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Saint of the Day - Calendar of Saints of 09/01 - Vatican News https://www.vaticannews.va/en/saints/09/01.html

SAINTS SEPT. 01 St. Giles, Abbot, Roman Catholic Abbot (Patron of Physically Disabled) Bl. Michael Ghebre, Roman Catholic Vincentian Priest Martyr of Ethiopia also listed as Mikael Gabra. A native of that country, Michael became a Catholic in 1844 - converted by a Vincentian and was ordained in 1851. Theodore II, the Negus of Ethiopia, launched a persecution of Catholics in 1855. Michael and four companions were arrested. Michael was dragged from place to place and died from abuse in prison on August 28 St. Anna the Prophetess, Roman Catholic A widow and seeress, described in St. Luke's Gospel.

ENGLISH SPEAKING SAINTS SEPTEMBER 01 St. Fiacre. Patron of Gardeners and Cab-drivers St. Fiacre (Fiachra) is not mentioned in the earlier Irish calendars, but it is said that he was born in Ireland and that he sailed over into France in quest of closer solitude, in which he might devote himself to God, unknown to the world. He arrived at Meaux, where Saint Faro, who was the bishop of that city, gave him a solitary dwelling in a forest which was his own patrimony, called Breuil, in the province of Brie. There is a legend that St. Faro offered him as much land as he could turn up in a day, and that St. Fiacre, instead of driving his furrow with a plough, turned the top of the soil with the point of his staff. The anchorite cleared the ground of trees and briers, made himself a cell with a garden, built an oratory in honor of the Blessed Virgin, and made a hospice for travelers which developed into the village of Saint-Fiacre in Seine-et-Marne. Many resorted to him for advice, and the po...

Saint of the Day - Calendar of Saints of 08/31 - Vatican News

St. Raymond Nonnatus, Roman Catholic Priest. He remained as hostage for several slaves when his money ran out and was sentenced to be impaled when the governor learned that he had converted several Mohammedans. He escaped the death sentence because of the ransom he would bring, but was forced to run the gauntlet. He was then tortured for continuing his evangelizing activities but was ransomed eight months later by Peter Nolasco. Feastday Aug 31

ENGLISH SPEAKING SAINTS AUGUST 31 St. Aidan of Lindisfarne, 651 A.D. Aidan of Lindisfarne, born in Ireland, may have studied under St. Senan before becoming a monk at Iona. At the request of King Oswald of Northumbria, Aidan went to Lindisfarne as bishop and was known throughout the kingdom for his knowledge of the Bible, his learning, his eloquent preaching, his holiness, his distaste for pomp, his kindness to the poor, and the miracles attributed to him. He founded a monastery at Lindisfarne that became known as the English Iona and was a center of learning and missionary activity for all of northern England. He died in 651 at the royal castle at Bamburgh. Bl. Richard Bere, 1537 A.D. English martyr. Born at Glastonbury, he studied at Oxford and the Inns of Court before entering the Carthusians in London. When he and his fellow monks voiced their opposition to the planned divorce of King Henry VIII from Catherine of Aragon, they were starved to death in Newgate Prison.

St. Pelagius, Arsenius, and Sylvanus, Martyrs in Spain, they were hermits who resided in the area around Burgos, in Old Castile, who were put to death by Muslim Moors. Feastday Aug.30

Saint of the Day - Calendar of Saints of 08/30 - Vatican News https://www.vaticannews.va/en/saints/08/30.html

ENGLISH SPEAKING SAINTS AUGUST 30 St. Rumon. Rumon, also known as Ruan, Ronan, and Ruadan, was probably a brother of Bishop St. Tudwal of Trequier, but nothing else is known of him beyond that he was probably an Irish missionary and many churches in Devon and Cornwall in England were named after him. Some authorities believed he is the same as the St. Ronan (June 1) venerated in Brittany and believed consecrated bishop by St. Patrick, but others believe that he and St. Kea were British monks who founded a monastery at Street Somerset. Bl. Edward Shelley, 1588 A.D. English martyr of Warminghurst. He sheltered priests and was hung at Tyburn. Edward was beatified in 1929. St. Loaran, 5th century. Irish disciple of St. Patrick. He is sometimes listed as the bishop of Downpatrick, Ireland. Bl. Richard Leigh, 1588 A.D. English martyr. Born in London, circa 1561, he studied at Reims and Rome and was ordained a priest in 1586. Returning to England, he was arrested and banished. He ret...

SAINT OF THE DAY, AUGUST 29, ST. SABINE, ROMAN MARTYR IN THE HOMONYM CHURCH ON THE AVENTINO, ST. ERMETE, MARTYR ON THE VIA SALARIA ANTICA

ENGLISH SPEAKING SAINTS AUGUST 29 St. Velleicus, 8th century. Anglo-Saxon abbot also listed as Willeic. He journeyed to Germany to assist in the evangelization of the region as a disciple of St. Swithbert and served as abbot of Kaiserswerth, on the Rhine. St. Sebbi, 694 A.D. Also listed as Sebbe, he became the king of Essex (or the East Saxons) following the conversion of the kingdom by St. Cedd in 664. He ruled at a time when there was relative peace and the realm was under the domination of Mercia, a nearby kingdom. Sebbi abdicated after ruling thirty years and became a monk in London. He died there and was buried in the old St. Paul’s. St. Edwold, 9th century. A hermit who was the brother of St. Edmund the Martyr, King of East Anglia, England. Edwold lived as a recluse in Cerne, Dorsetshire. Bl. Richard Herst, 1628 A.D. English martyr, also called Hurst. Born near Preston, Lancashire, England, he was well known as a farmer until being arrested on the charge of murder...

Bl. Robert Morton, Roman Catholic Priest and English Martyr. He was executed at Lincoln's Inn Fields, London. Feastday Aug.28

August 28 Bl. Laurentia Herasymiv, was a nun who joined the Sisters of Saint Joseph in 1933 and was Martyred Under Communist Regimes in Eastern Bloc.Aug. 28 Bl. Aurelio da Vinalesa, Aurelio was a member of the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin. Martyred during the Second Spanish Republic.Aug. 28 Bl. Teresa Bracco, In WW II an enraged soldier throttled her until she choked. He shot her twice with his revolver and to vent his rage, crushed part of her skull with his boot. Teresa had fulfilled her intention: "I would rather be killed than give in".Aug. 28

ENGLISH SPEAKING SAINTS AUGUST 28 St. Edmund Arrowsmith, 1628 A.D. St. Edmund Arrowsmith (1585 - 1628) Edmund was the son of Robert Arrowsmith, a farmer, and was born at Haydock, England. He was baptized Brian, but always used his Confirmation name of Edmund. The family was constantly harrassed for its adherence to Catholicism, and in 1605 Edmund left England and went to Douai to study for the priesthood. He was ordained in 1612 and sent on the English mission the following year. He ministered to the Catholics of Lancashire without incident until about 1622, when he was arrested and questioned by the Protestant bishop of Chester. He was released when King James ordered all arrested priests be freed, joined the Jesuits in 1624, and in 1628 was arrested when betrayed by a young man he had censored for an incestuous marriage. He was convicted of being a Catholic priest, sentenced to death, and hanged, drawn, and quartered at Lancaster on August 28th. He was canonized as one of the Forty ...

St. Monica, Roman Catholic Laywoman and was married by arrangement to a pagan official in North Africa, who was much older than she, and although generous, was also violent tempered. His mother Lived with them and was equally difficult, which proved a constant challenge to St. Monica. She had three children; Augustine, Navigius, and Perpetua. feastday Aug 27 Patron of Wives and Abuse Victims St. Margaret the Barefooted-Roman Catholic Laywoman Wife and model of charity. She was born into a poor family at San Severino, Ancona, Italy. Married at fifteen, she suffered through ill treatment from her husband with prayer, while begging alms for the poor and sick. She walked as barefooted as the lowliest beggar. Feastday Aug 27 Patron of brides, difficult marriages, victims of abuse, widows

ENGLISH SPEAKING SAINTS AUGUST 27 St. Decuman, 706 A.D. Hermit martyr, also called Dagan. He was Welsh, and he lived as a recluse in Somersetshire, England. There he was murdered in a fashion that led to his veneration as a martyr. St. Etherius, 602 A.D. Bishop of Lyons, France, who welcomed St. Augustine when he was on his way to England. Pope St. Gregory I the Great recommended Etherius to St. Augustine. Etherius is some-times listed as Alermius. St. Malrubius. Martyred hermit of Merns, Scotland. He was slain by Norse invaders who landed in his area and razed the countryside.

Saint of the Day - Calendar of Saints of 08/26 - Vatican News https://www.vaticannews.va/en/saints/08/26.html

ENGLISH SPEAKING SAINTS AUGUST 26 St. Bregwin, 764 A.D. Also Breguivine, the twelfth archbishop of Canterbury, England. He served from 761 until his death. His letters to St. Lullus of Mainz are extant and Eadmer wrote his life. Bl. Thomas Percy, 1572 A.D. English Martyr, born in 1528. Earl of Northumberland from 1537, Thomas initially enjoyed an excellent relationship with Queen Elizabeth I (r. 1558-1603). Thomas also served Queen Mary (r. 1542-1587). Queen Elizabeth bestowed the Order of the Garter on him in 1563. He then became involved in the Rising of the North and fled to Scotland but was sold to Queen Elizabeth for two thousand pounds. For three years he languished in a prison, refusing fervently to abjure his faith in return for his freedom. Thomas was finally beheaded at York and was beatified in 1896. St. Pandwyna, 10th century. A Scottish or Irish saint also called Pandonio. A church is dedicated to her in Cambridgeshire, England.

St. Genesius, During a stage performance before Emperor Diocletian in Rome, the actor Genesius portrayed a catechumen about to be baptized in a play satirizing the Christian sacrament. In the midst of the ceremony he was suddenly converted to Christianity. When presented to the Emperor, he declared his Christianity. Enbraged, Diocletian had him turned over to Plautian, prefect of the praetorium, who tortured him in an effort to force him to sacrifice to the pagan gods. When Genesius persisted in his faith, he was beheaded. Genesius is the patron of actors. Feast day is Aug. 25. St. Patricia, fled to Italy to escape marriage and became a virgin consecrated to God in Rome. She returned to constantinople, distributed her wealth to the poor, and then went back to Italy;, where she died soon after, at Naples. She is a patron of Naples, and like St. Januarius there, a vial believed to be filled with her blood reportedly liquefies thirteen hundred years after her death. Feast Aug. 25 St...

