Jmj

On June 27, we members of the Catholic Church family honor the Blessed Virgin Mary under her title, Our Lady of Perpetual Help.
We also honor, in a special way, the following friends of God -- "saints" and "blesseds" whose souls are now in heaven:

St. Cyril of Alexandria (Egyptian, monk, patriarch [bishop], opposed Nestorian heresy, Doctor of the Church, died at about age 68 in 444)

St. Anectus of Caesarea (Palestinian, martyred in 303)
St. Arialdo of Milan (Italian, deacon, martyred at about age 65 in 1066 [canonized 1904])
St. Arianell (Welsh, nun, 6th century)
Bl. Benvenuto of Gubbio (Italian, soldier, disciple of St. Francis of Assisi, cared for lepers, d. 1232)
St. Crescens of Galatia (disciple of St. Paul [2 Timothy 4], bishop, martyred in 2nd century)
St. Deodatus of Nola (Italian, bishop, d. 473)
Bl. Eppo of Mallersdorf (German, Benedictine abbot, d. 1143)
St. Ferdinand of the Angels of Aragon [Ferdinando] (Sicilian of Spanish heritage, bishop of Cajazzo, 13th century)
St. Hadelin of Crespin (Belgian, Benedictine abbot, c. 700)
St. John of Chinon (French, hermit, queen's spiritual advisor, 6th century)
Sts. Joseph Dô Quang Hiên of Annam and Thomas Toan of Tonkin (Vietnamese, Dominican priest and catechist, martyred [one beheaded at about age 64, one starved at about age 72] in 1840 [beatified 1900, canonized 1988]) [St. Thomas ]
King St. Ladislaus I of Neustra [Laszlo] (Hungarian, died in Slovakia at about age 55 in 1095 [canonized 1192])
Bl. Louise Therese de Montaignac de Chauvance of Le-Havre-de-Grace (French, virgin, founded Oblates of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, died at age 65 in 1885 [beatified 1990])
Bl. Margaret Bays of La Pierraz [Marguerite] (Swiss, virgin, Franciscan tertiary, stigmatist, died at age 63 in 1879 [beatified 1995])
St. Samson the Hospitable of Constantinople (from Asia Minor [Turkish], medical doctor, priest, founder of hospital, c. 530)
St. Zoilus and 19 companions, of Cordova (Spanish, martyred c. 301)

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. Additional 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), June 27, 2004

Answers

About St. Thomas Toan of Tonkin (from Holy Martyrs of Vietnam parish, Arlington, Virginia):
"Although he was teaching the faith to others, Thomas's faith waivered. After showing signs of apostatizing, he repented. In consequence, he was cruelly scourged and exposed in the sun to insects without food or drink for twelve days until he died ..."

[Happy birthday to J & H!]

-- ("jfgecik@hotmail.com), June 27, 2004.

John,

Who are J & H, that you would wish them Happy Birthday?

Do you know about this site: http://www.catholic- forum.com/saints/indexsnt.htm? It contains an immense amount of information about Saints that has been very helpful to me.

Anyone, including John,

I was wondering if you could help. I am considering the name "Lily," "Lilian," or some variation of that for my confirmation name, for various reasons. One of those is that I heard a story about a woman named Lilian or Lily or something along those lines. She lived in the first century and I think she was possessed or something, and the Virgin Mary (while still alive) is said to have cast out her demon and helped her. I wish I could remember the story perfectly, because I was very moved by it.

Does anyone here know about this story? It was at a crucial time in my decision to convert when I heard this story. I would like to know if she is a Saint? I couldn't find her on that Saints index page, although the site is rather exhaustive. The name Lily is special to me for a number of reasons (and has been since high school), this story being one of them. However, I would like a good story of a Saint with this name to possibly choose as my patron in order to make it more special. If anyone can help, that would be great.

Thanks and God bless!

-- Emily ("jesusfollower7@yahoo.com), June 27, 2004.

Jmj
Hi, Emily.

You wrote: "Who are J & H, that you would wish them Happy Birthday?"
They are family members of a person who may visit this thread. It happens that they shared a birthday yesterday.

You asked: "Do you know about this site: http://www.catholic- forum.com/saints/indexsnt.htm?"
Yes, indeed I do! It is the very first site about saints and blesseds that I ever encountered on the Internet (between 1995 and 2000). Eventually, it became one of the four main saints/blesseds sites from which I have drawn bits and pieces of information for the forum's threads. I call the four the "main ... sites" because I have also drawn, to a lesser degree, on scores of other sites that provide information in several languages.

Very early in the process of preparing the original threads, I realized that no single site (including the one you like very much) was going to be fully satisfactory. Each one gives details about only some of the saints and blesseds of a given day. Also, when two or more sites have information about a given person, there are sometimes conflicts as to the day of memorial, the year of death, and various other facts. Thus, I have often had to do a good bit of cross-checking, in order gradually to refine the lists that I am beginning to post -- and I feel sure that not all mistakes have yet been weeded out!

Because you are considering the name "Lily/Lilian" for confirmation, you asked about the possible existence of a first-century woman by that name.

I have to say that I have never heard about the story you mentioned. It sounds as though it is a pious legend that may not be based on historical facts. It may be from one of the so-called "apochryphal gospels." I have never heard of an exorcism attributed to Our Lady -- either before or after her Assumption into Heaven.

You wrote: "The name Lily is special to me for a number of reasons ... I would like a good story of a Saint with this name to possibly choose as my patron in order to make it more special."

If you have not already seen it, you should read this about St. Lillian [note: two l's]. Perhaps you can dig up more details elsewhere.

God bless you.
John

-- J. F. Gecik ("jfgecik@hotmail.com), June 28, 2004.

Thanks John for the birthday wishes for J&H.

-- - (Your@true.friend), June 28, 2004.

John,

Thanks so much for all your help! It is amazing how much you know about the Catholic faith. I will have to research more on this.

God bless,

-- Emily ("jesusfollower7@yahoo.com), June 28, 2004.

You're welcome, Emily. However, you shouldn't give me so much credit. There is SO much to know about the Catholic faith that I know that I can only scratch the surface. Besides that, much of what you may think I "know" is really only what I have looked up -- and have not necessarily retained! I do not have a very good memory, but I do have a willingness to search out things that I or others would like to know. JFG

-- ("jfgecik@hotmail.com), June 30, 2004.