Jmj

On August 16, 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:

King St. Stephen I of Esztergom [Istvan] (Hungarian, Magyar monarch, died at about age 69 in 1038 [canonized 1083])

St. Ambrose of Ferentino [Ambrogio] (Italian, centurion, martyred c. 303)
Bl. Angel Augustine Mazzinghi of Florence [Angelo Agostini] (Italian, Carmelite priest and provincial, teacher, died at about age 61 in 1438 [beatified 1761])
St. Armagillus of Brittany (Welsh, abbot in France, c. 570)
St. Arsacius of Nicomedia (Persian, soldier, hermit in Asia Minor, d. 358)
St. Diomedes of Tarsus (Cilician [from part of what is now Turkey], physician, martyred c. 311)
St. Eleutherius of Auxerre (French, bishop, d. 561)
Bl. John of St. Martha of Prados [Juan] (Spanish, Franciscan missionary priest, beheaded in Japan at about age 40 in 1618 [beatified 1867])
Bl. Laurence Loricatus of Apulia [Lorenzo] (Italian, soldier, Benedictine monk, hermit, died at about age 53 in 1423 [beatified 1778])
Bl. Mary Magdalen Kiota (Japanese, noblewoman, Dominican tertiary, martyred by burning in 1620 [beatified 1867])
Bl. Ralph de la Futaye of Saint-Sulpice [Raoul] (French, Benedictine abbot, d. 1129)
St. Rocco of Montpellier [Roch] (French, nobleman, cared for victims of the plague, died at about age 32 in 1327)
St. Serena of Rome (Italian, c. 290)
St. Simplician of Milan (Italian, bishop, d. 400)
St. Titus of Rome (Italian, deacon, martyred by a pagan Goth in 5th century)
St. