Jmj

Today, November 27, we members of the Catholic Church family honor, in a special way, the following friends of God -- saints whose souls are now in heaven:

St. Acharius of Noyon (French, bishop, d. 640)
Bl. Angelus Sinesio (Sicilian, Benedictine abbot, c. 1386)
Bl. Antony Kimura, Bl. Bartholomew Sheki, Bl. John Ivanango, Bl. John Montahana, Bl. Leo Nakanishi, Bl. Michael Takeshita, Bl. Thomas Kotenda, and four companions (Japanese, royalty, martyred by beheading in 1619)(
St. Apollinaris of Monte Cassino (Italian, Benedictine abbot, d. 828)
Sts. Basileus, Auxilius, and Saturninus (Syrian, bishop and companions, martyred)
Bl. Bernardinus of Fossa [Bernardino Amici] (Italian, Franciscan, missionary, d. 1503)
St. Bilhild of Altenmünster (German, duchess, widow, Benedictine abbess, c. 710)
St. Cungar (English, abbot, 6th century)
St. Edwold of Cerne (English, hermit, d. 871)
Sts. Facundus and Primitivus (Spanish, martyred by beheading c. 300)
St. Fergus (Irish, missionary, bishop, c. 721)
St. Francis Antony of Lucera [Donato Antonio Giovanni Fasani] (Italian, Franciscan priest, theologian, preacher, writer of hymns, champion of the downtrodden, d. 1742)
St. Gallgo (Welsh, abbot, 6th century)
St. Goustan (French, Benedictine monk, d. 1040)
Sts. Acacius, Hirenarchus, and seven female companions (Armenian, priest and laity, martyred c. 305)
Bl. Humilis of Bisignano (Italian, Franciscan brother, advisor to two popes, noted for holiness, wisdom, and miracles, d. 1637)
St. James Intercisus (Persian [Iranian], military officer in court of king, tortured and martyred by beheading in 421)
St. John Angeloptes [nickname = man-who-saw-angel] (Italian, bishop, d. 433)
St. Maximus of Riez (French, abbot, bishop, d. 460)
St. Seachnall of Dunshauglin (French, nephew of St. Patrick, composer of hymns, bishop in Ireland, d. 447)
St. Severinus of Paris (French, hermit, monk, c. 540)
St. Siffred of Carpentras (Italian, monk, bishop, 6th or 7th century)
St. Valerian of Aquileia (Italian, bishop, d. 389)
St. Virgilius of Salzburg [Fearghal] (Irish, Benedictine abbot, bishop in Austria, c. 784)

If you have anything to share about these holy people, please reply now -- biographical episodes, prayers through their intercession, the fact that one is your patron saint -- whatever moves you. If you are interested in one of these saints and want to find out more about him/her, please ask. Information is sometimes available on the Internet.

All you holy men and women, saints of God, pray for us.
God bless you.
John


-- J. F. Gecik (jfgecik@hotmail.com), November 27, 2001

Answers

One of today's saints, James Intercisus, experienced a most remarkable martyrdom. I mentioned above that he was beheaded, but the tortures that preceded his death were amazing. His nickname, "intercisus," means "cut to pieces."

Under evil King Yezdigerd I's persecution of Christians, James apostacized. Later, regretting what he had done, he openly expressed his faith to the new king, Bahram. For this he was slowly cut into 28 pieces before a crowd of Christians, finally dying when his head was cut off. He had survived the slow loss of (1) each of his fingers, (2) each of his toes, (3) his hands, (4) his feet, (5) his arms to the elbows, (6) his legs to the knees, (7) his ears, (8) and his nose.

Upon losing one part of his body, St. James Intercisus prayed:
"O Savior, receive a branch of this tree. Let it die, corrupt in the grave and bud again, before being covered in glory."
Just before the fatal blow, he prayed:
"O God, you see me here with my limbs scattered. I have no fingers to clasp in prayer to you; I have no hands to stretch towards you. I have no feet nor legs nor arms. I am like a ruined house, whose walls are all that remain. O Lord, turn your anger from me and from your people! Give peace and rest to your flock that are persecuted and scattered by tyrants. Gather them together from the ends of the earth. Then I, the least of your servants, will bless and praise you with all the martyrs and confessors, from the East and from the West, from the North and from the South. Praise be to God, the Son, and Holy Spirit, world without end. Amen!"