Saint of the Day - Calendar of Saints of 08/24 - Vatican News https://www.vaticannews.va/en/saints/08/24.html

SAINTS AUGUST 24 St. Nathanael, is St. Bartholomew. He was one of the apostles. His name means 'son of Tolomai'. Schlors believe that he is the man from Cana that Jesus said was incapable of deceit. He preached in India and Greater Armenia, where he was flayed and beheaded by King Astyages. Feastday Aug 24 St. Yrchard, fifth century. Scottish bishop and disciple of St. Ternan also called Yardcard. Yrchard served as a missionary among the Picts.

Saint of the Day - Calendar of Saints of 08/23 - Vatican News https://www.vaticannews.va/en/saints/08/23.html

St. Philip Benizi, Roman Catholic Servite cardinal and preacher. Aug. 23 St. Rose of Lima, Roman Catholic Dominican Nun the patroness of Latin America and the Philippines

ENGLISH SPEAKING SAINTS AUGUST 23 St. Tydfil, 480 A.D. Welsh martyr, reportedly from the clan of Brychan. She was slain by a group of pagan Picts or Saxons and is venerated at Merthyr-Tydfil, Glamorgan. Wales. St. Ebba, 870 A.D. Abbess of Coldingham, England, on the Scottish border, called “the Younger.” She and her nuns were martyred by Danes in an invasion. She mutilated her face to discourage rape by the invading Danes. The raiders set fire to Coldingham, killing all of the nuns. St. Eugene, 6th century. Irish missionary to England who became the first bishop of Ardstraw, in Tyrone, Ireland, now Derry. He is also listed as Eoghan, Enny, and Owen. He was born in Leinster, Ireland, and was a relative of St. Kevin of Glendalough. Kidnapped as a child, he spent years as a slave before returning to Ireland. There he helped St. Tigernach found Clones Monastery in 576.

St. Antoninus (died 186) was a public executioner in Rome. It is believed that during the trial of St Eusebius he had a vision and converted to Christianity. The proclamation of faith cost his life and he was beheaded in 186. His feast day is 22 August.

ENGLISH SPEAKING SAINTS AUGUST 22 St. Sigfrid. Sigfrid, who died in the year 690, was a deacon at Wearmouth Abbey. He was known for his knowledge of scripture and for his frail health. He was elected coadjutor abbot in 688 on the death of St. Erstwine while Abbot St. Benedict Biscop was in Rome. Sigfrid died soon after St. Benedict. St. Andrew the Scot, 877 A.D. Archdeacon and companion of St. Donatus. Andrew and his sister, St. Bridget the Younger, were born in Ireland of noble parents. They were educated by St. Donatus, and when Donatus went on a pilgrimage to Italy, Andrew accompanied him. In Fiesole, through a miracle, Donatus was elected bishop. Andrew was ordained the archdeacon of Fiesole, serving Donatus for fortyseven years. He also founded a monastery in Mensola, Italy. Andrew died shortly after Donatus, but his sister, St. Bridget the Younger, was carried by an angel to his bedside, all the way from Ireland. St. Arnulf, 9th century. Hermit, venerated at Arnulphsbury o...

SAINTS AUGUST 21 St. Hardulph. A hermit of Leicester, England, possibly the recluse of Breedon, mentioned in the life of St. Modwenna. A church was dedicated in hid honor. St. Pius X, Roman Catholic Priest and became the two hundred fifty-ninth Pope St. Cyriaca, Roman Catholic Widowed Martyr and patroness of St. Laurence, sometimes called Dominica. St. Laurence, deacon and martyr, used Cyriacas villa in Rome to distribute alms to the poor. She was scourged to death for the faith. The church of St. Mary in Dominica was named after her. Feastday Aug. 21

Saint of the Day - Calendar of Saints - Vatican News https://www.vaticannews.va/en/saints.html

Roman Catholic Martyrs of Thrace, A group of thirty-seven martyrs who suffered in Thrace, in modem northern Greece. Their feet and hands were sliced off and then they were cast into a furnace. Feastday Aug. 20 St. Bernard of Clairvaux, Roman Catholic Abbot and Doctor of the Church. Reminds Us that 'Love Is Sufficient of Itself' Feastday Aug. 20 Sts. Leovigild and Christopher, Martyrs of Cordoba, Spain, put to death under the Muslim ruler of Cordoba, Abd al-Rahman II. Leovigild was a priest and Christopher was a monk. Feastday Aug 20

ENGLISH SPEAKING SAINTS AUGUST 20 St. Edbert, 960 A.D. King of Northumbria, England, the successor of St. Ceolwulph. He reigned for two decades and then became a Benedictine monk at York. St. Herbert Hoscam, 1180 A.D. Archbishop and patron saint of Conze, Italy. He was English by birth but served as prelate of the Basilicata area. St. Ronald, 1158 A.D. A warrior chieftain in the Orkney Islands, Scotland. According to tradition, he made a vow to build a church, fulfilling the pledge by erecting the cathedral of St. Magnus at Kirkwall. Ronald was later murdered by a group of rebelling warriors and was venerated as a martyr at Kirkwall.

Bl. Peter Zuniga, Roman Catholic Priest and Martyr of Japan. A Spaniard from Seville, he grew up in Mexico, where his father was the sixth Viceroy of the Spanish colony. Upon his return to Spain, he joined the Augustinians, and, after ordination, he requested to be sent to Japan and the missions there. Going first to the Philippines in 1610, he was later assigned to Japan, arriving there in 1620. Two years later, he was arrested and, with Blesseds Louis Flores, Joachim, Firayama, and the captain and crew which had transported them, was put to death. The crew was beheaded while the others were burned alive. Feastday Aug. 19 Bl. Michael Diaz, A martyr of Japan. He was a Spanish merchant on board the Japanese ship carrying Blessed Joachim Firayama. Michael and others were arrested by Protestant Europeans who turned them over to the Japanese authorities. Everyone on the ship was martyred at Nagasaki. Aug. 19 Bl. Bartholomew Monfiore, Bl. James Denshi, Bl. Paul Sanchiki, Roman Catholics a...

