Christian Today

Our Lord Jesus Christ continues to call individuals to be his disciples, members of the “holy nation” we call his Church. From the day of Pentecost, this saving relationship with Christhas normally been established through the solemn and joyous event of baptism and the gift of the Holy Spirit. A sacred rite, rich with deep significance - baptism, in water and in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit - ultimately proclaims that the newly baptized is united to Christ and his people, participates in his death and resurrection, personally receives the gift of the Spirit, and comes to know the generous love of the Father expressed in the forgiveness of sin. Through these new relationships, the believer now lives as a member of the Body of Christ (1Cor 12:27), God’s faithful people - a life which is manifested especially in the celebration of Holy Eucharist. He or she is now a member of the Church which is “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people.” ...

St. Francis Xavier Bianchi, Roman Catholic Barnabite Priest and miricale worker. Feastday January 31

ENGLISH SPEAKING SAINTS January 31 St. Aidan, 626 A.D. Monastic founder, bishop, and miracle worker known for his kindness to animals. Known as Edan, Modoc, and Maedoc in some records, Aidan was born in Connaught, Ireland. Tradition states that his birth was heralded by signs and omens, and he showed evidence of piety as a small child. Educated at Leinster, Aidan went to St. David monastery in Wales. He remained there for several years, studying Scriptures, and his presence saved St. David from disaster. Saxon war parties attacked the monastery during Aidan's stay, and he supposedly repelled them miraculously. In time, Aidan returned to Ireland, founding a monastery in Ferns, in Wexford. He became the bishop of the region as well. His miracles brought many to the Church. Aidan is represented in religious art with a stag. He is reported to have made a beautiful stag invisible to save it from hounds. St. Adamnan of Coldingham, 680 A.D. Confessor and prophet who was born in Ireland...

SAINT OF THE DAY JAN. 31 ST. JOHN BOSCO, PRIEST, FOUNDER OF THE SALESIANS, FATHER AND TEACHER OF THE YOUNG ST. MARCELLA, ROMAN WOMAN, DISCIPLE OF ST. JEROM

SAINT OF THE DAY JAN. 30 ST. MARTINA, MARTYR ST. HYACINTHA MARESCOTTI, ROMAN VIRGIN

Saints Jan. 29 Sts. Sarbelius & Barbea, Roman Catholic Martyrs. Brother and sister, who were put to death at Edessa during the persecutions of Emperor Trajan. Sarbelius, also called Sharbel, was a high priest at Edessa, in Mesopotamia. They were arrested for converting to the faith, and were tortured with red-hot irons prior to execution. Feastday January 29 Bl. Boleslava Lament, Roman Catholic Virgin, in the midst of political upheaval founded the Congregation of the Missionary Sisters of the Holy Family to promote Christian unity, help the poor and train the girls to Christian life.

ENGLISH SPEAKING SAINTS January 29 St. Voloc, 724 A.D. Irish missionary bishop. He worked to propagate the Christian faith throughout Scotland. St. Blath, 523 A.D. The cook in St. Brigid's convent, in Kildare, Ireland, also called Flora. She was renowned for her holiness and for her steadfast loyalty to St. Brigid in good times and in bad.

SAINT OF THE DAY JAN. 29 ST. SULPITIUS SEVERUS Sulpitius Severus is celebrated January 29. He was born in Aquitaine, around the year 350, to an illustrious family. Like many of his contemporaries, Sulpitius Severus made his start as a lawyer: at that time a career at law was the fastest way to obtain honor. Wealth and worldliness Oratory skill and business acumen were the most sought-after qualities, among educated and serious men, for they revealed the aptitude for the highest duties in Imperial service. Sulpitius distinguished himself for his eloquence, the fineness of his spirit, his ability to make use of legal cavils, his rigorous judgment and the solidity of his arguments. His reputation reached far. With luck and genius, he could aspire to the highest state offices. Completely absorbed by worldly concerns, in a time when all hopes smile at the imagination, he married a consul’s daughter, one equally wealthy and well-connected. Few young men could boast of better prospect...

St. Jerome Lou-Tin-Mei, Roman Catholic Layman and Chinese Martyr. The Roman Catholic Church recognizes 120 Catholics who died between 1648 and 1930 as its "Martyr Saints of China". Jan. 28 Bl. Lawrence Wang, Roman Catholic Layman and Chinese Martyr. Lawrence was beheaded by anti-Christian forces and received beatification in 1909. Feastday Jan28

ENGLISH SPEAKING SAINTS January 28 St. Glastian, 830 A.D. Bishop and patron of Kinglassie, Fife, and Scotland. He served as mediator between the Scots and Picts. St. Richard of Vaucelles, 1169 A.D. English Cistercian abbot. He was appointed the head of Vaucelles Abbey, France, by St. Bernard. St. Cannera, 530 A.D. An Irish hermitess, a friend of St. Senan. She is also called Cainder or Kinnera. She lived as a recluse near Bantry, Ireland, and was buried on St. Senan's Island, Enniscarthy.

