Christian Today

SAINT OF THE DAY MAR. 31 ST. BALBINA, ROMAN MATRON, FOUNDRESS OF THE ROMAN CHURCH BEARING HER NAME According to tradition, St. Balbina was the daughter of St. Quirinus, a Roman tribune. Father and daughter were baptized by Pope St. Alexander I. Under the Emperor Hadrian, they were arrested, tortured, and ultimately beheaded, probably around the year 130. Saint Balbina was buried on the Via Appia. ST.BENJAMIN, DEACON AND MARTYR

St. Balbina, According to tradition, St. Balbina was the daughter of St. Quirinus, a Roman tribune. Father and daughter were baptized by Pope St. Alexander I. Under the Emperor Hadrian, they were arrested, tortured, and ultimately beheaded, probably around the year 130. Saint Balbina was buried on the Via Appia. Mar.31

ENGLISH SPEAKING SAINTS: MAR. 31 St. Machabeo, Irish abbot of Armagh, Ireland, for four decades. He is also listed as Gilda-Marchaibeo. He governed the monastery of Sts. Peter and Paul. Mar.31

ENGLISH SPEAKING SAINTS:MAR. 30 St. Tola, 733 A.D. Irish bishop in Meath (Disert lola), Ireland. He sent missionaries to Europe and aided the expansion of scholarly studies. St. Fergus, 6th century. Bishop of Downpatrick. Ireland. He may be identified with St. Fergus of Scotland. St. Osburga, 1018 A.D. Abbess of a convent at Coventry, England, which had been founded by King Canute. Her shrine was a popular place of pilgrimage during the Middle Ages because of the many miracles reported there. St. Patto, 788 A.D. Bishop of Werden, Saxony, Germany. A native of Britain, Patto served as an abbot in Saxony before becoming a bishop. He is sometimes listed as Pacificus. Mar.30

SAINT OF THE DAY MAR. 30 ST. JOHN CLIMACUS, ABBOTT OF SINAI B. AMADEUS IX OF SAVOY

St. Berthold, Roman Catholic Priest and the founder of the Carmelite Order. Feastday March 29 St. Mark, Martyred Roman Catholic Bishop of Arethusa, on Mount Lebanon. He destroyed a local pagan temple, enraging the pagan populace. Emperor Julian the Apostate ordered that Mark and other Christians rebuild the temples that they had destroyed. Mark fled rather than comply, but he surrendered when members of his flock were arrested. He was tortured by being dragged through the streets, but he remained so loyal to Christ and the Church that he was set free. Emperor Julian pardoned him. Feastday Mar. 29

ENGLISH SPEAKING SAINTS: MAR. 29 St. Gladys, 5th century. Welsh saint, wife of St. Gundleus and mother of St. Cadoc. She was the daughter of Brychan of Brecknock, Wales. Tradition relates that Gundleus kidnapped Gladys. Their romance became part of the Arthurian legend. St. Gwynllyw, 500 A.D. Husband of St. Gladys and father of St. Cadoc, a hermit of Wales. He is sometimes called Woollos or Gundleus. He and Gladys were reportedly bandits in Kind Arthur’s time, but they repented and became eremites. St. Lasar, 6th century. Irish virgin, niece of St. Forchera, also called Lassar or Lassera. She was a nun, given to the care of Sts. Finan and Kieran at Clonard, Ireland. Mar.29

SAINT OF THE DAY MAR. 29 ST. EUSTASIUS, BISHOP OF NAPLES St. Eustasius was Bishop of Naples during the anti-Christian persecutions of the third century. He was included in the first official edition of the Roman Martyrology, approved by Pope Gregory XIII in 1584.

St. Venturino of Bergamo, Roman Catholic Dominican Monk, known for helping to organize a crusade, at the behest of Pope Clement VI (r. 1342-1352), against the Turks who were then menacing Europe. Feastday March 28

ENGLISH SPEAKING SAINTS:MAR. 28 St. James Claxton, Blessed, 1588 A.D. Martyr in England. A native of Yorkshire and a devout Catholic, he studied at Reims and was ordained in 1582. Returning home to conduct missionary work in his former region, he was soon arrested and hanged, drawn, and quartered at Isleworth.

SAINT OF THE DAY MAR. 27 ST. CASTOR, MARTYR OF TARSO St. Castor is mentioned in both the Hieronymian and the Roman Martyrologies - the oldest catalogues of Christian martyrs of the Latin Church. According to tradition, he was martyred in Tarsus, in Cilicia, in what is now Turkey, possibly in the company of either St. Dorotheus or St. Stephen.

