinople, the birthday of the holy martyrs, monks of the monastery of Dirn. They were savagely slaughtered for their defence of the Catholic faith while carrying letters of Pope St. Felix against Acacius.
In Persia, commemoration of the holy martyrs who were slain, because of their Christian faith, by various kinds of torment under Cabades, King of the Persians.
At Alexandria, the suffering of St. Cointha, martyr, in the reign of the Emperor Decius. The pagans seized her and led her to their idols to compel her to worship, but she refused with horror. Then they fastened her ankles with chains and dragged her thus bound through the city streets until, by that inhuman torture, they had torn her body to pieces.
At Pavia, St. Juventius, bishop, who labored zealously for the Gospel.
At Milan, the death of St. Honoratus, bishop and confessor.
At Verdun in Gaul, St. Paul, bishop, noted for the power of working miracles.
At Muret in the district of Limoges, the birthday of St. Stephen, abbot, founder of the Order of Grandmont. He was renowned for his virtues and miracles.
In the monastery of Vallombrosa, Blessed Peter, Cardinal Bishop of Albano. He was a member of the Congregation of Vallombrosa (of the Order of St. Benedict), and was surnamed Igneus, because he passed through fire unharmed.
V. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
St. Romuald, abbot, father of the Camaldolese monks. His birthday is commemorated on June 19, but his festival is observed on this day when his body was removed (to the town of Fabriano). A duplex feast.
At Augusta, now called London, in England, the birthday of Blessed Augulus, bishop. He fulfilled the course of his life by martyrdom, and merited to obtain everlasting rewards.
In Phrygia, St. Adaucus, martyr. He came of a noble Italian family, and was honored by the emperors with dignities of almost every rank. At length, while performing the office of quaestor, he was found worthy of a martyr's crown for his defence of the faith.
In the same place, many holy martyrs, citizens of one city, whose leader was this same Adaucus. Since they were all Christians and remained constant in the confession of the faith, they were burned alive by the Emperor Galerius Maximian.
At Heraclea. in Pontus, St. Theodore, an army general. After he had undergone many torments in the reign of Licinius, he was beheaded, and entered Heaven as a victor.
In Egypt, St. Moses, a venerable bishop. At first he led a solitary life in the desert; then at the request of Mauvia, Sultana of the Saracens, he was made a bishop and converted that ferocious people in great part to the faith. Glorious for his merits, he died in peace.
At Lucca in Tuscany, the death of St. Richard, King of England. He was the father of St. Willebald, Bishop of Eichstadt, and of St. Walburga, virgin.
At Bologna, St. Juliana, widow.
V. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
St. Titus, Bishop of Crete and confessor, whose birthday occurs on January 4.
At Caesarea in Cappadocia, St. Dorothy, virgin and martyr. Under Sapricius, the governor of that province, she was first tortured by being stretched upon a rack, then she was whipped for a long time with palm-stems; at last she was punished by capital sentence. Because of her confession of faith, one Theophilus, a student, was converted to the faith of Christ; soon he too was cruelly tortured upon the rack, and at last put to the sword.
At Emesa in Phoenicia, St. Silvanus, bishop. After he had ruled that Church for forty years, he was cast to the beasts in the reign of the Emperor Maximian, together with two others. They were torn to pieces, limb from limb, and so received the palm of martyrdom.
On the same day the holy martyrs Saturninus, Theophilus, and Revocata.
In Auvergne in Gaul, St. Antholian, martyr.
At Arras in Gaul, St. Vedast, bishop of that city. His life and death were glorified by many miracles. A memory.
At Elnon in Gaul, St. Amand, Bishop of Maastricht. During his life and after death, he was renowned for his miracles; the town, in which he built the monastery and died, was later named after him. A memory.
At Bologna, St. Guarinus, Cardinal Bishop of Palestrina, remarkable for holiness of life.
V. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
At Catania in Sicily, the birthday of St. Agatha, virgin and martyr. At the time of the Emperor Decius, under the judge Quinctian, she endured buffets, imprisonment, the rack, the disjointing of her limbs, mutilation, and torture by being rolled upon sherds and live coals. At last she died in prison while praying to God. A duplex feast.
At Nagasaki in Japan, the suffering of twenty-six martyrs. Three priests, one cleric, and two lay-brothers, were members of the Order of Friars Minor. One cleric belonged to the Society of Jesus. The seventeen others were tertiaries of the Third Order of St. Francis, All of them were crucified for the Catholic faith. They were pierced by spears, and died praising God and preaching the Catholic faith. They were canonized by the Sovereign Pontiff, Pope Pius IX.
In Pontus, the commemoration of many holy martyrs. In the persccution of Maximian, some were covered with molten lead while others were tortured by having sharp splinters thrust under their nails; they suffered many horrible tortures which were inflicted on them again and again. By their remarkable suffering, they merited palms and crowns from the Lord.
At Alexandria, St. Isidore, soldier and martyr. In the persecution of Decius, this soldier, because of his faith in Christ, was beheaded by order of Numerian, general of the army.
At Vienne, Blessed Avitus, bishop and confessor. By his faith, labors, and wonderful teaching, Gaul was preserved from the infection of the Arian heresy.
At Sabion in the Tyrol, St. Ingenuinus, bishop, whose life was renowned for his miracles. His sacred body was afterwards transferred to Brixen, and is there honorably preserved.
At Brixen, St. Albuinus, bishop, who transferred the episcopal see from Sabion to that city, and there, famous because of his miracles, died in the Lord.
V. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
St. Andrew Corsini, confessor, of the Carmelite Order, and Bishop of Fiesole, of whom mention is made on January 6. A duplex feast.
At Rome, St. Eutychius, martyr, who completed an illustrious martyrdom and was buried in the cemetery of Callistus. Pope St. Damasus adorned his sepulchre with verses.
At Thmuis in Egypt, the suffering of blessed Philaeas, bishop of that city, and Philoromus, tribune of the soldiers. In the persecution of Diocletian, they could not be persuaded by their friends and kinsfolk to save themselves, but both offered up their lives and merited the rewards of victory from the Lord. With them, an innumerable multitude of the faithful from the same city who followed the example of their pastor and were crowned with martydrom.
At Fossombrone (in Italy), the holy martyrs Aquilinus, Geminus, Gelasius, Magnus, and Donatus.
At Troyes in Gaul, St. Aventinus, priest and confessor.
At Pelusium in Egypt, St. Isidore, priest and monk. He was noted for learning and doctrine.
At Sempringham in England, St. Gilbert, priest and confessor, who was the founder of a religious Order at Sempringham.
In the city of Amatrice in the Diocese of Rieti, the death of St. Joseph of Leonissa, a Capuchin priest. For his preaching of the faith, he was cruelly treated by the Mohammedans. Famous for his apostolic labors and for his miracles, he was canonized by the Sovereign Pontiff, Pope Benedict XIV.
At Bremen, the commemoration of St. Rembert. He was a disciple of St. Anschar and, after the death of his master, was elected on this day Bishop of Hamburg and Bremen in his stead.
Anniversary of our Fathers and Mothers; likewise, Vincent Ajello of Lucania, in the Kingdom of Naples, 72nd master general of the Order.
V. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
At Turin, the birthday of St. John Bosco, confessor, the founder of the Salesian Congregation and of the Institute of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians. He was outstanding in his zeal for souls and in propagating the faith. Pius XI inscribed him among the saints in 1934. A duplex feast.
At Rome, on the Via Portuensis, the holy martyrs Cyrus and John, who after many torments were beheaded for Christ.
At Alexandria, St. Metranus, martyr, under the Emperor Decius. When he refused the command of the pagans to utter impious words, they beat his entire body with clubs, and bored through his face and eyes with sharp stakes. Then driving him out of the city with fresh tortures, they stoned him to death.
In the same city, the holy martyrs Saturninus, Thyrsus, and Victor.
Also at Alexandria, the holy martyrs Tharsicius, Zoticus, Cyriacus, and their companions.
At Cyzicus in the Hellespont, St. Triphenes, martyr. She endured various torments and was at last killed by a bull, thus meriting the palm of martyrdom.
At Modena, St. Geminianus, bishop, famous for the glory of miracles.
In the province of Milan, St. Julius, priest and confessor, in the time of the Emperor Theodosius.
At Rome, St. Marcella, widow, whose excellent praises Jerome has written.
Also at Rome, blessed Louisa Albertoni, a Roman widow, of the Third Order of St. Francis, renowned for virtues.
On the same day, the transferal of (the body of) St. Mark the Evangelist. His holy body was brought from Alexandria, which was then occupied by the barbarians, to Venice, and was there honorably buried in the great church dedicated to his name.
V. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
At Pisa, in Etruria, Blessed Maria Mancini (widow, who joined the order of Preachers). From childhood, she was devoted to works of piety. Later, when married, she showed the utmost commiseration toward the sick, and finally she entered the religious life where she pursued the path to perfection. A semi-duplex feast.
St. Martina, virgin and martyr, whose birthday is commemorated on January 1. A memory.
At Edessa in Syria, St. Barsimaeus, bishop. After converting many Gentiles to the faith and sending them to their crowns before him, in the reign of Trajan he followed them with the palm of martyrdom.
At Antioch, the suffering of Blessed Hippolytus, priest. For a while he was deceived by the schism of Novatus, but enlightened by grace he returned to the unity of the faith, and in behalf of it completed an illustrious martyrdom. Asked by his people which Church was the true one, he anathematized the doctrine of Novatus, declaring that he would keep the same faith as the See of Peter held. So saying, he presented his throat to the executioner.
In Africa, the suffering of the holy martyrs Felician, Philappian, and one hundred and twenty-four others.
Also Blessed Alexander, who was arrested in the persecution of Decius. He gave up his spirit amid the tortures of the executioners, glorious for his venerable age and his repeated confession (of faith).
At Edessa in Syria, St. Barses, bishop, famous for the power of healing. The Arian Emperor Valens exiled him because of his Catholic faith. His place of exile having been changed three times, each time for a distant region, Barses died of exhaustion.
At Jerusalem, the birthday of St. Mathias, bishop, of whom are told deeds wondrous and full of faith. In the reign of Hadrian, he suffered much for Christ, but at length died in peace.
At Pavia, St. Armentarius, bishop and confessor.
In Maubeuge, in a monastery of Hainault (Belgium), St. Aldegund, virgin, in the time of King Dagobert.
At Viterbo, the virgin St. Hyacintha Mariscotti, nun of the Third Order of St. Francis. She was noted for (her virtues of) penance and charity. Pope Pius VII numbered her among the saints.
At Milan, St. Savina, a most religious woman, who died in the Lord while praying at the tombs of the martyrs SS. Nabor and Felix.
Near Paris, St. Bathildis, queen, famed for the glory of her miracles and her sanctity.
V. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
Note: this martyrology is based on the pre-1969 calendar.
St. Francis of Sales, Bishop of Geneva, confessor, and Doctor of the Church. He is the special patron of all Catholic writers, who explain, promote, or defend Christian Doctrine by publishing journals or other writings in the vernacular. He departed to heaven on December 28, but his feast is observed on this day, the date of the transferal of his body (to Savoy). A duplex feast.
At Treves, the death of blessed Valerius, bishop, a disciple of St. Peter the Apostle.
At Rome, on the Via Nomentana, the holy martyrs Papias and Maurus, soldiers, in the time of the Emperor Diocletian. At their first confession of Christ, Laodicius, the prefect of the city, ordered their mouths to be pounded with stones. After this, they were cast into prison and beaten with clubs; then they were flogged with lead-tipped scourges until they died.
At Perugia, St. Constantine, bishop and martyr. Together with his companions, he received the crown of martyrdom for his defence of the faith under the Emperor Marcus Aurelius.
At Milan, St. Aquilinus, priest, whose throat was pierced with a sword by the Arians, thus receiving the crown of martyrdom.
At Edessa in Syria, the holy martyrs Sarbellius and his sister Barbea, who were baptized by Bishop Blessed Barsimaeus. They were crowned with martyrdom under Lysias the governor in the persecution of Trajan.
Near Troyes (in Gaul), St. Sabinian, martyr, who was beheaded for the faith of Christ at the command of Aurelian the Emperor.
At Bourges in Aquitaine, St. Sulpicius Severus, bishop, remarkable for his learning and virtues.
V. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
At Forli in Emilia (Italy), Blessed Marcolino, confessor of the Order of Preachers. A semi-duplex feast.
At Ephesus, St. Timothy, the disciple of St. Paul the Apostle, by whom he was ordained Bishop of Ephesus. After he had undergone many labors for Christ, he rebuked some pagans who were sacrificing to Diana. He was stoned by them, and shortly after he died in the Lord. A memory.
At Antioch, St. Babilas, bishop. In the persecution of Decius, after he had often glorified God by his sufferings and torments, he reached the end of his admirable life while bound in chains. He commanded that his body should be buried with the chains. It is said that there suffered with him also three youths, Urban, Prilidian, and Epolonius, whom he had instructed in the faith of Christ.
At Foligno in Umbria, St. Felician. He was ordained bishop of that city by Pope Victor I. After a life of many labors, he was crowned in his extreme old age with martyrdom, in the time of Decius.
At Neocaesarea in Mauretania, the holy martyrs Mardonius, Musonius, Eugene, and Metellus; all were delivered to the flames, and their relics were scattered in a river.
Also the holy martyrs Thyrsus and Projectus.
At Cingoli in Piceno, St. Exuperantius, confessor. He was bishop of that city, and was renowned for his miracles.
At Bologna, St. Zamas, first bishop of that city. He was consecrated by St. Dionysius, the Roman Pontiff, and he spread to a remarkable degree the Christian faith in that place. Also Blessed Suranus, abbot, who flourished in holiness at the time of the Lombards.
V. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
At Barcelona in Spain, St. Raymond of Peñafort, confessor and third master-general of the Order of Preachers. He was celebrated for his doctrine, holiness, and the glory of his miracles. He founded the Order of Our Lady of Mercy, and it was at his advice that James, King of Aragon, instituted in his domains the sacred Office of the Inquisition. When about to return to Barcelona from the island of Majorca, he crossed the sea miraculously carried by his cloak spread on the water, and entered his monastery although the gates remained closed. He is said to have raised forty persons from the dead. He was almost one hundred years old when, on the feast of the Epiphany, he went to heavenly glory. From his sepulchre there comes, as an unceasing miracle, a fine dust which is never exhausted and by means of which various ailments are cured. He was canonized by Clement VIII. A totum duplex feast of the second class.
At Rome, St. Emerentiana, virgin and martyr. While she was yet a catechumen, she was stoned to death by the pagans while she was praying at the tomb of her foster-sister, St. Agnes. A memory.
At Philippi in Macedonia, St. Parmenas, who was one of the first seven deacons (of the Church of Jerusalem)[1]. Surrendering himself to the grace of God, he perfectly fulfilled the office of preaching entrusted to him by his brethren, and under Trajan he obtained the glory of martyrdom.
At Ancyra in Galatia, St. Clement, bishop, who was tortured a number of times, and at the last completed his martyrdom under Diocletian.
In the same place and on the same day, St. Agathangelus, who suffered under the governor Lucius.
At Caesarea in Morocco, the holy martyrs Severian and Aquila, his wife, who were burned alive.
At Antinoe, a city of Egypt, St. Asclas, martyr. After many torments, he was thrown into a river, and thus rendered up his precious soul to God.
At Alexandria, St. John the Almsgiver, bishop of that city, most celebrated for his mercy toward the poor.
At Toledo in Spain, St. Ildefonsus, bishop. Because of the singular purity of his life and of the defence he made against heretics who denied the virginity of the Mother of God, he was by that same Blessed Mother clothed with a pure white garment, and at last, famed for his holiness was called to heaven.
In the province of Valeria (Italy), Blessed Martyrius, monk, whom Pope St. Gregory mentions.
V. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
Footnotes: [1] See Acts, 6:5.
At Valencia in Spain, in the province of Tarragona, St. Vincent, deacon and martyr. Under the wicked governor Dacian, he suffered prison, starvation, the rack, the disjointing of his limbs, red-hot metal plates, the blazing gridiron, and other kinds of torture. For the reward of his martyrdom, he went to heaven. Prudentius set forth in noble verse the glorious triumph of his suffering, and St. Augustine and Pope St. Leo commend him with the highest praise. A totum duplex feast.
At Barsaloe in Assyria, St. Anastasius, a Persian monk. After many tortures of imprisonment, floggings, and chains, which he had suffered at Caesarea in Palestine, he was delivered up to more torments under Chosroës, King of the Persians. He was at last beheaded, after sending before him to martyrdom seventy companions, who were drowned in a river. His head, together with his venerated image, was brought to (the Monastery at) Aquae Salviae near Rome[1]. The Acts of the second Council of Nicaea testify that at the sight of his relics demons fled and diseases were cured.
At Embrun in Gaul, the holy martyrs Vincent, Orontius, and Victor, who were crowned with martyrdom in the persecution of Diocletian.
At Novara (in Italy), St. Gaudentius, bishop and confessor.
At Sora (in Italy), St. Dominic, abbot, renowned for miracles.
V. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
Footnotes: [1] Aquae Salviae is now known as Tre Fontane; the monastery is that of SS. Vincent and Anastasius.
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.
St. Margaret, virgin (of the Order of Preachers), who on January 18 went to her heavenly Spouse. A totum duplex feast of the second class.
At Rome, on the Via Cornelia, the holy martyrs Marius, Martha his wife, and their sons Audifax and Abachum. They were Persians of noble birth, who came to Rome on a pilgrimage in the time of the Emperor Claudius. After they had endured scourging, the rack, fire, iron hooks, and the cutting off of their hands, Martha was drowned at (a place called) Ninfa; the others were beheaded, and their bodies cremated.
Also St. Canute, king and martyr.
At Smyrna, the birthday of St. Germanicus, martyr. At the time of Marcus Antoninus and Lucius Aurelius, St. Germanicus cast aside by the mighty grace of God all bodily fears, although he was yet in the flower of his youth. Having been condemned to death by the judge, he deliberately provoked the wild beast let loose on him. Ground by the teeth of the beast, he merited to be united with the true Bread, the Lord Jesus Christ, by dying for His sake.
In Africa, the holy martyrs Paul, Gerontius, Januarius, Satuminus, Successus, Julius, Catus, Pia, and Germana.
At Spoleto, the suffering of St. Pontian, martyr, in the time of the Emperor Antoninus. For his confession of Christ, Fabian the judge ordered him to be beaten severely with rods, and to walk barefoot on live coals. Then he was tortured on the rack and hung from iron hooks; after this, he was cast into prison, where he merited to be consoled by the visit of an angel. Afterward, he was exposed to the lions, had molten lead poured over him, and was at last put to the sword.
At Lodi in Lombardy, St. Bassian, bishop and confessor, who, together with St. Ambrose, fought strenuously against the heretics.
At Worcester in England, St. Wulstan, bishop and confessor. He was outstanding for his merits and his miracles, and was numbered among the saints by Innocent III.
V. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
The Chair of St. Peter the Apostle wherein he first exercised authority at Rome. A totum duplex feast.
In the same city, the suffering of St. Prisca, virgin at the time of the Emperor Claudius, endured many tortures and received the crown of martyrdom. A memory.
At Buda in Hungary, the birthday of St. Margaret, virgin, who was the daughter of King Bela IV. As a nun of the Order of St. Dominic she became distinguished by the virtue of chastity, by the severity of her penance, and by her charity toward her neighbor. The Sovereign Pontiff, Pius XII, inscribed her on the roll of holy virgins; her feast is celebrated on January 19.
In Pontus, the birthday of the holy martyrs, Moseus and Ammonius, who were soldiers. They were first condemned to the mines, and later were burned alive.
In the same place, St. Athenogenes, (called) the Old Theologian. When he was about to complete his martyrdom by fire, he sang a hymn of joy, which he left in writing to his disciples.
At Tours in Gaul, St. Volusian, bishop, who was captured by the Goths, and gave up his spirit to God in exile.
In the monastery of Lure in Burgundy, St. Deicola, abbot, who was Irish by birth and a disciple of blessed Columbanus.
At Tours in Gaul, St. Leobard, recluse, who was famed for his wondrous abstinence and humility.
At Como (in Italy), St. Liberata, virgin.
V. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
In the Thebaid, St. Anthony, abbot. He was the spiritual father of many monks, and was most renowned for his life and his miracles. St. Athanasius set forth his deeds in a famous book. His holy body was found by divine revelation at the time of the Emperor Justinian. It was brought to Alexandria and buried in the church of St. John the Baptist. A duplex feast.
At Langres in Gaul, three holy brothers, who were triplets, Speusippus, Eleusippus, and Meleusippus. Together with their grandmother Leonilla, they were crowned with martyrdom in the time of the Emperor Marcus Aurelius.
At Bourges in Aquitaine, the death of the Bishop St. Sulpicius, called the Pious, whose life and precious death were approved by glorious miracles.
At Rome, in the monastery of St. Andrew, the holy monks Anthony, Merulus, and John; all are mentioned by Pope St. Gregory.
In the territory of Edessa in Mesopotamia, the hermit St. Julian, surnamed Sabas. In the reign of the Emperor Valens, when the Catholic faith at Antioch had almost died, he restored it by his miracles.
At Rome, the finding of the bodies of the holy martyrs Diodorus, priest, Marian, deacon, and their companions, who suffered martyrdom on December 1 during the pontificate of Pope St. Stephen.
V. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
At Amarante in Portugal, Blessed Gonsalvo confessor of the Order of Preachers. He was filled with the spirit of his holy Father Dominic, and confirmed his preaching of the Gospel both by the example of his life and by the number of his miracles. A semi-duplex feast.
At Rome, on the Via Salaria, the birthday of St. Marcellus I, pope and martyr. By orders of the tyrant Maxentius, St. Marcellus was beaten with clubs because he confessed the Catholic faith. Then he was sent under a public guard to take care of cattle. Clad only in a piece of sackcloth, he perished while toiling in this occupation. A memory.
At Morocco in Africa, the suffering of the five protomartyrs of the Order of Friars Minor: Berard, Peter, and Otho, priests, and Accursius and Adjutus, lay-brothers. For preaching the Catholic faith and because of their detestation of the Mohammedan Law, they were subjected to various tortures and mockeries by the Saracen caliph, and then beheaded.
At Rhinocolura in Egypt, St. Melas, bishop. After he had suffered exile and other bitter trials under Valens for the Catholic faith, he had a peaceful death.
At Arles in Gaul, St. Honoratus, bishop and confessor, whose life was illustrious for doctrine and miracles.
At Oderzo near Venice, St. Titian, bishop and confessor.
At Fondi in Latium (Italy), St. Honoratus, abbot, whom Pope St. Gregory mentions.
At the village of Mézerolles on the river Authie in Gaul, St. Fursey, confessor; his body was later transferred to the monastery of Peronne.
At Rome, St. Priscilla, who dedicated herself and her goods to the service of the martyrs.
V. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
In the city of Fogan, in the Chinese Empire, the suffering of Blessed Francis de Capillas, a missionary priest of the Order of Preachers. He was the first among all the apostolic heralds in the Chinese Empire to seal the Faith of Christ with his blood. A duplex feast.
St. Paul the first hermit, confessor, who on January 10 was called to the company of the blessed. A memory.
In Anjou (Gaul), Blessed Maurus, abbot, who was a disciple of St. Benedict from boyhood. He made such progress in the monastic life under St. Benedict, that among other things he did in obedience to him was to walk upon the water; an extraordinary thing scarcely witnessed since the time of St. Peter. He was then sent by his teacher into Gaul, and built there a famous monastery, of which he was the superior for forty years. He died Peacefully, renowed for his glorious miracles. A memory.
In Judea, SS. Habacuc and Michaeas, Prophets, whose bodies were discovered by divine revelation at the time of the Emperor Theodosius, the Elder.
At Cagliari in Sardinia, St. Ephysius, martyr. In Diocletian's persecution, under Flavian the judge, he endured by divine grace various tortures; at last, being beheaded, he passed triumphantly to Heaven.
At Anagni, St. Secundina, virgin and martyr, who suffered under the Emperor Decius.
At Nola in Campania, St. Maximus, bishop.
In Auvergne in Gaul, St. Bonitus, bishop and confessor.
In Egypt, the Abbot St. Macarius. He was a disciple of Blessed Antony, and was most renowned for his life and miracles.
At Alexandria, Blessed Isidore, famous for holiness of life, for his faith, and for his miracles.
At Constantinople, St. John Calybites[1]. He dwelt for some time, unrecognized by his parents, in a corner next to his father's house, and then in a (nearby) hut. At his death he was recognized by his parents, and became renowned for his miracles. His body was later removed to Rome and buried in the church erected in his honor on the island in the Tiber.
V. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
Footnotes: [1] The Greek word kalube means a hut. Because the saint lived for so long in a hut, he became known as the "hut-dweller."
St. Hilary, Bishop of Poitiers, confessor and Doctor of the Church, who on the previous day departed to heaven. A duplex feast.
At Nola in Campania (Italy), St. Felix, priest. Bishop St. Paulinus tells us that every time Felix was tortured and taken back to his prison, he was chained and laid upon sharp sherds; but every night he was unchained and led forth by an angel. After the persecution ceased, he converted many to the faith of Christ by the example of his life and his doctrine. Renowned for his miracles, he died a peaceful death. A memory.
In Judea, St. Malachy the Prophet.
On Mount Sinai, thirty-eight holy monks, slain by the Saracens for the Christian faith.
In Egypt, in the district of Rhaitis, forty-three monks, who were slain by the Blemmians[1] for the Christian religion.
At Alan, St. Datius, bishop and confessor, whom Pope St. Gregory mentions.
In Africa, St. Euphrasius, bishop.
At Neocaesarea in Pontus, St. Marcina. She was a disciple of St. Gregory the Wonderworker, and grandmother of St. Basil, whom she educated in the faith.
V. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
Footnotes: [1] An ancient savage tribe of Ethiopia.
The Octave of the Lord's Epiphany. A most solemn octave.
At Poitiers in Gaul, the birthday of St. Hilary, bishop and confessor. On behalf of the Catholic faith which he defended valiantly, he was sent into exile in Phrygia for four years. Among his other miracles, he raised a man from the dead. Pope Pius IX declared him a Doctor of the Church. His feast is celebrated on January 14.
At Rheims in Gaul, St. Remigius, bishop and confessor. He converted the Franks to Christ, baptized their king, Clovis, and instructed him in the mysteries of the faith. After many years as bishop, during which he became famous for his holiness and the greatness of his miracles, he departed from this life. His feast is observed on October 1, when his holy body was transferred (to the abbey church at Rheims).
At Rome, on the Via Lavicana, the crowning of forty holy soldiers, which they merited to receive for their confession of the true faith under Gallienus the Emperor.
At Cordoba in Spain, the holy martyrs Gumesind, priest, and Servideus, monk.
In Sardinia, St. Potitus, martyr, who suffered much under the Emperor Antoninus and the governor Gelasius, and at last obtained martyrdom by the sword.
At Belgrade in Serbia, the holy martyrs Hermylus and Stratonicus. In the reign of the Emperor Licinius, they were drowned in the Danube, after enduring cruel tortures.
At Caesarea in Cappadocia, St. Leontius, bishop, who strove mightily against the heathens at the time of Licinius, and against the Arians at the time of Constantine.
At Treves, St. Agritius, bishop.
In the monastery of Verzy in Gaul, St. Viventius, confessor.
At Amasea in Pontus, St. Glaphyra, virgin.
At Milan, in the monastery of St. Martha, Blessed Veronica of Binasco, virgin, of the Order of St. Augustine.
V. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
At Venice, the death of Blessed Laurence Giustiniani, confessor, first Patriarch of that city. The Sovereign Pontiff, Alexander VIII, seeing him abundantly filled with learning and the heavenly graces of divine wisdom, inscribed him among the number of the saints. But his feast is kept on September 5, when he ascended the episcopal throne.
At Beauvais in Gaul, the holy martyrs Lucian, priest, Maximian, and Julian. The two latter were slain by the sword of the persecutors. Blessed Lucian, who came into Gaul with St. Dionysius, was severely tortured. As he did not fear to continue confessing the name of Christ in a loud voice, he also underwent the fate of the other two.
In Libya, the holy martyrs Theophilus, deacon, and Helladius. They were first mangled and pierced with sharp sherds; then they were cast into the fire, where they gave up their souls to God.
At Autun, St. Eugenian, martyr.
At Hierapolis in Asia, St. Apollinaris, bishop, who was eminent for holiness and learning, under Marcus Antoninus Verus.
At Naples in Campania, the birthday of the Bishop St. Severinus, brother of the blessed martyr Victorinus. After he performed many virtuous deeds, he entered into rest rich in sanctity.
At Metz in Gaul, St. Patiens, bishop.
At Pavia (in Italy), St. Maximus, bishop and confessor.
At Ratisbon in Bavaria, St. Erhard, bishop.
In Bavaria, St. Severinus, abbot, who preached the Gospel in that country, and is called the Apostle of the Bavarians. His body was miraculously brought to Lucullano, near Naples, and was afterward taken from there to the monastery of St. Severino.
V. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
The Return of the Child Jesus from Egypt.
At Nicomedia, the birthday of Blessed Lucian, priest and martyr, of the Church of Antioch. He won unusually great renown for his doctrine and eloquence, and he suffered for confessing Christ in the persecution of Maximian Galerius. He was buried at Helenopolis in Bithynia. St. John Chrysostom highly praised him.
At Antioch, St. Cletus, deacon, who for his glorious confession of faith was tortured seven times. He was incarcerated for a long time and at last was beheaded, thus fulfilling his martyrdom.
In the city of Heracles, the holy martyrs Felix and Januarius.
On the same day, the martyr St. Julian.
In Denmark, St. Canute, king and martyr.
At Pavia (in Italy), St. Crispin, bishop and confessor.
In Dacia, St. Nicetas, bishop, who by preaching the Gospel made civilized and humane some nations that before were savage and barbarous.
In Egypt, Blessed Theodore, monk, who grew in holiness in the time of Constantine the Great. St. Athanasius mentions him in his life of St. Anthony.
V. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
The Epiphany of the Lord. A totum duplex feast of the first class.
At Florence, the birthday of St. Andrew Corsini, a Florentine Carmelite, Bishop of Fiesole, and confessor. Renowned for miracles, he was inscribed in the number of the saints by Urban VIII. His feast is observed on February 4.
At Barcelona in Spain, the birthday of St. Raymund of Peñafort, of the Order of Preachers, confessor. He is famous for his learning and sanctity. His feast day, however, is celebrated on January 23.
In Africa, the commemoration of many holy martyrs who, in the persecution of Severus, were bound to stakes and burned alive.
In the neighborhood of Rheims, the suffering of St. Macra, virgin. In the persecution of Diocletian, she was cast into a fire at the command of the governor Rictiovarus, but remained unhurt. Afterward she was mutilated and cast into a foul prison; then she was rolled upon jagged sherds and burning coals and, while praying, went to her Lord.
At Rennes in Gaul, St. Melanius, bishop and confessor. He manifested innumerable virtues and, always intent on Heaven, passed gloriously from the world.
At Gerras in Egypt, St. Nilammon, recluse, who gave up his spirit to God in prayer, while being urged against his will to accept a bishopric.
V. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
The Octave of St. Stephen, the Protomartyr. A memory.
In the town of Socino, in the Diocese of Cremona (Italy), Blessed Stephana Quinzani, virgin, of the Order of Preachers, who on January 2 went to her heavenly Spouse. A semi-duplex feast.
At Rome, the commemoration of many holy martyrs. They refused to obey the edict of Diocletian by which they were commanded to surrender their sacred books. They chose rather to give their bodies to the executioners than holy things to dogs.
At Antioch, the suffering of Blessed Isidore, bishop.
At Tomis in Pontus, the three holy brothers, Argeus, Narcissus and the youth Marcellinus. The young man was drafted as a recruit at the time of the Emperor Licinius. When he refused to perform military service,[1] he was flogged almost to death, and kept for a long time in prison. At last he was thrown into the sea, and so completed his martyrdom. His brothers were slain by the sword.
At Milan, St. Martinian, bishop.
At Nitria in Egypt, blessed Isidore, bishop and confessor.
On the same day, St. Siridion, bishop.
In the Thebaid, St. Macarius of Alexandria, priest and abbot.
V. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
Footnotes:
[1] Certain passages in the works of several early Christian writers gave some converts the impression that military service and the teachings of Christ were incompatible. The error was not widespread.
At Rome, the birthday of St. Felix I, pope and martyr. He governed the Church at the time of the Emperor Aurelius. His feast is celebrated on May 30.
At Spoleto, the birthday of the holy martyrs Sabinus, Bishop of Assisi, Exuperantius and Marcellus, deacons, and Venustian the governor, with his wife and children. They were martyred in the reign of the Emperor Maximian. Marcellus and Exuperantius were first stretched on the rack and grievously beaten with clubs. Next they were torn with iron claws and their sides roasted by fire until they gained their martyrdom. Shortly after, Venustian was killed by the sword, together with his wife and children. St. Sabinus had his hands cut off and was confined in prison for a long time; then he was flogged to death. Although the martyrdom of these saints took place at different times, they are all remembered on one day.
At Alexandria, SS. Mansuctus, Severus, Appian, Donatus, Honorius, and their fellow martyrs.
At Thessalonica, St. Anysia, martyr.
At the same place, St. Anysius, bishop of that city.
At Milan, St. Eugene, bishop and confessor.
At Ravenna, St. Liberius, bishop.
At Aquila, among the Vestinian people,[1] St. Rainer, bishop.
V. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
Footnote:
[1] The Vestinians were an ancient branch of the Sabines, who settled on the highlands of Rieti.
At Ephesus, the birthday of St. John the Apostle and Evangelist. After he had written his Gospel, he was sent into exile where he wrote the inspired Apocalypse. He lived even to the time of Trajan, and estabfished and guided Churches over all Asia. Overcome by old age, he died in the sixty-eighth year after the Passion of our Lord and was buried near the aforesaid city. A totum duplex feast of the second class.
At Constantinople, the holy confessors Theodore and Theophanes, brothers. They were reared from childhood in the monastery of St. Sabas. Afterward, they contended zealously against Leo the Armenian in their defence of the veneration of holy images. By Leo's orders, they were flogged and driven into exile. After Leo's death, they also resisted the Emperor Theophilus who adhered to the same impiety; again they were beaten and driven into exile, where Theodore died in prison. When peace was at last restored to the Church, Theophanes became Bishop of Nicaea. Celebrated for the glory of his confession, he died peacefully in the Lord.
At Alexandria, St. Maximus, bishop, who was quite illustrious and outstanding by reason of his confession of the faith.
At Constantinople, St. Nicaretes, virgin, who, at the time of the Emperor Arcadius, was distinguished for her holiness.
V. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
At Jerusalem, the birthday of St. Stephen the Protomartyr, who was stoned to death by the Jews soon after the Lord's Ascension. A totum duplex feast of the second class.
At Rome, St. Marinus, a man of senatorial rank. In the reign of the Emperor Numerian and the prefect Marcian, he was arrested on the charge of being a Christian. Though a senator, he was racked and torn by iron claws as if he were a slave. He was then cast into a cauldron, but the fire turned to dew and he remained unharmed. Next, he was thrown to the wild beasts but they refused to injure him. Then he was brought back to the altar, but at his prayer the idols fell to the ground. He gained the triumph of martyrdom by being put to the sword.
In the same place, on the Appian Way, the death of Pope St. Dionysius. He undertook many labors for the Church and was famed for his writings concerning the faith.
Also at Rome, St. Zosimus, pope and confessor.
In Mesopotamia, St. Archelaus, bishop. He was celebrated for his learning and sanctity.
At Majurna in Palestine, St. Zeno, bishop.
At Rome, St. Theodore, sacristan of the church of St. Peter. Pope St. Gregory mentions him.
V. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
The Vigil of St. Thomas the Apostle.
In Spain, the death of St. Dominic of Silos of the Order of St. Benedict, greatly celebrated for his miracles in liberating captives. A duplex feast.
At Rome, the birthday of St. Zephyrinus, pope and martyr, whose feast is observed on August 26.
In the same city, the suffering of St. Ignatius, bishop and martyr. He was the third (bishop) after the Apostle St. Peter to govern the Church of Antioch, and in the persecution of Trajan, was condemned to the beasts. He was sent in chains to Rome. There, in the very presence of the Senate, he was first subjected to the most inhuman tortures and then thrown to the beasts. Being ground by their teeth, he became a host for Christ.[1] His feast is observed on February 1.
At Rome, the holy martyrs Liberatus and Baiulus.
In Arabia, the holy martyrs Eugene and Macarius, priests. For rebuking the impiety of Julian the Apostate, they were most savagely wounded, and, taken to an immense desert, were put to the sword.
At Alexandria, the holy martyrs Ammon, Zeno, Ptolemy, Ingenes, and Theophilus, soldiers. While on duty at a court of justice, they saw a certain Christian waver during his torture; when he was almost at the point of forsaking his faith, they attempted by their expressions, gestures, and nods to strengthen him. Whereupon, an uproar from the crowd rose against them. The soldiers pushed forward and declared that they too were Christians. By their victory, Christ, Who had given them firmness of character, was gloriously triumphant.
At Gelduba in Germany, St. Julius, martyr.
At Antioch, the birthday of St. Philogonius, bishop. By the will of God, he was called from the legal profession to govern the Church of Antioch. Together with the Bishop Alexander and his associates, he first began the battle for the Catholic faith against Arius. Celebrated for his merits, he died a peaceful death. On his annual feast day, St. John Chrysostom extolled him in a famous panegyric.
At Brescia, St. Dominic, bishop and confessor.
The death of the venerable brother Augustine Recuperati, 43rd master general of the Order.
V. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
Footnote:
[1] The allusion is to the saint's famous epistle: "I am God's grain and I am to be ground by the teeth of wild beasts that I may be found the pure bread of Christ."
In Morocco, St. Timothy, deacon. After enduring a harsh imprisonment for the faith of Christ, he was thrown into the fire and so gained martyrdom.
At Alexandria, Blessed Nemesius, martyr. He was first falsely denounced to a judge as a thief. Being found innocent of that charge, he was soon afterward accused to the judge Emilian of being a Christian; this was during the persecution of Decius. The judge subjected him to redoubled tortures and ordered him to be burned alive with some thieves. Thus, he resembled the Saviour who also bore the cross with thieves.
At Nicaea, SS. Darius, Zosimus, Paul, and Secundus, martyrs.
At Nicomedia, the holy martyrs Cyriacus, Paulilus, Secundus, Anastasius, Sindimius, and their companions.
At Gaza in Palestine, the suffering of SS. Mauris and Thea.
At Rome, the death of Pope St. Anastasius I, a man rich in poverty and in apostolic solicitude. St. Jerome wrote that the world did not deserve to possess him long lest with such a bishop the world's head should be cut off; for not long after his death, Rome was captured and destroyed by the Goths.
At Auxerre, St. Gregory, bishop and confessor.
At Orleans in Gaul, St. Adjutus, abbot, illustrious for his spirit of prophecy.
At Rome, St. Fausta. She was the mother of St. Anastasia, and was eminent for her nobility and piety.
At Avignon, Blessed Pope Urban V. He merited well of the Church by restoring the Apostolic See to Rome; by bringing about a union of the Greeks and the Latins; and by converting unbelievers. The Sovereign Pontiff, Pius IX, ratified and confirmed his ancient cult.
V. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
At Philippi in Macedonia, the birthday of the holy martyrs Rufus and Zosimus. They were of that number of disciples who founded the primitive Church among the Jews and Greeks. St. Polycarp, in his Epistle to the Philippians, describes their happy martyrdom.
At Laodicea in Syria, the suffering of SS. Theotimus and Basilian.
In Africa, St. Quinctus, Simplicius, and others, who suffered in the persecution of Decius and Valerian.
In the same place, St. Moses, martyr.
Also in Africa, the holy martyrs Victurus, Victor, Victorinus, Adjutor, Quartus, and thirty others.
At Mopsuestia in Cilicia, St. Auxentius, bishop. He had once been a soldier under Licinius, but rather than (perform a pagan rite, namely) offer grapes to Bacchus, he laid aside his military insignia. He became a bishop who was noted for his merits. He died a peaceful death.
At Tours in Gaul, St. Gratian, bishop. He was ordained the first bishop of that city by Pope St. Fabian I. Renowned for many miracles, he died in the Lord.
V. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
At Genoa, Blessed Sebastian Maggi confessor, of our Order. By the example of his virtues and by his preaching of the Word of God, he firmly established solid piety in several cities of Italy. A semi-duplex feast.
St. Eusebius, Bishop of Vercelli and martyr. His birthday is commemorated on August 1, and his ordination on December 15.
The Three Holy Youths, Ananias, Azarias, and Misael, whose bodies were buried in a cave near Babylon.
At Ravenna, the holy martyrs Valentine, a military officer, Concordius his son, Navalis, and Agricola. They suffered for Christ in the persecution of Maximian.
At Formia in Campania, St. Albina, virgin and martyr, (who died) during the reign of the Emperor Decius.
In Africa, the suffering of many holy virgins in the Vandal persecution at the time of the Arian King Hunneric. They were hung up with weights attached to their feet, and red-hot iron plates were placed against their bodies. They successfully completed the contest of martyrdom.
At Vienne in Gaul, Blessed Ado, bishop and confessor.
In Ireland, St. Bean, bishop.
At Gaza in Palestine, St. Irenion, bishop.
The death of the venerable brother John Thomas de Boxadors, 64th master general of the Order. He was also a cardinal of the Holy Roman Church.
V. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
At Alexandria, the holy martyrs Epimachus and Alexander. In the reign of the Emperor Decius, they were kept in chains for a long time and subjected to various punishments. As they remained unshaken in the faith, they were finally burned alive. The feast of St. Epimachus, together with that of St. Gordian the martyr, is celebrated on May 10.
At Rome, St. Synesius, martyr. He was ordained lector in the time of Pope St. Sixtus II. He had converted many persons to Christ when he was accused before the Emperor Aurelian. Being put to the sword, he gained the crown of martyrdom.
On the same day, the holy martyrs Hermogenes, Donatus, and twenty-two others.
At Treves, the holy martyrs Maxentius, Constantius, Crescentius, Justin, and their associates. All suffered in the persecution of Diocletian, under the governor Rictiovarus.
At Alexandria, SS. Ammonaria, virgin, Mercuria, Dionysia, and another Ammonaria. The first Ammonaria, in the persecution of Decius, obtained a happy ending to her life; after enduring unheard-of tortures, she was put to the sword. The judge felt humiliated to be overcome by women, and doubted that he would be able to conquer their firmness if he used the same torments on them. He therefore ordered them to be beheaded without delay.
V. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
At Rome, St. Damasus I, pope and confessor. He condemned the heresiarch Apollinaris and restored (to his see) Peter, Bishop of Alexandria, who had been forced to flee. He found many bodies of holy martyrs and wrote their epitaphs in verse. A simplex feast.
Also at Rome, the suffering of St. Thrason. At his own expense, he provided food for the exhausted Christians who were slaving in the public baths and other places, or who were detained in prison. By orders of Maximian, he was arrested and crowned with martyrdom, together with two others, Pontianus and Practextatus.
At Amiens in Gaul, the holy martyrs Victoricus and Fuscian, under the same Emperor. The governor Rictiovarus ordered that iron rods should be driven into their nostrils and ears, and their temples pierced with red-hot spikes. Their eyes were then torn out and, later, their bodies were pierced with javelins. Together with their guest St. Gentian, they were beheaded and so went to their Lord.
In Persia, St. Barsabas, martyr.
In Spain, St. Eutychius, martyr.
At Piacenza, St. Sabinus, bishop, who was famed for miracles.
At Constantinople, St. Daniel Stylites.
V. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
St. Melchiades, pope and martyr, whose birthday is recalled on January 11.
At Rome on the Via Ostiensis, the Dedication of the Basilica of St. Paul the Apostle. The annual commemoration of this dedication, with that of St. Peter the Prince of the Apostles, is observed on November 18.
On the same day, the holy martyrs Carpophorus, priest, and Abundius, deacon. In the persecution of Diocletian, they were first inhumanly beaten with clubs and then thrown into prison where they were denied food and drink. They were tortured for a second time on the rack and again cast into prison for a long period. Finally, they were slain by the sword.
At Alexandria, the holy martyrs Mennas, Hermogenes, and Eugraphus, who suffered under Galerius Maximian.
At Lentini in Sicily, the holy martyrs Mercurius and his fellow soldiers. In the time of the Emperor Licinius, under the governor Tertyllus, they were put to the sword.
At Ancyra in Galatia, St. Gemelius, martyr. After he had sustained savage torture under Julian the Apostate, he completed his martyrdom by being crucified.
At Merida in Spain, the suffering of St. Eulalia, virgin. In the reign of Maximian, when Eulalia was only twelve years old, by orders of the governor Dacian, she was subjected to many tortures for confessing Christ. Finally, she was placed on the rack, her body torn with iron claws, and flaming torches applied to her sides. As she inhaled the flames, she gave up her soul to God.
Also, at the same place, St. Julia, virgin and martyr. She was a companion of Blessed Eulalia and refused to leave her when she was hurrying to her martyrdom.
At Rome, Pope St. Gregory III, who died distinguished for his sanctity and miracles.
At Vienne in Gaul, St. Sindulph, bishop and confessor.
At Brescia, St. Deusdedit, bishop.
At Loretto in Piceno, the transferal of the Holy House of Mary the Mother of God. It was in this house that the Word was made flesh.
V. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
At Carthage, St. Restitutus, bishop and martyr. On his feastday, St. Augustine delivered to his congregation a panegyric on him.
