Jmj

Today, December 26, 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. Stephen the Protomartyr (Israelite, one of the first seven deacons ... the first Catholic martyr [if we place Holy Innocents in a special category], stoned by Saul's gang c. 35)
St. Amaethlu of Anglesey (Welsh, hermit, 6th century)
St. Archelaus of Kashkar (Mesopotamian [Iraqi], bishop, opposed Manicheism, c. 278)
St. Christina of Markgate (English, Benedictine hermit, d. 1160)
Bl. Daniel of Villiers (French, Cistercian monk, 12th century)
Pope St. Dionysius (Greek?, priest in Rome, elected to papacy in 259, first pope not to be martyred, reigned until death in 269)
Bl. Margaret of Hohenfels (German, Benedictine prioress, c. 1150)
St. Marinus (Roman, layman, tortured and martyred by beheading in 283)
Bl. Paganus of Lecco (Italian, Dominican friar for 50 years, martyred by heretics in 1274)
St. Tathai (Irish, hermit, founder of monastic schools, miracle worker, died in Wales in 6th century)
St. Theodore (Roman, sacristan at Basilica of St. Peter, 6th century)
St. Vincentia Maria Lopez y Vicuña (Spanish, foundress of Daughters of Mary Immaculate for Domestic Service [to aid oppressed servant girls], d. 1896 [canonized 1975])
St. Zeno of Gaza (Egyptian, bishop, c. 400)
Pope St. Zosimus (Greek, elected to papacy in March of 417, reigned until death in December or 418)

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 26, 2001

Answers

-- (_@_._), December 26, 2001.

Jmj

On December 26, 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. Stephen [“Protomartyr”] (Israelite, one of the first seven deacons ... the first Catholic martyr [if we place Holy Innocents in a special category], stoned by Saul's gang c. 35)

St. Amaethlu of Anglesey (Welsh, hermit, 6th century)
St. Archelaus of Kashkar (Mesopotamian [Iraqi], bishop, opposed Manicheism, c. 278)
St. Christina of Markgate (English, Benedictine hermit, d. 1160)
Bl. Daniel of Villiers (French, Cistercian monk, 12th century)
Pope St. Dionysius (Greek?, priest in Rome, elected to papacy in 259, first pope not to be martyred, reigned until death in 269)
Bl. Margaret of Hohenfels [Margareta] (German, Benedictine prioress, c. 1150)
St. Marinus of Rome (Italian, layman, tortured and martyred by beheading in 283)
St. Noël Chabanel of Saugues (French, Jesuit priest, missionary to Huron Indians, martyred in Canada in 1649 at age 36)
Bl. Paganus of Lecco (Italian, Dominican friar for 50 years, martyred by heretics in 1274)
Bl. Secondo Pollo of Caresanablot (Italian, diocesan priest, military chaplain, died at age 33 in 1941 [beatified 1998])
St. Tathai of Caerwent (Irish, hermit, founder of monastic schools, miracle worker, died in Wales in 6th century)
St. Theodore of Rome (Italian, sacristan at Basilica of St. Peter, 6th century)
St. Vincentia Mary Lopez y Vicuña of Cascante [Vicenta Maria] (Spanish, foundress of Daughters of Mary Immaculate for Domestic Service [to aid oppressed servant girls], d. 1896 [canonized 1975])
St. Zeno of Gaza (Egyptian, bishop, c. 400)
Pope St. Zosimus (Greek, elected to papacy in March of 417, reigned until death in December or 418)

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.

Its no coincidence that the Church places a martyr's feast day immediately following Christmas. Its a reminder why we have Christmas at all. The purpose of Christ's coming to Earth was to die for our sins.

-- Pat Delaney (pat@patdelaney.net), December 26, 2003.