ENGLISH SPEAKING SAINTS AUGUST 19 St. Mochta, 535 A.D. Bishop of Ireland. He was born in Britain but was brought to Ireland as a child. There he became a disciple of St. Patrick. During a visit to Rome, Mochta was made a bishop by Pope St. Leo I. He founded Louth Monastery with twelve companions and was probably consecrated by St. Patrick. He died at the age of ninety, the last known disciple of St. Patrick. St. Sebald, 770 A.D. Patron Saint of Nuremberg. Hermit, missionary, and a patron saint of Nuremberg. Most likely an Anglo-Saxon from England, he arrived on the Continent and became a hermit near Vicenza, Italy, and then participated in the missionary enterprise of the times, assisting in the work. of St. Willibald in the Reichswald. Many miracles were attributed to him, including turning icicles into firewood. St. Credan, 780 A.D. A Benedictine abbot of Evesham, England, in the reign of King Offa of Mercia.

St. Helena, Empress - Information on the Saint of the Day - Vatican News https://www.vaticannews.va/en/saints/08/18/st---helena--empress.html

SAINT OF THE DAY, Aug. 18 ST. HELENA, EMPRESS, ST AGAPITUS, MARTYR OF PALESTRINA,

Sts. Leo & Juliana, Roman Catholic Martyrs. Leo suffered martyrdom at Lycia. Juliana was martyred at Stribylum, in Asia Minor. Feastday Aug. 18 Blesseds James, Thoffias and Mary Guengoro Japanese martyrs. James was the son of Blesseds Thoffias and Mary Guengoro. James was only two at the time of his crucifixion at Kokura. Feastday Aug. 18 Empress. Saint Helena was an innkeeper's daughter born at Drepanum (later Helenopolis) in Asia Minor, around 270. Another story claims she was born in Britain and was the daughter of King Cole. She married the Roman general Constantius Chlorus, but when he became emperor in 292 he divorced her for political reasons. After his death, their son, who was to become the Emperor Constantine, reinstated his mother and showed her great respect. Coins were minted in her honour. In about 312, when she was over 60, St Helena became a Christian. She was very devout, dressed quietly, and gave generously to the poor and prisoners. She made a length...

ENGLISH SPEAKING SAINTS AUGUST 18 St. Daig Maccairaill, 586 A.D. Monastic founder and bishop, also called Dagaeus and Daganus. He was the son of Cayrill and a disciple of St. Finian. Daig Maccairaill founded a monastery at Iniskeen, Ireland. He is called “one of the Three Master Craftsman of Ireland.” St. Hugh the Little, 1255 A.D. Martyred nine year old of Lincoln, England, reportedly a victim of ritual killing by English Jews. King Henry III conducted the investigation of the crime which resulted in eighteen or nineteen Jews being hanged. Hugh had been scourged, crowned with thorns, and crucified. Miracles supposedly accompanied the recovery of the lad’s body from a well, and the martyrdom became part of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales. The feast of the saint is no longer kept by the Church, and the entire account of the young saint is considered an example of the anti Semitism which was rampant throughout the Middle Ages. In art, he was depicted bound in cords, kneeling before the B...

SAINT OF THE DAY, AUG. 17, ST. EUSEBIUS, POPE AND MARTYR, ST. HYACINTH OF CRACOW, DOMINICAN PRIEST, ST. CLARE OF MONTEFALCO, AUGUSTINIAN ABBESS

Bl. Caspar and Mary Vaz, Roman Catholic Martyrs of Japan. They were husband and wife and tertiaries of St. Francis. Both were martyred in Nagasaki. Caspar was burned alive, and Mary was beheaded. Feastday Aug. 17

Bl. Michael Kiraiemon, Bl. Thomas Vinyemon, Bl. Miguel Kurobioye, Bl. Bartholomew Laurel, Roman Catholic Franciscan lay brother Martyr of Japan. Sent to the Philippines in 1609. He studied medicine at Manila and in 1622 was sent to Japan where he suffered martyrdom for his faith by being burned to death at Nagasaki. Feastday Aug 17 St. Frances Bizzocca, Roman Catholic Martyr of Japan. A Third Order Dominican, the wife of Blessed Leo Bizzocca, Frances sheltered missionaries in her home, an act that brought about her arrest. She was burned alive in Nagasaki, Japan. Feastday Aug 17 Bl. Francis Kuloi Roman Catholic Franciscan tertiary Martyr of Japan A native Japanese, who sheltered missionaries. He was beheaded.Feastday Aug 17 Bl. Francis Kurobiove, Roman Catholic Dominican tertiary Martyr of Japan. A native Japanese, Francis was burned alive at Nagasaki, Japan Feastday Aug 17 Bls. Louis Someyon & St. Luke Kiemon Roman Catholic Franciscan tertiaries Martyrs of Japa...