Also in Africa, the holy martyrs Peter, Successus, Bassianus, Primitivus, and twenty others.
At Toledo in Spain, the birthday of St. Leocadia, virgin and martyr. During the Diocletian persecution, the prefect of Spain, Dacian, imprisoned Leocadia for a long time and treated her harshly. When she heard of the terrible sufferings of St. Eulalia and other martyrs, kneeling in prayer, she yielded her pure spirit to Christ.
At Limoges in Aquitaine, St. Valeria, virgin and martyr.
At Verona, St. Proculus, bishop. He was beaten with fists and clubs in the persecution of Diocletian, and was driven from the city. Eventually, he was restored to his church and died a peaceful death.
At Pavia, St. Syrus, who was the first bishop of that city. He was celebrated for his apostolic powers and virtues.
At Apamea in Syria, Blessed Julian, bishop, who in the time of Severus was eminent for his holiness.
At Gray in Burgundy, St. Peter Fourier, a Canon Regular of our Saviour, and founder of the Canonesses Regular of our Lady for the teaching of children. He was famed for his virtues and miracles, and was canonized by the Sovereign Pontiff Leo XIII.
At Perigueux in Gaul, St. Cyprian, abbot, a man of great holiness.
At Nazianus in Cappadocia, St. Gorgonia. She was the daughter of Blessed Nonna and the sister of SS. Gregory the Theologian and Caesarius. St. Gregory has described her virtues and miracles.
V. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
At Myra, the capital of Lycia (in Asia Minor), the birthday of St. Nicholas, bishop and confessor. Among his many remarkable miracles, this memorable one is told: although he was far away, he appeared to the Emperor Constantine, and by his warnings and threats induced him to have mercy on, instead of executing, some men who had invoked the assistance of the saint. A duplex feast.
On the same day, St. Polychronius, priest. In the time of the Emperor Constantine, while he was at the altar celebrating Mass, he was attacked by the Arians, who cut his throat.
In Africa, St. Majoricus, son of St. Dionysius. He was a youth who was afraid of torture, but his mother encouraged him by looks and words; whereupon he became more courageous than the rest and gave up his life during the tortures. His mother embraced his body, buried him at home, and made it a practise to pray unceasingly at his tomb.
In the same place, the holy women Dionysia, mother of St. Majoricus the martyr, Dativa, and Leontia; likewise, a religious man named Tertius, Emilian, a physician, Boniface, and three others. In the Vandal persecution under the Arian king Hunneric, they all suffered innumerable and horrible tortures in defense of the Catholic faith, so that they deserve to be associated with the band of holy confessors of Chribe.
At Rome, St. Asella, virgin. St. Jerome wrote that she had been blessed from birth. She spent her whole life, even to old age, in fasting and prayer.
At Granada in Spain, the suffering of Blessed Peter Paschal, Bishop of Jaen and martyr. He belonged to the Order of Our Lady of Ransom for the Redemption of Captives.
V. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
In Judea, St. Sabas, abbot. He was born in the town of Mutalaska in Cappadocia. He gave a splendid example of holiness and labored most zealously for the Catholic faith against those who attacked the holy Council of Chalcedon. He died peacefully in the laura of the Diocese of Jerusalem, which afterward was called after him the Laura of St. Sabas.
At Nice near the river Var, St. Bassus, bishop. In the persecution of Decius and Valerian, he was tortured for his faith by the governor Perennius. First he was stretched on the rack, then burned with red-hot bars, beaten with clubs and scorpions, and cast into the fire. When he came forth unhurt, he was pierced with two spikes and thus completed his illustrious martyrdom.
At Pavia, St. Dalmatius, bishop and martyr, who suffered in the persecution of Maximian.
At Corfinium among the Pelignians,[1] St. Pelinus, Bishop of Brindisi. In the time of Julian the Apostate, the temple of Mars crashed to the ground at his prayers. The priests of the temple most grievously flogged him and inflicted eighty-five wounds on his body; thus he gained the crown of martyrdom.
Also, St. Athanasius, martyr. Because of his ardent desire for martyrdom, he delivered himself of his own free will to the persecutors.
At Thagura in Africa, the holy martyrs Julius, Potamias, Crispin, Felix, Gratus, and seven others.
At Thebeste in Numidia, St. Crispina, a most noble woman. In the time of Diocletian and Maximian, she was beheaded by command of the proconsul Anolinus because she refused to offer sacrifice. Saint Augustine often praised her.
At Treves, St. Nicetius, bishop, a man of marvellous holiness.
At Polyboton in Asia (Minor), St. John, bishop, surnamed the Wonderworker.
V. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
Footnote:
[1] The Pelignians were an ancient Sabine tribe. Their chief town, Corfinium, no longer exists; near its ruins is the city of Valva.
St. Peter Chrysologus, Bishop of Ravenna, confessor, and Doctor of the Church, whose memory is recalled on December 2. A duplex feast.
At Nicomedia, the suffering of St. Barbara, virgin and martyr. In the persecution of Maximian, she was kept for a long time in prison, burned with torches, mutilated, and subjected to other tortures. She gained martyrdom by being put to the sword. A memory.
At Constantinople, SS. Theophanes and his associates.
In Pontus, St. Melitus, bishop and confessor. He was a man of remarkable learning but he was even more remarkable by reason of the virtue of his soul and the sincerity of his life.
At Bologna, St. Felix, bishop, who was once deacon of the Church of Milan under St. Ambrose.
In England, St. Osmund, bishop and confessor.
At Cologne, St. Anno, bishop.
In Mesopotamia, St. Maruthas, bishop. In Persia, he restored the churches of God that had fallen into ruin during the persecution of King Isdegerd. He was famous for his many miracles and was held in honor even by his enemies.
At Parma, St. Bernard, cardinal, and bishop of that city. He belonged to the Congregation of Vallombrosa of the Order of St. Benedict.
V. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
St. Francis Xavier, priest of the Society of Jesus, confessor, Apostle of the Indies, and heavenly patron of the Society and work of the Propagation of the Faith. He died a peaceful death on December 2. A totum duplex feast.
In Judea, St. Sophonias, prophet.
At Rome, the holy martyrs Claudius the tribune and his wife Hilaria, their two sons Jason and Maurus, and seventy soldiers. The Emperor Numerian ordered Claudius to be fastened to a huge stone and cast into the river, while the soldiers and the sons of Claudius were to be punished by being beheaded. Blessed Hilaria buried the bodies of her sons; shortly after, she was seized by the pagans while she was praying at their sepulchre. She was cast into prison where she died.
At Tangier in Morocco, the suffering of St. Cassian, martyr. For a long time he held the position of public clerk, but eventually he was impressed by the fearless answers and unshaken firmness in the faith of Christ of the centurion St. Marcellus. Then inspired by grace, he felt it was a hateful thing to take part in the slaughter of Christians. He therefore resigned his office, confessed the Christian faith, and merited to obtain the palm of martyrdom.
Also in Africa, the holy martyrs Claudius, Crispin, Magina, John, and Stephen.
In Hungary, St. Agricola, martyr.
At Nicomedia, the suffering of SS. Ambicus, Victor, and Julius.
At Milan, St. Mirocles, bishop and confessor, whom St. Ambrose occasionally mentioned.
At Dorchester in England, St. Birinus, who was first bishop of that city.
At Chur in Germany, St. Lucius, an English king. In the time of St. Eleutherius, he was the first of the English kings to receive the faith of Christ.
At Siena in Tuscany, St. Galganus, hermit.
V. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
At Rome, the suffering of St. Bibiana, virgin and martyr. Under the wicked Emperor Julian, she was flogged with whips tipped with lead until she expired. A simplex feast.
At Imola in the province of Aemilia, the birthday of St. Peter, surnamed Chrysologus, Bishop of Ravenna, confessor, and Doctor of the Church. He was distinguished for his learning and holiness. His feast is observed on December 4.
On Sancian, an island of China, the birthday of St. Francis Xavier, priest of the Society of Jesus, confessor, and Apostle of the Indies. He was famed for his conversion of the heathens, his supernatural gifts and miracles. Rich in merit and good works, he died in the Lord. The Sovereign Pontiff, Pius X, chose and appointed him the heavenly patron of the Society and the work for the Propagation of the Faith. By order of Pope Alexander VII, his feast is celebrated on December 3.
At Rome, the holy martyrs Eusebius, priest, Marcellus, deacon, Hippolytus, Maximus, Adria, Paulina, Neon, Mary, Martana, and Aurcha. They all completed their martyrdom in the persecution of Valerian, under the judge Secundian.
Also at Rome, St. Pontianus, martyr, and four others.
In Africa, the birthday of the holy martyrs Severus, Securus, Januarius, and Victorinus, who were there crowned with martyrdom.
At Aquileia, St. Chromatius, bishop and confessor.
At Verona, St. Lupus, bishop and confessor.
At Edessa in Syria, St. Nonus, bishop, by whose prayers Pelagia the penitent was converted to Christ.
At Troas in Phrygia, St. Silvanus, bishop, renowned for miracles.
At Brescia, St. Evasius, bishop.
V. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
At Antioch, the holy martyrs Basileus, bishop, Auxilius, and Saturninus.
At Sebaste in Armenia, the holy martyrs Hirenarchus, Acacius, priest, and seven women. Hirenarchus was moved by the constancy of these women and was converted to Christ. Under the Emperor Diocletian and the governor Maximus, Hirenarchus together with Acacius was slain with an axe.
At the river Cea in Galicia, SS. Facundus and Primitivus, who suffered under the governor Atticus.
In Persia, St. James, a famous martyr surnamed "Dismembered." In the days of Theodosius the Younger, he denied Christ to secure the favor of King Isdegerd; whereupon, his mother and wife avoided his company. Repenting of his deed, James approached King Vararanes, the son and successor of Isdegerd, and confessed that he was a Christian. Hence, the angry monarch sentenced him to this death: his limbs were to be cut off one by one and finally he was to be beheaded. At that time and in the same place, innumerable other martyrs were slain.
At Aquileia, St. Valerian, bishop.
At Riez in Gaul, St. Maximus, bishop and confessor. He was endowed with every grace and virtue from his earliest years. He was at first the superior of the monastery at Lerins, and later Bishop of the Diocese of Riez. He was renowned for his signs and miracles.
At Salzburg in Germany, St. Virgil, Bishop and Apostle of Caranthia. He was canonized by the Sovereign Pontiff Gregory IX.
In India, near the Persian border, SS. Barlaam and Josaphat, whose wondrous deeds are narrated by St. John Damascene.
At Paris, the death of St. Severinus, monk and hermit.
V. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
At Mantua, Blessed James Benefatti, bishop and confessor, of the Order of Preachers. On account of his having perfectly fulfilled the duties of a good shepherd, he earned for himself the name "Father of the Poor," as well as the love of his flock. A semi-duplex feast.
At Fabriano in Piceno, Blessed Silvester, abbot, founder of the Congregation of Silvestrine Monks.
At Alexandria, the birthday of St. Peter, bishop of that city and martyr. He was adorned with every kind of virtue. He was beheaded by command of Galerius Maximian.
Also at Alexandria, there suffered in the same persecution the holy martyrs Faustus, priest, Didius, and Ammonius; also Phileas, Hesychius, Pachomius and Theodore, Egyptian bishops, with six hundred and sixty-six others. All gained heaven by the sword of persecution.
At the village called Fratta[1] near Rovigo, St. Bellinus, Bishop of Padua and martyr. He was an excellent defender of the rights of the Church. He was cruelly attacked by assasins who, having inflicted many wounds on him, killed him.
At Nicomedia, St. Marcellus, priest. In the reign of Constantius, he was flung headlong from a cliff by the Arians and thus died a martyr.
At Rome, St. Siricius, pope and confessor. Eminent for his learning, piety, and zeal for religion, he condemned various heretics, and restored ecclesiastical discipline by his most salutary decrees.
At Autun, St. Amator, bishop.
At Constance in Germany, St. Conrad, bishop.
At Rome, St. Leonard of Port Maurice, priest, of the Order of Friars Minor, and confessor. He was noteworthy for his zeal for souls and his missionary journeys throughout Italy. He was canonized by the Sovereign Pontiff, Pius IX.
In the district of Rheims, the birthday of St. Basolus, confessor.
At Adrianople in Paphlagonia, St. Stylian, hermit, noted for miracles.
In Armenia, St. Nicon, monk.
V. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
Footnote:
[1] Fratta Polesine.
St. Cecilia, virgin and martyr. Purpled with her own blood, she departed to her heavenly Spouse, on September 16. A duplex feast.
At Colossae in Phrygia, SS. Philemon and Apphias, disciples of St Paul. In the reign of the Emperor Nero, on the feast of Diana, the heathens burst into the (Christian) church and seized Philemon and Apphias, while the rest of the congregation fled. By orders of the governor Artocles, they were flogged; after which, they were buried up to their waists in a pit and then stoned to death.
At Rome, St. Maurus, martyr. He came from Africa to visit the tomb of the Apostles, and suffered martyrdom under Celerinus, governor of Rome in the reign of the Emperor Numerian.
At Antioch in Pisidia, the suffering of SS. Mark and Stephen, in the days of the Emperor Diocletian.
At Autun, St. Pragmatius, bishop and confessor.
V. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
In the town of Marburg in Germany, the death of St. Elizabeth, widow, daughter of King Andrew of Hungary, and (a member) of the Third Order of St. Francis. She was sedulously devoted to works of piety and went to the Lord, renowned for her miracles. A duplex feast.
St. Pontian, pope and martyr, whose birthday occurs on October 30.
At Samaria in Palestine, St. Abdias, Prophet.
At Rome on the Appian Way, the birthday of St. Maximus, priest and martyr. He suffered in the persecution of Valerian and was buried at St. Sixtus.
In the city of Ecija in Spain, Blessed Crispin, bishop, who obtained the glory of martyrdom by being beheaded.
On the same day, St. Faustus, a deacon of Alexandria. In the persecution of Valerian, he was first sent into exile with St. Dionysius. Later, in his old age, he suffered martyrdom, being slain by the sword.
At Caesarea in Cappadocia, St. Barlaam, martyr. Although he was an ignorant countryman, yet, strengthened by the wisdom of Christ, he conquered the tyrant, and by his unshaken faith he rose superior to the fire. St. Basil the Great delivered a famous panegyric to the people on his birthday.
At Vienne in Gaul, the holy martyrs Severinus, Exuperius, and Felicianus, whose bodies, after the course of many years, were found by their own revelation. Their bodies were reverently removed by the clergy and people of that city and given an honorable burial by the bishop.
In Isauria, the suffering of SS. Azas and his one hundred and fifty fellow soldiers, under the Emperor Diocletian and the tribune Aquilinus.
V. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
At Rome, the Dedication of the Basilicas of the Apostles St. Peter and St. Paul. The Basilica of St. Peter was solemnly consecrated on this day by the Sovereign Pontiff Urban VIII, after it had been rebuilt on a larger scale. The Basilica of St. Paul had been entirely destroyed by an unfortunate fire; it was rebuilt in a more imposing manner and was consecrated with solemn ritual by Pius IX on December 10; its annual commemoration was transferred to this day. A totum duplex feast.
At Antioch, the birthday of St. Romanus, martyr. During the reign of the Emperor Galerius, when the prefect Asclepiades attacked the Church and tried to destroy it completely, St. Romanus encouraged the other Christians to resist him. After he had endured terrible tortures, his tongue was cut out, but even without it, he spoke the praises of God. Then he was strangled with a noose in prison and so was crowned by a famous martyrdom. Ahead of him there suffered a young boy named Barula. He was asked by the governor whether it were better to worship one God or many gods; the boy replied that one must believe in the one God whom the Christians worship. For this answer, he was flogged and then ordered to be beheaded.
Also at Antioch, St. Hesychius, martyr. He was a soldier, and when he heard the order that anyone who would not offer sacrifice should lay aside his military insignia, he immediately did so. For this action, a huge rock was fastened to his right hand and he was flung into the river.
On the same day, SS. Oriculus and his companions, who suffered for the Catholic faith in the Vandal persecution.
At Mainz, St. Maximus, bishop. In the time of Constantine, he underwent many sufferings at the hands of the Arians. He died a confessor.
At Tours in Gaul, the passing of Blessed Odo, Abbot of Cluny.
At Antioch, St. Thomas, monk. In an annual solemnity, the people of Antioch were accustomed to reverence him for having ended a plague by his prayers.
At Lucca in Tuscany, the transferal of the relics of St. Frigidianus, bishop and confessor.
The death of the venerable brother Guido Flamochetti, 28th master general of the Order.
V. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
At Ferrara (in Italy), Blessed Lucy of Narni, virgin, of the Order of our Father St Dominic. Her incorrupted body is held in the greatest reverence at Ferrara. A semi-duplex feast.
At Edinburgh in Scotland, the birthday of St. Margaret, widow, Queen of the Scots. She was conspicuous for her love of the poor and her voluntary poverty. Her feast is kept on June 10.
In Africa, the holy martyrs Rufinus, Mark, Valerius, and their companions.
On the same day, the holy martyrs Elpidius, Marcellus, Eustochius, and their associates. Elpidius, who was of senatorial rank, confessed the faith with great firmness before Julian the Apostate. He, with his companions, was first tied to wild horses and dragged by them; then he was cast into the fire and thus completed a glorious martyrdom.
At Lyons in Gaul, the birthday of St. Eucherius, bishop and confessor. He was a man of admirable faith and learning. Although he enjoyed the most noble senatorial rank, he exchanged it for the religious life and the religious habit. He had himself walled up in a cave where for a long period of time he served Christ by prayer and fasting. Then, because of a revelation made by an angel (to the faithful), he was solemnly made Bishop of Lyons.
At Padua, St. Fidentius, bishop.
At Canterbury in England, St. Edmund, archbishop and confessor. He was driven into exile for defending the rights of his church, and he died a most holy death at Provins, a town near Sens. He was inscribed in the canon of saints by Pope Innocent IV.
On the same day, the death of St. Othmar, abbot.
The death of the venerable brother Albert de las Casas of Spain, 44th master general of the Order.
V. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
At Cologne, St. Albert surnamed the Great, at one time Bishop of Ratisbon, and confessor, of the Order of Preachers. Radiant by the holiness of his life, by his zeal for the salvation of souls, and by his surpassing doctrine, he enlightened the Church. Pope Pius XI declared him to be a Doctor of the Universal Church (and Pius XII constituted him patron before God of students of the natural sciences).[1] A totum duplex feast of the first class.
St. Gertrude, virgin, of the Order of St. Benedict, who was called by her heavenly Spouse to eternal happiness on November 17.
On the same day, the birthday of St. Eugene, Bishop of Toledo and martyr. He was a disciple of Blessed Dionysius the Areopagite. Having finished the course of martyrdom near Paris, he received from the Lord the crown of his blessed suffering. His body was afterward transferred to Toledo in Spain.
At Nola in Campania, Blessed Felix, bishop and martyr. From the age of fifteen, he was remarkable for his miracles. Under the prefect Marcianus, he completed, together with thirty companions, the course of martyrdom.
At Edessa in Mesopotamia, the suffering of St. Abibus, deacon. He was mangled with hooks under the Emperor Licinius and the governor Lysanias, and was then burned alive.
In the same place, the holy martyrs Gurias and Samonas, under the Emperor Diocletian and the governor Antoninus.
In Africa, the holy martyrs Secundus, Fidentianus, and Varicus.
At Archingcay, in the territory of Saintes, the birthday of St. Malo, Bishop of Aleth in Gaul. Born in England, he was famous for his miracle from his earliest years.
At Verona, St. Luperius, bishop and confessor.
At Klosterneuburg near Vienna, in Austria, St. Leopold, margrave of the same province of Austria. He was canonized by Pope Innocent VIII.
V. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
Footnote:
[1] The clause "and Pius XII, etc." is taken from the 1952 Supplement of the Roman Martyrology.
At Caccamo in Sicily, Blessed John Liccio, confessor, of the Order of Preachers. He was notable for his eloquence in speaking of divine things, for charity toward his neighbor, for the propagation of the Rosary, for striving after regular observance, and for other virtues. At the age of one hundred and eleven, he quietly rested in the Lord. A semi-duplex feast.
St. Josaphat, of the Order of St. Basil, a Polish archbishop and martyr, whose birthday is remembered on November 12.
At Gangra in Paphlagonia, St. Hypatius, bishop. While on the way home from the great Nicene Council, he was stoned by Novatian heretics and thus died a martyr.
At Heraclea in Thrace, the birthday of the holy martyrs Clementinus, Theodotus, and Philomenus.
At Alexandria, St. Serapion, martyr. In the reign of the Emperor Decius, the executioners inflicted on him the most cruel sufferings. After they had broken the joints of all his limbs, they flung him off the roof of his house, and so he became a glorious martyr of Christ.
At Troyes in Gaul, St. Venerandus, martyr, under the Emperor Aurelian.
In Gaul, St. Veneranda, virgin. She received the crown of martyrdom under the Emperor Antoninus and the governor Asclcpiades.
At Emesa in Phoenicia, the suffering of many holy women. They were most brutally tortured and slain for the Christian faith under the cruel Arab chief Mady.
At Bologna, St. Jucundus, bishop and confessor.
At Eu in Gaul, St. Laurence, Bishop of Dublin.
At Tours in Gaul, St. Britius, bishop, who, on November 13, died in the Lord. A memory.
At Algiers in Africa, Blessed Serapion. He was the first one of the Order of our Lady of Ransom to merit obtaining the palm of martyrdom.
Because he redeemed the faithful from captivity and preached the Christian faith, he was crucified and then cut to pieces limb from limb.
V. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
The Patronage of St. Thomas Aquinas over Catholic Schools. A totum duplex feast of the first class.
St. Didacus, confessor, of the Order of Friars Minor, whose birthday is observed on November 12.
At Ravenna, the birthday of the holy martyrs, Valentine, Solutor, and Victor, who suffered in the reign of the Emperor Diocletian.
At Aix in the province of Narbonne, Blessed Mitrius, a most famous martyr.
At Caesarea in Palestine, the suffering of St. Antoninus, Zebina, Germanus, and Ennatha, virgin. At the time of Galerius Maximus, Ennatha was scourged and then burned alive; the others were beheaded because they had fearlessly and loudly accused the governor Firmilian of idolatry in offering sacrifice to the gods.
In Africa, the holy Spanish martyrs Arcadius, Paschasius, Probus, and Eutychian. In the Vandal persecution, they refused positively to join the Arian heresy. They were first proscribed by the Arian king Genseric, and then exiled. They were treated with atrocious cruelty and finally put to death in various ways. At that time, too, was seen the constancy of Paulillus, the little brother of SS. Paschasius and Eutychian. Since all efforts failed to turn him away from the Catholic faith, he was subjected to a long clubbing and then condemned to the vilest slavery.
At Rome, Pope St. Nicholas I, preeminent for his apostolic vigor.