SAINT OF THE DAY JAN. 28 ST THOMAS D'AQUIN, DOMINICAN, DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH, PATRON OF THE CATHOLIC SCHOOLS ST. THOMAS AQUINAS

ENGLISH SPEAKING SAINTS January 27 St. Julian of Le Mans, 3rd century. First bishop of Le Mans, France. Tradition states that he was a noble Roman. Julian performed extravagant miracles and was honored during the Middle Ages as the patron of churches in England. St. Natalis. A founder of monasticism in Northern Ireland and a disciple of St. Columba also called Naal. He served as abbot of the monasteries of Naile, Daunhinis, and Cill. A well in that region honors his memory.

SAINT OF THE DAY JAN. 27 ST. ANGELA MERICI, VIRGIN, FOUNDRESS OF THE URSULINE ST. VITALIAN, POPE

ENGLISH SPEAKING SAINTS January 26 St. Conan, 648 A.D. A bishop of Ireland, possibly from Scotland. It is believed that Conan taught St. Fiacre before going to the Isle of Man, where he served as a missionary and was consecrated bishop. St. Robert of Newmister, 1000-1159 A.D. Cistercian abbot. Born in Yorkshire, England, he entered the Benedictines at Whitby and soon joined the monks at Fountains Abbey who were adopting the harder rule which was gaining prominence at the time. This community embraced the Cistercian rule, and the monastery became one of the spearhead communities for the Cistercians in England. In 1137, Robert helped to found Newminster Abbey, in Northumberland, serving as its first abbot.

Bl. Michal Kozal, Roman Catholic Priest and Bishop. Polish Martyr and 220 other priests of the diocese, who died in Dachau Concentration camp .Feastday Jan 26

SAINT OF THE DAY JAN. 26 STS. TIMOTHY AND TITUS, BISHOPS, DISCIPLES OF ST. PAUL Closest collaborators of Saint Paul, St. Timothy, born to a pagan father and a Jewish mother, was appointed by the Apostle to the Gentiles to lead the Church at Ephesus; while St. Titus was placed at the head of the Church of Crete. Their liturgical memory is kept on January 26th. Timothy’s life Timothy was born in Listra (about 200 km north-west of Tarsus) to a Jewish mother and a pagan father. When Paul passed through those lands at the beginning of his second missionary journey, he chose Timothy as a companion because “he was highly esteemed by the brethren of Lystra and Iconium, (Acts 16: 2)” but he circumcised him “for the Jews that were in those regions. (Acts 16:3)” With the Apostle of the Gentiles, Timothy passed through Asia Minor and reached Macedonia. He then accompanied Paul to Athens and from there he was sent to Thessalonica. Then, he continued to Corinth and collaborated in the evangel...

St. Peter Thomas, At the behest of Pope Urban V, he journeyed to Serbia, Hungary, and Constantinople in an effort to organize a crusade against the Turks. He took part in a military operation against Alexandria, Egypt, in 1365 during which he was severely wounded. He died from his injuries at Cyprus a few months later. While never formally canonized, his feast was permitted to the Carmelites in 1608. Feastday Jan 25

ENGLISH SPEAKING SAINTS January 25 St. Dwynwen. A Welsh saint credited with the saying: “Nothing wins hearts like cheerfulness.” A member of the family of Brychan of Brecknock, she is venerated throughout Wales and Cornwall, England. St. Eochod, 697 A.D. The Apostle of the Picts of Galloway, Scotland. He was one of the twelve chosen by St. Columba to evangelize northern Britain.

SAINT OF THE DAY JAN. 25 ST. ANANIAS OF DAMASCUS, WHO BAPTIZED PAUL THE APOSTLE CONVERSION OF SAINT PAUL THE APOSTLE

Saints Jan 24 Bl. Bartlomiej Osypiuk, Roman Catholic Layman and a father of two. Marytred of Podlasie. He was wounded at the scene, transported home where he prayed for his killers before dying. Feastday Jan. 24 Bl. Anicet Hryciuk, Roman Catholic Martyr and Member of the Podlachian martyrs, Feastday January 24

ENGLISH SPEAKING SAINTS January 24 Bl. William Ireland, 1679 A.D. Jesuit martyr of England. He was born in Lincolnshire and studied at St. Omer, France, where he joined the Jesuits in 1655. He was professed in 1673 and was a confessor to nuns until he was sent to England, where he became known as William Ironmonger or Iremonger. William worked for the English mission until his arrest at the London Jesuit house and his subsequent execution at Tyburn for supposed complicity in the Popish Plot. He was beatified in 1929. Bl. John Grove, 1697 A.D. English martyr, the servant of Blessed William Ireland. He served several Jesuits at a London house until his arrest. John was martyred at Tyburn with Blessed William Ireland for alleged involvement in the Titus Oates Plot. He was beatified in 1929. St. Cadoc, 580 A.D. A Welsh bishop and martyr, a companion of St. Gildas. Cadoc is also called Docus, Cathmael, and Cadvael. He founded Llancarfan Monastery near Cardiff, Wales, before becoming ...