ENGLISH SPEAKING SAINTS AUGUST 17 St. Drithelm, 700 A.D. A wealthy man of Northumbria, England, who supposedly died, experienced a powerful vision of heaven, hell, and purgatory, and then was found to be alive. He divided his possessions among his wife and children and made benefices for the poor before becoming a monk at Melrose Abbey. He lived as a hermit there with great austerities. St. Bede gives an account of his life. St. Hiero, 885 A.D. Irish martyr, also called Iero. He was an Irish missionary to Holland, where he was martyred St. James the Deacon, 769 A.D. Italian monk and deacon. A companion of St. Paulinus in the missionary effort in Northumbria, England, he was so dedicated to the evangelizing cause that he remained in the region despite the constant dangers of the severe pagan reaction.

SAINT OF THE DAY, AUG. 16, ST. STEPHAN, KING OF HUNGARY, ST. ROCH, PILGRIM

SAINTS AUGUST 16 Bl. John of Saint Martha, Roman Catholic Franciscan Martyr of Japan. He was born in Prados, Spain, in 1578, and ordained a Franciscan in 1606. Sent to Japan, he mastered that nation's language and worked in the missions. He was arrested in 1615 and spent three years in prison before being beheaded. John was beatified in 1867. Feastday Aug 16 St. Armagillus, 570 A.D. Welsh missionary, called Armel, Ermel, and Ervan, and a cousin of St. Samson. He studied under Abbot Carentmael, joining the abbot in missionary journeys to Brittany, France. The missionaries founded Saint-Armel-des-Boscheaux and Plou-Ermel or Plouharzel. Connor, a local chieftain, forced them to leave the mission until 555. Connor was slain in battle that year, allowing their return. Armagillus is honored by a Comish church, St. Erme. Bl. Mary Magdalen Kiota, Roman Catholic Dominican tertiary and Japanese Martyr. A princess of Japan and relative of a local lord, she was a Dominican tertiary. ...

SAINT OF THE DAY, AUG. 15, ST. TARCISIUS, ROMAN, MARTYR OF THE EUCHARIST, ST. STANISLAUS KOSTKA, JESUIT

St. Maximilian M. Kolbe, priest of the Order of the Friars Minor Conventual and Martyr - Information on the Saint of the Day - Vatican News https://www.vaticannews.va/en/saints/08/14/st--maximilian-m--kolbe---priest-of-the-order--of-the-friars-min.html

SAINT OF THE DAY Aug. 14, ST. MAXIMILIAN M. KOLBE, PRIEST OF THE ORDER OF THE FRIARS MINOR CONVENTUAL AND MARTYR, ST. EUSEBIUS, ROMAN, FOUNDER OF THE HOMONYMOUS CHURCH ON THE ESQUILINOSt. Otranto Martyrs, Antonio Primaldo was martyred in 1480 by Ottoman invaders after he refused along with approximately 800 others, to convert to Islam. Primaldo will be beautified and elevated to sainthood in a ceremony on May 12, 2013 by Pope Francis. Aug. 14

ENGLISH SPEAKING SAINTS AUGUST 14 St. Fachanan. This saint's feast is observed liturgically throughout all Ireland and he is patron of the diocese of Ross, where he was probably the first bishop. He was born at Tulachteann, was one of the pupils of St. Ita, and founded the monastery of Molana on an island in the Blackwater, near Youghal. But his great achievement was the establishment of the monastic school of Ross, at what is now Rosscarbery, in county Cork, one of the most famous schools of Ireland, which flourished for three hundred years and survived in some form until the coming of the Normans. Fachanan (Fachtna) suffered for a time from blindness, from which he recovered at the intercession of St. Ita's sister, who was about to give birth to St. Mochoemog. St. Fachanan was revered as a "wise and upright man", with a great gift for preaching; St. Cuimin of Connor said of him that he was "generous and steadfast, fond of preaching to the people and saying not...

SAINT OF THE DAY, Aug. 13, ST. JOHN BERCHMANS,JESUIT, SAINT PHILOMENA, ST. MAXIMUS THE CONFESSOR, STS. PONTIAN, POPE AND HIPPOLYTUS PRIEST, MARTYRS, ST. CASSIAN, MARTYR St. Hippolytus, Roman Catholic Martyr of Rome with Concordia and other companions. Feastday Aug 13

ENGLISH SPEAKING SAINTS AUGUST 13 St. Wigbert, 738 A.D. Abbot and missionary. Originally an English monk, he traveled to Germany, where he accepted the invitation of St. Boniface, who wanted his help in the missionary field and who named him abbot of Fritzlar, near Cassel, France. After a number of years, he was transferred to Ohrdruf, in Thuringia, Germany, but Boniface gave him permission to return to Fritzlar, where he died. St. William Freeman, 1595 A.D. English martyr. Born in East Riding, Yorkshire, he studied at Oxford and was converted to Catholicism in 1586 by the martyrdom of Blessed Edward Stransahm at Tyburn. He went to Reims, France, where he was ordained in 1587. He went back to England the following year, and labored for the English mission in Worcestershire and Warwickshire until arrested in early 1595. Seven months later he was hanged, drawn, and quartered at Warwick on August 13. William was beatified in 1929.