At Tours in Gaul, St. Britius, bishop, who was a disciple of Blessed Bishop Martin. His memory is recalled on November 14.
At Toledo in Spain, St. Eugene, bishop.
In Auvergne in Gaul, St. Quinctian, bishop.
At Cremona in Insubria, St. Homobonus, confessor. He was renowned for miracles and was canonized by Pope Innocent III.
V. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
The Feast of All the Saints of our Order. A totum duplex feast of the second class.
St. Martin I, pope and martyr, whose birthday is commemorated on September 16.
At Vitebsk in Poland, the suffering of St. Josaphat, of the Order of St. Basil a Polish archbishop and martyr. He was cruelly slain by the schismatics in their hatred of Catholic unity and truth. He was numbered among the martyrs by Pope Pius IX. His feast, however, is kept on November 14.
At Alcalá in Spain, the birthday of St. Didacus, confessor, of the Order of Friars Minor, who was noted for his humility. He was canonized by the Sovereign Pontiff, Pope Sixtus V; his feast is celebrated on November 13.
In Asia, the suffering of the holy Bishops Aurelius and Publius.
At Eachen in Belgium, St. Livinus, bishop and martyr. He had convcrted many persons to the Christian faith when he was slain by the heathens. His body was later transferred to Ghent.
At Gnesen in Poland, the holy hermits and martyrs Benedict, John, Matthew, Isaac, and Christian. They were engaged in prayer when they were savagely attacked by robbers and put to the sword.
At Sergines near Sens, St. Paternus, monk and martyr. He met some robbers in the nearby forest and when he tried to persuade them to correct their lives, they put him to death.
At Avignon, St. Rufus, who was the first bishop of that city.
At Cologne, the death of St. Cunibert, bishop.
At Tarazona in Aragon, Blessed Emilian, priest. He was remarkable for his many miracles. St. Braulio, Bishop of Saragossa, wrote his admirable life.
At Constantinople, St. Nilus, abbot. In the reign of Theodosius the Younger, he had been prefect of that city and then became a monk. He was distinguished for his learning and holiness.
V. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
At Tours in Gaul, the birthday of Blessed Martin, bishop and confessor. His life was so resplendent with miracles that he merited to raise three dead men to life. A totum duplex feast.
At Cotyacus in Phrygia, the celebrated suffering of St. Menas. He was an Egyptian soldier who, in the persecution of Diocletian, cast away his military insignia and withdrew to the desert to wage an interior war for his heavenly King. Presenting himself before a public gathering, he loudly announced that he was a Christian. He was first subjected to severe tortures. Finally, as he was kneeling in prayer and giving thanks to the Lord Jesus Christ, he was put to the sword. After his death, he became famous for miracles. A memory.
At Ravenna, the holy martyrs Valentine, Felician, and Victorinus, who were crowned in the persecution of Diocletian.
In Mesopotamia, St. Athenodorus, martyr. He was tortured with fire and tried by other punishments. Finally, he was condemned to capital punishment. When the executioner fell to the ground and no one dared to strike him with the sword, the martyr, while engrossed in prayer, went to his rest in the Lord.
At Lyons in Gaul, St. Veranus, bishop, whose life was noteworthy for his faith and the merits of his virtue.
At Constantinople, St. Theodore, Abbot of Studium.[1] He fought zealously for the Catholic faith against the Iconoclasts and became famous throughout the Universal Church.
In the monastery of Grottaferrata on the site of Tusculanum, the Abbot St. Bartholomew, a companion of St. Nilus, whose life he wrote.
In the province of Samnium (Central Italy), Blessed Mennas, anchorite. Pope St. Gregory has commemorated his virtues and miracles.
V. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
Footnote:
[1] Studium was the name of a famous monastery at Constantinople; it was built in the year 463 by the Roman consul Studius.
In Rome at the Lateran, the Dedication of the Basilica of the Most Holy Saviour, which is the mother and the head of all the churches of Rome and of the world. A totum duplex feast of the second class.
At Amasea in Pontus, the birthday of St. Theodore, soldier. In the reign of the Emperor Maximian, he was severely beaten and thrown into prison, for confessing the Christian faith. There the Lord appeared to him and encouraged him to be steadfast and brave, and his spirits were raised. Finally, he was stretched on the rack and torn with iron hooks until his insides were visible; he was then placed in a raging fire to be burned to death. St. Gregory of Nyssa celebrated his name in a famous panegyric. A memory.
At Tyana, in Cappadocia, the suffering of St. Orestes, under the Emperor Diocletian.
At Thessalonica, St. Alexander, martyr, in the reign of the Emperor Maximian.
At Bourges in Aquitaine, St. Ursinus, confessor. He was ordained by the successors of the Apostles and was appointed the first Bishop of Bourges.
At Naples in Campania, St. Agrippinus, bishop, famed for his miracles.
At Constantinople, the holy virgins Eustolia, a Roman maiden, and Sopatra, the daughter of the Emperor Mauritius.
At Beirut in Syria, the commemoration of the image of the Saviour which, being nailed to a cross by some Jews, poured forth blood so abundantly that the Churches of the East and West both received an ample share of it.[1]
V. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
Footnote:
[1] Needless to say, this story is regarded as a fable by many historians.
The Octave of All Saints. A solemn octave.
At Rome, on the Via Lavicana, at the third milestone from the city, the suffering of the holy martyrs Claudius, Nicostratus, Symphorian, Castorius, and Simplicius. They were first cast into prison, and then severely flogged with scorpions. Since they could not be turned away from the faith of Christ, by the command of Diocletian, they were thrown headlong into the river.
At the same place, on the Via Lavicana, the birthday of the Four Holy Crowned Brothers, Severus, Severian, Carpophorus, and Victorinus. Under the same Emperor, they were flogged to death with blows from leaden-tipped scourges. Since their names could not then be learned (they were divinely revealed years later), it was decreed that their anniversary should be kept along with the five martyrs mentioned above, under the name of the Four Holy Crowned Ones. This has continued to be done in the Church even after their names were revealed. A memory.
Also at Rome, Pope St. Deusdedit, who had such great merit that he healed a leper of his disease by a kiss.
At Blexcn on the river Weser, in Germany, St. Willehad, who was the first Bishop of Bremen. He, together with St. Boniface, whose disciple he was, spread the Gospel in Friesland and Saxony.
At Soissons in Gaul, St. Godefrid, Bishop of Amiens, a man of great sanctity.
At Verdun in Gaul, St. Maurus, bishop and confessor.
At Tours in Gaul, St. Clarus, priest, whose epitaph was written by St. Paulinus.
V. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
In the kingdom of Tonkin (Indo-China), the Blessed martyrs Jerome Hermosilla and Valentine Berrio-Ochoa, both bishops; Peter Almato, Francis Gil de Federich, Matthew Alphonse Leziniana, Hyacinth Castañeda, Vincent Liem, priests and missionaries of the Order of Preachers; also Joseph Khang, a catechist of the Third Order of our Father St. Dominic. Although these martyrs died at different times, they were all united by the same strength of soul, and confirmed the faith they preached by the shedding of their blood. A duplex feast.
At Barcelona in Spain, St. Severus, bishop and martyr. For confessing the Catholic faith, a spike was driven into his skull and he thus won his crown of martyrdom.
At Tunis in Africa, the birthday of St. Felix, martyr. He confessed the faith of Christ and was removed for torture, but the next day he was found dead in his prison. So declared St. Augustine, when explaining a certain psalm to his flock on the feast day of St. Felix.
At Theopolis, now called Antioch,[1] ten holy martyrs, who are said to have suffered at the hands of the Saracens.
In Phrygia, St. Atticus, martyr.
At Berg in Flanders, the death of St. Winoc, abbot. He was famed for his virtues and miracles, and he ministered for a long time to the brethren subject to him.
At Fondi in Latium, St. Felix, monk.
At Limoges in Aquitaine, St. Leonard, confessor. He was a disciple of Bishop St. Remigius. Though of noble birth, he chose a solitary life, and was enriched with holiness and miracles. His goodness manifested itself especially in liberating captives.
V. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
Footnote:
[1] When Justinian rebuilt Antioch (middle of 6th cent.), he named it Theopolis. The name, however, did not last.
At Lima in South America, Blessed Martin de Porres, a tertiary of the Order of Preachers. Having pronounced his solemn vows to God, he united integrity of life so perfectly with the most severe penances, that both before and after death he merited to become famous for his miracles. A duplex feast.
St. Zachary, priest and prophet. He was the father of St. John the Baptist, Precursor of the Lord.
Also, St. Elizabeth, the mother of the aforesaid holy Precursor.
At Terracina in Campania, the birthday of the holy martyrs Felix, priest, and Eusebius, monk. Eusebius buried the holy martyrs Julian and Caesarius, and he converted many persons to the faith of Christ, while St. Felix baptized them. As they could not be intimidated, they were imprisoned, and on their refusal to offer sacrifice were beheaded that very night.
At Emesa in Phoenicia, the holy martyrs Galatio and Epistemis, his wife. In the persecution of Diocletian, they were flogged; in addition, their hands, feet, and tongues were amputated. They finally completed their martyrdom by being beheaded.
Also, the holy martyrs Domninus, Theotimus, Philotheus, Silvanus, and their associates, in the reign of the Emperor Maximinus.
At Milan, St. Magnus, bishop and confessor.
At Brescia, St. Dominator, bishop.
At Treves, St. Fibitius, at first an abbot, and later Bishop of Treves.
At Orleans in Gaul, St. Lactus, priest and confessor.
V. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
St. Charles Borromeo, cardinal, Bishop of Milan, and confessor, who went to Heaven on November 3. A duplex feast.
At Bologna, SS. Vitalis and Agricola, martyrs. Vitalis had been the slave of Agricola but was afterward his companion and associate in martyrdom. The executioners used every kind of torture against Vitalis, so that there was no part of his body left unwounded. Notwithstanding, Vitalis endured them with firmness to the very end and, while in prayer, gave up his soul to God. They slew Agricola by nailing him to a cross with numerous spikes. St. Ambrose was present at the transferral of their bodies and he relates how he gathered up the nails of the martyr, his triumphal blood, and the wood of the cross, and buried them under the sacred altars. A memory.
In the monastery of Cerfroid near Meaux, the birthday of St. Felix of Valois, founder of the Order of the Most Holy Trinity for the redernption of captives. By a decree of Pope Innocent XI, his feast is observed on November 20.
On the same day, the birthday of SS. Philologus and Patrobas, disciples of the Apostle St. Paul.
At Autun, St. Proculus, bishop and martyr.
At Myra in Lycia, the holy martyrs Nicander, bishop, and Hermes, priest, under the governor Libanius.
In the district of Vexin in Gaul, St. Clarus, priest and martyr.
At Ephesus, St. Porphyrius, martyr, under the Emperor Aurelian.
At Rodez in Gaul, Blessed Amantius, bishop, whose life was outstanding for his splendid sanctity and miracles.
At Rome, the birthday of St. Pierius, a priest of Alexandria. Deeply versed in the Holy Scriptures, and most pure in his life, he stripped himself of all his goods that he might devote himself to Christian philosophy. In the time of the Emperors Carus and Diocletian, when Theonas governed the Church of Alexandria, he taught with great distinction and published various treatises. After the persecution, he spent the remainder of his life at Rome where he died a peaceful death.
In Bithynia, St. Joannicius, abbot.
At Stuhlweissenburg in Hungary, the death of Blessed Emeric, confessor, son of St. Stephen, King of Hungary.
At Treves, St. Modesta, virgin.
The death of the venerable brother John the Teuton, 4th master general of the Order.
V. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
At Sant'Arcangelo near Rimini (Italy), Blessed Simon (Ballachi), confessor, of the Order of Preachers. Although he came of a distinguished family, he chose to become a lay-brother. By his humility and self-denial he set a marvellous example even to his extreme old age. A semi-duplex feast.
At Milan, the birthday of St. Charles Borromeo, cardinal, Bishop of Milan, and confessor. Pope Paul V numbered him among the saints because of his outstanding holiness and miracles. His feast, however, is celebrated on November 4.
On the same day, the birthday of St. Quartus, a disciple of the Apostles.
At Viterbo, the holy martyrs Valentine, priest, and Hilary, deacon. Ia the persecution of Maximian, because they confessed Christ, they were weighted down with a rock and cast into the Tiber. However, they were miraculously rescued by an angel. Eventually, they received the crown of martyrdom by being beheaded.
At Caesarea in Cappadocia, the holy martyrs Germanus, Theophilus, Caesarius, and Vitalis. They courageously underwent martyrdom in the persecution of Decius.
At Saragossa in Spain, the countless holy martyrs who so admirably laid down their lives for Christ, in the time of Dacian, governor of Spain.
In England, St. Winifred, virgin and martyr.
In the monastery of Clairvaux in Gaul, the death of St. Malachy, Bishop of Connor in Ireland. He was enriched with many virtues and his life was written by Abbot St. Bernard.
On the same day, St. Hubert, Bishop of Tongres.
At Vienne in Gaul, St. Domnus, bishop and confessor.
Also, the death of St. Pirmin, Bishop of Meaux.
At Urgel in Spain, St. Hermengaud, bishop.
At Rome, St. Sylvia, mother of Pope St. Gregory.
V. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
The Festival of All Saints. Pope Boniface IV dedicated the Pantheon temple "in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, and in honor of the holy martyrs," and he decreed that every year this feast should be fittingly and generally observed throughout Rome. A somewhat similar feast was already observed in various ways in other dioceses; hence Gregory IV decreed that the feast, now extended to include all saints, should be forever solemnly celebrated in the Universal Church on the first day of November. A totum duplex feast of the first class with a solemn octave.
In Persia, the holy martyrs John, bishop, and James, priest, under King Sapor.
At Terracina in Campania, the birthday of St. Caesarius, deacon. He was harshly treated in prison for many days; afterward, with St. Julian, priest, he was placed in a sack and cast into the sea.
In the town of Dijon, the priest St. Benignus. He was sent into Gaul by St. Polycarp to preach the Gospel. Later, in the reign of the Emperor Marcus Aurelius, he was repeatedly subjected to the most inhuman tortures by the judge Terence. Finally, it was ordered that his neck be beaten with an iron bar and his body pierced with a spear.
At Damascus, the suffering of SS. Caesarius, Dacius, and five others.
On the same day, the servant-girl St. Mary. In the reign of the Emperor Hadrian, she was accused of professing the Christian religion. Accordingly, she was severely whipped, stretched on the rack, and mangled with iron hooks. In this manner, she completed her martyrdom.
At Tarsus in Cilicia, SS. Cyrenia and Juliana, martyrs, in the time of the Emperor Maximian.
In Auvergne in Gaul, St. Austremonius, who was the first bishop of that region.
At Paris, the death of St. Marcellus, bishop.
At Bayeaux in Gaul, St. Vigor, bishop, in the time of Childebert, King of the Franks.
At Angers in Gaul, the death of St. Licinius, bishop, a holy old man. At Tivoli, St. Severinus, monk. At Larchant in north central Gaul, St. Mathurin, confessor.
V. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
The Vigil of All Saints.
The Commemoration of the holy martyrs and of the other saints, whose bodies or relics are preserved in our churches. A totum duplex feast.
At Rome, St. Ampliatus, Urban, and Narcissus, whom St. Paul mentions in his Epistle to the Romans.[1] They were slain by Jews and Gentiles for the Gospel of Christ.
At Constantinople, St. Stachys, bishop. He was ordained the first bishop of that city by the Apostle St. Andrew.
Near the imperial city of Vermandois,[2] in Gaul, St. Quintinus, a Roman citizen of senatorial rank. He underwent martyrdom at the time of the Emperor Maximian, and, through the revelation of an angel, his body was found fifty-five years later, still incorrupt. A memory.
At Milan, St. Antoninus, bishop and confessor.
At Ratisbon in Bavaria, St. Wolfgang, bishop.
At Palma on the island of Majorca, St. Alphonsus Rodriguez, lay-coadjutor of the Society of Jesus, and confessor. He was noted for his humility and his continual zeal in mortification. He was canonized by the Sovereign Pontiff, Leo XIII.
At Rome, the transferal (of the relics) of St. Nemesius, deacon, and his daughter the virgin Lucilla, who were beheaded on August 25.
V. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
Footnotes:
[1] Romans, 16, 8, 9, 11.
[2] The city, Augusta Veromanduorum, was later named after the saint, Saint Quentin.
At Cividale in Friuli (Italy), Blessed Benvenuta Bojani virgin, of our Order, who blossomed by penance, prayer, and humility. A semi-duplex feast.
In Sardinia, the birthday of St. Pontianus, pope and martyr. He was exiled to Sardinia in company with Hippolytus, priest, by the Emperor Alexander. Here he gained martyrdom by being clubbed to death. His body was brought to Rome by Pope St. Fabian and buried in the cemetery of St. Callistus. His feast, however, is observed on November 19.
At Aeges in Cilicia, the sufferings of SS. Zenobius, bishop, and his sister Zenobia, under the governor Lysias, in the reign of the Emperor Diocletian.
At Altino near Venice, St. Theonestus, bishop and martyr, who was put to death by the Arians.
In Africa, the birthday of two hundred and twenty holy martyrs.
At Tangier in Mauretania, the suffering of St. Marcellus, a centurion. He was the father of the holy martyrs Claudius, Lupercus, and Victorius. He gained martyrdom by being beheaded under Agricolaus, who was acting as praetor in the place of Praefectus.
At Alexandria, thirteen holy martyrs. In company with SS. Julian, Eunus, and Macharius, they suffered under the emperor Decius.
At Cagliari in Sardinia, St. Saturninus, martyr. In the persecution of Diocletian, he was beheaded by the governor Barbarus.
At Apamea in Phrygia, St. Maximus, martyr, under the same Diocletian.
At Leon in Spain, the holy martyrs Claudius, Lupercus, and Victorius, the sons of the centurion St. Marcellus. In the persecution of Diocletian and Maximian, they were condemned to be beheaded by the governor Diogenian.
At Paris, St. Lucanus, martyr.
At Alexandria, St. Eutropia, martyr. She was arrested while visiting the martyrs. She died after being cruelly tortured with them.
At Antioch, St. Seraphion, bishop. He was noted for his learning.
At Capua, St. Germanus, bishop and confessor. He was a man of great sanctity and St. Benedict saw his soul, at the hour of death, being carried by angels into Heaven.
At Potenza in Lucania, St. Gerard, bishop.
V. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
Octave of the Dedication of our own Church. A simplex octave.
The holy bishops, Maximilian a martyr, and Valentine a confessor.
At Sidon in Phoenicia, St. Zenobius, priest. Throughout the fury of the last persecution, he encouraged others during their martyrdom, and he himself was found worthy of such a death.
In Lucania, the holy martyrs Hyacinth, Quinctius, Felician, and Lucius.
At Bergamo, St. Eusebia, virgin and martyr.
At Jerusalem, the birthday of Blessed Narcissus, bishop. He was a man praiseworthy for his holiness, patience, and faith. He died in the Lord when one hundred and sixteen years of age.
At Autun, St. John, bishop and confessor.
At Cassiope on the island of Corcyra, St. Donatus, bishop. He is mentioned by Pope St. Gregory.
At Vienne in Gaul, the death of Blessed Theodore, abbot.
V. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
In Persia, the birthday of the Blessed Apostles Simon the Canaanite, and Thaddeus, who is also called Jude. Simon preached the Gospel in Egypt, and Thaddeus in Mesopotamia. Then both went to Persia and there suffered martyrdom, after having won over a vast multitude to Christ. A totum duplex feast of the second class.
At Rome, the holy martyrs, Anastasia the Elder, virgin, and Cyril. In the persecution of Valerian, under the prefect Probus, Anastasia was loaded with chains, buffeted, and tortured by fire as well as by floggings. As she remained unshaken in her confession of Christ, she was then mutilated, her nails torn out, her hands and feet amputated, and finally her head cut off. Thus, enriched with the jewels of many sufferings, she went to her heavenly Spouse. She had begged for a cup of water (during her agony) and Cyril gave it to her; for his reward, he gained the crown of martyrdom.
Also at Rome, St. Cyrilla, the virgin daughter of St. Tryphonia. At the time of the Emperor Claudius, because she confessed Christ, her throat was cut.
Near Como, St. Fidelis, martyr, in the reign of the Emperor Maximian.
At Mainz, the martyr St. Ferrutius.
At Meux in Gaul, St. Faro, bishop and confessor.
At Vercelli, the bishop St. Honoratus.
The death of the venerable brother Vincent Guistiniani of Chios, 47th master general of the Order. He was also a cardinal of the Holy Roman Church.
V. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
The Vigil of the holy Apostles Simon and Jude.
At Avila in Spain, the suffering of SS. Vincent, Sabina, and Christeta. They were first stretched on the rack until all the joints of their bodies were dislocated. Their heads were then placed upon stones and they were struck with heavy bars until their brains were beaten out. Thus, under the governor Dacian, they fulfilled their martyrdom.
At Thil-Châtel in Gaul, St. Florentius, martyr.
In Cappadocia, the holy martyrs Capitolina and Erotheis her maid; they suffered in the reign of Diocletian.
In the Indies, St. Frumentius, bishop. He was first a captive there, and after he was ordained bishop by St. Athanasius, he spread the Gospel in that region.
At Naples in Campania, St. Gaudiosus, an African bishop. Because of the Vandal persecution, he came to Campania and died a peaceful death in a monastery of that city.
In Ethiopia, St. Elesbaan, king. Having overcome the enemies of Christ at the time of the Emperor Justin, he sent his royal diadem to Jerusalem, led a monastic life, as he had vowed to do, and departed for his eternal reward.
V. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
At Reggio Emilia (in Italy), Blessed Damian Purcherio of Finario, (confessor, of the Order of Preachers). To the subjection of the body, he joined integrity of life. Fired with zeal for preaching, he became a wonderful herald of Christ, and after death was noted for his miracles. A semi-duplex feast.
At Rome, St. Evaristus, pope and martyr. He enriched the Church of God with his blood at the time of the Emperor Hadrian.
In Africa, the holy martyrs Rogatian, priest, and Felicissimus. They were crowned with an illustrious martyrdom in the persecution of Valerian and Gallienus. St. Cyprian speaks of them in his Epistle to the Confessors.
At Nicomedia, the holy martyrs Lucian, Florius, and their companions. At Narbonne in Gaul, St. Rusticus, bishop and confessor, who lived in the reigns of the Emperors Valentinian and Leo.
Near Salerno, St. Gaudiosus, bishop.
At Pavia, St. Fulk, bishop.
Also, St. Quadragesimus, subdeacon, who raised a dead man to life.
V. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
At Rome, the holy martyrs Chrysanthus and his wife Daria. After many sufferings endured for Christ under the prefect Celerinus, they were sentenced by the Emperor Numerian to be placed in a sand-pit on the Via Salaria and to be buried alive with earth and stones.