SAINT OF THE DAY JAN> 24 SAINT FRANCIS DE SALES, BISHOP OF GENEVA AND DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH, FOUNDER OF THE VISITATION ORDER, PATRON OF THE CATHOLIC PRESS St. Francis de Sales was a man of dialogue and meekness, who never renounced the truth. He was one of the first modern evangelizers, using pamphlets posters. He proposed a different model of Christian life for all states of life in the Church, to be realized in the difficulties of everyday life. B. TIMOTHY GIACCARDO, PRIEST

ENGLISH SPEAKING SAINTS January 23 St. Colman of Lismore, 702 A.D. Abbot Bishop of the monastery of Lismore, Ireland. He succeeded St. Hierlug in 698. St. Maimbod. Irish martyr, also called Mainboeuf, missionary to o them. St. Marianne Cope, Roman Catholic Nun. a member of the Sisters of Saint Francis of Syracuse, New York. Known for her charitable works and virtuous deeds, she spent many years caring for lepers on the island of Molokaʻi in Hawaiʻi. Despite direct contact with the patients over many years, Cope was not afflicted by the disease, which some faithful consider miraculou. Feastday January 23

SAINT OF THE DAY JAN. 23 ST. EMERENZIANA, ROMAN MARTYR ST. ILDEFONSUS, BISHOP OF TOLEDO SAINT EMENTIANA, ROMAN MARTYR

Bl. William Joseph Chaminade, French Roman Catholic priest who survived persecution during the French Revolution. He founded the Society of Mary, also called the Marianists, in 1817. Feastday January 22

ENGLISH SPEAKING SAINTSJanuary 22 St. Brithwald, 1045 A.D. Benedictine bishop and a benefactor of Glastonbury Abbey in England. Brithwald was a monk at Glastonbury when he was named bishop of Ramsbury in 1005. He eventually moved his see to Old Sarum. Both Glastonbury and Malmesbury abbeys were under his patronage. Brithwald had visions and was a true prophet. Bl. William Patenson, 1592 A.D. English martyr. Born at Durham, he departed his homeland and studied at Reims before receiving ordination there in 1587. The following year he sailed home and worked to promote the Catholic cause in the dangerous atmosphere of Elizabethan England. Arrested in 1591, he was tried and condemned for being a priest and was hanged, drawn, and quartered at Tyburn. During his imprisonment, he converted six other prisoners to the Catholic faith. Beatified in 1929.

SAINT OF THE DAY JAN. 22 ST. VINCENT PALLOTTI, PRIEST, FOUNDER OF THE UNION OF THE CATHOLIC APOSTOLATE SAINT VINCENT, SPANISH DEACON AND MARTYR St Vincent was a deacon, originally from Saragossa in Spain. He was an great preacher and a courageous man. Vincent was arrested during the persecutions under Diocletian. Despite terrible tortures, he never denied the Faith. He was martyred in Valencia in 304, and immediately venerated as a saint. ST. VINCENT, SPANISH DEACON AND MARTYR S. ANASTASIUS, MONK AND MARTYR

SAINT OF THE DAY JAN. 21 ST. AGNES, VIRGIN AND MARTYR

Bl. Cyprian Michael Iwene Tansi,Igbo Nigerian ordained a Roman Catholic priest of the Archdiocese of Onitsha, Nigeria on December 19, 1937. Feastday Jan 20

ENGLISH SPEAKING 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....

SAINT OF THE DAY JAN. 20 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. ST. SEBASTIAN, MARTYR

St. Canute IV Martyred Roman Catholic king of Denmark, sometimes called Knud. The illegitimate son of King Sven II Estridson of Denmark, Canute succeeded his brother Harald III Hen in 1081. After marrying Adela, the sister of Count Robert of Flanders, Canute built churches and monasteries. In 1085, he planned an invasion of England, but the nobles of the court rebelled against him and forced him to flee to the isle of Funen. There, Canute, his brother Benedict, and seventeen companions were slain in the church of St. Alban Feastday Jan 19

ENGLISH SPEAKING SAINTS January 19 St. Fillan. A son of Feriach and St. Kentigerna, was also known as Foelan. He became a monk in his youth and accompanied his mother from Ireland to Scotland where he lived as a hermit near St. Andrew's monastery for many years, and then was elected abbot. He later resigned and resumed his eremitical life at Glendochart, Pertchire, where he built a church and was reknowned for his miracles. Various legends attribute the most extravagant miracles to him, such as the one in which his prayers caused a wolf that had killed the ox he was using to drag materials to the church he was building, to take the ox's place. Fillan died on January 19... St. Henry of Sweden. Henry was an Englishman of the twelfth century residing at Rome. In 1152, he was consecrated Bishop of Uppsala, Sweden, by the Papal Legate Nicholas Breakspear, who later became Pope Adrian IV. In 1154, St. Eric, King of Sweden, led a punitive expedition against the Finns in retaliatio...

