Saints of the Week: Patrick, Gregory the Great, Cyril, Leander, J.de Brebeuf, Matilda, Louise, &More
Saints of the Week: Patrick, Gregory the Great, Cyril, Leander, J.de Brebeuf, Matilda, Louise, &More
Happy St. Patrick’s Day! It’s a wonderful holiday to celebrate the patron saint of Ireland, and the powerful faith that transformed whole countries. Patrick and the other saints we celebrated this past week certainly had faith that could move mountains (Matt. 17:20).
St. Patrick (March 17) was a British youth captured and enslaved in Ireland, where he spent his days shepherding and praying. Later escaped, but returned to Ireland as a bishop, where in 33 years he converted most of the island, which saved Christian civilization during the so-called “Dark Ages”. There are no snakes in Ireland because Patrick drove them out and showed his God’s power as greater than the pagans’ false divinities (d.c.460s).
Pope St. Gregory the Great (March 12) was a Benedictine abbot before he became pope. He ransomed prisoners, helped persecuted Jews and plague victims, and sent missionaries to England. A skillful writer and preacher, and possibly the reviser of Gregorian Chant, Gregory is a doctor of the Church (d.604). St. Peter the Deacon (March 12) was a 6th century Benedictine monk who befriended and served as secretary to Pope Gregory the Great.
St. Cyril of Jerusalem (March 18) was a bishop, confessor, and Doctor of the Church. “When he was a simple priest, St. Cyril used to instruct the catechumens during Lent. He is still renowned for these admirable homilies, full of divine wisdom, precious documents for Catholic theology. The Arians exiled him thrice. He died in 386.” (Missal)
St. Leander of Seville (March 13) was the brother of several saints, and a Spanish monk and bishop. Exiled for converting the sons of the Arian Visigoth king. Friend of Gregory the Great. Leander enacted liturgical reform (including introducing common use of the Nicene Creed), presided over the Third Council of Toledo, and converted heretics.
St. Jean de Brebeuf (March 16) was a French Jesuit missionary to the Huron natives in Canada in the 1600s. Brebeuf was martyred by being tortured to death when the ruthless Iroquois launched a bloody war against the Hurons. St. Gabriel Lalemant (March 17) was a French Jesuit missionary to Canada who assisted the evangelization of the Hurons by Jean de Brebeuf and was martyred with him in 1649.
St. Matilda of Saxony (March 14) was the pious wife and queen of Henry the Fowler, who was first Duke of Saxony and then king of Germany. Matilda founded religious communities and had five children: Emperor Otto, Duke Henry the Quarrelsome, St. Bruno of Cologne, Gerberga of Saxony, and Hedwig (wife of Hugh Capet). Matilda made peace between her sons (though they persecuted her for some years), acted occasionally as Otto’s regent, and finally became a nun (d.968).
St. Louise de Marillac (March 15) was the wife of a French royal official. Widowed, she became the spiritual student of Saint Vincent de Paul, with whom she founded the Daughters of Charity in 1642. Louise led the Sisters of Charity and advised groups of laywomen. Pope St. Zachary (March 15) did not seek imperial confirmation for his election. He negotiated peace, bought many slaves to save them from Saracen masters, encouraged missionaries, and translated the Dialogues of Gregory the Great into Greek. St. Aristobulus of Britannia (March 15) was one of Christ’s 70 disciples, sent as missionary to Britain, where he was probably martyred.
St. Gertrude of Nivelles (March 17) was from a Belgian family of saints; she and her widowed mother founded and led a double monastery. Gertrude, a mystic and visionary, assisted missionaries and pilgrims while abbess. Later resigned her position to study Scripture and do penance. Associated with miraculous occurrences (d.659).
St. Constantine of Strathclyde (March 11) was a Scottish prince, then king, husband, and father. After his wife’s death, he became a priest and founded and led a monastery. St. Alexius U Se-Yong (March 11) was a young Korean layman who helped translate Catholic texts into his language. After initially apostatizing, he repented and was martyred in 1866. St. Marcus Chong Ui-Bae, a widower who cared for the sick and orphans, was martyred with him. St. Aengus the Culdee (March 11) was an Irish hermit and then bishop who attracted many spiritual students and wrote the Martyrology of Tallaght, a catalog of Irish saints, and its poetic version (d.824).
St. Joseph Zhang Dapeng (March 12) was a Chinese layman in the silk business who kept a concubine before his conversion. He then turned his house into a religious school, but was martyred in the early 1800s. Pope St. Innocent I (March 12) combatted heresies, oversaw the affairs of East and West, and reigned during the Goths’ sack of Rome.
St. Leobinus of Chartres (March 14) was a 6th century French peasant who became a monk, scholar, and spiritual student of two saints. Tortured by renegade soldiers seeking the monastery’s treasure, Leobinus survived to be a miracle-worker, healer, and bishop.
St. Clement Mary Hofbauer (March 15) was a poor Moravian baker, hermit, and pilgrim who joined the Redemptorists and became a priest. Missionary to Poland, Clement was imprisoned by Napoleon and expelled to Austria, where he preached, educated youth, founded a Catholic college, fought secular meddling in Church affairs, and opposed a German national Church (d.1820). St. Roderick of Cordoba (March 13) was a Spanish priest beaten and denounced by his Muslim brother. Martyred by Muslims in 857 with St. Salomon of Cordoba.
St. Eulogius of Cordoba (March 11) was a priest who ministered to Christians persecuted by Muslims, and was martyred in 859. Bl. Frano Gjini (March 11) was an Albanian priest, abbot, and bishop martyred in 1948 by Communists. Bl. Dedë Nikaj (March 11) was an Albanian Franciscan priest and seminary director also martyred by Communists. St. Pionius of Smyrna (March 11), a scholar and preacher, and his companions were martyred in 250; they put on their own chains to signify their determination not to do pagan worship. St. Heribert of Cologne (March 16) was a German archbishop, royal adviser, and miracle-worker (d.1021). Bl. John Sordi of Vincenza (March 16) was a 12th century Italian Benedictine monk and bishop murdered by a sinner he reprimanded. St. Eusebia of Hamage (March 16) was a 7th century abbess from a family of saints.
St. Paul Aurelian (March 12) was a prince in Wales who became a hermit and bishop; said to have defeated a dragon (d.572). St. Mura McFeredach (March 12) was a 7th century Irish abbot and disciple of St. Columba. Bl. Giustina Bezzoli Francucci (March 12) was a Benedictine hermitess known for her miraculous interactions with animals (d.1319). St. Ansovinus of Camerino (March 13) was confessor for Emperor Louis the Pious and a miracle-worker (d.868). Bl. Françoise Tréhet (March 13) was a religious sister and educator martyred in the French Revolution. Bl. Agnellus of Pisa (March 13) was an Italian deacon who introduced the Franciscans into England in 1224 and prevented civil war there. Bl. Philip of Turin (March 14) was a 13th century Scripture scholar, one of the first twelve Franciscans, and confessor to the first Poor Clares.
The 47 Martyrs of Rome (March 14) were baptized by St. Peter and martyred together under Nero c.67. Bl. Arnold of Padua (March 14) was a 13th century Benedictine abbot who died in prison thanks to an invading tyrant. Bl. Giacomo Cusmano (March 14) was a 19th century Italian physician, priest, and founder of religious communities. Bl. Eve of Liège (March 14) was a recluse and friend of Juliana of Mount Cornillon; Eve continued Juliana’s mission to obtain a feast in honor of the Blessed Sacrament. Bl. Pauline of Thuringia (March 14) was a German noblewoman, wife and mother; widowed twice, she founded and led a double monastery (d.1107).
St. Leocritia of Cordoba (March 15) was a Moorish convert martyred by Muslims in 9th century Spain. St. Mancius of Evora (March 15) was a 5th century Italian Christian slave taken to and martyred in Portugal. Bl. Francis, Monaldus and Anthony (March 15) were Franciscans martyred in 1314 in Armenia by Muslims for preaching the Gospel. Bl. William Hart (March 15) was an English Protestant convert to Catholicism who became a priest and was martyred in 1583. St. Menignus of Parium (March 15) was a married layman, fuller, and cloth dyer tortured and martyred for tearing down an edict suppressing the faith.
St. Jan Sarkander (March 17) was a Silesian priest who saved his people from experiencing battles between Catholic and Protestant forces, but was tortured and killed in 1620 in Moravia. Bl. Conrad of Bavaria (March 17) was a 12th century noble who became a Cistercian pilgrim and died while on spiritual crusade. St. Thomasello (March 17) was Thomas Aquinas’s student. The Many Martyrs of Alexandria (March 17) were martyred c.392 by worshippers of the pagan sun god Serapis. St. Withburgh of East Anglia (March 17) was an 8th century princess who became a nun and anchoress. St. Agricola of Chalon-sur-Saone (March 17) was a 6th century Gallo-Roman bishop praised by St. Gregory of Tours.
Also celebrated this week were John Kearney, Sophronius of Jerusalem, Pal Prennushi, John Righi, and Vindician (March 11); Brian Bòruimhe, Luigi Orione, Angela Salawa, Seraphina, Nicomedia Martyrs, Theophanes the Chronographer, Maximilian of Thebeste, and Peter and Gorgonio of Nicomedia (March 12); Heldrad of Novalese, Henrik of Denmark, Peter II of La Cava, Gerald of Mayo, Sabinus of Egypt, Mochoemoc, Ramirus and companions, Nicomedia Martyrs, and Judith of Ringelheim (March 13); Lazarus of Milan, Giovanni of Genoa, Innocent of Verona, Urio, Alexander of Pydna, and B.Curitan (March 14); Nicander of Alexandria, Eoghan of Concullen, Artemide Zatti, Jan Adalbert Balicki, P.Conde y Conde, and Walter of Quesnoy (March 15); Damian of Terracina, Julian of Anazarbus, John Amias,Finian Lobhar, Dentlin of Soignies, Robert Dalby, and Allo of Bobbio (March 16); and Gertrude of Trzebnica, Josep Mestre Escoda, Juan N. Zegri y Moreno, and Maria Barbara Maix (March 17).
Have a blessed week!