Mar. 27 St Augusta, Roman Catholic Virgin martyr, the daughter of the duke of Friuli, in Italy. It is reported that the duke was so infuriated by Augusta's conversion to Christianity that he killed her with his own hand. Her shrine is near Treviso, in northern Italy. Feastday Mar.27

ENGLISH SPEAKING SAINTS:MAR. 27 St. Alkeld, tenth century. A patroness of Yorkshire, England, she is also known as Athilda. Nothing is documented about her life, but she is depicted in a painting as being strangled by Dane invaders. Mar.27

SAINT OF THE DAY MAR. 27 ST. RUPERT,BISHOP OF SALZBURG Born of a noble family, St. Rupert travelled to Bavaria at the end of the 7th century as an itinerant monk. He founded a monastery near the ancient Roman city of Juvavum. Rupert gave the city the name Salzburg and became its first Bishop. He died March 27, Easter Sunday, around the year 710.

ENGLISH SPEAKING SAINTS:Mar. 26 St. Margaret of Clitherow. Margaret Clitherow was born in Middleton, England, in 1555, of protestant parents. Possessed of good looks and full of wit and merriment, she was a charming personality. In 1571, she married John Clitherow, a well-to-do grazier and butcher (to whom she bore two children), and a few years later entered the Catholic Church. Her zeal led her to harbor fugitive priests, for which she was arrested and imprisoned by hostile authorities. Recourse was had to every means in an attempt to make her deny her Faith, but the holy woman stood firm. Finally, she was condemned to be pressed to death on March 25, 1586. She was stretched out on the ground with a sharp rock on her back and crushed under a door over laden with unbearable weights. Her bones were broken and she died within fifteen minutes. The humanity and holiness of this servant of God can be readily glimpsed in her words to a friend when she learned of her condemnation: "T...

SAINT OF THE DAY MAR. 26 ST. CASTULUS, MARTYR ON THE VIA LABICANA St. Castulus was a chamberlain, of the Emperor Diocletian, who hid Christians during the persecutions. Betrayed by an apostate, he was arrested and tortured, but remained faithful to Christ to the very end. According to tradition, he was buried alive in a quarry on the Via Labicana near Rome.

Bl. Emilian Kovch, Roman Catholic Priest and Martyr. Parish priest in 1922 at Peremyshliany, Ukraine, a village of 5,000, most of whom were Jewish. An active priest, he organized pilgrimages and youth groups, and welcomed poor and orphaned children of all faiths into his home. When the Nazis invaded Ukraine, they began rounding up Jews. To save them, Father Emilian began baptizing them, and listing them as Christians. The Nazis were wise to this trick, and had prohibited it. Emilian continued, but was arrested by the Gestapo in December 1942. Deported to the Majdanek concentration camp in August 1943. There he ministered to prisoners, hearing confessions, and celebrating Mass when possible. He was Martyred in the ovens. Feastday Mar.25

ENGLISH SPEAKING SAINTS:MAR. 25 St. Harold, 1168 A.D. Martyred child of Gloucester, England. He was reported to have been slain by Jews in the area, and was venerated as a martyr. The veneration of the child martyrs is often considered as an example of the pervasive anti-Semitism of the period. St. James Bird, Blessed, 1593 A.D. English martyr. Born in Winchester and raised as a Protestant, he embraced the Catholic Church at the age of nineteen. James visited Douai College in Reims, but he returned to England. There he refused to take the Oath of Supremacy and was hanged, drawn, and quartered at Winchester in his native city. He was beatified in 1929. St. Kennocha, 1007 A.D. Nun of Scotland, also called Kyle or Enoch. She lived in a convent in Fife, Scotland, and is venerated in Glasgow. St Robert of Bury St. Edmunds, 1181 A.D. traditionally, a boy martyr of the Middle Ages whose death was blamed upon local Jews. He was supposedly kidnapped and murdered by Jews on Good Friday a...

SAINT OF THE DAY MAR. 25 ST. DISMAS ST. QUIRINUS ST. LUCY FILIPPINI,VIRGIN, FOUNDRESS OF THE MAESTRE PIE FILIPPINI

Mar.24, St. Timolaus & Companions, Eight Roman Catholic Martyrs who were beheaded at Caesarea, in Palestine, during the reign of Emperor Diocletian. According to the historian Eusebius of Caesarea, the names of the other martyrs were: Dionysius (two by this name), Alexander (two by this name), Romulus, Pausis, and Agapius. Feastday Mar.24 #englishlanguage #langage #langauagematters

ENGLISH SPEAKING SAINTS:MAR. 24 St. Caimin, 635 A.D. An Irish hermit of Inniskeltra. He lived on an island in Loughberg, founding a monastery and a chapel on the island of the Seven Churches with St. Senan. A fragment of his Psalter still remains. St. Cairlon, 6th century. The archbishop of Cashel, Ireland, restored to life by St. Dageus. Cairlon, also called Caorlan, was an abbot when St. Dageus brought him back to life. When he was appointed to the see of Cashel, Dageus and his monks placed themselves under his rule. St. Domangard. 500 A.D. Patron of Maghera, County Down, Ireland, sometimes called Donard. He was a contemporary of St. Patrick and a hermit. The site of his hermitage, a mountain, now bears the name SlieveDonard. St. Hildelitba, 712 A.D. Benedictine abbess and supporter of Sts. Bede, Aldhelm, and Boniface. An Anglo Saxon princess, she became a nun at Chelles or Farmoutier. France, but was recalled by St. Erconwald to train her sister, Ethelburga, at Barking, En...

SAINT OF THE DAY MAR. 24 ST. CATHERINE OF SWEDEN, VIRGIN, DAUGHTER OF ST. BRIDGET

St. Rafqa, Roman Catholic Nun. St. Rafqa was sent with five other sisters to found a new monastery in Jrabta, Batroun in Lebanon. In 1899, she became blind and paralysis set in. Mar. 23

ENGLISH SPEAKING SAINTS:MAR. 23 St. Ethelwald. Benedictine hermit on Fame Island, England, a disciple of St. Cuthbert. He was a monk at Ripon originally. Ethelwald was buried at Lindisfame. He is also called Oidilwald. Mar.23 #englishlanguage #langage #langauagematters

SAINT OF THE DAY MAR. 23 ST. TURIBIUS OF MOGROVEJO, BISHOP OF LIMA

Saints MAR. 22 St. Callinica & Basilissa, Roman Catholic Women Martyrs of Galatia. Wealthy matrons, Callinica and Basilissa spent their fortunes bringing aid to the imprisoned Christians in their area. They were arrested for their generosity and slain. Feastday March 22 St. Lea, Roman Catholic fourth-century saint in the Roman Catholic Church based on the authority of Jerome., soon after her marriage she was widowed and left very sound financially. Instead of retiring as a wealthy widow, however, she joined a convent of consecrated virgins in the city—shedding all the money and social standing she possessed. In later years she was named the prioress of the convent. Feastday Mar.22

ENGLISH SPEAKING SAINTS:MAR. 22 St. Nicholas Owen. Nicholas was born at Oxford, England. He became a carpenter or builder and served the Jesuit priests in England for two decades by constructing hiding places for them in mansions throughout the country. He became a Jesuit lay brother in 1580, and was arrested in 1594 with Father John Gerard, and despite prolonged torture would not give the names of any of his Catholic colleagues; he was released on the payment of a ransom by a wealthy Catholic. Nicholas is believed responsible for Father Gerard's dramatic escape from the Tower of London in 1597. Nicholas was again arrested in 1606 with Father Henry Garnet, who he had served eighteen years, Father Oldcorne, and Father Oldcorne's servant, Brother Ralph Ashley, and imprisoned in the Tower of London. Nicholas was subjected to such vicious torture that he died of it on March 2nd. He was known as Little John and Little Michael and used the aliases of Andrews and Draper. He was canon...

SAINT OF THE DAY MAR. 22 ST. PAUL, BISHOP OF NARBONNE AND MARTYR

St. Benedicta Cambiagio Frassinello, Roman Catholic Nun founded the Congregation of the Benedictine Sisters of Providence. The guiding charism of her order is their focus on the education of young girls and confidence in and abandonment to God in the living out of their vows. Feastday March 21

ENGLISH SPEAKING SAINTS: MAR. 21 St. Enda. Legend has him an Irishman noted for his military feats who was convinced by his sister St. Fanchea to renounce his warring activities and marry. When he found his fiancée dead, he decided to become a monk and went on pilgrimage to Rome, where he was ordained. He returned to Ireland, built churches at Drogheda, and then secured from his brother-in-law King Oengus of Munster the island of Aran, where he built the monastery of Killeaney, from which ten other foundations on the island developed. With St. Finnian of Clonard, Enda is considered the founder on monasticism in Ireland.

SAINT OF THE DAY MAR. 21 ST. NICHOLAS OF FLÜE, PATRON OF SWITZERLAND

SAINT OF THE DAY MAR. 21 ST. JOHN NEPOMUCEN, PRIEST AND MARTYR OF PRAGUE ST. JOHN, ABBOTT

MAR: 20 St. John, Sergius, & Companions. Roman Catholic Monks who resided in the laura, or an eremetical monastery, of St. Sabas, near Jerusalem. They were martyred by a band of Arabs who devastated the community. One of the wounded monks, named Stephen, composed a poem in honor of the martyred and to commemorate the event. Feastday March 20 St. Photina, Roman Catholic Martyr. Photiona was the Samaritan woman with whom Jesus spoke at the well as was recounted in the Gospel of St. John, chapter four. Deeply moved by the experience, she took to preaching the Gospel, received imprisonment, and was finally martyred at Carthage. Feastday March 20

ENGLISH SPEAKING SAINTS:St. Cuthbert. Cuthbert was thought by some to be Irish and by others, a Scot. Bede, the noted historian, says he was a Briton. Orphaned when a young child, he was a shepherd for a time, possibly fought against the Mercians, and became a monk at Melrose Abbey. In 661, he accompanied St. Eata to Ripon Abbey, which the abbot of Melrose had built, but returned to Melrose the following year when King Alcfrid turned the abbey over to St. Wilfrid, and then became Prior of Melrose. Cuthbert engaged in missionary work and when St. Colman refused to accept the decision of the Council of Whitby in favor of the Roman liturgical practices and immigrated with most of the monks of Lindisfarn to Ireland, St. Eata was appointed bishop in his place and named Cuthbert Prior of Lindisfarn. He resumed his missionary activities and attracted huge crowds until he received his abbot's permission to live as a hermit, at first on a nearby island and then in 676, at one of the Farnes...