SAINT OF THE DAY JAN. 19 ST. JOHN, BISHOP OF RAVENNA St John was Bishop of Ravenna at a time when the whole country was being devastated by the war with the Lombards. He was a holy pastor, entirely dedicated to caring for the needs of his people and his church. Pope Gregory the Great’s book, “The Rule for Pastors” to him. He died in 595. STS. MARIUS, MARTHA, AUDIFACE AND ABACHUM, MARTYRS ON THE VIA CORNELIA ST. GERMANICUS MARTYR OF PHILADELPHIA

SAINTS JAN 17 Bl. Victoire Gusteau, Roman Catholic Laywoman and Martyr during the French Revolution. Bl. Marie de la Dive du Verdier, Roman Catholic Laywoman and Martyr during the French Revolution. Bl. Monique Pichery, Roman Catholic Laywoman and Martyr during the French Revolution. St. Jaime Hilario Barbel, Roman Catholic Religious Brother and Martyr Convicted on 15 January 1937 of being a Christian brother. Two rounds of volley fire from a firing squad did not kill him, possibly because some of soldiers intentionally shot wide; their commander then murdered Jaime with five shots at close range. First of the 97 LaSalle Brothers killed in Catalunia, Spain during the Spanish Civil War. Jan.18 St. Margaret of Hungary, Roman Catholic Nun. She went out of her way to perform the most menial tasks and the most exacting labors on behalf of the squalid poor and most advanced hospital cases. Feastday January 18

ENGLISH SPEAKING SAINTS January 18 St. Ulfrid, 1028 A.D. Missionary and martyr. Originally from England, he journeyed to the Continent to participate in the missionary efforts of the era in Germany and Sweden. He was martyred by pagans after chopping down an idol of the god Thor, an act also performed by St. Boniface. St. Day. A saint patron of a Comish church near Redruth, England. Nothing else is known. St. Deicola, 625 A.D. Monk and companion of St. Columbanus, also called Deicolus, Desle, Dichul, Deel, Delle, or Deille. He was an elder brother of St. Gall, born in Leinster, Ireland. As one of St. Columbanus’ twelve disciples, Deicola accompanied him to France in 567 and worked with him in Austrasia and in Burgundy, France. In 610, St. Columbanus was exiled by Thierry II. Deicola, too old to accompany him, founded the monastery of Lure in the Vosges, France, and lived there as a hermit.

SAINT OF THE DAY JAN. 18 ST. PRISCA, FOUNDRESS OF THE HOMONYM CHURCH ON THE AVENTINO

SAINTS JAN 17 Bl. Gonzalo de Amarante, Roman Catholic Dominican Priest. Feastday Jan. 17 Bl. Gregory Khomyshyn, Roman Catholic Priest and Martyr. Arrested for his faith in 1939. Arrested again in April 1945; deported to Kiev, Ukraine. Died in prison. One of the Martyrs Killed Under Communist Regimes in Eastern Europe Feastday January 17

SAINT OF THE DAY JAN. 17 ST. ANTONY, ABBOTT Father of monasticism, protector of animals and model of Christian life. Saint Anthony was born in Coma in Egypt, c. AD 250. He is one of the greatest hermits in the history of the Church. His liturgical memorial occurs on 17 January. Asceticism and prayer His life was marked by solitude, fasting and work. Orphaned at 20, as a young man he gave all his goods to the poor and retired to the desert, where he also fought against the temptations of the devil, choosing the path of asceticism and prayer. Anthony was responsible for the establishment of families of monks who, under the guidance of a spiritual father, consecrated themselves to the service of God. Saint Anthony and the blessing of animals St. Anthony is often depicted next to a pig with a bell around its neck. This iconographic representation is linked to the fact that the ancient hospitaller order of the “Antonines” raised pigs because the fat of these animals was used to anoi...

ENGLISH SPEAKING SAINTS January 17 St. Nennius. One of the Twelve Apostles of Ireland, he was a disciple of St. Finian. The only other thing known about him is that he was born in Ireland. St. Mildgytha, 676 A.D. Benedictine nun, daughter of St. Ermenburga, a princess, and Merewald. Her sisters were Sts. Milburga and Mildred. She received the veil from her mother at Minster on the Isle of Thanet and later became abbess of a Northumbrian convent.

ENGLISH SPEAKING SAINTS January 16 St. Dunchaid O'Braoin, 988 A.D. Abbot on Clanmocnoise, near Westmeath, Ireland. He was a hermit until circa 969, when he became abbot. He died in Armagh. St. Fursey, 648 A.D. Irish monastic founder, the brother of Sts. Foillan and Ulan, praised by St. Bede. Fursey was born on the island of Inisguia en Lough Carri, Ire-land, as a noble. He founded Rathmat Abbey, now probably Killursa. In 630 Fursey and his friends went to East Anglia, England, where he founded a monastery near Ugremouth on land donated by King Sigebert. In his later years, Fursey went to France to build a monastery at Lagny, near Paris, France. He was buried in Picardy. St. Bede and others wrote about Fursey’s intense ecstasies. St. Henry of Cocket, 1127 A.D. A Danish hermit who had a hermitage on Cocket, an island off the coast of Northumbria, England. He lived under the director of the monks of Tynemouth.

SAINT OF THE DAY JAN. 16 ST. MARCELLUS I, POPE AND MARTYR ST PRISCILLA, ROMAN MATRON Priscilla was a Roman matron of the first century. Some have identified her with the wife of Aquila, engaged in the first Christian catechesis; or with the founder of a cemetery named for her on the Via Salaria, who received St Paul as a guest. According to others, she was a freed slave.

