Jmj

Today, December 23, we members of the Catholic Church family honor, in a special way, the following friends of God -- saints whose souls are now in heaven:

Sts. Adam and Eve (Edenites, first parents of the human race)
Sts. Adela of Pfalzel and Irmina of Oehren (German, sister princesses, widows, Benedictine abbesses, d. 735 and c. 716)
Bl. Alberic of Gladbach (German, Benedictine monk, 10th century)
St. Bruno of Ottobeuren (Bavarian, Benedictine brother, c. 1050)
St. Caran (Scottish, bishop, d. 669)
St. Sharbel Makhlouf [baptized Joseph Zaroun Makhlouf] (Lebanese, Maronite Catholic priest, Baladite hermit, d. 1898 [canonized 1977 / incorruptible])
St. Delphinus of Bordeaux (French, bishop, d. 404)
Sts. Emiliana and Tarsilla (Roman, aunts of St. Gregory the Great, abbess and virgin, died c.550 and c. 581)
St. Euthymius of Nicomedia (from Asia Minor [Turkish], martyred in 303)
Forty Maiden Martyrs of Antioch (from Asia Minor [Turkish], d. 250)
St. Gregory of Spoleto (Italian, priest, martyred c. 304)
Sts. Lucian, Metrobius, Paul, Zenobius, Theotimus and Drusus (Tripolitanian [Libyan], early martyrs)
St. Mochua of Timahoe (Irish, soldier, monk, c. 657)
St. Venerandus of Clermont (French, bishop for 38 years, d. 423)

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), December 24, 2001

Answers

-- (_@_._), December 24, 2001.

i would like to know if you can send me some information on saint adela of Pfalzel for my confirmation project. thank you.

-- teresa vu (bmsvudn@aol.com), February 13, 2002.

Yes, Teresa. I will post a message here and I will also send you the same by e-mail. I will try to do it later today.
John

-- (jfgecik@hotmail.com), February 14, 2002.

Jmj

Hello again, Teresa. Here is the information that I was able to find concerning St. Adela of Pfalzel. I'm sorry that it could not be more.

The saint, whose day of memorial is December 24, is known as Adelie or Ethel in certain countries.
Adela was the granddaughter of the king of Austrasia (an old European kingdom), St. Sigebert.
Adela was a princess, the daughter of the king of the Franks, St. Dagobert II (though two sources call him Hugobert).
Her mother may have been an Anglo-Saxon princess named Matilda.
Adela, who was born around the year 710, had a sister, Irmina, who is also called "Saint."

Adela married a man named Odo, and they became parents of a son, Alberich, and a daughter, Gerlinde.
But Odo died when Adela was still young. Her wealth, position, and beauty brought her many suitors, but the widow Adela decided to become a nun. She was a disciple of the martyr St. Boniface (the famous Benedictine missionary and "apostle of Germany"). She founded, and became the first abbess, of the Benedictine convent of Pfalzel ["Palatiolum" in Latin] near the town of Trier, Germany [called Trèves by the French].

God bless you.
John

-- (jfgecik@hotmail.com), February 14, 2002.

CORRECTION:
The first line of the opening message says, "Today, December 23" ...
That should have been, "Today, December 24" ...

-- (_@_._), November 28, 2002.

Jmj

On December 24, 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. Adam and Eve of Eden (first parents of the human race)
Sts. Adela of Pfalzel and Irmina of Oehren (German, sister princesses, widows, Benedictine abbesses, d. 735 and c. 716)
Bl. Alberic of Gladbach (German, Benedictine monk, 10th century)
Bl. Bartholomew Mary dal Monte of Bologna [Bartolomeo Maria] (Italian, diocesan priest, founded Pious Work of Missions, died at age 52 in 1778 [beatified 1997])
St. Bruno of Ottobeuren (Bavarian, Benedictine brother, c. 1050)
St. Caran (Scottish, bishop, d. 669)
St. Delphinus of Bordeaux (French, bishop, d. 404)
Sts. Emiliana and Tarsilla of Rome (Italian, aunts of St. Gregory the Great, abbess and virgin, died c.550 and c. 581)
St. Euthymius of Nicomedia (from Asia Minor [Turkish], martyred in 303)
Forty Holy Maiden Martyrs of Antioch (from Asia Minor [Turkish], virgins, martyred in 250)
St. Gregory of Spoleto (Italian, priest, martyred c. 304)
Sts. Lucian, Metrobius, Paul, Zenobius, Theotimus and Drusus of Tripoli (North African [Libyan], early martyrs)
St. Mochua of Timahoe (Irish, soldier, monk, c. 657)
Bl. Paula Elizabeth Cerioli of Soncino [Paola Elizabetta] [baptized Constanza Honorata (Constance)] (Italian, noblewoman, mother of four, widow, co-founded Sisters of the Holy Family of Bergamo to care for orphan girls, died at age 49 in 1865 [beatified 1950])
St. Sharbel Makhlouf of Beqaa-Kafra [baptized Joseph Zaroun] (Lebanese, Maronite Catholic priest, Baladite hermit, d. 1898 [canonized 1977 / incorruptible])
St. Venerandus of Clermont (French, bishop for 38 years, d. 423)

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), December 24, 2003.

Paul,

December 24th is the feastday of St. Adam and St Eve.

May St Adam and Eve pray for you. I doubt John would of posted this if they arn't saints in Heaven and their feast day isn't celebrated on December 24.

Even a wise "old bird" like you can learn something new about Catholicism. :-)

-- - (David@excite.com), March 11, 2004.

Friends,
Named above is "Blessed" Paula Elizabeth Cerioli. This citizen of heaven will be canonized by Pope John Paul II on May 16, 2004.

St. Paula Elizabeth Cerioli of Soncino [Paola Elizabetta] [baptized Constanza Honorata (Constance)] (Italian, noblewoman, mother of four, widow, co-founded Sisters of the Holy Family of Bergamo to care for orphan girls, died at age 49 in 1865 [beatified 1950, canonized 2004])

Blessed be God in His angels and in His saints!

-- (jfgecik@spamfreeHotmail.com), May 04, 2004.