Also, the birthday of Marcellinus, pope and martyr. In the reign of Maximian, he, together with Claudius, Cyrinus, and Antoninus, was beheaded for the faith of Christ. The persecution at that time was so great, that in one month seventeen thousand Christians received the crown of martyrdom. The feast of St. Marcellinus, together with that of the pope and martyr St. Cletus, is observed an April 26.
At Perigueux in Gaul, St. Fronto, who was ordained bishop by the Apostle St. Peter. He converted a great multitude of that people to Christ with the assistance of a priest named George. Famed for his miracles, he died a peaceful death.
At Rome, the birthday of forty-six holy soldiers. They were all baptized together by Pope St. Dionysius, and shortly after, by command of the Emperor Claudius, they were beheaded and were buried on the Via Salaria. There also were buried one hundred and twenty-one other martyrs, among whom were the four soldiers of Christ, Theodosius, Lucius, Mark, and Peter.
At Porto Torres in Sardinia, the holy martyrs Protus, priest, and Januarius, deacon. They were sent to that island by Pope St. Caius and were martyred there in the reign of Diocletian under the governor Barbarus.
At Constantinople, the suffering of SS. Martyrius, subdeacon, and Marcian, a choir singer. They were slain by heretics in the reign of the emperor Constantius.
At Soissons in Gaul, the holy martyrs Crispin and Crispinian. In the persecution of Diocletian, under the governor Rictiovarus, these noble Romans, after enduring great torments, were butchered by the sword, thus obtaining the crown of martyrdom. Their bodies were afterward taken to Rome and buried with honors in the church of St. Laurence in Panisperna. A memory.
At Florence, the suffering of Blessed Minias, soldier. He fought bravely for the faith for Christ in the reign of the Emperor Decius, and was crowned with a noble martyrdom.
At Brescia, the birthday of St. Gaudentius, bishop. He was remarkable for his learning and sanctity.
At Gabali in Gaul, St. Hilary, bishop.
V. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
Note: this is from the 1955 Dominican martyrology, which naturally follows the pre-1969 liturgical calendar.
The feast of St. Raphael the Archangel. His dignity and his favors (to the human race) are set forth in the sacred book of Tobias. A totum duplex feast.
At Venosa in Apulia, the birthday of the holy martyrs Felix, an Africani bishop, Audactus and Januarius, priests, and the lectors Fortunatus and Septimus. In the reign of Diocletian, they all were punished by being heavily chained and imprisoned for a long time in Africa and in Sicily. Since Felix would not comply with the Emperor's edict and surrender the holy books, all the above-mentioned men were put to the sword.
At Tongres in Belgium, St. Evergislus, Bishop of Cologne and martyr. On account of the duties of his pastoral office, he journeyed to Tongres. That night, while on his way to pray alone in the monastic church of the Most Holy Mother of God, he was attacked by robbers and killed by an arrow.
At Nagran, among the Hymarites in Arabia,[1] the suffering of SS. Aretas and his three hundred and forty companions, at the time of the Emperor Justin, under the Jewish tyrant Dunaan. After they had been put to death, a Christian woman was thrown into the fire. Her five-year old son lisped that he too was a Christian, and neither caresses nor threats could prevent him from flinging himself into the fire where his mother was dying.
At Constantinople, St. Proclus, bishop.
On the Isle of Jersey, St. Maglorious, bishop. After he had resigned his episcopal see, which he had filled for three years toward his scattered flock in Brittany, he built a monastery on the Isle of Jersey, where he spent the remainder of his life in holiness. His body was later transferred to Paris.
In the monastery of Durin in Gaul, St. Martin, deacon and abbot. His body was removed to the monastery of Vertou.
In Campania, St. Mark the Solitary, whose remarkable deeds are recorded by Pope St. Gregory.
V. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
Footnotes: [1] They are usually called Himyarites. They lived in southwestern Arabia and are said to have been named after a king called Himyar.
At Bologna, Blessed James (of Ulm), a German lay-brother of the Order of Preachers. Remarkable in the exercise of heroic virtues and especially in humility, he made himself lovable to heaven and wonderful on earth. A semi-duplex feast.
At Tarsus in Cilicia, the holy women Zenais and Philonilla, sisters. They were kinsfolk of the Apostle St. Paul, and his disciples in the faith.
Near Vexin in Gaul, the sufferings of the holy martyrs Nicasius, Bishop of Rouen, the priest Quirinus, the deacon Scubiculus, and Pientia, virgin, under the governor Fescenninus.
At Besançon in Gaul, St. Germanus, bishop and martyr.
Likewise, the suffering of SS. Anathasius, priest, Placidus, Genesius, and their companions.
At Tarsus in Cilicia, the birthday of the holy martyrs, Tharacus, Probus, and Andronicus. In the persecution of Diocletian, they suffered detention. for a long time in a filthy prison. On three occasions they were put to the torture in various ways; they finally obtained the crown of glory for, their confessing Christ by being beheaded.
In the Thebaid, St. Sarmata, who was a disciple of Blessed Anthony the Abbot. He was slain for Christ by the Saracens.
At Uzès in Gaul, St. Firmin, bishop and confessor.
At Calozzo in the Diocese of Asti, formerly that of Pavia, St. Alexander Sauli, of the Clerks Regular of St. Paul, bishop and confessor. He was of noble birth and was renowned for his virtues, learning and miracles. He was canonized by Pius X, the Sovereign Pontiff.
In the monastery of Aghaboe in Ireland, St. Kenny, priest and abbot.
At Lier in Belgium, the death of St. Gununar, confessor.
At Rennes in Gaul, St. Emifian, confessor.
At Verona, St. Placidia, virgin.
V. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
At Valencia in Spain, St. Louis Bertrand, (confessor) of the Order of Preachers. He was sent to the West Indies, and although he could speak only the Spanish tongue -- a langnage unknown to the Indians -- he converted countless souls to the Christian religion. He was distinguished for his numerous miracles both in life and after death. He died October 9 and was beatified by Paul V. He was canonized by Clement X. A totum duplex feast of the second class.
St. Francis Borgia, priest of the Society of Jesus, and confessor, whose birthday is noted on September 30.
At Ceuta in Morocco, the suffering of the seven holy martyrs of the Order of Friars Minor, namely: Daniel, Samuel, Angelus, Leo, Nicholas, Ugolino, and Domnus. All were priests except Domnus. Because they preached the Gospel and put to silence the Mohammedan teachers, the Saracens reviled, chained, and scourged them. Finally, they were beheaded and thus gained the palm of martyrdom.
At Cologne, St. Gereon, martyr, who, in the persecution of Maximian, together with three hundred and eighteen others, patiently suffered beheading for the true religion.
In the neighborhood of the same city, SS. Victor and his companions, martyrs.
At Bonn in Germany, the holy martyrs Cassius and Florentius, with very many others.
At Nicomcdia, the holy martyrs Eulampius and the virgin Eulampia his sister. On hearing that her brother was being tortured for Christ, she broke through the crowd and, embracing her brother, joined him as another Christian. Both were cast into a vessel of boiling oil; when failed to harm them in the slightest, they fulfilled their martyrdom by, being beheaded. Two hundred spectators, who had been converted by the miracle and believed in Christ, were executed with them.
On the island of Crete, Blessed Pinytus, one of the most noble of bishops. He flourished as bishop in the city of Gnosia, under Marcus, Antoninus Verus and Lucius Aurelius Commodus. In his writing, as in a mirror, he has left a living image of himself.
At York in England, St. Paulinus, bishop. He was a disciple of Pope, St. Gregory, who sent him to England, together with others, to preach the Gospel. He converted King Edwin and his people to the Christian faith.
At Piombino in Tuscany, St. Cerbonius, bishop and confessor. As St. Gregory states, he was noteworthy for his miracles both in life and in death.
At Verona, (another) St. Cerbonius, bishop.
At Capua, St. Paulinus, bishop.
V. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
St. Bridget, widow. Her birthday is celebrated on July 23 and the transferal of her holy body on October 7. A duplex feast.
On the same day, the birthday of Blessed Simeon. The Gospel related that when the Lord Jesus was presented in the temple, the old man took Him in his arms and prophesied concerning Him.[1]
At Laodicea in Phrygia, St. Artemon, priest, who received the crown of martyrdom by fire in the reign of Diocletian.
At Thessalonica, St. Demetrius, a proconsul. Because he had converted many persons to the faith of Christ, by the command of the Emperor Maximian, he was pierced with spears and so gained martyrdom.
In the same place, St. Nestor, martyr.
At Seville in Spain, St. Peter, martyr.
At Caesarea in Palestine, the suffering of St. Reparata, virgin and martyr. In the reign of the Emperor Decius, because she refused to sacrifice to idols, she was subjected to different kinds of torture, and was finally put to the sword. Her soul was seen in the form of a dove to leave her body and ascend to heaven.
In the territory of Laon, St. Benedicta, virgin and martyr.
At Ancona, SS. Palatias and Laurentia. During the persecution of Diocletian under the governor Dion, they were sent into exile where they died of labor and exhaustion.
At Rouen, St. Evodius, bishop and confessor.
At Jerusalem, St. Pelagia, called the Penitent.
V. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
Footnotes: [1] Luke, 2:25 ff.
At Assisi in Umbria, the birthday of St. Francis, deacon and confessor. He was the founder of three Orders, namely: the Friars Minor, the Poor Clares, and the Brothers and Sisters of Penance. His life, replete with holiness and miracles, was written by St. Bonaventure. A totum duplex feast of the first class.
At Corinth, the birthday of SS. Crispus and Caius, whom the Apostle St. Paul mentions in his Epistle to the Corinthians.[1]
At Athens, St. Hierotheus, who was a disciple of the Apostle St. Paul.
At Damascus, St. Peter, bishop and martyr. He was accused before the ruler of the Agarenes of teaching the faith of Christ. His tongue, hands, and feet were cut off and he finished his martyrdom by crucifixion.
At Alexandria, the holy priests and deacons, Caius, Faustus, Eusebius, Chaeremon, Lucius, and their companions. Some were made martyrs in the persecution of Valerian, while others, by serving the martyrs, gained the rewards of martyrs.
In Egypt, the holy martyrs Mark and Marcian, brothers, and an almost countless multitude of other martyrs of both sexes and every age. Some (died) after being scourged, others endured horrible tortures of various kinds and were then flung into the flames. Some were drowned in the sea, others were beaten on the head (until they expired), many were starved to death. Finally, some were suspended by the feet from a gibbet and hung head downward (until they died). All merited a most blessed crown of martyrdom.
At Bologna, St. Pctronius, bishop and confessor, who was resplendent for doctrine, miracles, and holiness.
At Paris, St. Aurea, a virgin.
V. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
Footnotes: [1] Corinthians, 1: 14.
Note: this 1955 martyrology follows the liturgical calendar then in effect - billw
St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus, virgin, of the Order of Discalced Carmelites, special patron of all missions, whose birthday is September 30. A duplex feast.
At Rome, at the place called Ursus Pileatus, St. Candidus, martyr.
Among the ancient Saxons, two brothers both named Ewald, priests and martyrs. When these priests began to preach Christ to the pagans, they were seized and killed. Nightly over their bodies shone a bright light, visible for a long time, which revealed where they were and how great was their merit.
On the same day, the holy martyrs Dionysius, Faustus, Caius, Peter, Paul, and four others. They first underwent great sufferings in the reign of Decius; later, under Valerian, they were subjected to prolonged torture at the hands of the governor Emilian, and thus merited the palm of martyrdom.
In Africa, St. Maximian, Bishop of Bagaia. Again and again, he suffered the most merciless tortures at the hands of the Donatists, and was finally hurled from a high tower and left for dead. But afterward he was found (to be still alive) by persons who were passing by and recovered through their pious care. He did not stop defending the Catholic Church until, renowned for the glory of his testimony for the faith, he died a peaceful death in the Lord.
At Leon in Spain, St. Froilan, Bishop of that city. He was famed for his zeal in propagating the monastic life, generosity to the poor, and other virtues, as well as for his miracles.
In the diocese of Namur among the Belgians, St. Gerard, abbot.
In Palestine, St. Hesychius, confessor, who was a disciple of St. Hilarion and the companion of his journeys.
V. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
Feast of the Holy Guardian Angels. A totum duplex feast.
At Rome, the suffering of St. Modestus of Sardinia, deacon and martyr. He was tortured on the rack and then burned alive by the Emperor Diocletian. His sacred body was later removed to Benevento and buried in a church named after him..
In the region of Arras, the suffering of St. Leger, Bishop of Autun. Subjected to various injuries and tortures for upholding the truth, he was slain by Ebroin, major-domo of Theodoric. A memory.
At Nicomedia, St. Eleutherius, soldier and martyr, together with innumerable others. When Diocletian's palace was destroyed by fire, they were falsely accused of this deed and at the command of the same cruel Emperor were brutally slain in groups. Some of them were beheaded, some were burned alive, others Were cast into the sea. But the most prominent of them, Eleutherius, was tortured for a long time. He became stronger through the torments as gold is tried in the fire, and completed his victory by martyrdom.
At Antioch, the holy martyrs Primus, Cyril, and Secundarius.
On the same day, St. Gerinus, martyr. He was the brother of St. Leger, Bishop of Autun, and, by order of the same Ebroin, he was stoned to death.
At Constantinople, St. Theophilus, monk. He was most inhumanly flogged by Leo the Isaurian for defending the (veneration of) holy images and was driven into exile where he died.
V. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
St. Remigius, Bishop of Rheims and confessor. While he died in the Lord on January 13, he is especially commemorated on this day because of the transferal of his body (to the abbey at Rheims). A feast of three lessons.
At Rome, Blessed Aretas, martyr, and fifty-four others.
At Tournai in Gaul, St. Piato, priest and martyr. Together with St. Quinctinus and his companions, he left Rome for Gaul to preach the Gospel. Afterward, in the persecution of Maximian, he completed his martyrdom and so went to the Lord.
At Tomis in Pontus, the holy martyrs Priscus, Crescens, and Evagrius.
At Lisbon in Portugal, the holy martyrs Verissimus and Maxima and Julia, his sisters, who suffered in Diocletian's persecution.
At Thessalonica, St. Domninus, martyr, at the time of the Emperor Maximian.
At Orvieto, St. Severus, priest and confessor.
At the port of Ghent (Belgium), St. Bavo, confessor.
V. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
In Bethlehem of Juda, the death of St. Jerome, priest, confessor, and Doctor of the Church. He eagerly studied all branches of learning and lived after the manner of monks of strict observance. With the sword of his doctrine, he destroyed many monsters of heresy. Finally, when he had lived to an extreme old age, he died peacefully, and was buried near the crib of our Lord (in Bethlehem). Later, his body was removed to Rome and buried in the Basilica of St. Mary Major. A duplex feast.
At Rome, the birthday of St. Francis Borgia, priest and confessor. He was general of the Society of Jesus, and is memorable for his mortification, gift of prayer, renunciation of the world, and refusal of ecclesiastical dignities. His feast is kept on October 10.
At Lisieux in France, St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus, a member of the Order of Discalced Carmelites. She became most renowned by reason of the innocence of her life and her simplicity. The Sovereign Pontiff, Pius XI, canonized her and declared her to be the special patron of all missions. He also decreed that her feast should be observed on October 3.
Also at Rome, St. Leopardus, martyr, a member of the household of Julian the Apostate. He was beheaded and his body later removed to Aix.
At Solothurn in Gaul, the suffering of the holy martyrs Victor and Ursus, of the glorious Theban Legion. In the reign of Maximian, they were first punished with inhuman tortures but were delivered when a light from heaven shone upon them and their executioner fell to the ground. Afterward, they were cast into the fire, but they suffered no harm. Finally, they were killed by the sword.
At Piacenza, St. Antoninus, martyr, of the same Legion.
On the same day, St. Gregory, Bishop of Greater Armenia. He suffered much under Diocletian but finally, in the reign of the Emperor Constantine the Great, died a peaceful death.
At Canterbury in England, St. Honorius, bishop and confessor.
At Rome, St. Sophia, widow, mother of the holy virgins Faith, Hope and Charity.
V. And elsewhere, many other holy martyrs, confessors and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
On Mount Gargano (in Italy), the venerated memory of St. Michael the Archangel. Here, a church was consecrated in his name, built indeed on a humble plan but marked by heavenly power. A totum duplex feast of the first class.
At Auxerre, St. Fraternus, bishop and martyr.
In Thrace, the birthday of the holy martyrs Eutychius, Plautus, and Heracles.
In Persia, the holy martyrs Dadas, a kinsman of King Sapor, Casdoa his wife, and Gabdelas his son. They were stripped of their honors, mangled by various tortures and, after a long imprisonment, slain by the sword.
In Armenia, the holy virgins Ripsimis and her companion martyrs, under King Tiridates.
In Persia, St. Gudelia, martyr. In the reign of King Sapor, she converted many persons to Christ. Upon her refusal to adore the sun and fire she was subjected to many tortures; then the skin was torn from her head and she was nailed to a tree; thus she merited to gain her triumph.
At Pontecorvo near Aquino, St. Grimoald, priest and confessor.
In Palestine, St. Quiriacus, hermit.
V. And elsewhere, many other holy martyrs, confessors and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
At Pistoia in Etruria, Blessed Laurence of Ripafratta, a confessor of our Order. Having "decided in his heart to rise ever higher" (in perfection), he soon shone with every religious virtue. St. Antoninus praised him highly, for he had had him as a novice-master and so knew well his holiness. A semi-duplex feast.
At Stara Boleslav in Bohemia, St. Wenceslas, martyr, Duke of Bohemia. Famed for his holiness and miracles, he was slain by the treachery of his brother and thus achieved the palm of martyrdom.
At Rome, St. Privatus, martyr. He had been afflicted with ulcers but was healed by Pope St. Callistus. Afterward, in the reign of Emperor Alexander, he was beaten to death with leaden-tipped whips.
Also at Rome, St. Stacteus, martyr.
In Africa, the holy martyrs Martial, Laurence, and twenty others.
At Antioch in Pisidia, the shepherd St. Mark, martyr. Likewise, the commemoration of SS. Alphius, Alexander, and Zosimus, his brothers; also SS. Nicon, Neon, Heliodorus, and thirty soldiers. At the miracles of St. Mark they believed in Christ and were crowned with martyrdom in various ways and places.
On the same day, the suffering of St. Maximus, under the Emperor Decius.
At Toulouse, St. Exuperius, bishop and confessor. St. Jerome in a memorable passage told how this holy man was as sparing of his own needs as he was generous to those of others.
At Genoa, St. Salomon, bishop and confemr.
At Brescia, St. Silvinus, bishop.
In Bethlehem of Juda, St. Eustochium, virgin. With her mother St. Paula, she went from Rome to Palestine. There at Bethlehem, in company with other consecrated virgins, she was brought up in the ways of the spiritual life. She went to the Lord rich in unusual merits.
At Schornsheim near Mainz, St. Lioba, virgin, noted for her miracles.
V. And elsewhere, many other holy martyrs, confessors and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
At Aegeae (in Cilicia), the birthday of the holy martyrs and brothers Cosmas and Damian. In the persecution of Diocletian, after they had passed through many tortures, chains, imprisonment, the sea, fire, the cross, stoning, and arrows, but were miraculously unhurt, they were finally beheaded. It is said that their three brothers, Anthimus, Leontius, and Euprepius, were also martyred with them. A simplex feast.
At Paris, the birthday of St. Vincent de Paul, priest and confessor. He was the founder of the Congregation of the Mission, and of the Sisters of Charity. He was an apostolic man and a father to the poor. The Sovereign Pontiff, Leo XIII, appointed this saint as the heavenly patron before God of all charitable societies throughout the world which in any way were derived from him. His feast is observed on July 19.
At Byblus in Phocnicia, St. Mark, bishop. St. Luke calls him John (surnamed Mark).[1] He was the son of the St. Mary whose memory is recalled on June 29.
At Milan, St. Caius, bishop. He was a disciple of the Apostle St. Barnabas. After suffering' much in the persecution of Nero, he finally died a peaceful death.
At Rome, St. Epicharis, the wife of a senator. In the persecution of Diocletian, she was beaten with leaden-tipped whips and then put to the sword.
At Todi in Umbria, the holy martyrs Fidentius and Terence, who died under the same Diocletian.
At Cordoba in Spain, the holy martyrs Adulf and John, brothers, who were martyred for Christ in the Arab persecution. Their sister, the virgin St. Aurea, was inspired by their example to return to the faith. Later, she suffered martyrdom most bravely on July 19.
At Pseudon in Gaul, St. Florentinus, martyr. After his tongue had been torn out, he was slain by the sword together with St. Hilary.
At Ravenna, St. Aderitus, bishop and confessor.
At Paris, St. Elzear, Count (of Ariano).
In Hainault, St. Hiltrude, virgin.
The death of the venerable brother Maurice Benedict Olivieri of Salluzo, 69th master general of the Order.
V. And elsewhere, many other holy martyrs, confessors and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
Footnotes: [1] Acts, 12:12: "And considering, he (Peter) came to the house of Mary the mother of John, who was surnamed Mark." See also Acts, 15:37.
The commemoration of our Father St. Dominic at Suriano [Subiaco? - billw]. A totum duplex feast.
In the village of Emmaus, the birthday of Blessed Cleophas, who was a disciple of Christ. For confessing Christ, he is said to have been slain by the Jews in the same house in which he had made supper for the Lord. He was honorably buried there.
At Amiens in Gaul, Blessed Firminus, bishop. In the persecution of Diocletian, under the governor Rictiovarus, he underwent various tortures and gained martyrdom by being beheaded.
On the same day, on the Via Claudia, St. Herculanus, soldier and martyr. In the reign of the Emperor Antoninus, he was converted to Christ by the miracles which took place at the martyrdom of the Bishop St. Alexander. After he had suffered many tortures, he was put to death by the sword.
At Damascus, the holy martyrs Paul, Tatta his wife, and their sons Sabinian, Maximus, Rufus, and Eugene. They were accused of being Christians, and, tortured by floggings and other punishments, they gave up their souls to God.
In Asia, the suffering of SS. Bardomian, Eucarpus, and twenty-six other martyrs.
At Lyons in Gaul, the death of St. Lupus, a bishop who had formerly been a hermit.
At Auxerre, St. Anacharius, bishop and confessor.
At Blois in Gaul, St. Solemnius, Bishop of Chartres, famous for his miracles.
On the same day, St. Principius, who was Bishop of Soissons, and brother of Bishop Blessed Remigius.
At Anagni, the holy virgins Aurelia and Neomisia.
V. And elsewhere, many other holy martyrs, confessors and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
The feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Ransom, called under this name the foundress of the Order for the redemption of captives. The apparition of the same Blessed Virgin occurred on August 10. A totum duplex feast.
At Brescia, the death of St. Anathalon, bishop. He was a disciple of the Apostle St. Barnabas, and succeeded him as Bishop of the Church of Milan.
