Jmj

Today, April 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. Abdiesus (Persian [Iranian], deacon, martyred in 4th century)
St. Abrosimus (Persian, priest, martyred by stoning in 342)
Sts. Acepsimas of Hnaita, James, Joseph of Bethcatuba, and Aithala of Bethnudra (Persian ... bishop, priests, and deacon ... martyred in 376)
Pope St. Agapitus I (Roman, archdeacon, elected to papacy in 535, vigorously opposed Monophysite heresy, reigned until death in Constantinople in 536)
Sts. Arwald and Arwald (British, sons of a prince [by whose name both are known], martyred by a pagan king in 686)
Sts. Azadanes, Azades, Tharba, and companions (Persian ... deacon, courtier, and others ... martyred in 342)
Pope St. Caius (Dalmatian [Croatian], elected to papacy in 283, reigned until martyrdom c. 296)
Sts. Epipodius and Alexander (French, young celibate bachelors, tortured and martyed [one beheaded, one crucified] in 178)
Bl. Francesco Venimbene of Fabriano (Italian, Franciscan priest, disciple of St. Bonaventure, c. 1322)
St. Leo of Sens (French, bishop, d. 541)
St. Leonides of Alexandria (Egyptian, father of seven [one being Origen], philosopher, martyred by beheading in 202)
St. Mareas and hundreds of companions (Persian ... 22 bishops, over 200 priests, also monks, nuns, and vast number of laymen, d. 342)
Bl. Maria Gabriella Sagheddu (Sardinian [Italian], shepherdess, Trappistine nun, d. 1939 [beatified 1983] [incorruptible])
St. Opportuna of Montreuil (French, Benedictine abbess, d. 770)
St. Parmenius, Helimenas, Chrysotelus, Luke, and Mucius (Mesopotamian [Iraqi], three priests and two deacons, martyred by beheading c. 250)
St. Rufus of Glendalough (Irish, hermit, 3rd century?)
St. Segnorin of Basto (Spanish?, Benedictine abbess in Portugal, d. 982)
Pope St. Soter (Italian, elected to papacy in 166, opposed Montanist heresy, reigned until death [probably by martyrdom] in 174)
St. Theodore of Sykeon (Galatian [Turkish], bishop, healer, d. 613)
Bl. Wolfhelm of Brauweiler (German, Benedictine abbot, d. 1091)

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), April 22, 2002

Answers

-- (_@_._), April 22, 2002.

Jmj

On April 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. Abdiesus (Persian [Iranian], deacon, martyred in 4th century)
St. Abrosimus (Persian, priest, martyred by stoning in 342)
Sts. Acepsimas of Hnaita, James, Joseph of Bethcatuba, and Aithala of Bethnudra (Persian ... bishop, priests, and deacon ... martyred in 376)
Pope St. Agapitus I of Rome (Italian, archdeacon, elected to papacy in 535, vigorously opposed Monophysite heresy, reigned until death in Constantinople in 536)
Sts. Arwald and Arwald (British, sons of a prince [by whose name both are known], martyred by a pagan king in 686)
Sts. Azadanes, Azades, Tharba, and companions (Persian ... deacon, courtier, and others ... martyred in 342)
Pope St. Caius [also called Gaius] (Dalmatian [Croatian], elected to papacy in 283, reigned until martyrdom c. 296)
Sts. Epipodius and Alexander of Lyons (French, young celibate bachelors, tortured and martyed [one beheaded, one crucified] in 178)
Bl. Francis Venimbene of Fabriano [Francesco] (Italian, Franciscan priest, disciple of St. Bonaventure, c. 1322)
St. Leo of Sens (French, bishop, d. 541)
St. Leonides of Alexandria (Egyptian, father of seven [one being Origen], philosopher, martyred by beheading in 202)
St. Mareas and hundreds of companions (Persian ... 22 bishops, over 200 priests, also monks, nuns, and vast number of laymen, d. 342)
Bl. Maria Gabriella Sagheddu of Borgali (Sardinian [Italian], shepherdess, Trappistine nun, d. 1939 [beatified 1983] [incorruptible])
St. Opportuna of Montreuil (French, Benedictine abbess, d. 770)
St. Parmenius, Helimenas, Chrysotelus, Luke, and Mucius (Mesopotamian [Iraqi], three priests and two deacons, martyred by beheading c. 250)
St. Rufus of Glendalough (Irish, hermit, 3rd century?)
St. Segnorin of Basto (Spanish?, Benedictine abbess in Portugal, d. 982)
Pope St. Soter of Fondi (Italian, elected to papacy in 166, opposed Montanist heresy, reigned until death [probably by martyrdom] in 174)
St. Theodore of Sykeon (Galatian [Turkish], bishop, healer, d. 613)
Bl. Wolfhelm of Brauweiler (German, Benedictine abbot, d. 1091)

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), April 22, 2003.