ENGLISH SPEAKING SAINTS:MAR. 19 St. Lactali, 672 A.D. Abbot founder and disciple of St. Corngall in Ireland. Lactan was from County Cork and was educated in Bangor by Sts. Comgall and Molua. He became the abbot-founder of Achadh-Ur Abbey at Freshford, Kilkenny. Mar.19

SAINT OF THE DAY MAR. 19 ST. JOSEPH, SPOUSE OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, PATRON OF THE UNIVERSAL CHURCH Jesus certainly loved St Joseph as a son loves his father. Which is why we celebrate St Joseph as Protector of Families and Patron Saint of Workers. That is also why St Joseph has two feast days: March 19th, as the Spouse of Mary, and May 1st, under the title of Joseph the Worker. The Just Man In his Gospel, Matthew describes St Joseph as "just". Mary’s future husband, faced with the inexplicable pregnancy of his fiancé, does not consider his wounded pride or dignity. Instead, his first thought is to save her from popular animosity or, worse still, from the stoning to which she risks being condemned. He does not want to repudiate her publicly but intends divorcing her informally and in secret. It’s precisely at that moment of understandable anguish and suffering that the love of God comes, in the shape of an Angel, to encourage him. The Angel inspires Joseph to make t...

ENGLISH SPEAKING SAINTS:MAr. 18 Bl. Christian. Beyond the fact that he was Abbot of the first Cistercian monastery ever established in Ireland, practically nothing at all can be stated with certainty about Blessed Christian, otherwise called Christian O'Conarchy or Giolla Criost Ua Condoirche. St. Edward the Martyr. Edward was the eldest son of King Edgar of England and his first wife, Ethelfleda who died shortly after her son's birth. He was baptized by St. Dunstan and became King in 975 on his father's death with the support of Dunstan but against the wishes of his stepmother, Queen Elfrida, who wished the throne for her son Ethelred. Edward ruled only three years when he was murdered on March 18 while hunting near Corfe Dastle, reportedly by adherents of Ethelred, though William of Malmesbury, the English historian of the twelfth century, said Elfrida was the actual murderer. In the end, Elfrida was seized with remorse for her crime and, retiring from the world, she bu...

SAINT OF THE DAY MAR. 18 ST. CYRIL, BISHOP OF JERUSALEM AND DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH ST. ANSELM, BISHOP OF LUCCA

Bl. Peter Lieou, Roman Catholic Priest and Chinese Martyr. A Chinese native, he was converted to Catholicism and was consequently exiled to Mongolia in 1814. Permitted to return in 1827, he soon assisted the spread of Catholic missionary efforts and, during the persecution of Christianity by the Chinese government, managed to make his way into a prison where he gave comfort to Christian prisoners. He was caught and strangled. Feastday March 17 #englishlanguage #langage #langauagematters

ENGLISH SPEAKING SAINTS MAR. 17 :Saint Patrick, b. 387 d.461, Patron of Ireland. St. Patrick of Ireland is one of the world's most popular saints. Apostle of Ireland, born at Kilpatrick, near Dumbarton, in Scotland, in the year 387; died at Saul, Downpatrick, Ireland, 17 March, 461. Along with St. Nicholas and St. Valentine, the secular world shares our love of these saints. This is also a day when everyone's Irish. There are many legends and stories of St. Patrick, but this is his story. Patrick was born around 385 in Scotland, probably Kilpatrick. His parents were Calpurnius and Conchessa, who were Romans living in Britian in charge of the colonies. As a boy of fourteen or so, he was captured during a raiding party and taken to Ireland as a slave to herd and tend sheep. Ireland at this time was a land of Druids and pagans. He learned the language and practices of the people who held him. During his captivity, he turned to God in prayer. He wrote "The love of God and h...

SAINT OF THE DAY MAR. 17 ST. PATRICK, BISHOP, APOSTLE OF IRELAND One of the most venerated saints in the world, St. Patrick, patron of Ireland, was reduced to slavery when he was a boy, but thanks to prayer, he had a genuine conversion of the heart that led him to be a holy missionary. The Church remembers him on March 17. ST. JOHN SARCANDER, PRIEST AND MARTYR

MAR. 16 STS. HILARIOUS AND TAZIANO, MARTYRS OF AQUILEIA

ENGLISH SPEAKING SAINTS: MAR. 16 St. Abban, 620 A.D. Abbot and Irish missionary. An Irish prince, Abban was the son of King Cormac of Leinster. He is listed as the nephew of St. Ibar. Abban founded many churches in the old district of Ui Cennselaigh, in modern County Wexford and Ferns. His main monastery is Magheranoidhe, in Adamstown, Ireland. This monastery's fame is attributed in some records to another Abban, that of New Ross. Abban is also associated with Kill-Abban Abbey in Leinster, serving as abbot there until March 16, 620. He is revered in Adamstown, which was once called Abbanstown. St. Finian Lobharm, 560 A.D. Irish abbot, a disciple of St. Columba. He was born in Bregia, Leinster, Ire-land. Tradition credits him with founding a church at Innisfallen and a monastery there as well. After a stay in Clonmore, Finian Lobhar became abbot of Swords Abbey near Dublin. He may have returned to Clonmore in his later years and was called Lobhar, “the Leper,” but apparently did...