In Hungary, St. Gerard, Bishop of Csanad and martyr. He is called the Apostle of Hungary. By birth, he was a patrician of Venice. While on a journey from Csanad to Szekesfehervav, he was attacked by pagans near the Danube, stoned and then pierced with a lance. Thus, he was the first who adorned his (adopted) fatherland by a noble martyrdom.
At Autun, the birthday of the holy martyrs Androchius, priest, Thyrsus, deacon, and Felix. They were sent by St. Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna, from the East to preach the Gospel in Gaul. There, they were scourged most severely; then, with their hands (twisted) behind them, they were hung up (by the wrists) all day long. Next, they were cast into the fire, but since they were not burned their necks were broken by heavy iron bars, and thus they were most gloriously crowned.
In Egypt, the suffering of SS. Paphnutius and his fellow-martyrs. He was dwelling in the wilderness when he learned that many Christians were being kept in chains. Aroused by the spirit of God, he offered himself of his own will to the perfect and freely confessed the Christian religion. He was first bound with iron chains and then tortured for a long time on the rack. Then, together with many others, he was sent to Diocletian, by whose command he was nailed to a palm tree. The rest of the Christians were slain by the sword.
At Chalcedon, forty-nine holy martyrs. In the reign of Diocletian, after the execution of St. Euphemia, they were condemned to the beasts. As they were miraculously delivered from them, they were at last slain by the sword, and thus passed to heaven.
At Auvergne in Gaul, the death of St. Rusticus, bishop and confessor.
At Flay in the territory of Beauvais, St. Getmar, abbot.
At San Severino in Piceno, the death of St. Pacificus, priest and confessor of the Order of Friars Minor of St. Francis of Reformed Observance. Illustrious for his wonderful patience and love of solitude, he was placed in the canon of the saints by Pope Gregory XVI.
The death of the venerable brothers Francis Silvestri of Ferrara, 40th master general of the Order; and Seraphin Secci of Pavia, 54th master general of the Order.
V. And elsewhere, many other holy martyrs, confessors and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
At Pesaro (in Italy), Blessed Mark of Modena, a confessor of our Order. He was remarkable for the sanctity of his life. Fired by zeal for the salvation of souls, he travelled over nearly all of Italy, preaching the Word of God and converting many to a Christian manner of life. A semi-duplex feast.
At Rome, St. Linus, pope and martyr. After the Apostle St. Peter, he was the first to govern the Roman Church. He gained the crown of martyrdom and was buried in the Vatican near the same Apostle.
At Iconium in Lycaonia, St. Thecla, virgin and martyr. She was converted to the faith by St. Paul. In the persecution of the Emperor Nero, she conquered the fire and the wild beasts in her confession of Christ. After numerous trials which she overcame for the instruction of many, she (escaped and) came to Seleucia; it was here that she died a peaceful death. The holy Fathers of the Church highly extolled her.
In Spain, the holy women Xantippe and Polyxena, who were disciples of the Apostles.
In Africa, the holy martyrs Andrew, John, Peter, and Anthony.
At Ancona, St. Constantius, sacristan of the church, who was remarkable for the gift of miracles.
In Campania, the commemoration of blessed Sosius, a deacon of Miseno. The holy Bishop Januarius saw a flame rise from the head of Sosius as he was reading the Gospel, and he prophesied that the deacon would soon be a martyr. Not many days after, Sosius, then about thirty years old, was martyred by being beheaded, together with St. Januarius.
At Scicy in the territory of Coutances in Gaul, the commemoration of St. Paternus, confessor and Bishop of Avranches. His birthday is mentioned on April 16.
V. And elsewhere, many other holy martyrs, confessors and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
The holy martyrs Pope Cornelius, and Cyprian, Bishop of Carthage, whose memory is recalled on September 14. A simplex feast.
At Chalcedon, the birthday of St. Euphemia, virgin and martyr. At the time of the Emperor Diocletian and the proconsul Priscus, she endured for the sake of Christ various tortures: imprisonment, blows, the punishment of the wheel, fire, the weight of heavy stones, wild beasts, floggings, sharp saws, and red-hot metal. When she was again brought back to the arena to be cast to the wild beasts, she prayed that (this time) God would take her soul to Him. Then, while most of the beasts licked her feet, one animal killed her. Thus she surrendered her unspotted soul to God. A memory.
At Rome, the holy martyrs Lucy, a noble matron, and Geminianus. In the reign of Diocletian the Emperor, their bodies were afflicted and twisted by the most unmerciful tortures. Finally, they were beheaded, after their praiseworthy victory of testimony for the faith.
The birthday of St. Martin I, pope and martyr. He summoned a council at Rome and condemned the heretics Sergius, Paul, and Pyrrhus. By order of the heretical Emperor Constantius, he was taken prisoner by trickery and brought to Constantinople. He was exiled to the Chersonese, where, adorned with many virtues, he died exhausted by his labors for the Catholic faith. He was famed for his many miracles. Later, his body was taken back to Rome and buried in the church of SS. Silvester and Martin. His feast is celebrated on November 12.
Also at Rome, the birthday of St. Cecilia, virgin and martyr. She converted her husband and his brother Tiburdus to the faith of Christ and later encouraged them to be martyrs. After their martydom, Almachius the prefect of the city had her arrested and, after she had endured amazing suffering and passed through fire unscathed, was slain by the sword. This occurred in the reign of the Emperor Marcus Aurelius Severus Alexander. Her feast is observed on November 22.
At Heraclea in Thrace, St. Sebastiana, martyr. She had been converted to the faith of Christ by the Apostle St. Paul. At the time of the Emperor Domitian and the governor Sergius, her faith was tested in many ways; finally, she was killed by the sword.
At Rome on the Via Flaminia, the holy martyrs Abundius, priest, and the deacon Abundantius. The Emperor Diocletian ordered them to be slain with the sword, at the tenth milestone from the city. With them died Marcian, an illustrious man, and his son John; both had been raised from the dead by Abundius and Abundantius.
At Cordoba in Spain, SS. Rogellus and Servideus, martyrs. Their hands and feet were cut off, and they were beheaded.
At Whithorn in Scotland, St. Ninian, bishop and confessor.
In England, St. Edith, the virgin daughter of the English King Edgar. She was dedicated to God in a monastery from her earliest years; hence it may be said that she did not forsake the world but rather that she never knew the world.
At Monte Cassino, the Blessed Pope Victor III. As the successor of Pope St. Gregory VII, he shed fresh lustre on the Apostolic See, and by the help of God gained a famous victory over the Saracens. The Sovereign Pontiff, Leo XIII, ratified and confirmed the cult accorded him from time immemorial.
V. And elsewhere, many other holy martyrs, confessors and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
The Octave of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. A memory.
The feast of the Seven Dolours of the same Most Blessed Virgin Mary. A totum duplex feast of the second class.
At Rome on the Via Nomentana, the birthday of St. Nicomedes, priest and martyr. Upon his reply to those who sought to make him offer sacrifice: "I offer no sacrifice except to the Almighty God who reigns in Heaven," he was flogged with leaden-tipped whips until he expired. A memory.
At Cordoba in Spain, the holy martyrs Emilias, deacon, and Jeremias. During the persecution by the Arabs, they suffered a long imprisonment for the sake of Christ and completed their martyrdom by being beheaded.
In the country of Chalons, the holy martyr Valerian. The governor Priscus ordered him to be hung up and severely mangled by iron claws. When he saw that Valerian could not be shaken in his confession of Christ, but continued to praise the Lord with a joyful heart, he commanded him to be slain by the sword.
At Adrianople in Thrace, the holy martyrs Maximus, Theodore, and Asclepiodotus, who were crowned in the time of the Emperor Maximian.
Likewise, St. Porphyrus, a comedian. In the presence of the Emperor Julian the Apostate, he was being baptized in mockery. Suddenly, through the grace of God, he declared himself to be a Christian. At the command of the Emperor, he was beheaded, thus gaining his crown of martyrdom.
On the same day, St. Nicetas the Goth, whom King Athanaric ordered to be burned alive because of his Catholic faith.
At Marcianopolis in Thrace, St. Melitina, martyr. In the time of the Emperor Antoninus and the governor Antiochus, she was taken again and again to the temple; but every time the idols toppled over in her presence. She was therefore hung up and her body mangled. At last, her head was struck off.
At Toul in Gaul, St. Aper, bishop.
Also, St. Leobinus, Bishop of Chartres.
At Lyons in Gaul, St. Albinus, bishop.
On the same day, the death of St. Aichard, abbot.
In Gaul, St. Eutropia, widow.
At Genoa, St. Catherine, widow, famous for her contempt of the world and her love of God.
The death of the venerable brother Salvo Casseta of Sicily, 32nd master general of the Order.
V. And elsewhere, many other holy martyrs, confessors and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
The Exaltation of the Holy Cross, at the time when the Emperor Heraclius brought it back from Persia to Jerusalem after he had defeated King Chosroes. A totum duplex feast.
At Rome, on the Appian Way, the Blessed Cornelius, pope and martyr. In the persecution of Decius, he was first exiled; then he was beaten with leaden-tipped whips. He was beheaded with twenty-one other persons of both sexes. Also, Caerealis, soldier, with his wife Sallustia, whom the said Cornelius had instructed in the faith; both husband and wife were beheaded on the same day.
In Africa, the suffering of St. Cypian, Bishop of Carthage, a man most renowned for holiness and learning. During the reign of the Emperors Valerian and Gallienus, he suffered from a harsh exile and then completed his martyrdom by being beheaded on the seashore, at the sixth milestone from Carthage. The memory of these two saints, Cornelius and Cyprian, is kept on September 16.
At Comanq in Pontus, the birthday of St. John, Bishop of Constantinople, confessor and Doctor of the Church. He was surnamed Chrysostom by reason of the golden stream of his eloquence. He was driven into exile by the machinations of his enemies, but was recalled by a decree of the Sovereign Pontiff, St. Innocent I. However, he suffered on the journey so much ill-treatment from the soldiers of his escort that he died. His feast is observed on January 27, the day on which his holy body was transferred to Constantinople by Theodosius the Younger. Pope Pius X declared and appointed this most glorious preacher of the divine Word to be the heavenly patron of all preachers of sacred truth.
At Treves, St. Maternus, bishop, a disciple of the Apostle St. Peter. He converted the inhabitants of Tongres, Cologne, Treves, and of other adjacent regions, to the faith of Christ.
At Rome, St. Crescentius, a boy, who was the son of St. Euthymius. In the persecution of Diocletian, under the judge Turpilius, he was put to death by the sword on the Via Salaria.
In Africa, the suffering of the holy martyrs Crescentian, Victor, Rosula, and Generalis.
V. And elsewhere, many other holy martyrs, confessors and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
At Alexandria, the birthday of Blessed Philip, the father of the virgin St. Eugenia. He resigned the office of prefect of Egypt and received the grace of Baptism. His successor, the prefect Terence, had Philip's throat cut with a sword while he was occupied in prayer.
Likewise, the holy martyrs Macrobius and Julian, who suffered under Licinius.
On the same day, St. Ligorius, martyr. He lived in the desert and was slain by the heathens for the faith of Christ.
At Alexandria, St. Eulogius, bishop, celebrated for his learning and holiness.
At Angers in Gaul, St. Maurilius, bishop, who was famed for innumerable miracles.
At Sens, St. Amatus, bishop and confessor.
In the monastery of Remiremont in Gaul, St. Amatus, priest and abbot. He was illustrious for the virtue of self-denial and the grace of miracles.
On the same day, St. Venerius, confessor, a man of admirable holiness, who lived the life of a hermit on the island of Palmaria.
V. And elsewhere, many other holy martyrs, confessors and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
The feast of the Most Holy Name of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Sovereign Pontiff, Innocent XI, commanded this feast to be celebrated because of the brilliant victory obtained over the Turks at Vienna in Austria by the help of the Blessed Virgin. A totum duplex feast.
In Bithynia, St. Autonomus, bishop and martyr. He went there from Italy to avoid the persecution of Diocletian. After he had converted a great many people to the faith, one day while he was celebrating Mass, he was slain at the altar by enraged pagans, and thus became a sacrifice of Christ.
At Iconium in Lycaonia, St. Curonotus, bishop. He was beheaded at the time of the governor Perennius, thus receiving the palm of martyrdom.
At Alexandria, the birthday of the holy martyrs Hieronides, Leontius, Serapion, Silesius, Valerian, and Strato. In the reign of the Emperor Maximian, they were drowned in the sea for confessing the name of Christ.
At Meri in Phrygia, the holy martyrs Macedonius, Theodulus, and Tatian. At the time of Julian the Apostate, they underwent various torments at the hands of the governor Almachius, and then were placed on red-hot gridirons. Still rejoicing, they completed their martyrdom.
At Pavia, St. Juventius, bishop, of whom mention is made on February 8. St. Hermagores, a disciple of St. Mark the Evangelist, sent Juventius to Pavia along with the St. Syrus mentioned on December 9. Both these (missionaries) preached the Gospel of Christ at Pavia and distinguished themselves by their miracles and their great virtues. By their admirable deeds, they brought the faith even to the neighboring cities. Thus, with an honor befitting their pontifical dignity, their lives came to a glorious close.
At Lyons in Gaul, the death of St. Sacerdos, bishop.
At Verona, St. Silvinus, bishop.
At Anderlecht near Brussels in Brabant, St. Guy, confessor.
The death of the venerable brother Jerome Xavierre of Saragossa, 52nd master general of the Order. He was also a cardinal of the Holy Roman Church.
V. And elsewhere, many other holy martyrs, confessors and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
At Rome, on the old Via Salaria, in the cemetery of Basilla, the birthday of the holy martyrs Protus and Hyacinth, brothers. They were eunuchs who belonged to St. Eugenia. During the reign of the Emperor Gallienus, they were arrested on the charge of being Christians and ordered to offer sacrifice. Upon their refusal, they first were beaten inhumanly and then beheaded. A feast of three lessons.
At Leon in Spain, St. Vincent, abbot and martyr.
At Laodicea in Syria, the suffering of SS. Diodorus, Diomede, and Didymus.
In Egypt, St. Paphnutius, bishop. At the time of the Emperor Gallienus, he was one of those confessors who, after having the right eye dug out (with a dagger) and the tendons of the left knee severed, was condemned to work in the mines. Later, (freed) under Constantine the Great, he strenuously defended the Catholic faith against the Arians. At last, enriched by many crowns, he went to his eternal rest.
At Lyons in Gaul, the death of St. Patiens, bishop.
At Vercelli, St. Aemilian, bishop.
At Alexandria, St. Theodora, (penitent). Through recklessness, she fell into sin; then, repenting of her deed, she persevered incognito in the religious life in wonderful self-denial and long-suffering until her death.
V. And elsewhere, many other holy martyrs, confessors and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
In Japan, Blessed Alphonsus Navarette, and two hundred and four companions, (martyrs). More than half of that number belonged to the Order of Preachers. From 1617 until 1632, they strove energetically for the faith and merited to be crowned with a glorious Martyrdom. A duplex feast.
At Tolentino in Ascoli Piccno (Italy), St. Nicholas, confessor of the Order of Hermits of St. Augustine. A memory.
In Africa, the birthday of the holy Bishops Nemesian, Felix, Lucius, another Felix, Litteus, Polyanus, Victor, Jader, Dativus, and others. In the furious persecution under Valerian and Gailienus, at their first firm confession of Christ, they were severely beaten with clubs. Then, loaded with chains, they were sent to the mines, where they finished their splendid contest in behalf of the faith.
At Liege in Belgium, St. Theodard, bishop and martyr. He laid down his life for his sheep and after death he became renowned for miracles.
At Chalcedon, the holy martyrs Sosthenes and Victor. In the persecution of Diocletian, under Priscus proconsul of Asia, these martyrs were chained and exposed to wild beasts. Surviving this ordeal, they were condemned to be burned alive. They saluted one another with a holy kiss and, kneeling in prayer, gave up their souls to God.
Likewise, the holy martyrs Apellius, Luke, and Clement.
In Bithynia, the holy virgins Menodora, Metrodora, and Nyniphadora, sisters. At the time of the Emperor Maximian and the governor Fronto they were crowned with martyrdom, attaining the glory by their fearless confession of faith.
At Compostella, St. Peter, bishop, who was adorned with many virtues and noted for miracles.
At Albi in Gaul, St. Salvius, bishop and confessor.
At Novara (in Italy), St. Agapius, bishop.
At Constantinople, the Empress St. Pulcheria, virgin, who was famed for her religion and piety.
At Naples in Campania, St. Candida the Younger, noted for her miracles.
V. And elsewhere, many other holy martyrs, confessors and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
At Nicomedia, the suffering of the holy martyrs Dorotheus and Gorgonius. They had received the greatest honors from the Emperor Diocletian, but when in his presence they denounced the persecution he was inflicting on the Christians, they were first condemned to be hung up and their entire bodies torn with lashes; after the skin had been torn from their bodies, vinegar and salt were poured on them and they were roasted on a gridiron. Finally, they were put to death by being strangled with a noose. Some time later, the body of Blessed Gorgonius was taken to Rome and buried on the Via Latina; from here, it was removed to the Basilica of St. Peter. A feast of three lessons.
In the Sabine mountains, at the thirtieth milestone from Rome, the holy martyrs Hyacinth, Alexander, and Tiburdus.
At Sebaste in Armenia, St. Severian. Though he was a soldier of the Emperor Licinius, he frequently visited the forty martyrs while they were in prison. Because of this, by orders of the governor Lysias, he was hung up with a large rock fastened to his feet; then he was flogged. He was torn by the whips to such an extent that he died during the torture.
On the same day, the suffering of St. Strato, who underwent martyrdom for Christ by being tied to two trees and torn asunder.
Likewise, the holy martyrs Rufinus and Rufinian, brothers.
In the country of Therouanne in Gaul, St. Omer, bishop.
In the monastery of Clonmacnois in Ireland, St. Kiernan, priest and abbot.
The death of the venerable brother Thomas de Vio Cajetan, 38th master general of the Order. He was also a cardinal of the Holy Roman Church.
V. And elsewhere, many other holy martyrs, confessors and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
The Nativity of the Most Blessed Mary, ever Virgin, Mother of God. A totum duplex feast of the second class.
St. Hadrian, martyr, whose birthday is remembered on March 4; his festival however, is observed today, because on this day his sacred body was transferred to Rome.
At Valencia in Spain, the birthday of St. Thomas of Villanova, bishop and confessor, of the Order of Hermits of St. Augustine. He was noted for his ardent charity toward the poor. Pope Alexander VII inscribed him among the saints. His feast is observed on the twenty-second day of this month.
At Alexandria, SS. Ammon, Theophilus, Neoterius, and twenty-two other martyrs.
At Antioch, SS. Timothy and Faustus, martyrs.
At Gaza in Palestine, the holy martyrs Eusebius, Nestabus, and Zeno, brothers. At the time of Julian the Apostate, a pagan mob rushed upon them and killed them by tearing them to pieces.
At the same place and under the same Julian, St. Nestor, martyr. He died after having been savagely tortured by the same group of enraged pagans.
At Rome, St. Sergius I, pope and confessor.
At Freising (in Germany), St. Corbinian, the first bishop of that city. He was ordained by Pope St. Gregory II and sent there to preach the Gospel. After his words had brought abundant fruit in Gaul and Germany, he died a peaceful death, noted for his virtues and miracles.
At Cartagena in South America, St. Peter Claver, priest and confessor of the Society of Jesus. For more than forty years, he devoted himself to a life of remarkable self-denial and extraordinary charity for the Negroes who had been enslaved. With his own hand he baptized almost three hundred thousand of them. The Sovereign Pontiff, Leo XIII, added him to the list of saints and later declared him to be the heavenly patron of the missions to the Negro races.
V. And elsewhere, many other holy martyrs, confessors and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
At Troyes in Gaul, St. Nemorius, deacon, and his companions, martyrs, whom Attila, King of the Huns, put to death.
In Nicomedia, the birthday of Blessed John, martyr. When he saw displayed in the forum the cruel edicts against the Christians, he was fired with zeal for the faith, and pulling down the edicts, tore them up with his own hands. When this was reported to the Emperors Diocletian and Maximian who were residing in that city, they commanded that every variety of torture should be infficted on him. This noble man endured them with such readiness of demeanor and spirit that they did not appear to disturb him.
At Caesarea in Cappadocia, St. Eupsychius, martyr. In the reign of the Emperor Hadrian, he was accused of being a Christian and was cast into prison, but after a short time was set free. Without delay, he sold his inheritance and distributed part of it to the poor; the rest he gave to those who had accused him, as if they were his benefactors. Arrested for a second time, he firmly refused to sacrifice to the idols, and he was mercilessly tortured by the judge Sapritius. He finished his martyrdom when he was pierced through with a sword.
At Pompeiopolis in Cilicia, St. Sozen, martyr. During the reign of the, Emperor Maximian, he was thrown into the fire and so died.
At Aquileia, St. Anastasius, martyr.
At Alesia in the territory of Autun, St. Regina, virgin and martyr. At the time of the proconsul Olybrius, she endured tortures by imprisonment, the rack, and flaming torches. At last, sentenced to death, she went to her heavenly Spouse.
At Orleans in Gaul, the death of St. Evortius, bishop. He was at first a subdeacon of the Roman Church; later, he was divinely designated by means of a dove as bishop of Orleans.
In Gaul, St. Augustalis, bishop and confessor.
At Capua, St. Pamphilius, bishop.
In the neighborhood of Paris, St. Cloud, priest and confessor.
V. And elsewhere, many other holy martyrs, confessors and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
In the town of Bosquet, in the Diocese of Valence in southern Gaul Blessed Bertrand of Garriga, confessor, of the Order of Preachers. He was distinguished by the remarkable way in which he reflected in his own life the virtues of St. Dominic. After his death, he became renowned for his miracles. A semi-duplex feast.
In Palestine, St. Zachary the Prophet. When he was an old man, he returned from Chaldea to his native land and, dying there, was buried near the Prophet Aggaeus.
In the Hellespont, St. Onesiphorus, a disciple of the Apostles, whom St. Paul mentions in his Epistle to Timothy.[1] At the command of Hadrian the proconsul, Onesiphorus, together with St. Porphyrius, was severely scourged and then dragged by wild horses until he died.
In Africa, the holy Bishops Donatian, Praesidius, Mansuetus, Germanus, and Fusculus. For defending Catholic doctrine during the Vandal persecution, they were mercilessly beaten with clubs at the command of the Arian king, Hunneric. Then driven into exile (in the desert), they all perished. Among them was a bishop named Lactus, a zealous and learned man, who, after enduring for a long time the filth of a dungeon, was burned alive.
At Alexandria, the suffering of the holy martyrs Faustus, priest, Macarius, and ten others, who, in the time of the Emperor Decius and the governor Valerius, fulfilled their martyrdom for the name of Christ by being beheaded.
In Cappadocia, the holy martyrs Cottidus, deacon, Eugene, and their companions.
At Verona, St. Petronius, bishop and confessor.
