SAINTS JANUARY 20

 

SAINTS JANUARY 20

St. Alban Bartholomew Roe, 1642 A.D. Missionary and martyr, one of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales. Alban is believed to have been born in Bury St. Edmund's, England, about 1580. He converted to Catholicism and went to the English College at Douai, where he was dismissed for an infraction of discipline. In 1612 he became ordained Benedictine at Dieulouard, France. From there he was sent to England. In 1615 he was arrested and banished. In 1618 he returned to England and was imprisoned again. This imprisonment lasted until 1623, when the Spanish ambassador obtained his release. In 1625, once again having returned to England to care for Catholics, Alban was arrested for the last time. For seventeen years he remained in prison and was then tried and condemned. Alban was sentenced with Thomas Reynolds, another English martyr. They were hanged, drawn, and quartered at Tyburn on January 21, 1642.  

Bl. Thomas Reynolds, 1642 A.D. English martyr. Born Thomas Green at Oxford, he left England and studied at Reims, France, and at Valladolid and Seville in Spain. Ordained in 1592, he went to England but was exiled in 1606. Thomas returned and labored for the faith until his arrest in 1628. He spent fourteen years in prison until he was hanged, drawn, and quartered at Tyburn, with Blessed Alban Bartholomew Roe. Thomas was eighty at the time.  

Bl. Edward Stransham, 1586 A.D. English martyr born and educated at Oxford, England. Studying at Douai and Reims, France, Edward was ordained in 1580 and was sent back to England in 1581. He worked in London and Oxford until his arrest. Condemned, Edward was martyred at Tyburn. He was beatified in 1929.  

St. Brigid, 6th century. Known as St. Brigid of Kilbride, venerated in the diocese of Lismore. St. Brigid of Kildare, one of the patrons of Ireland, visited Kilbride. This Brigid is also known as Briga.  

St. Vimin, 6th century. Scottish bishop, supposedly the founder of the monastery of Holywood. In some lists he is called Wynnia or Gwynnin.  

St. Lawdog, 6th century. Saint of Wales who has four churches commemorating his memory in the diocese of St. David’s, Wales.

Bl. Cyprian Michael Iwene Tansi,Igbo Nigerian ordained a Roman Catholic priest of the Archdiocese of Onitsha, Nigeria on December 19, 1937.

ST. SEBASTIAN, MARTYR, St. Sebastian was commonly invoked as a protector against the plague. According to historical records, he defended the city of Rome against the plague in 680. His association with the plague could be because he survived being shot full of arrows and in pagan belief, pestilence was delivered by arrows shot by the gods above.

POPE ST FABIAN, MARTYR. Fabian was Pope for 14 years. He maintained relations with Eastern Christians, and divided Rome into seven diaconates for the assistance of the poor. Pope Fabian was imprisoned during the Decian persecution and died in 250. He is buried in the catacombs of St Callixtus, and is honoured as a martyr. 

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