MAR. 15 St. Louise de Marillac, Roman Catholic Nun she met St. Vincent de Paul, who became her spiritual adviser. She devoted the rest of her life to working with him. She helped direct his Ladies of Charity in their work of caring for the sick, the poor, and the neglected. Feastday March 15 St. Leocrita. Roman Catholic Virgin Martyr. She lived in Cordoba, Spain, with her Muslim Moorish parents until her conversion. St. Eulogius sheltered her. They were both scourged and beheaded. Mar. 15

ENGLISH SPEAKING SAINTS:MAR. 15 St. Aristobulus, 1st century. Martyred disciple of Christ, one of the seventy-two sent out into the world by the early Church. He is possibly mentioned by St. Paul and is identified with Zebedee, the father of Sts. James and John. Aristobulus preached in Britain, although no documentation supports this or his martyrdom in the British Isles. Bl. William Hart, 1583 A.D. Martyr of England. Born in Wells, in Somerset, he studied at Oxford and then at Douai, Reims, France, and Rome. After receiving ordination in 1581, he went back to England and included among his associations Blessed Margaret Clitherow. William ministered to Catholic prisoners in York Prison, having several adventures in staying free. He was betrayed to English authorities by an apostate from Clitherow's estate. He was hanged, drawn, and quartered at York and beatified in 1886. Mar.15 #englishlanguage #langage #langauagematters

SAINT OF THE DAY MAR. 15 ST. CLEMENT M. HOFBAUER, REDENTORIST ST. ZACHARY, POPE #englishlanguage #langage #langauagematters

Bl. Ambrose Fernandez, Roman Catholic Martyr of Japan. Ambrose was born in Sisto, Portugal, in 1551. He went to Japan as a trader but entered the Jesuits in 1577 as a lay brother. Arrested by the Japanese, he died in Suzota prison. Feastday Mar.14

MAR. 14 Martyrs of Valeria, two Roman Catholic Monks and Martyrs. Two monks hanged from a tree by the Lombards. Pope St. Gregory I the Great reported that after dying, the monks could be heard singing Psalms. Mar. 14 Bl. Dominic Jorjes. A Roman Catholic martyr of Japan, a Portuguese who settled in that country. He was arrested for sheltering Blessed John Spinola. He was burned alive in Nagasaki, Japan, on November 18.Feastday Mar.14

ENGLISH SPEAKING SAINTS:MAR. 14 St. Boniface Curitan, 660 A.D. Evangelist to the Picts and Scots. Probably a Roman by birth, Boniface was the bishop of Ross, England. He introduced Roman observances into the British territories and founded a vast number of parishes. Mar.14

SAINT OF THE DAY MAR. 14 ST. MATILDE, QUEEN ST. PLACIDO RICCARDI, MONK OF SAINT PAUL OF ST. PAUL OUTSIDE THE WALLS #englishlanguage #langage #langauagematters https://www.vaticannews.va/en/saints.html

St. Ramirus and Companions, Roman catholic Martyrs of Spain. Ramirus served as prior of St. Claudus Monastety in Leon, Spain. The community was set upon by the Visigoths who, as Arians, opposed orthodox Christianity. The abbot, St Vincent, was put to death, followed two days later by Ramirus and the entire community. Feastday Mar. 13

ENGLISH SPEAKING SAINTS:MAR.13 Bl. Agnello of Pisa. The founder of the English Franciscan province, Blessed Agnello, was admitted into the Order by St. Francis himself on the occasion of his sojourn in Pisa. He was sent to the Friary in Paris, of which he became the guardian, and in 1224, St. Francis appointed him to found an English province; at the time he was only a deacon. Eight others were selected to accompany him. True to the precepts of St. Francis, they had no money, and the monks of Fecamp paid their passage over to Dover. They made Canterbury their first stopping place, while Richard of Ingworth, Richard of Devon and two of the Italians went on to London to see where they could settle. It was the winter of 1224, and they must have suffered great discomfort, especially as their ordinary fare was bread and a little beer, which was so thick that it had to be diluted before they could swallow it. Nothing, however, dampened their spirits, and their simple piety, cheerfulness and ...

