Jmj

Today, March 22, 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. Basil of Ancyra (Galatian [Turkish], priest, tortured and martyred [pierced by red-hot spikes] by Arian heretics in 362)
St. Benvenut Scotivoli of Osimo (Italian, Franciscan friar, bishop, d. 1282)
Sts. Callinica and Basilissa (Galatin [Turkish], martyred in 250)
St. Darerca (Scottish, sister of St. Patrick, mother of 15, widow, 5th century)
St. Deogratias (Carthaginian [Tunisian], bishop, opponent of Arian Vandals, d. 457)
Bl. Dina Belanger [Siser Marie Sainte-Cecile-de-Rome] (French Canadian, pianist, member of Sisters of Jesus-Marie, died at age 32 in 1929 [beatified 1993])
St. Epaphroditus (Greek, disciple of St. Paul [Philippians 2], bishop, 1st century)
St. Failbhe of Iona (Irish, abbot, c. 680)
Bl. Hugolinus Zefferini of Cortona (Italian, Augustinian friar, c. 1470)
Bl. Isnardo de Chiampo (Italian, Dominican prior, d. 1244)
St. Lea (Roman, leader of community of widows, d. 384)
St. Nicholas of Flue ["Bruder Klaus"] (Swiss, farmer, soldier, judge, father of 10, hermit, mystic, consumed nothing for 21 years except the Blessed Sacrament, d. 1487 [canonized 1947])
St. Nicholas Owen (English, carpenter [constructed hiding places for "illegal" priests], tortured and martyred [abuse in Tower of London] in 1606 [canonized 1970])
St. Octavianus and several thousand companions (Carthaginian [Tunisian], archdeacon and flock, martyred by Arian Vandals in 484)
St. Paul of Narbonne and companions (Roman, priest and others, martyred in France in 3rd century)
St. Saturninus and nine companions (Northwest African, early martyrs)
St. Trien of Killelga (Irish, disciple of St. Patrick, abbot, 5th 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), March 23, 2002

Answers

-- (_@_._), March 23, 2002.

Jmj

On March 22, 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. Basil of Ancyra (Galatian [Turkish], priest, tortured and martyred [pierced by red-hot spikes] by Arian heretics in 362)
St. Benvenuto Scotivoli of Osimo (Italian, Franciscan friar, bishop, d. 1282)
Sts. Callinica and Basilissa (Galatian [Turkish], martyred in 250)
St. Darerca (Scottish, possibly a sister of St. Patrick, mother of 15, widow, 5th century)
St. Deogratias of Carthage (North African [Tunisian], bishop, opponent of Arian Vandals, d. 457)
St. Epaphroditus of Philippi (Greek, disciple of St. Paul [Philippians 2], bishop, 1st century)
St. Failbhe of Iona (Irish, abbot, c. 680)
Bl. Hugolino Zefferini of Cortona (Italian, Augustinian friar, c. 1470)
Bl. Isnardo of Chiampo (Italian, Dominican prior, d. 1244)
St. Lea of Rome (Italian, leader of community of widows, d. 384)
Bl. Mary St. Cecilia of Rome Belanger of Quebec [Marie Sainte-Cecile-de-Rome] [baptized Dina] (French Canadian, pianist, member of Sisters of Jesus-Marie, died at age 32 in 1929 [beatified 1993])
St. Nicholas of Flue [Niklaus] ["Bruder Klaus"] (Swiss, farmer, soldier, judge, father of 10, hermit, mystic, consumed nothing for 21 years except the Blessed Sacrament, d. 1487 [canonized 1947])
St. Nicholas Owen of Oxford (English, carpenter [constructed hiding places for "illegal" priests], tortured and martyred [abuse in Tower of London] under James I in 1606 [canonized 1970])
St. Octavianus of Carthage and several thousand companions (North African [Tunisian], archdeacon and flock, martyred by Arian Vandals in 484)
St. Paul of Narbonne and companions (Roman, priest and others, martyred in France in 3rd century)
St. Saturninus and nine companions (Northwest African, early martyrs)
St. Trien of Killelga (Irish, disciple of St. Patrick, abbot, 5th century)

If you have anything to share about these 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/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), March 22, 2003.