St. Nina, Roman Catholic laywoman. Scholars believe she was a slave to whom the name Nino (the Georgian form of Nina) was given; she has also been identified as Christiana. The quiet piety of her life and her preaching converted many people, and when she cured Queen Nana of a seemingly incurable disease, Nina converted the queen. When King Mirian also became a Christian, he sent to Constantinople for bishops and priests. Nina continued to preach throughout Georgia until her death at Bodke. A church dedicated to the memory of St. George was built on the site of her grave. Feastday Jan 15

St. Francisco Fernandez de Capillas, Roman Catholic Martyr Spanish missionary who became the first Catholic martyr in China after he was beheaded in Fu'an, Fujian in China. Feastday Jan 15

ENGLISH SPEAKING SAINTS January 15 St. Blaithmaic, 823 A.D. Irish abbot who sought martyrdom among the Danes, he went to England and encountered the Danes and was murdered on the altar steps of the abbey church at lona. St. Ita. Ita was reputedly of royal lineage. She was born at Decies, Waterford, Ireland, refused to be married, and secured her father's permission to live a virginal life. She moved to Killeedy, Limerick, and founded a community of women dedicated to God. She also founded a school for boys, and one of her pupils was St. Brendan. Many extravagant miracles were attributed to her (in one of them she is reputed to have reunited the head and body of a man who had been beheaded; in another she lived entirely on food from heaven), and she is widely venerated in Ireland. She is also known as Deirdre and Mida. St. Teath. Possibly a daughter of Brychan of Brecknock in Wales. A Cornwall church bears her name. She may also be St. Ita. St. Sawl, 6th century. Welsh chieft...

SAINT OF THE DAY JAN. 15 ST PAUL, THE FIRST HERMIT Very little is known about St Paul, who is recognized as the first Christian hermit. A nobleman from Egypt, he fled to the desert during the persecution of Decius. According to tradition, his cell is found on Mt Sinai. He died at a very old age, after more than 90 years of solitary life. ST. MAURO, ABBOT ST. JOHN CALIBITA, MONK

SAINT OF THE DAY JAN. 14 ST. FELIX OF NOLA, PRIEST

ST. MALACHY, PROPHET Saint Malachy was born in 1094 at Armagh, Ireland and died on November 2, 1148. St. Malachy was canonized in 1190 by Pope Clement III. This was the first papal canonization of an Irish saint. Jan.14

ENGLISH SPEAKING SAINTS JAN 11 St. Deusdedit, 664 A.D. Benedictine archbishop of Canterbury, England. He was a Southern Saxon, originally called Freithona. In 653, Deusdedit succeeded Honorius, becoming the first Anglo-Saxon to become a primate of England. He died, probably on October 28, during a plague.

13 Christians killed every day in the world because of their faith - Vatican News https://www.vaticannews.va/en/church/news/2021-01/report-open-doors-christians-persecuted.html Christians march in Abuja during a prayer and penance gathering for peace and security in Nigeria on 1 March 2020 Christians march in Abuja during a prayer and penance gathering for peace and security in Nigeria on 1 March 2020 (AFP or licensors) CHURCH RELIGIOUS PERSECUTION REPORT 13 Christians killed every day in the world because of their faith The non-Governmental organization Open Doors releases its annual “World Watch List” report that lists the top 50 countries where Christians are most persecuted for their faith. By Linda Bordoni Every day, 13 Christians worldwide are killed because of their faith, 12 churches or Christian buildings are attacked and 12 Christians are unjustly arrested or imprisoned, while another 5 are abducted. This is according to the 2021 World Watch List annual report produced ...

SAINT OF THE DAY JAN. 13 ST. HILARY OF POITIERS, BISHOP AND DOCTOR ST REMIGIUS, BISHOP OF REIMS Remigius was Bishop of Reims, in Gaul in the sixth century, at a time when Gaul was subject to invasion by the Franks. On Christmas Eve, in the year 500, he baptized the Frankish king Clovis. Remigius died in 533, after more than 70 years as a tireless evangelizer.

ENGLISH SPEAKING SAINTS JAN 14 St. Elian, 6th. Century. Perhaps a Breton, he was related to Ismael and labored in the missions of Cornwall England. St. Erbin, 5th century. Saint of the Comish and Devonshire regions of England. He is also listed as Ervan, Ernie, Erbyn, or Hermes. Churches in Cornwall are dedicated to Erbin St. Kentigern Mungo, 603 A.D. First bishop of the Strathclyde Britons. By tradition, he was the son of a British princess. His nickname, Mungo, means "dear one" or "darling." He was raised by St. Serf and be. came a hermit near Glasgow, Scotland. Driven into exile after being consecrated a bishop circa 540, Kentigern went to St. David in Wales. There he possibly founded St. Asaph Monastery at Llanelwy. In 553, he returned to Scotland to continue his labors. With St. Theneva, he is patron of Glasgow. He is also venerated as the Apostle of Northwestern England and Southwestern Scotland.

Ephesus Roman Catholic Martyrs, Forty-two monks put to death by Byzantine Emperor Constantine V in 762 AD. for opposing the Iconoclasts.Jan 12 St. Margaret Bourgeoys, Roman Catholic Nun, foundress of the Congregation of Notre Dame of Montreal in the colony of New France, now part of Canada. Feastday January 12 St. Tatiana of Rome, Roman Catholic Martyr, put to death by beheading in Rome during the reign of Emperor Severus Alexander. Jan 12 St Ailred of Rievaulx Celebrated on January 12

SAINT OF THE DAY JAN. 12 ST. ANTONIO MARIA PUCCI, PRIEST ST. ARCADIUS, MARTYR

ENGLISH SPEAKING SAINTS JAN 11 St. Boadin. Benedictine monk from Ireland who joined that order in France. He was revered for his impeccable observance of the Holy Rule and for his kindness. St. Brandan, 5th century. An Irish monk who went to England and confronted the Pelagian heretics. Fleeing to Gaul because of the cruel treatment he received, he later became an abbot. St. Ethenea and Fidelmia. Two of the first converts of St. Patrick, the daughters of King Laoghaire. Tradition states that they received the veil from St. Patrick and then died after taking Holy Communion. Blessed William Carter (c. 1548 – 11 January 1584) was a Roman Catholic English printer and martyr. He established his own printing press in London to publish Catholic literature for England’s persecuted Catholic population. His captors tortured him on a rack, questioning him about several chalices and vestments that had been entrusted to him for safekeeping, and about the books found in his possession, which c...

St. Francisca Salesia Aviat, Roman Catholic Nun, With Father Louis Brisson, she founded the Sister Oblates of Saint Francis of Sales in Troyes, France. Opened homes and schools for working class girls. Exiled from France on 11 April 1904 due to religious persecution and anti-religious legislation. Feastday Jan 11

SAINT OF THE DAY Jan. 11 ST PETER OF CAESAREA Peter, called “Apselamus” or “Balsamus”, suffered martyrdom in Caesarea, in Palestine, during the persecution under the Emperor Maximinus. Despite his youth, he was condemned to death, and was burned alive when he refused to deny his faith. He was martyred in the third century. ST. PAOLINUS OF AQUILEIA, BISHOP ST. HYGINUS, POPE

Bl. Anna of the Angels Monteagudo, was a Dominican mystic of Peru, and she is revered as the second St. Rose of Lima. Feastday Jan.10

ENGLISH SAINTS JAN 10 St. Thomian, 660 A.D. Sometimes called Toiman, Archbishop of Armagh, Ireland, from about 623. He is remembered for a letter he composed to the Holy See concerning the paschal controversy, namely the date to be followed for the celebrating of Easter. St. Dermot, 6th century. Abbot and founder of a monastery on Innis-Closran Island, Ireland. He is listed also as Diarmis or Diarmaid. Dermot trained St. Kiernan of Clonrnacnois. St. Saethryth, 660 A.D. Benedictine abbess, also called Sethrida. The stepdaughter of a local king of the Angles, she entered a convent in Gaul (modem France) eventually becoming abbess. Sts. Ethelburga and Ethelfreda were half-sisters. Jan 10

SAINT OF THE DAY JAN. 10 ST. AGATHO, POPE BD POPE GREGORY X After the longest conclave in history, Tebaldo Visconti was elected Pope, and took the name Gregory X. At the time of his election, Tebaldo was on Crusade in the Holy Land, and was not yet a priest. He worked for unity with Orthodox in the Council of Lyons. He died in 1276 and was beatified in 1713. POPE ST MILTIADES Of African origin, Miltiades was Pope at the time of Constantine’s victory over Maxentius – that is, the victory of the Cross over the persecutors of Christianity. Miltiades began the work of reorganizing the Church and Christian places of worship, but died in 314. ST. AGATONE, POPE

Saints Julian and Basilissa (died ca. 304) were husband and wife. They were Christian martyrs who died at either Antioch or, more probably, at Antinoe, in the reign of Diocletian, early in the fourth century, on 9 January, according to the Roman Martyrology,

SAINT OF THE DAY JAN. 09 BD ANTONY FATATI, BISHOP OF ANCONA Born of a noble family, Antonio studied in Bologna to become a priest. Returning to his home, he engaged in various pastoral ministries, ultimately being named Bishop of Ancona in 1463. He was a prudent pastor, generous to the poor and severe towards himself. He was beatified in 1765. ST. ANDREW CORSINI, CARMELITAN PRIEST, BISHOP OF FIESOLE

ENGLISH SAINTS JAN 08 St. Albert of Cashel, 800 A.D. Patron saint of Cashel, Ireland. Listed traditionally as an Englishman who labored in Ireland and then in Bavaria, Albert went to Jerusalem and died in Regensburg on his return journey. St. Athelm, 923 A.D. Archbishop of Canterbury and uncle of St. Dunstan. Benedictine, Atheim served as a monk at Glastonbury, England, becoming abbot of the famous monastery. In 909, Athelm was named the first bishop of Wells. He became the archbishop of Canterbury in 914. St. Wulsin, 1002 A.D. Benedictine bishop and monk also called Ultius and Vulsin. A disciple of St. Dunstan, he was named by the saint to serve as superior over the restored community of Westminster, England, circa 960, and eventually became abbot in 980. In 993 he was named bishop of Sherborne, although he remained abbot of Westminster. St. Ergnad, 5th century. Irish nun who received the veil from St. Patrick. In some lists she is called Ercnacta. She followed the mona...