SAINT OF THE DAY MAR. 13 ST. SABINUS OF HERMOPOLIS, MARTYR IN EGYPT ST. CHRISTINA OF PERSIA, MARTYR ST. LEANDER, BISHOP OF SEVILLE

MAR. 12 St. Seraphina, Roman Catholic laywoman known for her self denial and acts of penance as a young girl. Feastday March 12 St. Peter of Nicomedia, Roman Catholic Martyr. According to tradition, he was a chamberlain at the court of Emperor Diocletian at Nicomedia. Arrested for being a Christian when the last great persecution of the Church was launched at Diocletian's command, Peter was cruelly tortured by having the flesh stripped from his body and salt and vinegar poured and rubbed into the wounds. Finally, he was roasted to death over a fire. He is ranked as one of the first victims of the last persecution by the Roman Empire. Feastday Mar.12 Bl. Joseph Tshang-ta-Pong, Roman Catholic catechist and Martyr of China, put to death for the faith.Feastday Mar.12

ENGLISH SPEAKING SAINTS:MAR 12 St. Alphege, 951 A.D. Bishop and prophet, called "the Elder" or "the Bald." Also known as Elphege, he was the bishop of Winchester, England. There he ordained St. Dunstan. A holy prophet, Alphege is credited with helping to restore monasticism to England. St. Mura McFeredach, 645 A.D. Irish abbot and disciple of St. Columba. He was named abbot of Fahan and is patron saint of Fahan in County Derry. Also called Muran and Murames, he is remembered by one of his crosses that remains standing at Fahan. St. Paul Aurelian, 573 A.D. Welsh bishop. Probably of Roman-Welsh descent, he was the son of a local Welsh chieftain. He studied under St. Illtyd at the Ynys Byr monastery and, according to tradition, was granted permission to become a hermit. Ordained, he nevertheless gathered around himself a group of followers and acquired such a reputation for goodness that a king in Brittany asked him to preach the Christian faith to his subje...

SAINT OF THE DAY MAR. 12 ST. MAXIMILIAN, MARTYR IN AFRICA ST. INNOCENT I, POPE

St. Eulogius of Cordoba, Roman Catholic Martyred priest of Cordoba, Spain, slain by the Moors. He was one of the Martyrs of Córdoba. He flourished during the reigns of the Cordovan emirs Abd-er-Rahman II and Muhammad I. Mar. 11

ENGLISH SPEAKING SAINTS:MAR.11 St. Constantine. Constantine was king of Cornwall. Unreliable tradition has him married to the daughter of the king of Brittany who on her death ceded his throne to his son and became a monk at St. Mochuda monastery at Rahan, Ireland. He performed menial tasks at the monastery, then studied for the priesthood and was ordained. He went as a missionary to Scotland under St. Columba and then St. Kentigern, preached in Galloway, and became Abbot of a monastery at Govan. In old age, on his way to Kintyre, he was attacked by pirates who cut off his right arm, and he bled to death. He is regarded as Scotland's first martyr St. Aengus, 824 A.D. Called Dengus and "the Culdee," a hermit and author of the Festlology of the Saints of Ireland, The Felire. The term Culdee refers to Aengus' love of solitude: Ceile De was a name given to the hermits of the time. Aengus, born in Clonengh, Ireland, became a solitary monk on the banks of the river Nor...

SAINT OF THE DAY MAR. 11 ST. SOPHRONIUS OF JERUSALEM, BISHOP ST. EULOGIUS, PRIEST AND MARTYR

Martyrs (Forty) of Armenia, Roman Catholic soldiers martyred by Emperor Licinius Licinianus at Sebaste, in modern Armenia. They are also called the Martyrs of Sebaste. The martyrs were forced to march naked upon the ice of a frozen lake after they refused to abjure the faith. Feastday March 10

ENGLISH SPEAKING SAINTS:MAR. 10 St. John Ogilvie. Born in 1569, John Ogilvie belonged to Scottish nobility. Raised a Calvinist, he was educated on the continent. Exposed to the religious controversies of his day and impressed with the faith of the martyrs, he decided to become a Catholic. In 1596, at age seventeen he was received into the Church at Louvain. Later John attended a variety of Catholic educational institutions, and eventually he sought admission into the Jesuits. He was ordained at Paris in 1610 and asked to be sent to Scotland, hoping some Catholic nobles there would aid him given his lineage. Finding none, he went to London, then back to Paris, and finally returned to Scotland. John's work was quite successful in bring back many people to the Faith. Some time later he was betrayed by one posing as a Catholic. After his arrest he was tortured in prison in an effort to get him to reveal the names of other Catholics, but he refused. After three trials, John was convict...