AUGUST 12 MARTYRS OF VIETNAM St. Michael My, Roman Catholic Martyr of Vietnam. He was the mayor of a town in Vietnam when the persecution of Christians started. Michael was martyred with Blessed Anthony Dich, his son-in-law, and with St. James Nam. Feastday Aug. 12 St. James Nam, Roman Catholic Vietnamese martyr. A native of Vietnam, he became a priest and joined the Paris Society of Foreign Missions. Seized in the anti Christian persecutions, he was beheaded with Sts. Anthony Dich and Michael My. Feastday Aug.12 St. Anthony Peter Dich. Roman Catholic Martyr of Vietnam. He was a native of Vietnam, a farmer who was beheaded for sheltering a priest, St. James Nam. Anthony was canonized in 1988. Feastday Aug.12

ENGLISH SPEAKING SAINTS AUGUST 12 St. Just. Patron saint of the church of St. Just, near Penzance, Cornwall, England, also called Justus. It is possible that several saints' lives are present in the accounts of Just's life, as he is variously described as a hermit and martyr. St. Jambert or Lambert, 792 A.D. Benedictine archbishop of Canterbury, sometimes listed as Lambert. He succeeded St. Bregwin as archbishop in 766. Jambert was the thirteenth prelate of the primal see of England and was noted for his patronage of monasteries and the poor. St. Merewenna. Patroness of Marharm Church, in Cornwall, England. Sometimes known as Merwenna and Merwinna, she was a daughter of Brychan of Brecknock. St. Murtagh, 6th century. Bishop of Killala, Ireland, appointed by St. Patrick. Also called Muredach, he was a member of the royal family of King Laoghaire. Murtagh reportedly met with St. Columba at Ballsodare, near Sligo, in 575. He died as a hermit on Inismurray Island.

SAINT OF THE DAY, Aug. 11, ST. CLARE OF ASSISIS, VIRGIN, FOUNDRESS OF THE POOR LADIES, ST. TIBURTIUS, MARTYR ON THE VIA LABICANA, ST SUSAN, ROMAN, IN THE HOMONYM CHURCH

SAINTS AUGUST 11 St. Clare, Roman Catholic Nun. Foundress of an order of nuns now called "Poor Clares." Patron of sore eyes. Feastday Aug. 11 Saint Philomena, Roman Catholic Virgin and Martyr. Patroness of the Living Rosary and the Patroness of the Children of Mary, is the only person recognized as a saint solely on the basis of her powerful intercession, although pertinent revelations regarding her life have been recorded. Her relics are now preserved in Mugnano. Feastday Aug. 11 St. Blane. Blane was born on the island of Bute, Scotland; he studied in Ireland for seven years, became a monk there, and on his return to Scotland was ordained and devoted himself to missionary work. He was consecrated bishop, made a pilgrimage to Rome, is credited with performing miracles, and died at Kingarth on Bute. He is also known as Blaan St. Lelia. The diocese of Limerick today keeps the feast of St. Lelia, who as well as a commemoration in all other Irish dioceses. Canon O...

August 10 St. Lawrence, Roman Catholic Priest and Martyr. Saint Lawrence was one of seven deacons who were in charge of giving help to the poor and the needy. Feastday Aug10 St. Asteria, Roman Catholic laywoman and Virgin Martyr, sister of St. Grata. Asteria and her sister were martyred at Bergamo, in Sicily, Feastday Aug. 10

ENGLISH SPEAKING SAINTS AUGUST 09 St. Nathy. Nathy is surnamed Cruimthir (the priest). He was born at Luighne, Sligo, Ireland and became a disciple of St. Finnian of Clonnard, who made him a bishop. He was founder-abbot of a monastery, which is questioned by some in view of his surname. His cult was confirmed in 1903. St. Phelim, 6th century. Irish monk and disciple of St. Columba. He is honored as a patron saint of Kilmore and is also listed as Fidleminus and Felix. St. Bandaridus, 556 A.D. Bishop of Soissons, also called Banderik, Bandarinus, and Bandery. In 540, Bandaridus was made bishop of Soissons, France. He founded Crepin Abbey and served the area until King Clotaire I banished him over a disagreement. He went to England and became a gardener in an abbey, living there anonymously. When he was recognized after seven years, Bandaridus was recalled by the king. Bandaridus was buried in Crépin Abbey.

SAINT OF THE DAY August 8, ST. DOMINIC OF GUZMÁN, PRIEST,FOUNDER OF THE ORDER OF THE PREACHERS, STS. CIRIACO, LARGO AND SMARAGDO, MARTYRS

ENGLISH SPEAKING SAINTS AUGUST 08 St. Ellidius, 7th century. Patron saint of Himant, Powys, Wales, and of a church in the Scilly Isles of England. Also called Illog. Bl. John Felton, 1570 A.D. Martyr of England who promoted the papacy in London. Born in Bermondsey, London, to a Norfolk line, John nailed a copy of the Bull of Pope St. Pius V excommunicating Queen Elizabeth I to the doors of the bishop of London’s residence. Arrested and imprisoned, he was racked three times before being martyred in St. Paul’s churchyard. Pope Leo XIII beatified him in 1886. Bl. Mary MacKillop, 1909 A.D. The first native Australian to be beatified. Born Mary Helen MacKillop in Melbourne, she was of Scottish ancestry. Concerned with the poor and suffering, Mary founded the Sisters of St. Joseph and of the Sacred Heart. These sisters were dedicated to educating children. In 1873, she became Mary of the Cross, and two years later was elected mother general of her congregation. After many difficulties...