SAINT OF THE DAY JAN. 08 ST LAWRENCE GIUSTINIANI St Lawrence became the first Patriarch of Venice in 1451. He was a great reformer of the Church, especially through his writing and his example. A nobleman by birth, Lawrence did not hesitate to beg for alms, calling it a “victory over himself”. He was canonized by Alexander VIII in 1690. ST. SEVERIN, ABBOTT, APOSTLE OF NORICO ST. SEVERINUS OF NORICUM

SAINT OF THE DAY JAN. 07 ST. RAYMOND OF PENYAFORT, DOMINICAN, CO-FOUNDER OF THE MERCEDARIANS A priest of the Order of Preachers, Saint Raymond of Peñafort was a great canon lawyer, for which reason he is invoked as protector of jurists. He dedicated himself to the formation of missionaries. As General of the Dominicans he toured Europe, caring for the numerous houses of the Order. ST. LUCIAN, ANTIOCHIAN PRIEST, MARTYR A scholarly and austere priest of Antioch in Syria, a precise exegete of the Old and New Testaments, Lucian died a martyr at Nicomedia on 7 January 312, during the persecution of the Roman emperor Maximinus. Another emperor, Constantine, would be baptized near his grave. ST. POLIEUTO, MARTYR

English Saints Jan 7 St. Brannock. A Welsh monk who migrated to Devon, England. He founded a monastery at Braunton, and was famed for his holiness and zeal. St. Cronan Beg, 7th century. A bishop of Aendrum, County Down, Ireland. He is mentioned in connection with the controversy of 640. St. Kentigerna, 734 A.D. Widowed hermitess, mother of St. Coellan and daughter of Kelly. The prince of Leinster, Ireland. When her husband died she went to Inchebroida Island in Loch Lomond, Scotland. A church there is dedicated to her memory. Bl. Edward Waterson, 1593 A.D. An English martyr and a convert. He was born in London, England, and ordained in Reims, France. In 1592, he was returned to England to serve hidden Catholics. Edward was arrested the following year and executed at Newcastle. He was beatified in 1929.

SAINT OF THE DAY JAN. 06 ST. ANDRÉ BESSETTE An illiterate laborer deeply devoted to St. Joseph became Brother André, the Holy Cross brother whose gift of healing won him the nickname “the miracle man of Montreal.” He consoled thousands, invoking the intercession of St. Joseph on all who came to him. His feast day is January 06 An unlikely vocation The superior of the Holy Cross Brothers in Montreal could not help but doubt the vocation of 25 year-old Alfred Bessette (1845-1937), who showed up at his door asking to enter religious life. The young man, orphaned at twelve, was desperately poor. He had been an itinerant worker most of his life, in Quebec and in factories in the United States. The jobs he had held had been brief, for Alfred suffered poor health from birth and could not work as much as an ordinary laborer. Moreover, what was an illiterate man doing asking for admission into an order of teaching brothers? Everything told the superior to reject such an applicant. But there w...

ENGLISH SAINTS JAN 06 St. Peter of Canterbury, 607 A.D. A Benedictine abbot. Peter was originally a monk in the monastery of St. Andrew’s, Rome, and was chosen by Pope St. Gregory I the Great to embark with St. Augustine of Canterbury and other monks on the missionary enterprise to England in 596. Peter became the first abbot of the monastery of Sts. Peter and Paul at Canterbury in 602. He died by drowning at Ambleteu, near Boulogne while on a mission to France. St. Schotin, 6th century. He was also known as Scarthin, a hermit and disciple of St. David of Wales. Born in Ireland, he left the island to become a student of David. Returning home, he lived for many years as a hermit and is traditionally believed to have established a boy's school in Kilkenny. St. Diman, 658 A.D. Abbot-bishop of Connor, Ireland, also called Diman Dubh or “Diman the Black,” Dimas, or Dima. He was a monk under St. Columba. Diman was one of the bishops who received a letter from the Roman Church in 640,...

SAINT OF THE DAY JAN. 05 ST. JOHN N. NEUMANN, BISHOP OF PHILADELPHIA, UNITED STATES This Bohemian priest turned American citizen became bishop of Philadelphia, caring for Catholic immigrants and establishing the first diocesan school system in the United States. His feast day is January 5. ST. EDWARD, KING OF ENGLAND Crowned King of England in 1043, beloved by the people, he was a mild and gentle sovereign of profound prayer: he promoted peace, abolished war taxes to help the poorest of the poor, and built a monastery out of which would grow the Abbey of Westminster.