SAINT OF THE DAY MAR. 10 ST. SIMPLICIUS, POPE ST. JOHN OGILVIE, JESUIT AND MARTYR

ENGLISH SPEAKING SAINTS:MAR. 09 St. Bosa, 705 A.D. Bishop of York, praised by St. Bede. Bosa was a Benedictine monk at Whitby, England a monastery ruled by St. Hilda. In 678, he was consecrated a bishop by St. Theodore. He was involved in St. Wilfrid's refusal to accept the division of the see of York. Bosa became the bishop in 691, when Wilfrid was exiled by King Aldfrid. St. Bede called Bosa a man of unusual merit and sanctity, "a man beloved of God." Mar..9

SAINT OF THE DAY MAR. 09 STS. FORTY MARTYRS OF SEBASTE ST. CATHERINE OF BOLOGNA, VIRGIN, CLARES ST. FRANCESCA ROMANA, FOUNDRESS OF THE OBLATES OF TOR DE’ SPECCHI

St. Arian and Companions, A Roman Catholic Alexandrian martyr with Theoticus and three others. Arian was the governor of Thebes. He and his companions witnessed the martyrdom of Sts. Apollonius and Philemon in Alexandria and were converted. Upon confessing the faith, the men were thrown into the sea. Feastday March 8

MAR. 08 ENGLISH SPEAKING SAINTS: St. Senan. Senan was born of Christian parents at Munster, Ireland. He was a soldier for a time and then became a monk under Abbot Cassidus, who sent him to Abbot St. Natalis at Kilmanagh in Ossory. Senan became known for his holiness and miracles and attracted great crowds to his sermons. He made a journey to Rome, meeting St. David on the way back. He built several churches and monasteries, and then settled on Scattery Island, where he built a monastery that soon became famous. He died at Killeochailli on the way back from a visit to St. Cassidus monastery St. Beoadh, 518 A.D. Irish bishop. He was called Aeodh, receiving the prefix "Beo" because of his evident holiness. He was the bishop of Ardcarne. One of his relics, called the "Bell of St. Beoadh," has long been venerated and recognized as a work of art. St. Duthac, Bishop of Ross, in Scotland. An Irishman by birth, he was venerated for miracles and prophecies. He is record...

SAINT OF THE DAY MAR. 08 ST. JOHN OF GOD, FOUNDER OF FATEBENEFRATELLI, PATRON OF BROTHERS HOSPITALLER

ENGLISH SPEAKING SAINTS:MAR. 07 St. Deifer, 6th century. Welsh abbot and founder of Bodfare in Clwyd, Wales. St. Enodoch, 520 A.D. Welsh saint of the line of the chieftain Brychan of Brecknock, also called Wenedoc. St. Esterwine, 668 A.D. Benedictine abbot, a relative of St. Benedict Biscop. A noble from Northumbria, England, he was abbot of Wearmouth Abbey during a period of Benedict’s absence. Bl. John Ireland, 1544 A.D. English martyr and chaplain to St. Thomas More. He became a pastor at Eltham, Kent, prior to his arrest for resisting the supremacy of King Henry VIII of England over the Church of England. Executed at Tyburn, he died with Blesseds Jermyn Gardiner and John Larke. Bl. John Larke, 1544 A.D. English martyr and priest. John Larke served as a pastor in Bishopgate, Woodford, Essex, and then Chelsea until his arrest for opposing the religious supremacy of King Henry VIII of England. He was executed at Tybum with John Ireland and Jermyn Gardiner. His lo...

SAINT OF THE DAY MAR. 07 STS. PERPETUA AND FELICITAS, MARTYRS ST. TERESA MARGARET REDI, VIRGIN AND CARMELITE

SAINT OF THE DAY MAR. 06 ST. ROSE OF VITERBO, VIRGIN, FRANCISCAN ST. COLETTE BOYLET, VIRGIN AND FRANCISCAN, FOUNDRESS OF THE POOR CLARES

ENGLISH SPEAKING SAINTS:MAR.06 St. Baldred, 8th century. Bishop of Scotland, successor of St. Kentigern in Glasgow. He retired from his see to become a hermit on the Firth of Forth. St. Bilfrid, 8th century. Benedictine hermit, the silversmith who bound the Lindisfarne Gospels. He was a hermit in Lindisfarne, Ireland, off the coast of Northumbria, in northern England, where he aided Bishop Eaddfrid in preparing the binding of that masterpiece. He used gold, silver, and gems to bind the famous copy of the Gospels of St. Cuthbert. His relics were enshrined in Durham, England, in the eleventh century. St. Cadroe, 976 A.D. A Scottish prince and Benedictine abbot. He studied in Arrnagh, Ireland, and went to England where tradition states he saved London from a fire. In Fleury, France, Cadroe became Benedictine. Soon after, he became the abbot of Waul sort Monastery on the Meuse River in Belgium. He then went to Metz, Prance, to become abbot of St. Clements’s monastery. St. Fridoli...

St. Oliva, Roman Catholic Woman Martyr. She was executed in the last year of the reign of Emperor Hadrian. Her relics are venerated at Saint Afra's Church, Brescia. Mar. 5

ENGLISH SPEAKING SAINTS: MAR. 05 St. Piran. Piran was a hermit near Padstow in Cornwall and sometimes called Perran. He is the patron saint of tin mines there and is often erroneously identified with St. Kyran (Kieran) of Saighir. St. Caron. Titular saint of Tregaron, in Dyfed, Wales, England St. Carthach, 540 A.D. An Irish bishop, called “the Elder” and Carthage. He was the successor of St. Kieman in Ossory. He was the son or grandson of a local king. St. Colman of Armagh. St. Colman of Armagh: Disciple of St. Patrick, buried by him in Armagh, Ireland. St. Kieran, 530 A.D. The “first born of the saints of Ireland,” sometimes listed as Kieran Saighir or Kevin the Elder. He was a native of Ossory, and after living for a time as a hermit, he is believed to have been consecrated a bishop by St. Patrick, taking his place as the first bishop of Ossory. Another tradition states that he was consecrated in Rome. Legends attribute remarkable miracles to Kieran Mar.5