SAINT OF THE DAY AUGUST 07 STS. SIXTUS II, POPE, AND COMPANIONS, MARTYRS ST. CAJETAN, PRIEST, FOUNDER OF THEATINES ST. DONATUS, BISHOP OF AREZZO ST. ALBERT, CARMELITE

St. Cajetan, Roman Catholic priest and religious reformer, who helped found the Theatines. Patron of workers; gamblers; job seekers; unemployed people; Albania; Italy; Malta; Argentina; Brazil; El Salvador; Guatemala. Feastday Aug 7

ENGLISH SPEAKING SAINTS AUGUST 07 St. Donat. Patron saint of St. Donat’s or Llandunwyd, Glamorgan, Wales. Nothing else is known, but in some lists he is called Dunwyd. St. Claudia. Claudia was the mother of Linus, who became the second Pope. Tradition has her as the daughter of British King Caractacus, who was sent to Rome with his family in chains when he was defeated by Aulus Plautius. Released by Emperor Claudius, one of his daughters took the name Claudia, remained in Rome, was baptized, and is the Claudia mentioned in St. Paul's second letter to Timothy. Another tradition has her as the daughter of Cogidubnus, a British ally of Claudius, who took the Emperor's name. Martial mentions a British lady, Claudia Rufina, and says she was married to his friend Aulus Pudens, a Roman senator. Another tradition has this senator the Pudens also mentioned in St. Paul's second letter to Timothy.

AUGUST 06 St. Hormisdas Roman Catholic Pope from 514-523, successor to St. Symmachus. One of his great achievements was the ending of the Acacian Schism which had divided the Eastern and Western Churches since 484. The Church in Constantinople was reunited to Rome in 519 as a result of the confession called the Formula of Hormisdas. Feastday Aug. 6 Martyrs of Cardena, Roman Catholic Benedictine monks in the monastery of Cardena, Spain, under Abbot Stephen. More than two hundred monks here were put to death by the Muslim Arabs during their conquest of the Spanish peninsula. Feastday Aug. 6

SAINT OF THE DAY AUGUST 05 ST. OSWALD St Oswald was martyred in England, at Maserfield, later named Oswestry in his memory. He was king of Northumbria and famous as a skilled warrior – but even more as a lover of peace. He worked strenuously to spread the faith, and was killed out of hatred for Christ while fighting against the pagans.

August 05 St. Addal, Roman Catholic Priest and Martyr. A disciple of Christ sent by St. Thomas to the court of King Abgar the Black, the second century Osroene ruler. Legendary accounts claim Abgar wrote to Christ asking Jesus to cure him of an intolerable and incurable illness. Feastday Aug. 5 St. Nouna, Roman Catholic wife of St. Gregory of Nazianzus. A Christian, she was responsible for converting Gregory to the Christian faith. He was originally a member of the Hypsistorians, a pagan group. All of their children became saints: Gregory Nazianzus the Younger, Caesarius of Nazianzus, and Gorgonius. Feastday Aug. 5

ENGLISH SPEAKING SAINTS AUGUST 05 St. Abel, 751 A.D. Archbishop and Benedictine abbot. Abel was probably born in Ireland, and was a noted churchman, accompanying St. Boniface on his missions to the European Continent. He was chosen as archbishop of Reims by Pope St. Zachary, a nomination ratified by the Council of Soissons in 744. However, a usurper named Milo occupied the see and would not relinquish it. Abel retired to a monastery at Lobbes, and was installed as abbot. He died there in the "odor of sanctity." St. Gormcal, 1016 A.D. An Irish abbot of Ardoilen Abbey, in Galway, Ireland. He participated in the monastic renaissance of that era. ST. OSWALD St Oswald was martyred in England, at Maserfield, later named Oswestry in his memory. He was king of Northumbria and famous as a skilled warrior – but even more as a lover of peace. He worked strenuously to spread the faith, and was killed out of hatred for Christ while fighting against the pagans. Aug 5

SAINT OF THE DAY AUGUST 04 ST. JOHN VIANNEY, THE CURÉ OF ARS, PATRON OF PARISH PRIESTS “If we really understood the priest on earth, we would die: not of fear, but of love.” St John Vianney’s whole life could be summed up in this saying attributed to him. Known as the “Curé d’Ars,” Jean-Baptiste-Marie Vianney was born on 8 May 1786 in France in the town of Dardilly, near Lyons. His devout Catholic parents were farmers, and from an early age, John worked in the fields. Without formal education, as a young man he was functionally illiterate; but thanks to his mother’s teaching, Vianney was able to memorise and understand numerous prayers, and live a devout religious life. “I would win many souls for God” At that time in France, the winds of Revolution were blowing. Young John made his Confession at home, rather than in a church, to a “non-juring” priest – that is, a priest who had not sworn loyalty to the revolutionary government. The same priest gave him his First Communion in a bar...

ENGLISH SPEAKING SAINTS AUGUST 04 Bl. William Horne, 1540 A.D. Carthusian lay brother and martyr. A member of the London Charterhouse of the Carthusians, he was arrested for opposing the religious policies of King Henry VIII (r. 1509-1547), which included the imprisonment of Catholics and the destruction of monasteries. William was executed at Tyburn with two companions. St. Lua, 609 A.D. Abbot and disciple of St. Comgall, sometimes listed as Lugud or Molua. He was born in Limerick, Ireland, where he aided St. Comgall and reportedly founded 120 monasteries. He was also a hermit for a few years.

