SAINTS OF THE DAY FOR June 09

SAINTS OF THE DAY FOR June 09

STS. PRIMUS AND FELICIAN, MARTYRS, June 9

ST. EPHREM, DEACON AND DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH-This Syriac deacon sang the mysteries of the Lord so beautifully that he earned the title, “the harp of the Holy Spirit.” A Doctor of the Church who is celebrated as the greatest hymnographer of the Christian East, Ephrem’s feast day is June 9.

B. ANNA MARIA TAIGI, MOTHER

St. Columba, 521-597 A.D. Born probably in Donegal Ireland of royal descent he studied at Moville under St. Finnian then in Leinster at the monastery of Clonard under another St. Finnian. He was ordained before he was twenty-five and spent the next fifteen years preaching and setting up foundations at Derry, Durrow, and Kells. Possibly because of a family feud which resulted in the death of 3000 and for which he considered himself partly responsible he left Ireland at 42 and landed on the island of Iona off the coast of Scotland. There he built the monastery which was to become world famous. With SS Canice and Comgall he spread the gospel to the Picts; he also developed a monastic rule which many followed until the introduction of St. Benedicts. He died on Iona and is also known as Colm, Colum and Columcille.

St. Baithin, 598 A.D. Abbot and cousin of St. Columba, also listed as Comm or Cominus in some lists. Baithin was abbot of Tiree Abbey in Ireland, succeeding St. Columba as abbot of lona in Scotland in 597. He wrote about his saintly cousin and is said to have died on the anniversary of St. Columba's death.

St. Cummian, 8th century. Benedictine bishop of Ireland also called Cumian or Cummin. He traveled to Bobbio, in Italy, and remained there as a monk.