SAINTS DECEMBER 19

 SAINTS DECEMBER 19

St. Manirus. Bishop and an apostle to Scotland. He evangelized the Highlanders in the northern regions and was revered for his kindness and goodwill.

ST. ANASTASIUS, POPE Anastasius of the noble Roman Maximi family was elected Pope in 399. He had a profound spirituality and lived a lifestyle of poverty. He courageously defended the Catholic faith, opposing the heresy of Donatism. He died in 401.   Dec.19

Saint Urban Pope. William de Grimoard was a scholar who taught at four universities: Paris, Montpelier, Toulouse and Avignon. In 1352, he became abbot of St Germain, Auxerre. He was chosen as abbot of St Victor, Marseille in 1361. During a papal mission to Naples, he learnt that Pope Innocent VI had died and he had been elected successor. For 50 years the papacy had been based at Avignon. In 1366 Pope Urban decided to try to return to Rome. Dec. 19

St Thomas De & Companions Roman Catholic Vietnamese martyrs. Thomas was a Vietnamese tailor who entered the Dominicans as a tertiary. Arrested on the charge of giving aid and shelter to foreign missionaries, he was strangled. Four other Catholic Vietnamese died with Thomas. Feastday Dec 19

St. Nemesius, Roman Catholic Martyr of Egypt. He was burned alive in Alexandria, Egypt, during the persecutions under Emperor Trajanus Decius. Nemesius was arrested and scourged and then burned to death. Like Christ, he was executed between two criminals. Feastday Dec.19