SAINT OF THE DAY AUGUST 03 ST. LYDIA, DISCIPLE DI ST. PAUL

ENGLISH SPEAKING SAINTS AUGUST 03 St. Trea, 5th century. Irish hermitess. A convert to Christianity through the efforts of St. Patrick, she embraced the eremitical life and lived out her days as a recluse at Ardtree, Derry, Ireland. Bl. Waltheof, 1160 A.D. Cistercian abbot, also known as Walthen and Waldef. The son of Simon, earl of lluntingdon, England, he was born circa 1100, and was raised at the court of the Scottish king alter his mother, Maud, wed King David I of Scotland (r. 1124-1153) following the death of her first husband. While at court, Waltheof came under the influence of St. Adred, who was master of the royal household. Drawn toward the religious life, he entered the Augustinian Canons in Yorkshire and was elected abbot of Kirkham after a vision of the Christ Child. Waltheof desired a more austere life and so joined the Cistercians at Wardon, Bedfordshire, and then became abbot of Melrose which had been rebuilt recently by his stepfather. In later years, he decline...

SAINT OF THE DAY AUGUST 02 ST. PETER JULIAN EYMARD, PRIEST FOUNDER OF THE SACRAMENTINI Apostle of the Eucharist, St. Peter Julian Eymard is remembered by the Church on August 2nd each year. Founder of the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament and inspirer of the Eucharistic Congresses, he centered his life on love of Christ, contemplated on the altar. The Eucharist as key to spiritual awakening "I have always sought remedies for the universal indifference that afflicts so many people, and I have found only one: the Eucharist, love for Jesus in the Eucharist. Loss of faith comes from a loss of love." It was the mid-19th century and French priest, Peter Julian Eymard, was animated by the desire for a spiritual awakening of Europe. He was convinced that only in the Eucharist can we find the key to renewing Christian life and to forming lay and consecrated people. Devotion to the Blessed Sacrament Devotion to the Blessed Sacrament had always accompanied his own spiritual gr...

ENGLISH SPEAKING SAINTS AUGUST 02 St. Alfreda, 795 A.D. Virgin and hermit, also known as Afreda, Alfritha, Aelfnryth, and Etheldreda. She was the daughter of King Offa of Mercia, in England, and was either betrothed to or loved by St. Ethelbert, the king of the East Angles. Ethelbert went to Offa's court to ask for Alfreda but was murdered by Offa's queen, Cynethritha. Horrified by the deed, Alfreda departed the court and retired to the marshes of Crowland. There she lived as a hermitess until her death. Her sister, Aelfreda, also lost a husband to the political intrigue of Offa and his queen. St. Thomas of Dover, 1295 A.D. Benedictine monk and martyr. Also called Thomas Hales, he served as a Benedictine monk at St. Martin's Priory in Dover, England. In 1295, the priory was overrun by a French raiding party which was assailing Dover, and Thomas, being old and infirm, could not escape with the rest of the community. The French raiders demanded that he tell them the where...

The Blessed Martyrs of Nowogródek, also known as the Eleven Nuns of Nowogródek or Sister Stella and Companions were a group of Roman Catholic nuns from the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth killed by the Gestapo in August 1943 in present-day Belarus. Aug 1 St. Sofia, Eastern allegory explaining the cult of Divine Wisdom, Faith, Hope, and Charity were the daughters of Wisdom (known as Sofia in the Roman Martyrology on September 30th), a widow in Rome. The daughters suffered martyrdom during Hadrian's persecution of Christians: Faith, twelve, was scourged and went unharmed when boiling pitch was poured on her, was beheaded; Hope, ten, and Charity, nine, were also beheaded after emerging unscathed, from a furnace; and Wisdom died three days later while praying at their graves. Feast day - August 1st. St. Dominic Van Honh Dieu, Roman Catholic Dominican Priest and Martyr. A native of Vietnam. He was martyred at the age of sixty-seven. Feastday Aug. 1

ENGLISH SPEAKING SAINTS AUGUST 01 St. Elined. Welsh virgin and martyr, also called Ellyw and Almedha. She is honored in Lianelly and Llanelieu. St. Almedha, sixth century. Virgin and martyr also called Aled or Filuned. The Welsh tradition reports that Almedha was the daughter of King Brychan. Having taken a vow of virginity and dedicated to Christ, Almedha fled from her father's royal residence to escape marriage to the prince of a neighboring kingdom. She went to three Welsh villages - Llandrew, Llanfillo, and Llechfaen - but the people turned her away, despite her promise warning that dreadful thing calamities would befall anyone who denied her sanctuary. Almedha reached Brecon, where she took up residence in a small hut, but the king arrived and demanded her return. When she refused him, he beheaded her. Tradition states that a spring of water appeared on the site of her murder. The three villages that refused her were visited by disasters. Bl. Thomas Welbourne, 1605 A.D....

SAINT OF THE DAY AUGUST 01 ST PETER FABER, JESUIT A roommate of Ignatius of Loyola and Francis Xavier from their university days, this gentle guide of souls was a master at giving the Spiritual Exercises. He allowed himself to be spent for the Lord and his Church, helping the Jesuits to become established all over Europe. His feast day is August 1. Chance meetings At times we hear someone recount how an unexpected friend, or a roommate at university, changed the course of his or her life. That happened to Peter Faber (Pierre Lefevre or Favre, in French). As a boy, he herded sheep in the mountains of what is now Haute-Savoie, France. Those around him realized that the little shepherd had an agile mind and an extraordinary memory, so eventually he was taught to read, and in 1525, at the age of nineteen, Peter set out to Paris to study. At university, he met a new friend: Francis Xavier, from the Basque region of Spain. Soon the two met another Spaniard: Iñigo – or Ignatius – López...