At Rome, St. Eleutherius, abbot. This servant of God, as Pope St. Gregory relates, was instrumental by his prayers and tears in raising a dead man to life.
V. And elsewhere, many other holy martyrs, confessors and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
Footnotes: [1] 2 Timothy, 1:16, 4:19.
St. Laurence Giustiniani, the first Patriarch of Venice and confessor, who on this day unwillingly ascended the pontifical throne. He died in the Lord on January 8.
In the suburbs of Rome, Blessed Victorinus, bishop and martyr. Noted for his holiness and miracles, he was elected Bishop of Amiterno by the unanimous choice of the people. Later, under Nerva Trajan, he was banished with other servants of God to Contigliano. Here, the judge Aurelian ordered him to be suspended with his head downward over fetid sulphur springs. For the sake of the Lord, Victorinus endured this torture for three days and then left this world in triumph, with a glorious crown. The Christians recovered his body and gave it honorable burial at Amiterno, in the land of the Vestinians.
At Constantinople, the holy martyrs Urban, Theodore, Menedemus, and their seventy-seven companions of ecclesiastical rank. Because of their Catholic faith, they were placed by the Emperor Valens on board a ship and ordered to be burned at sea.
At Portus Romanus, the birthday of St. Herculancus, soldier, who was scourged and beheaded in the reign of the Emperor Gallus because of his Christian faith.
At Capua, the holy martyrs Quinctius, Arcontius, and Donatus.
On the same day, St. Romulus, who was an official of the court of Trajan. The saint denounced the cruelty of the Emperor toward the Christians; for this, he was beaten with rods and then beheaded.
At Mebtine in Armenia, the suffering of the holy soldiers Eudoxius, Zeno, Macarius, and eleven hundred and four of their fellow-soldiers. They flung aside their military insignia in Diocletian's persecution and were slain for confessing Christ.
In the district of Therouanne, at the monastery of Sithiu, in Gaul, St. Bertinus, abbot.
At Toledo in Spain, St. Obdulia, virgin.
Anniversary of the familiares and benefactors of our Order. An Anniversary.
V. And elsewhere, many other holy martyrs, confessors and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
The Octave of St. Augustine, bishop. A memory.
In Piedmont (Italy), Blessed Catherine Racconigi, virgin, of the Third Order of St. Dominic. She was illustrious by reason of her extraordinary charity and abundance of divine gifts. A semi-duplex feast.
On Mount Nebo in the land of Moab, St. Moses, lawgiver and Prophet.
At Naples in Campania, the birthday of St. Candida, who was the first to meet St. Peter when he came to that city. She was baptized by him and afterwards died a holy death.
At Treves, St. Marcellus, bishop and martyr.
At Ancyra in Galatia, the birthday of the three holy children Rufinus, Silvanus, and Vitalicus, martyrs.
On the same day, the holy martyrs Magnus, Castus, and Maximus.
At Chalons in Gaul, St. Marcellus, martyr, at the time of the Emperor Antoninus. The saint was invited by the governor Priscus to an idolatrous banquet and, abhorring such sinful meats, boldly rebuked all who were present for worshipping idols. For this reason, the governor with unheard-of cruelty had him buried in the ground up to his waist. He remained so buried for three days, during which he persevered in giving praise to God; he then surrendered his undefiled soul to his God. A memory.
On the same day but under the Emperor Hadrian, St. Thamel, who had formerly been a priest of the pagan idols; with him suffered his companions.
Likewise, the holy martyrs Theodore, Oceanus, Ammian, and Julian. In the reign of the Emperor Maximian, after their feet had been cut off, the martyrs completed their trial by being cast into the fire.
At Rome, St. Boniface I, pope and confessor.
At Rimini, St. Marinis, deacon.
At Palermo, the birthday of St. Rosalie, a virgin of Palermo. She came of the royal blood of Charlemagne, but for the love of Christ she fled from the court and kingdom of her father and led a supernatural life alone on the mountains and in caves.
At Viterbo, during the pontificate of Alexander IV, the transferal of the body of St. Rose, virgin, of the Third Order of St. Francis.
The death of the venerable brother Martin Stanislaus Gillet of France, 79th master general of the Order.
V. And elsewhere, many other holy martyrs, confessors and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
At Bergamo (in Italy), Blessed Guala, confessor, of the Order of Preachers and Bishop of Brescia. After many exhausting labors for the good of the Church and of the state, he peacefully died in the Lord. A semi-duplex feast.
At Corinth, the birthday of St. Phoebe. The Apostle St. Paul mentions her in his Epistle to the Romans.[1]
At Capua, the holy martyrs Aristacus, bishop, and a boy Antoninus.
On the same day, the birthday of the holy martyrs Aigulph, Abbot of Lerins, and his companion monks. After their tongues and eyes had been cut out, they were beheaded by the sword.
Likewise, the holy martyrs Zeno and Chariton. One was cast into a vessel of molten lead and the other was thrown into the fire.
At Cordoba in Spain, St. Sandal, martyr.
At Aquileia, the holy virgins and martyrs Euphemia, Dorothy, Thecla, and Erasma. After enduring many tortures, they were put to the sword at the time of the Emperor Nero and the governor Sebastus. They were buried by St. Hermagoras.
At Nicomedia, the suffering of St. Basilissa, virgin and martyr. During the persecution of the Emperor Diocletian, under the governor Alexander, St. Basilissa, although only nine years old, overcame by the power of God the flogging, the fire, and the wild beasts. By so doing, she converted the governor to the faith of Christ. Finally, while she was being led outside the city (for execution), she died while engaged in prayer.
At Toul in Gaul, St. Mansuetus, bishop and confessor.
At Milan, the death of St. Auxanus, bishop.
On the same day, St. Simon Stylites the Younger.
At Rome, the transferal of (the relics of) St. Scrapia, virgin and martyr, who suffered on July 29.
Likewise at Rome, the raising to the Sovereign Pontificate of the incomparable St. Gregory the Great. Constrained to assume that burden, from a loftier throne he shed upon the world even stronger rays of sanctity.
V. And elsewhere, many other holy martyrs, confessors and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
Footnotes:
[1] Romans, 16:1-2.
St. Stephen, King of Hungary and confessor, who died in the Lord on August 15. A simplex feast.
At Rome, St. Maxima, martyr. Together with St. Ansanus, she confessed Christ in the persecution of Diocletian, and was beaten to death with clubs.
At Pamiers in Gaul, St. Antoninus, martyr, whose relics are preserved with great veneration in a church in Palencia in Spain.
Also the holy martyrs Diomede, Julian, Philip, Eutychian, Hesychius, Leonides, Philadelphus, Menalippus, and Pantagapa. Some of these completed their martyrdom by fire, some by water, others by the sword or by the cross.
At Nicomedia, the holy martyrs Zeno and his sons Concordius and Theodore.
At Lyons in Gaul, St. Elpidius, bishop and confessor.
At Piccno (Italy), another St. Elpidius, abbot. A town which bears his name glories in the possession of his body.[1]
On Mount Soracte, St. Nonnosus, abbot, who moved a huge rock by his prayer and was famed for other miracles.
On the same day, the commemoration of the holy martyrs Evodius, Hermogenes, and Callista, brothers and sister, who underwent martyrdom at Syracuse, Sicily. They are also commemorated on April 25.
At Lyons in Gaul, the transferal of the relics of St. Justus, bishop and confessor, and of St. Viator who was his servant. Their birthdays occur respectively on October 14 and October 21.
V. And elsewhere, many other holy martyrs, confessors and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
Footnotes: [1] Sant' Elpideo a Mare.
In the province of Narbonne, St. Giles, abbot and confessor. The town which later grew up in this place where he built his monastery and where he died was named after him.[1] A feast of three lessons.
At Sentianum in Apulia, the suffering of St. Donatus and of another St. Felix,[2] who were the sons of SS. Boniface and Thecla. On this day, in the reign of the Emperor Maximian, they were sentenced by the judge Valerian to be beheaded, they already having undergone various tortures. Also on this day is observed the feast of the rest of the twelve holy brothers, whose birthdays are each noted in their proper places. The bodies of the twelve brothers were later transferred to Benevento and honorably enshrined there.
In Palestine, SS. Josue and Gideon.
At Jerusalem, Blessed Anna the Prophetess, whose holiness the Gospel declares.[3]
At Capua on the Via Aquaria, St. Priscus, martyr, who was one of the first disciples of Christ.
At Todi in Umbria, St. Terentian, bishop and martyr. In the reign of the Emperor Hadrian, at the command of the proconsul Lactian, he was tortured by the rack and by scorpions. Finally, after his tongue had been cut out, he was condemned to death and so ended his martyrdom.
At Heraclea in Thrace, St. Ammon, deacon, and forty holy virgins whom he had instructed in the faith. At the time of the tyrant Licinius, he took them with him to the glory of martyrdom.
In Spain, the holy martyrs Vincent and Lactus.
In Populonia in Tuscany, St. Regulus, martyr. He came from Africa and gained martyrdom at Populonia at the time of Totila.
At Capua, St. Priscus, bishop. In the persecution by the Vandals he was one of these priests who were persecuted in various ways because of their Catholic faith. Put aboard an old ship, they made their way from Africa to the shores of Campania. Here they separated and went to different cities where they were placed in charged of various churches and so wonderfully spread the Christian faith. The companions of St. Priscus were Castrensis, whose birthday is recalled on February 11, Tammarus, Rosius, Heraclius, Secundinus, Adjutor, Mark, Augustus, Elpidius, Canion, and Vindonius.
At Sens, Blessed Lupus, bishop and confessor. It is said of him that one day, while he stood at the altar in the presence of his clergy, a jewel fell from heaven into his sacred chalice.
At Rheims in Gaul, St. Sixtus, who was the first bishop of that city.
At Le Mans in Gaul, St. Victorius, bishop.
At Aquino, St. Constantius, bishop, famed for the gift of prophecy and for his many virtues.
At Zurzach, in the territory of Constance, Germany,[4] St. Verena, virgin.
The death of the venerable brother Bererigarius of Landorra, 13th master general of the Order.
V. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
Footnotes:
[1] Saint-Gilles-du-Gard, near Arles.
[2] The phrase "another Felix" refers to the entry on August 28: "At Venosa in Apulia, the suffering of SS. Septiminus, Januarius, and Felix . . . sons of SS. Boniface and Thecla." However, hagiographers question whether Donatus and Felix were the sons of Boniface and Thecla.
[3] Luke, 2:36-38.
[4] Zurzach is now inside the northern border of Switzerland.
St. Raymund Nonnatus, confessor and cardinal, of the Order of our Lady of Mercy for the Redemption of Captives. His birthday is commemorated on August 26. A duplex feast.
At Monte Senario, in Etruria, the birthday of St. Bonajuncta, confessor, one of the seven Founders of the Order of the Servants of the Blessed Virgin Mary. While he was preaching to the brethren about the Lord's Passion, he gave up his soul into the hands of the Lord. His festival with that of his companions is kept on February 12.
At Treves, the birthday of St. Paulinus, bishop. In the time of the At' heresy, he was exiled by the Arian Emperor Constantius on account of his Catholic faith. He was worn out by having to change constantly the place of his cxile until the day of his death, in regions far beyond the Christian lands. He finally received from the Lord the crown of such blessed suffering, and died in Phrygia.
At Transaco, among the Marsi of Lake Fucino, the birthday of the holy martyrs Caesidius, priest, and his companions, who were crowned with martyrdom in the persecution of Maximin.
Likewise, SS. Robustian and Mark, martyrs.
At Caesarea in Cappadocia, SS. Theodotus, Rufina, and Ammia. Theodotus and Rufina were the parents of the martyr St. Mamas to whom Rufina gave birth in prison and whom Ammia educated.
At Auxerre, St. Optatus, bishop and confessor.
In England, St. Aidan, Bishop of Lindisfarne. When St. Cuthbert, who is mentioned on March 20, was yet a shepherd-boy, he saw the soul of St. Aidan being borne up into Heaven. He forthwith left his flock and became a monk.
At Nosco (in Italy), St. Amatus, bishop.
At Athens, St. Aristides, a man most noble in faith and wisdom. He offered to the Emperor Hadrian a book on the Christian religion, which set forth the grounds for our teaching, and, in the presence of the emperor himself, he eloquently maintained that Jesus Christ alone is God.
V. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
At Lima in Peru, St. Rose, virgin, of the Third Order of our holy Father St. Dominic. The Roman Pontiff Clement IX called her "the first flower from the Western World." At the age of five she took the vow of virginity; later she was received by Christ in a miraculous way as His spouse. She added the most severe penances to a life of purest innocence and her fame spread because of her many miracles. She died on August 24. A totum duplex feast of the second class.
At Rome, on the Via Ostia, the suffering of Blessed Felix, priest, under the Emperors Diocletian and Maximian. After he had been tortured on the rack, and sentence had been pronounced, a certain Christian met him as he was being led to his execution. When the stranger openly confessed that he too was a Christian, he was then beheaded with St. Felix. As the Christians did not know his name, they called him Adauctus,[1] because he was added to St. Felix in attaining the crown. A memory.
Likewise at Rome, St. Gaudentia, virgin and martyr, with three other persons.
At Sufetula in Africa, sixty blessed martyrs, who were slain by the fury of the heathens.
At Bologna, St. Bononius, abbot.
At Rome, St. Pammachius, priest, who was noteworthy for learning and sanctity.
At Adrumetum in Africa, SS. Boniface and Thecla, who were the parents of twelve sons, all martyrs.
At Thessalonica, St. Fantinus, confessor. He suffered much at the hands of the Saracens, and was driven from the monastery in which he had lived in marvellous abstinence. After he had brought many to the way of salvation, he died at a good old age.
In the country of Meaux, St. Fiacre, confessor.
At Trebia in Latium, St. Peter, confessor. He was distinguished for many virtues and miracles. He died at Trebia and is held in great veneration there.
The death of the venerable brother Augustine Galamini, 53rd master general of the Order. He was also a cardinal of the Holy Roman Church.
Footnotes:
[1] Adauctus -- an addition.
The beheading of St. John the Baptist, whom Herod ordered to be beheaded on the Feast of the Passover. But his memory is solemnly kept on this day, when his venerated head was found for the second time. It was afterwards taken to Rome, and is preserved in the church of St. Silvester in the Campus Martius, with the great devotion of the faithful. A totum duplex feast.
At Rome, on the Aventine, the birthday of St. Sabina, martyr, who was put to the sword under the Emperor Hadrian and obtained a crown of martyrdom. A memory.
At Veliniano on the confines of Apulia, the suffering of SS. Vitalis, Sator, and Repositus. They were sons of SS. Boniface and Thecla, and were condemned to capital punishment by the judge Valerian in the reign of the Emperor Maximian. Their festival, with that of the others of the twelve holy brethren, is observed on September 1.
At Rome, St. Candida, virgin and martyr, whose body Pope St. Paschal I transferred to the church of St. Praxedes.
At Constantinople, the holy martyrs Hypatius, a bishop of Asia, and Andrew, priest. At the time of Leo the Isaurian, both these men, because they venerated the holy images, had their beards smeared with pitch and then set on fire. The skin was peeled off their heads and their throats were cut.
At Antioch, the birthday of the holy martyrs Nicaeas and Paul.
At Metz in Gaul, St. Adelf, bishop and confessor.
At Paris, the death of St. Mederic, priest.
At Perugia (in Italy), St. Euthymius, a Roman. With his wife and his son Crescentius, he fled to Perugia from the persecution of Diocletian. Later, he died there a peaceful death.
In England, St. Sebbe, King (of the East Saxons)
At Sirmium, the birthday of St. Basilla, virgin.
In the country of Troyes, St. Sabina, virgin, glorious for her virtues and miracles.
The death of the venerable brother Angelus Dominic Ancarani, of Faenza, 71st master general of the Order.
V. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
At Hippo in Africa, the birthday of St. Augustine, bishop, confessor, and eminent Doctor of the Church. He was converted to the Catholic faith and baptized through the zeal of Bishop St. Ambrose. He became a most stalwart defender of the faith against the Manichees and other heretics. After enduring many other labors for the Church of God, he passed to his reward in Heaven. Because (of the invasion) of the barbarians, his relics were taken from his own city first to Sardinia, and afterward by Luitprand, King of the Lombards, to Pavia, and honorably buried there. A totum duplex feast of the second class.
At Rome, the birthday of St. Hermes, an illustrious man. As may be read in the Acts of Blessed Pope Alexander, he was first delivered over to be kept in prison. Then, with many others, he was put to the sword, ending his martyrdom under the judge Aurelian.
At Venosa in Apulia, the suffering of SS. Septiminus, Januarius, and Felix. In the reign of the Emperor Maximian, the judge Valerian ordered these sons of SS. Boniface and Thecla to be beheaded. Their festival, however, is observed with that of the others of the twelve holy brethren on September 1.
At Brioude in Auvergne, the suffering of St. Julian, martyr, who was a companion of the tribune Blessed Ferreolus. He served Christ in secret while leading the life of a soldier; in the persecution of Diocletian he was seized by soldiers and put to a barbarous death by having his throat cut.
At Constance in Germany, St. Pelagius, martyr, who, being beheaded, received the crown of martyrdom under the Emperor Numerian and the judge Evilasius.
At Salerno, the holy martyrs Fortunatus, Caius, and Anthes, who were beheaded under the Emperor Diocletian and the proconsul Leontius.
At Constantinople, St. Alexander, bishop, a glorious old man.[1] It was by the power of his prayer that the body of Arius, who had been condemned by the judgment of God, burst in the middle and his entrails gushed forth.
At Saintes in Gaul, St. Vivian, bishop and confessor.
Likewise, St. Moses, an Ethiopian. From being a notorious robber, he became a famous hermit, converted many others, and brought them with him to his monastery.
The death of the venerable brother Albert de Chiavari of Genoa, 10th master general of the Order.
V. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
Footnotes:
[1] When he became bishop of Constantinople (in 313 or 317), he was seventy-three years old. With astonishing vigor he fought the enemies of the Church to the day of his death--twenty-three years later.
St. Joseph Calasanctius, priest and confessor. He founded the Order of Poor Clerks Regular of the Mother of God of the Christian Schools. He died in the Lord on August 25. A duplex feast.
At Potenza in Lucania, the suffering of SS. Arontius, Honoratus, Fortunatus, and Sabinian. They were the sons of SS. Boniface and Thecla, and were condemned to capital punishment by the judge Valerian in the reign of the Emperor Maximian. Their festival, together with that of the others of the twelve holy brethren, is observed on September 1.
At Bergamo, St. Narnus, who was baptized by Blessed Barnabas, and by him was ordained first bishop of that city.
At Capua, the birthday of St. Rufus, bishop and martyr. He was of patrician rank and was baptized, together with all his household, by Blessed Apollinaris, the disciple of St. Peter. A memory.
In the same city, the holy martyrs Rufus and Carpophorus, who suffered under Diocletian and Maximian.
At Tomis in Pontus, the holy martyrs Marcellinus the tribune, his wife Mannea, and their sons John, Serapion, and Peter.
At Lentini in Sicily, St. Euthaha, virgin. She was slain by the sword with her brother Scrmilian for being a Christian, and passed to her heavenly Spouse.
On the same day, the suffering of St. Anthusa the Younger, who, drowned in a well for the Christian faith, obtained martyrdom.
At Arles in Gaul, St. Caesarius, bishop, a man of wondrous holiness and piety.
At Autun, St. Syagrius, bishop and confessor.
At Pavia (in Italy), St. John, bishop.
At Lerida in Spain, St. Licerius, bishop
In the Thebaid, St. Poemon, hermit.
Among the people of Sanseverino in Piceno, St. Margaret, widow.
The death of the venerable brother Vincent Bandelli of Lombardy, 36th master general of the Order.
V. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
At Rome, St. Zephyrinus, pope and martyr, whose birthday falls on December 20.
At Cardona in Spain, the birthday of St. Raymond Nonnatus, cardinal and confessor, of the Order of our lady of Mercy for the Redemption of Captives. He was renowned for holiness of life and for miracles. His feast is kept on August 31.
At Rome, the holy martyrs Irenaeus and Abundius. During the persecution of Valerian, they had taken the body of St. Concordia from the sewer in which she had been cast. For doing this, they themselves were drowned in the same sewer. Their bodies were recovered by the priest Justin and buried in a crypt near St. Laurence.
At Ventimiglia, a city of Liguria, St. Secundus, martyr, a noteworthy man, and a commander of the Theban legion.
At Bergamo in Lombardy, St. Alexander, martyr, who was also a soldier of that legion. He confessed with great firmness the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and fulfilled his martyrdom by being beheaded.
Among the Marsians (in Central Italy),[1] SS. Simplicius and his sons Constantius and Victorian. Under the Emperor Antoninus, they were first tortured in various ways; then, struck with an axe, they gained the crown of martyrdom.
At Nicomedia, the suffering of St. Hadrian, a son of the Emperor Probus. He had condemned the persecution inaugurated against the Christians by Licinius. For this, he was ordered by Licinius to be put to death. His uncle, Domitius, Bishop of Byzantium, buried his body in a suburb of the city called Argyropolis.
In Spain, St. Victor, martyr, who was slain by the Moors for the Christian faith, and thus given the crown of martyrdom.
At Capua, St. Rufinus, bishop and confessor.
At Pistoia in Tuscany, St. Felix, priest and confessor.
V. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
Footnotes:
[1] The Marsi were a tribe living around Lake Fucino. Theirs was one of the few dioceses named after a tribe instead of after a city.
At Carthage, St. Louis IX, King of France and confessor, illustrious for holiness of life and glorious miracles. His bones were later taken to Paris. A duplex feast.
At Rome, the birthday of St. Joseph Calasanctius, priest and confessor, noteworthy for his holy life and miracles. He founded the Order of Poor Clerks Regular of the Mother of God of the Christian Schools. His festival is observed on August 27.
Also at Rome, the holy martyrs Eusbius, Pontian, Vincent, and Peregrinus. Under the Emperor Commodus, they were first placed on the rack and stretched with ropes. Then they were beaten with clubs and their sides burnt with fire. Since they faithfully continued to the end to praise Christ, they were beaten with leaden-tipped whips until they died.
Also at Rome, the birthday of Blessed Nemesius, deacon, and the virgin Lucilla, his daughter. They were beheaded by command of the Emperor Valerian because they could not be turned from the faith of Christ. Their bodies were buried by Pope St. Stephen, and later interred in a more fitting tomb by St. Sixtus II on the Appian Way, on October 31. Gregory V removed them to the deaconry of Santa Maria Novella, together with SS. Symphronius, Olympius the tribune, Exuperia his wife, and his son Theodolus. The last three were converted by the help of Symphronius, baptized by the same Pope Stephen, and crowned with martyrdom. The bodies of these saints were found there in the pontificate of Gregory XIII, and more honorably laid to rest under the altar of the said church on December 8.