SAINT OF THE DAY MAR. 05 ST. LUCIUS I, POPE Pope St Lucius was sent into exile shortly after his election in 253. After his return to Rome, he opposed the rigorism of the Novatians, who refused absolution to Christians who had lapsed during persecutions. St Lucius allowed them to return to the Church after a suitable penance. ST.ADRIAN, MARTYR ST. JOHN JOSEPH OF THE CROSS, FRANCISCAN

St. Basil and Companions, Roman Catholic Priests and Martyrs. Martyred bishop, with Agathodorus, Elpidius, Ephraem, lftherius, Eugene, Arcadius, Capito, and Nestor. These prelates served as bishops. Nestor and Arcadius were rnartyred on Cyprus. The others died in the Crimean area and elsewhere in southern Russia. Mar. 4 St. Lucius I, Roman Catholic Priest and elected Pope to succeed Pope St. Cornelius on June 25, 253, and ruled only eighteen months. He was exiled briefly during the persecution of Emperor Gallus, but was allowed to return to Rome. Feastday March 4

SAINT OF THE DAY MAR. 04 ST. CASIMIR, PATRON OF LITHUANIA Born in 1458, St Casimir was of Lithuanian origin, the son of the King of Poland. He renounced the crown of Hungary at the urging of the Pope, and refused an arranged marriage designed to expand his realms. St Casimir was only 25 when he died, having overcome the seductions of power and luxury. B. HUMBERT III OF SAVOY

ENGLISH SPEAKING SAINTS:March 3 St. Sacer, 7th century. Also called Mo-Sacra, an Irish abbot. He is honored as the founder of the monastery of Saggard, Dublin. St. Cele-Christ, 728 A.D. Bishop of Leinster, England. His name is from Christicola, meaning “Christwor-shipper.” St. Lamalisse, 7th century. Scottish hermit. An Island near Arran, Scotland, is named in his honor. St. Foila, 6th century. Co-patroness of Kil-Faile and Kil-Golgan parishes in Galway, Ireland, the sister of St. Colgan. St. Katharine Drexel, 1955 A.D. Saint Katharine Drexel, Religious, Born in 1858, into a prominent Philadelphia family, Katharine became imbued with love for God and neighbor. She took an avid interest in the material and spiritual well-being of black and Native Americans. She began by donating money but soon concluded that more was needed - the lacking ingredient was people. Katharine founded the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament for Indians and Colored People, whose members would work for t...

SAINT OF THE DAY MAR. 03 ST. CUNEGUNDA, BRIDE OF ST. HENRY II, EMPEROR St Cunegunda was married to St Henry, the Holy Roman Emperor. She built numerous monasteries and churches, and was known for her care for the poor. After her husband died, she became a nun, devoting herself to caring for her sick sisters, and taking on the humblest tasks.

The Martyrs of Campania, Christians martyred by the Lombards in Italy. They number several hundred and their suffering was recorded by St. Gregory I the Great. Feastday March2

St. Agnes of Bohemia, Roman Catholic Bohemian princess who opted for a life of charity, mortification of the flesh and piety over a life of luxury and comfort. Mar. 2 Bl. Charles the Good as Charles was praying in the Church of St. Donatian, black marketeers set upon him and killed him. Feastday March 2

ENGLISH SPEAKING SAINTS: St. Chad, 673 A.D. Irish archbishop and brother of St. Cedd, also called Ceadda. He was trained by St. Aidan in Lindisfarne and in England. He also spent time with St. Egbert in Ireland. Made the archbishop of York by King Oswy, Chad was disciplined by Theodore, the newly arrived archbishop of Canterbury, in 669. Chad accepted Theodore’s charges of impropriety with such humility and grace that Theodore regularized his consecration and appointed him the bishop of Mercia. He established a see at Lichfield. His relics are en-shrined in Birmingham. In liturgical art he is depicted as a bishop, holding a church. St. Cynibild, 7th century. Evangelist to the Anglo-Saxons and the brother of Sts. Chad and Cedd. St. Fergna, 637 A.D. An abbot of lona, Scotland the successor of St. Columba and a relative of the saint. He is called “the White.” St. Gilstlianm 5th or 6th century. The uncle of St. David of Wales and a monk at Menevia Abbey called St. David’s. Mar 2

SAINT OF THE DAY MAR. 02 ST. ANGELA OF THE CROSS, VIRGIN St Angela was born in Seville in 1846. She chose religious life after seeing a vision, in which she saw an empty cross – her own – next to the Cross of Christ. In 1875 she founded the Sisters of the Company of the Cross, which is devoted especially to caring for the sick.