-- (jfgecik@hotmail.com), November 27, 2001.

Jmj

On November 27, we members of the Catholic Church family honor, in a special way, the following friends of God -- saints and blesseds whose souls are now in heaven:

Sts. Acacius, Hirenarchus, and seven female companions, of Sebaste (Armenian, priest and laity, martyred c. 305)
St. Acharius of Noyon (French, bishop, d. 640)
Bl. Angelo Sinesio of Carania (Sicilian, Benedictine abbot, c. 1386)
St. Apollinaris of Monte Cassino (Italian, Benedictine abbot, d. 828)
Sts. Basileus, Auxilius, and Saturninus (Syrian, bishop and companions, martyred)
Bl. Bernardine Amici of Fossa [Bernardino] (Italian, Franciscan, missionary, d. 1503)
St. Bilhild of Altenmünster (German, duchess, widow, Benedictine abbess, c. 710)
St. Cungar of Devon (English, abbot, 6th century)
St. Edwold of Cerne (English, hermit, d. 871)
Sts. Facundus and Primitivus of León (Spanish, martyred by beheading c. 300)
St. Fergus (Irish, missionary, bishop, c. 721)
Blessed Martyrs of the House of Firando (Japanese, 11 lay members of royal family, converts to Catholicism, martyred by beheading in Nagasaki in 1619 [beatified 1867])
----- Bl. Alexis Nakamura of Figen
----- Bl. Anthony Kimura of Nagasaki (died at about age 24)
----- Bl. Bartholomew Sheki
----- Bl. John Ivananga
----- Bl. John Montahana
----- Bl. Leo Nakanishi of Amanguchi
----- Bl. Matthias Kosaka of Omura
----- Bl. Matthias Nakano
----- Bl. Michael Takeshita (died at about age 25)
----- Bl. Roman Matevoka of Omura
----- Bl. Thomas Kotenda of Firando
St. Francis Antony Fasani of Lucera [Francesco Antonio] [baptized Donato Antonio Giovanni (Donat Anthony John)] (Italian, Franciscan priest, theologian, preacher, writer of hymns, champion of the downtrodden, d. 1742 [canonized 1986])
St. Gallgo of Anglesey (Welsh, abbot, 6th century)
St. Goustan of Ouessant (French, Benedictine monk, d. 1040)
St. Humilis of Bisignano (Italian, Franciscan brother, advisor to two popes, noted for holiness, wisdom, and miracles, d. 1637 [canonized 2002])
St. James Intercisus (Persian [Iranian], military officer in court of king, tortured and martyred by beheading in 421)
St. John Angeloptes of Ravenna [“angeloptes” is Greek for “saw an angel”] (Italian, bishop, d. 433)
St. Maximus of Riez (French, abbot, bishop, d. 460)
St. Seachnall of Dunshauglin (French, nephew of St. Patrick, composer of hymns, bishop in Ireland, d. 447)
St. Severinus of Paris (French, hermit, monk, c. 540)
St. Siffred of Carpentras (Italian, monk, bishop, 6th or 7th century)
St. Valerian of Aquileia (Italian, bishop, d. 389)
St. Virgilius of Salzburg [Fearghal] (Irish, Benedictine abbot, bishop in Austria, c. 784)

[Please scroll up to see the story of St. James Intercisus.]
[Happy Thanksgiving, 2003, in the U.S.A.. Deo gratias!]

If you have anything to share about these holy people, please reply now -- biographical episodes, prayers through their intercession, the fact that one is your patron -- whatever moves you. If you are interested in one of these saints or blesseds and want to find out more about him/her, please ask. Information is sometimes available on the Internet.

All you holy men and women, saints of God, pray for us.
God bless you.
John

-- J. F. Gecik (jfgecik@hotmail.com), November 27, 2003.