Likewise at Rome, St. Genesius, martyr. At first he had been an actor while he was still a gentile. He was mocking the Christian mysteries in the theatre in the presence of the Emperor Diocletian when, suddenly, inspired by God, he was converted to the faith and baptized. Forthwith by the Emperor's command he was cruelly beaten with clubs, then stretched upon the rack, tortured by the long-continued tearing of his flesh with hooks, and lastly burned with torches. But he continued in the faith of Christ, saying: "There is no King but Christ, and though I be slain a thousand times for Him, yet you cannot take Him from my life or from my heart." Finally, he merited the palm of martyrdom by being beheaded.
At Arles in Gaul, another blessed Genesius. By profession he was a notary. He refused to transcribe the impious edicts whereby the Christians were ordered to be punished and, casting away his books, publicly proclaimed himself a Christian. He was arrested and beheaded, and received the glory of martyrdom, being baptized in his own blood.
In Syria, St. Julian, martyr.
At Tarragona in Spain, St. Maginus, martyr.
At Talco in Spain, St. Geruntius, bishop, who preached the Gospel in that province in the time of the Apostles, and after many labors died in prison.
At Constantinople, St. Mennas, bishop.
At Utrecht, St. Gregory, bishop.
At Monte Falisco in Etruria, St. Thomas, Bishop of the Church of Hereford in England, and confessor.
At Naples in Campania, St. Patricia, virgin.
V. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
St. Bartholomew the Apostle, who preached the Gospel of Christ in India; he then went into Greater Armenia. When he had converted many people there to the faith, he was flayed alive by the barbarians, and by command of King Astyages he fulfilled his martyrdom by being beheaded. His holy body was taken first to the Isle of Lipari, then to Benevento, and lastly to Rome, to the island in the Tiber, where it is honored with pious veneration by the faithful. A totum duplex feast of the second class.
At Lima in Peru, the birthday of St. Rose of St. Mary, virgin, of the Third Order of St. Dominic. Her festival is observed on August 30.
At Nepi (in Italy), St. Ptolemy, bishop, disciple of St. Peter the Apostle, by whom he was sent into Tuscany to preach the Gospel. He died at Nepi, a glorious martyr for Christ.
On the same day, St. Eutychius, who was a disciple of St. John the Evangelist. For his preaching the Gospel in many countries, he endured imprisonment, scourging, and fire, but finally died a peaceful death.
At Nepi, St. Romanus, bishop of that city. He was both a disciple of St. Ptolemy and a companion in his suffering.
At Carthage, three hundred holy martyrs, at the time of Valerian and Gallienus. The governor ordered to be prepared -- among other tortures -- a crater of burning lime, and also, in his presence, some coals and incense (for offering sacrifice). Then he said to these magnanimous Christians: "Choose one of these two things: either offer incense on these coals to Jupiter, or be plunged into the lime." The Christians, armed by their faith and proclaiming their belief that Christ is the Son of God, were moved by a sudden impulse and cast themselves into the fiery mass. They were soon burned to ashes in the smoking lime. Hence, this white-robed army of blesseds merited to be called the White Mass (Massa Candida).[1]
In Isauria, St. Tation, martyr, who received a crown of martyrdom, being slain with the sword in the persecution of Diocletian, under the governor Urban.
Likewise, St. George Limniota, monk, who reproved the wicked Emperor Leo for breaking the holy images and burning the relics of the saints. At the latter's command, his hands were cut off and his head burned; he thus went as a martyr to the Lord.
At Ostia, on the Tiber, St. Aurea, virgin and martyr, who was drowned in the sea with a stone tied to her neck. Blessed Nonnus buried her body when it was washed up on the shore.
At Rouen, St. Ouen, bishop and confessor.
At Nevers in Gaul, St. Patrick, abbot.
V. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
Footnotes: [1] Self-destruction is not permissible unless God unmistakably demands it. St Pollonia (and certain other martyrs) evidently acted under divine inspiration. St. Thomas, Summa Theol., IIa-IIae, Q. 64, art 5, ad 4.
The Vigil of St. Bartholomew the Apostle.
At Mevania in Umbria, the birthday of the Blessed James, confessor, of the Order of Preachers. He put an end to the rebirth of the heresy of the Nicolaites in Umbria and he was renowned for many miracles. A semiduplex feast.
(At Todi), St. Philip Benizi, confessor, promoter of the Order of the Servants of Blessed Virgin Mary. He departed to the Lord on August 22.
At Ostia, the holy martyrs Quiriacus, bishop, Maximus, priest, Archclaus, deacon, and their companions, who suffered in the time of Alexander, under Ulpian the prefect.
At Antioch, the birthday of the holy martyrs Restitutus, Donatus, Valerian, and Fructuosa, with twelve others, who were crowned with the most noble honor of confessing the faith.
At Aegaea in Cilicia, the holy martyrs Claudius, Asterius, and Neon, brothers. They were accused of being Christians by their stepmother. At the time of the Emperor Diocletian and the governor Lysias, they were nailed to a cross, after severe tortures, and triumphed as victors with Christ. After them suffered Donvina and Theonilla.
At Rheims in Gaul, the birthday of SS. Timothy and Apollinaris, who, having completed their martyrdom there, merited a heavenly kingdom.
At Lyons in Gaul, the holy martyrs Minervus and Eleazar, with his eight sons.
Likewise, Luppus, martyr. Though he was a slave, he was endowed with the liberty of Christ, and was deemed worthy to the crown of martyrdom.
At Jerusalem, St. Zachaeus, bishop, who ruled the Church of Jerusalem; he was the fourth bishop (of that Church) after St. James the Apostle.
At Alexandria, St. Theonas, bishop and confessor.
At Utica in Africa, Blessed Victor' bishop.
At Autun (in Gaul), St. Flavian, bishop.
V. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
Note: this martyrology was compiled in the 1950s and thus refers to the old liturgical calendar.
The Octave of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. A solemn octave.
The Feast of the Immaculate Heart of the same Blessed Virgin Mary. A totum duplex feast of the second class.
At Rome, on the Via Ostia, the birthday of St. Timothy, martyr. He was arrested by Tarquin, prefect of the city, and suffered a long imprisonment because he refused to sacrifice to idols. He was scourged on three occasions and, after passing through the most painful tortures, was at last beheaded.
At Autun, St. Symphorian, martyr. In the reign of the Emperor Aurelian, he refused to offer sacrifice to idols; (for this) he was first beaten and then imprisoned. He at last completed his martyrdom by being beheaded. A memory.
At Portus Romanus, St. Hippolytus, bishop, a man of great renown for his learning. Under the Emperor Alexander, for his noble confession of the faith, his hands and feet were tied and he was thrown into a deep pit full of water, thus receiving the palm of martyrdom. His body was buried by the Christians at the same place.
At Todi in Umbria, the birthday of the Florentine St. Philip Benizi, confessor. He was a zealous promoter of the Order of the Servants of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and was a man of great humility. The Sovereign Pontiff, Clement X, added his name to the list of the saints. His festival, however, is observed on August 23.
At Rome, St. Antoninus, martyr. He loudly declared himself to be a Christian, and was condemned by the judge Vitellius to capital punishment. He was buried on the Via Aurelia by Rufinus, a priest.
At Tarsus in Cilicia, the commemoration of the holy martyrs Athanasius, bishop, Anthusa, a noble lady whom he had baptized, and also her two servants Charisius and Neophytus. All of them suffered in the reign of the Emperor Valerian.
At Portus Romanus, the holy martyrs Martial, Saturninus, Epictetus, Maprilis, and Felix, with their companions.
At Nicomedia, the suffering of the holy martyrs Agathonicus, Zoticus, and their companions, under the Emperor Aurelian and the governor Eutholmius.
At Rheims in Gaul, the holy martyrs Maurus and his companions.
In Spain, the holy martyrs Fabrician and Philibert.
At Pavia (in Italy), St. Gunifort, martyr.
V. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
St. Jane Frances Fremiot de Chantal, foundress of the Order of the Nuns of the Visitation of St. Mary, whose birthday is mentioned on December 13. A duplex feast.
At Rome, in the Veranus field, St. Cyriaca, widow and martyr. In the persecution of Valerian, she bestowed all her goods and her time in ministering to the saints. Then she freely gave her life also, undergoing martyrdom for the sake of Christ.
In the country of Gevaudan (in Gaul), St. Privatus, bishop and martyr, who suffered in the persecution of Valerian and Gallienus.
At Salona in Dalmatia, St. Anastasius, a law officer. Seeing Blessed Agapitus enduring his torments with constancy, he was converted to the faith. He was slain at the command of Aurelian the Emperor for confessing Christ's name, and passed to the Lord a martyr.
In Sardinia, the birthday of the holy martyrs Luxorius, Cisellus, and Camerinus, who were slain with the sword, under Delphius the govcrnor, in the persecution of Diocletian.
On the same day, the holy martyrs Bonosus and Maximian.
At Fundi in Latium, St. Paternus, martyr. He had come from Alexandria to Rome to visit the tombs of the Apostles. Departing thence to Fundi, he was seized by the tribune for burying the bodies of the martyrs and died in chains.
At Edessa in Syria, the holy martyrs Bassa and her three sons, Theogonius, Agapius, and Fidelis. In Maximian's persecution, their holy mother encouraged them and sent them before herself with their crowns of martyrdom. She herself was beheaded and joyfully followed them to the victory.
At Verona, St. Euprepius, bishop and confessor.
Likewise, St. Quadratus, bishop.
In Auvergne in Gaul, St. Sidonius, bishop, noteworthy for learning and holiness.
At Siena in Tuscany, Blessed Bernard Ptolomei, abbot, founder of the Congregation of Olivetans.
V. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
In the country of Langres, the death of St. Bernard, first Abbot of Clairvaux, glorious in his life, teaching and miracles. The Sovereign Pontiff, Pius VIII, declared and confirmed that he was a Doctor of the Universal Church. A duplex feast.
At Monte Senario in Etruria, the birthday of St. Manettus, confessor, one of the seven founders of the Order of the Servants of the Blessed Virgin Mary. He died as he was repeating a hymn to her. His feast, with that of his companions, is kept on February 12.
In Judea, St. Samuel the Prophet, whose holy relics (as St. Jerome writes), Arcadius the Emperor transferred to Constantinople, and buried near Septimum.
On the island of Cyprus, St. Lucius, a senator. He was converted to the faith of Christ by seeing the constancy of Theodore, Bishop of Cyrene, in his martyrdom. He also led to the faith Dignian the governor, with whom he went to Cyprus, where he saw other Christians crowned for confessing the Lord. He willingly offered himself and merited the same crown of martyrdom by beheading.
In Thrace, thirty-seven holy martyrs who, under the governor Apellian, were cast into a burning furnace for the Christian faith, after their hands and feet had been cut off.
In the same place, the holy martyrs, Severus and Memnon the centurion, who obtained their martyrdom by a similar death, and went as victors to heaven.
At Cordoba in Spain, the holy martyrs Leovigild and Christopher, monks. They were cast into prison for their defense of the Christian faith during the persecution of the Arabs. After their necks were broken, they were burned alive and thus obtained the crown of martyrdom.
On the island of Her (off the coast of Poitou), St. Philibert, abbot.
At Rome, Blessed Porphyry, who was a man of God. He taught the martyr St. Agapitus the faith and doctrine of Christ.
In the village of Chinon in Gaul, St. Maximus, confessor, a disciple of the Blessed Bishop Martin.
V. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
At Vercelli (in Italy), the holy virgin Emily Bicchieti, a nun of our Order, who, living in prayer, was inflamed with the desire of experiencing the sufferings of Christ. A semi-duplex feast.
At Rome, St. Julius, senator and martyr. He was given over to the judge Vitellius, who cast him into prison. At the command of the Emperor Commodus, he was beaten with clubs until he died. His body is buried in the cemetery of Calepodius on the Via Aurelia.
At Anagni, St. Magnus, bishop and martyr, who was slain in the persecution of Decius.
In Cilicia, the birthday of the tribune St. Andrew, and his fellow soldiers. When a victory had been obtained by divine power over the Persians, Andrew and his companions were converted to the faith of Christ. In the reign of the Emperor Maximian, having been accused of being Christians, they were slain in a pass of Mount Taurus by the army of the governor Seleucus.
In Palestine, St. Timothy, martyr. In the persecution of Diocletian, under the governor Urban, Timothy was burned alive after he had endured many tortures. Thecla and Agapius suffered at the same place. The former was exposed to the beasts and, torn by their teeth, passed to her heavenly Spouse; but Agapius, after suffering many tortures, was reserved for greater trials.[1]
At Rome, St. Sixtus III, pope and confessor.
In Provence, at the village of Brignoles, the death of St. Louis, Bishop of Toulouse, of the Order of Friars Minor. He was a man renowned for holiness of life and for his miracles. His body was taken to Marseilles and honorably buried in the Church of the Friars Minor; afterward it was taken to Valencia in Spain and enshrined in the cathedral.
Near Sisteron in Gaul, Blessed Donatus, priest and confessor. From his earliest years he was wondrously endowed with God's grace, and led for many years the life of a hermit. He went to Heaven renowned for glorious miracles.
In the neighborhood of Bourges, St. Marianus, confessor. St. Gregory, Bishop of Tours, highly praised his virtues and miracles.
At Mantua, St. Rufinus, confessor.
V. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
Footnotes:
[1] See his entry under November 20.
At Savigliano in Piedmont, Blessed Aimo Taparelli confessor, of our Order. He was outstanding by the holiness of his life, his learning, and his prolonged and extraordinary labors for the preservation of the Catholic faith. He was taken to Heaven on the Feast of the Assumption of the Mother of God, for whom he had an extraordinary devotion. A semi-duplex feast.
At Palestrina (in Italy), St. Agapitus, martyr. He was only fifteen years old but already fervent in the love of God when he was arrested by order of the Emperor Aurelian. He was savagely flogged with raw sinews. Later, under the governor Antiochus, he underwent more grievous sufferings. Then, by command of the Emperor, he was thrown to the lions. When these did not harm him, he was put to the sword and thus gained his crown. A memory.
At Rome, blessed John and Crispus, priests. In the persecution of Diocletian, they dutifully buried the bodies of many saints. Later, they themselves shared with them the merit of martyrdom and thus procured for themselves the joys of life eternal.
Also at Rome, the holy martyrs Hermas, Serapion, and Polyaenus, who were dragged through narrow, rocky, and rough places until they rendered up their souls to God.
In Illyria, the holy martyrs Florus and Laurus, stone-cutters. When their masters Proculus and Maximus had met their deaths by martyrdom under the governor Lician, they themselves were, after many sufferings, drowned in a deep well.
At Myra in Lycia, the holy martyrs Leo and Juliana.
At Metz in Gaul, St. Firminus, bishop and confessor.
At Rome, on the Via Lavicana, St. Helen, the mother of that religious emperor, Constantine the Great. He was the first to show to other princes an excellent example of the manner in which the Church should be protected and multiplied.
V. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
The Octave of St. Laurence, martyr. A memory.
At Cracow in Poland, St. Hyacinth, confessor, of the Order of Preachers. Having received the religious habit from the hands of our Father St. Dominic, he excelled in learning and in a life of admirable innocence. He was celebrated for the glory of his miracles, especially for walking dryshod across wide rivers. Thought deserving of sweet converse with the holy Mother of God, distinguished for his spotless life, and filled with the gifts of the Holy Ghost, he died at an advanced age. He was called to his eternal reward on the very feastday of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. He was canonized by Pope Clement VIII. A totum duplex feast of the second class.
At Carthage in Africa, the holy martyrs Liberatus, abbot, Boniface, a deacon, Servus and Rusticus, subdeacons, Rogatus and Septimus, monks, and the boy Maximus. In the Vandal persecution under King Hunneric, they were subjected to various unheard-of tortures for confessing the Catholic faith and defending one baptism. Last of all, they were nailed to the planks with which they were to be burned. Although the fire was kindled again and again, every time it was miraculously extinguished. By the command of the King, they then were slain by being beaten with the handles of oars until their brains were dashed out. Thus, crowned by the Lord, they fulfilled the remarkable course of their trial.
In Achaia, St. Myron, priest and martyr, who was beheaded at Cyzicus after many tortures, at the time of the Emperor Decius and the governor Antipater.
At Caesarea in Cappadocia, the birthday of St. Mamas, martyr, the son of SS. Theodotus and Rufina, martyrs. Under the governor Alexander, at the command of Aurelian, he suffered a prolonged martyrdom from childhood to old age, and at length happily completed it. The holy fathers Basil and Gregory Nazianzen celebrated him with great praise.
At Nicomedia, the holy martyrs Strato, Philip, and Eutychian. They were condemned to the beasts, but, remaining unhurt, their martyrdom was finished by fire.
At Ptolemais in Palestine, the suffering of the holy martyrs Paul and his sister Juliana, virgin. In the reign of the Emperor Aurelian, they were both punished with various cruel tortures and finally beheaded for their constancy in confessing the name of Christ.
At Rome, St. Eusebius, pope.
At Teramo (in Italy), St. Anastasius, bishop and confessor.
At Montefalco in Umbria, the virgin St. Clare, nun of the Order of Hermits of St. Augustine. On her heart, which the faithful honor with great devotion, were renewed the mysteries of the Lord's passion. The Sovereign Pontiff, Leo XIII solemnly inscribed her in the list of the holy virgins.
V. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
The Sixteenth Day of August
St. Joachim, father of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God. His birthday is noted on March 20. A totum duplex feast of the second class.
At Rome, St. Titus, deacon, who, when the city was occupied by the Goths, distributed his wealth to the poor, and was commanded by a heathen tribune to be slain.
At Nicaea in Bithynia, St. Diomede, physician, who, in the persecution of Diocletian was slain with the sword for the faith of Christ, and so fulfilled his martyrdom.
In Palestine, thirty-three holy martyrs.
At Ferentino in the Hernican mountains, St. Ambrose the centurion. He was tortured in various ways in the persecution of Diocletian. When he passed through the fire unhurt, he was finally drowned and thus reached eternal rest.
At Milan, the death of St. Simplician, bishop, made famous by the testimony of SS. Ambrose and Augustine.
At Auxerre (in Gaul), St. Eleutherius, bishop.
At Nicomedia, St. Arsacius, confessor. In the persecution of Licinius, he forsook the life of a soldier and lived as a solitary. He was adorned with so many virtues that he is said to have cast out demons and by prayer to have slain a huge snake. At last, after foretelling the future destruction of the city, he died while at prayer.
At Montpellier in Gaul, the death of St. Roch, confessor. He freed many towns of Italy from the plague by the sign of the cross. His body was later taken to Venice, and buried with great honor in the church consecrated under his name.
At Rome, St. Serena, once the wife of the Emperor Diocletian.
V. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
The Assumption of the Most Holy Virgin Mary, Mother of God. A totum duplex feast of the first class with a solemn octave.
At Cracow in Poland, the birthday of St. Hyacinth, confessor, of the Order of Preachers, whom the Sovereign Pontiff Clement VIII canonized. His feast is kept on August 17,
At Albareale in Hungary, St. Stephen, King of Hungary. He was adorned with divine virtues, and was the first to convert the Hungarians to the faith of Christ. He was received into heaven by the Virgin Mother of God on the very day of her Assumption. His feast is kept, by an ordinance of Pope Innocent XI, on September 2, on which day the strongly-fortified city of Buda, by the aid of the holy King, was recaptured by the Christian army.
At Rome, on the Appian Way, St. Tarsicius, acolyte. The heathens detected him bearing the Sacrament of the Body of Christ, and asked what it was that he carried. But he deemed it an unworthy thing to cast pearls before swine, and was therefore attacked by them for a long time with clubs and stones, until he died. When his body was searched, the sacrilegious assailants could find nothing of Christ's Sacrament in his hands or among his clothing. The Christians gathered up the body of the martyr, and buried it with honor in the cemetery of Callistus.
At Tagaste in Africa, St. Alipius, bishop. He had formerly been a disciple of St. Augustine, and afterwards his fellow-convert. He was also his colleague in the pastoral office, his zealous fellow-worker in his contest against the heretics, and lastly his associate in heavenly glory.
At Soissons in Gaul, St. Arnulf, bishop and confessor.
At Rome, the holy Polish confessor St. Stanislaus Kostka, a novice of the Society of Jesus. He was made perfect in a short time, and is everywhere renowned for his angelic innocence of life. He was numbered among the saints by the Sovereign Pontiff, Benedict XIII.
V. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
The Vigil of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
At Rome, the birthday of Blessed Eusebius, priest and confessor. He was imprisoned in a small room of his house by the Arian Emperor Constantius, for defending the Catholic faith. Persevering continually in prayer, he remained there (a prisoner) for seven months until he died. Two priests, Gregory and Orosius, took his body and buried it in the cemetery of Callistus on the Appian Way. A memory.
At Apamea in Syria, St. Marcellus, bishop and martyr. He broke to pieces a shrine of Jupiter and was slain by the outraged heathens.
At Todi in Umbria, St. Callistus, bishop and martyr,
In Illyria, St. Ursicius, martyr. After many and various torments was slain with the sword for Christ's name, under Maximian the Emperor and Aristides the governor.
In Africa, St. Demetrius, martyr.
On the island of Aegina, St. Athanasia, widow, famous for her observance of the monastic life and for the grace of miracles.
V. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
At Rome, Blessed Hippolytus, martyr. So glorious was his confession of faith, in the reign of the Emperor Valerian, that after the usual torments had been inflicted, his feet were tied to the necks of wild horses. Then he was cruelly dragged through briars and brambles until he died, his whole body having been torn to shreds. On the same day, Blessed Concordia, his nurse also suffered. Flogged with lead-tipped whips, she died ahead of him. Also nineteen others of his household were beheaded outside the Tiburtine Gate. All were buried with Hippolytus in the Veranian field. A feast of three lessons.
At Imola (in Italy), the birthday of St. Cassian, martyr. Because he refused to worship idols, the persecutor summoned those pupils to whom he had become hateful while teaching them, and gave them permission to kill St. Cassian. Although their hands were weak, the agony of the martyrdom was all the greater, being so long drawn out.
At Todi in Umbria, St. Cassian, bishop and martyr, under the Emperor Diocletian.
At Burgos in Spain, SS. Centolla and Helen, martyrs.
At Constantinople, St. Maximus, abbot, famous for his learning and zeal for Catholic truth. He fought strenuously against the Monothelites, and for that reason his hands and tongue were cut off by the heretical Emperor Constans. He was exiled to the Chersonese, and died there, celebrated for his glorious profession of faith. At that time, two of his disciples, both named Anastasius, and many others, also suffered various tortures and bitter exile.
At Tritzlar in Germany, St. Wigbert, priest and confessor.
At Rome the birthday of St. John Berchmans, a scholastic of the Society of Jesus, confessor. He was noted for his innocence of life and careful observance of religious discipline. He was canonized by the Sovereign Pontiff, Leo XIII.
At Poitiers in Gaul, St. Radegund, queen, whose life was resplendent with miracles and virtues.
V. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