Jan. 05 Saints Martyrs of Egypt, Two groups of martyrs, otherwise unknown, who were slain in Egypt. There were many other known martyrs who were put to death in Egypt, a large number of them dying in Alexandria Feastday January 5 Bl. Jacques Ledoyen, Roman Catholic Priest, in Angers, France and was martyred during the French Revolution. Feastday Jan.5

ENGLISH SPEAKING SAINTS Jan 05 St. Cera, 7th century. An Irish abbess also called Ciar, Cior, Cyra, or Ceara. She was born in Tipperary and served as abbess of a monastery at Kilkeary and another one at Tehelly. St. John Neumann, b. 1811 d. 1860 A.D. This American saint was born in Bohemia in 181 ST. EDWARD, KING OF ENGLAND, Crowned King of England in 1043, beloved by the people, he was a mild and gentle sovereign of profound prayer: he promoted peace, abolished war taxes to help the poorest of the poor, and built a monastery out of which would grow the Abbey of Westminster Jan 5

SAINT OF THE DAY JAN. 04 ST. ELIZABETH ANN BAYLEY SETON, FOUNDRESS, SISTERS OF CHARITY OF ST. JOSEPH'S A Protestant New York socialite and mother of five who became a Catholic religious sister, she founded the first community of women religious in the United States. Her feast day is celebrated on January 4. The New York socialite Elizabeth Ann Bayley was born into a prosperous New York Protestant family in 1774, on the cusp of the American Revolution. As she quickly learned, material prosperity cannot fill the heart. After her mother’s death, her father remarried, but Elizabeth’s father and stepmother separated. Her stepmother rejected her and her sister, who were sent to live with her uncle. The child was deeply hurt by the rejection. The darkness lifted for a while in 1794, when Elizabeth married William Seton, a merchant who had a trading partner, Filippo Filicchi of Livorno, Italy. The Setons had five children. They were a fashionable, well-to-do Episcopalian family, but their ...

Bl. Thomas Plumtree, Roman Catholic Priest and English Martyr. He was offered his freedom if he abjured the faith and he refused. He was hanged in Durham Castle. Feastday January 4 ST. ELIZABETH ANN BAYLEY SETON, FOUNDRESS, SISTERS OF CHARITY OF ST. JOSEPH'S A widow with 5 children, St. Elizabeth was a convert to Catholicism from Episcopalianism, who founded the first religious Congregation for women in the country. She dedicated herself to the service of the poor and promoted the nascent parochial school movement. Jan 4

Sts. Zosimus and Athanasius (d.303) + Martyrs in Cilicia (modern Turkey). They were executed during the persecutions of Emperor Diocletian (r. 284-305). According to one account, Zosimus was tortured and Athanasius, a witness, was so moved that he converted to the faith. Both were then tortured but survived and died in peace after being released. They became hermits. Feast day: January 3.

ENGLISH SAINTS January 3 St. Wenog . A Saint of Wales who is mentioned in several liturgical calendars. No other details of his life are extant. St. Finlugh, 6th century. An Irish abbot, the brother of St. Fintan. He trained in Scotland as a disciple of St. Columba and returned to Ireland to become abbot of a monastery in County Deify. St. Fintan, 6th century. Abbot, he is Patron of Doon, in Limerick, Ireland. He was a disciple of St. Comgall, and a well in Limerick is revered in his name

SAINT OF THE DAY JAN 3 ST. ANTERUS, POPE Of Greek origins, Anterus was Pope for only 40 days. He was martyred in 236 under Emperor Maximinus the Thracian for collecting the Acts of the martyrs in the archives of the Church of Rome, so that they would not be dispersed. He was the first Pope to be buried in the catacombs of St. Callixtus. ST. JOSEPH MARY TOMASI, THEATINE PRIEST, CARDINAL Born in Licata, in 1649, of the noble Sicilian family of Lampedusa, he renounced his title in favor of his brother and became a Theatine religious. Precursor of the liturgical reform, he was named cardinal by Pope Clement XI in 1712. Pope St. John Paul II proclaimed him a Saint in 1986. ST. TELESPHORE, POPE AD MARTYR Telesphore was an anchorite in Egypt and Palestine. He reigned from 125 to 136. He established the Midnight Mass at Christmas with the song of Gloria in excelsis Deo, the celebration of Easter on Sunday, and fixed the Lenten fast. He also worked to counter Gnostic heresy, a...

https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/library/hillaire-bellocs-view-of-history-10892 Hillaire Belloc's View of History Authored By: John J. Mulloy HILAIRE BELLOC'S VIEW OF HISTORY by John J. Mulloy 1. EUROPE AND THE FAITH In a time like our own, when previously separated cultures and civilizations have been brought together, one of the subjects of greatest interest is the meaning of world history and the significance of the present within it. This question has been answered by a number of different philosophies of history, which have sought in some secular goal the meaning of mankind's destiny. Starting at least with the 18th-century Enlightenment, the purpose has been to replace the Christian conception of history with one or another secular ideology, presented in strongly messianic terms. Their hope has been to create a new heavenly city on earth, and to see the Christian hope for eternal happiness as merely "pie in the sky," as Marxists like to call it. Thus we ...