Jmj

Today, July 11, 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. Benedict of Nursia ["Founder of Western Monasticism"] (Roman, nobleman, twin brother of St. Scholastica, hermit, founder of monastic order now called the Benedictines [once having 40,000 monasteries], d. 547)
St. Abundius (Spanish, parish priest, martyred [beheaded] by Moslems in 854)
St. Amabilis (English, princess, nun in France, d. 634)
St. Cindeus (from Asia Minor [Turkish], priest, martyred by burning in 300)
St. Drostan (Irish, abbot in Scotland, d. 610)
St. Hidulphus (German, Benedictine abbot, bishop, d. 707)
Sts. Januarius and Pelagia (Armenian, martyred by beheading in 320)
St. John of Bergamo (Italian, bishop for 34 years, opposed Arian heresy, c. 690)
St. Leontius the Younger (French, soldier, bishop, d. 565)
St. Marcian (Lycaonian [Turkish], youth, early martyr)
St. Olga [baptized Helena] (Ukrainian, queen, d. 969)
St. Oliver Plunkett (Irish, nobleman, professor of theology, archbishop, imprisoned in England, martyred [drawn, hanged, quartered] in 1681 [canonized 1975])
St. Placid (Swiss, wealthy man who donated all his land for a Benedictine abbey, martyred in 7th century [canonized 1905])
St. Sabinus (French, martyred? in 5th century)
St. Turketil (English, king's brother and chancellor, abbot, d. 995)

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), July 11, 2002

Answers

-- (_@_._), July 11, 2002.

Thinking about St. Benedict always reminds me of my all-time favorite Catholic novel (well, favorite novel, period!) - Rumer Godden's "In This House of Brede," about an Englishwoman who becomes a Benedictine nun in her mid-40's.

-- Christine L. (christinelehman@hotmail.com), July 11, 2002.

Jmj

I didn't read the book, Christine, but I remember being enchanted by the 1975 made-for-TV movie, which starred Diana Rigg.

St. Benedict does not remind me of "In the House of Brede," though. It takes me back to my youth (1950s and '60s), because our family were parishioners at St. Benedict Catholic Church (staffed by Benedictine priests of the nearby abbey). I attended St. Benedict School for nine years and Benedictine High School for four more.

Every year, when we little children attended Mass on the feast of St. Benedict (then celebrated in March), we chanted a little hymn that recalled the great monastic Rule of the saint:
St. Benedict, to thee we turn,
The secrets of God's grace to learn.
Oh, guide us by thy wise decrees
That God alone we seek to please.

God bless you.
John

-- (jfgecik@hotmail.com), July 13, 2002.

Jmj

On July 11, 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. Benedict of Nursia ["Founder of Western Monasticism"] (Roman, nobleman, twin brother of St. Scholastica, hermit, founder of monastic order now called the Benedictines [once having 40,000 monasteries], d. 547)

St. Abundius of Ananelos (Spanish, parish priest, martyred [beheaded] by Moslems in 854)
St. Amabilis of Rouen (English, princess, nun in France, d. 634)
St. Cindeus of Pamphylia (from Asia Minor [Turkish], priest, martyred by burning in 300)
St. Drostan of Deer (Irish, abbot in Scotland, d. 610)
St. Hidulphus of Regensburg (German, Benedictine abbot, bishop, d. 707)
Sts. Januarius and Pelagia (Armenian, martyred by beheading in 320)
St. John of Bergamo (Italian, bishop for 34 years, opposed Arian heresy, c. 690)
St. Leontius the Younger (French, soldier, bishop, d. 565)
St. Marcian of Iconium (Lycaonian [Turkish], youth, early martyr)
St. Olga of Pskov [baptized Helena] (Ukrainian, queen, d. 969)
St. Oliver Plunkett of Loughenew (Irish, nobleman, professor of theology, archbishop, imprisoned in England, martyred [drawn, hanged, quartered] under Charles II in 1681 [canonized 1975])
St. Placid of Dissentis (Swiss, wealthy man who donated all his land for a Benedictine abbey, martyred in 7th century [canonized 1905])
St. Sabinus (French, martyred? in 5th century)
St. Turketil (English, king's brother and chancellor, abbot, d. 995)

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), July 11, 2003.