Jmj

Today, November 30, 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. Andrew (Galilean [Israelite], fisherman, brother of St. Peter, Apostle of Jesus, missionary, martyred by crucifixion in Greece in 1st century)
Bl. Andrew of Antioch (Syrian, Augustinian priest, d. 1348)
St. Arnold of Gemblours (French, Benedictine abbot, d. 1155)
Sts. Castulus and Euprepis (Roman, early martyrs)
St. Constantius of Rome (Roman, priest, martyred by Pelagian heretics c. 418)
St. Cuthbert Mayne (English, Protestant minister turned Catholic priest, martyred [drawn, hanged, quartered] by Elizabethans in 1577 [canonized in 1970])
Bl. Joscius Roseus of Saint-Bertin [Josbert] (French, Benedictine monk, d. 1186)
St. Joseph Marchand (French, missionary priest, martyred [flesh ripped from body with red-hot tongs] in Vietnam in 1835 [canonized 1988])
Sts. Justina and Maura (Constantinopolitan [Turkish], virgins, early martyrs)
Sts. Sapor, Isaac, Mahanes, Abraham, and Simeon (Persians [Iranians], two bishops and laymen, martyred by pagans in 339)
Sts. Trojan and Tual of Tréguier (French, bishop and abbot, sixth century)
Bl. William de Paulo (Italian, Benedictine abbot, d. 1423)
St. Zosimus the Wonder-Worker (Palestinian, hermit, 6th century)

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 30, 2001

Answers

[More about today's Chaldean Catholic martyrs of Persia ...]

The day after their capture, all five were brought before the king, who inquired: "Have not you heard that I derive my pedigree from the gods? Yet I sacrifice to the sun, and pay divine honors to the moon. And who are you who resist my laws, and despise the sun and fire?"
The martyrs with one voice answered: "We acknowledge one God, and Him alone we worship."
The king asked: "What God is better than Hormisdatas, or stronger than the angry Armanes? And who is ignorant that the sun is to be worshipped."
Bishop St. Sapor replied: "We confess one only God, who made all things, and Jesus Christ born of him."
At this the king commanded that he should be beaten on the mouth; all the bishop's teeth were knocked out. Then he was beaten with clubs, until his whole body was bruised and his bones broken. After this he was loaded with chains. Eventually he died of his wounds.

St. Abraham died after his eyes were bored out with a hot iron.
St. Mahanes died after being flayed from head to navel St. Simeon was shot with arrows and buried alive.
Bishop St. Isaac was stoned to death.

(Sts. Isaac and Sapor, please pray for our bishops, especially the wavering ones, that their faith may be strengthened.)

-- (_@_._), November 30, 2001.

Jmj

On November 30, 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:

St. Andrew of Bethsaida (Galilean [Israelite], fisherman, brother of St. Peter, Apostle of Jesus, missionary, martyred by crucifixion in Greece in 1st century)

Bl. Alexander Crow of Howden (English, priest, martyred [drawn, hanged, and quartered] at about age 36 under Elizabeth I in 1586 [beatified 1987])
Bl. Andrew of Antioch (Syrian, Augustinian priest, d. 1348)
St. Arnold of Gemblours [Arnaud] (French, Benedictine abbot, d. 1155)
Sts. Castulus and Euprepis of Rome (Italian, early martyrs)
St. Constantius of Rome (Italian, priest, martyred by Pelagian heretics c. 418)
St. Cuthbert Mayne of Youlston (English, Protestant minister turned Catholic priest, martyred [drawn, hanged, quartered] under Elizabeth I in 1577 [canonized in 1970])
Bl. Josbert Rose of Saint-Bertin (French, Benedictine monk, d. 1186)
St. Joseph Marchand of Passavant (French, missionary priest in Indochina [modern Vietnam], martyred [flesh torn from body with red-hot tongs] at about age 32 in 1835 [canonized 1988])
Sts. Justina and Maura of Constantinople (from Asia Minor [Turkish], virgins, early martyrs)
Sts. Sapor of Beth-Nictor, Isaac of Beth-Seleucia, Mahanes, Abraham, and Simeon (Persians [Iranians], two bishops and three laymen, martyred by pagans in 339)
Sts. Trojan and Tual of Tréguier (French, bishop and abbot, sixth century)
Bl. William de Paulo of Catania [Guglielmo] (Italian, Benedictine abbot, d. 1423)
St. Zosimus the Wonder-Worker (Palestinian, hermit, 6th century)

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 29, 2003.

John,

Its hard to imagine the feelings one must be going through before they are" drawn, hanged and quarted" because of there faith in God.

May blessed Alexander Crow pray for all of us Catholics to have stronger faith.

God bless little paul.

-- - (David@excite.com), November 29, 2003.

Was Blessed Alexander around your age when he went to heaven, David?
Go to the bottom of this page> to read about what this kind of martyrdom entailed. (Look for "WARNING.") I think that God helped the holy men who were faithful to him to endure this in silence or praying aloud or even encouraging their fellow martyrs to remain firm in their Catholic faith.
JFG

-- J. F. Gecik (jfgecik@Hotmail.com), November 30, 2003.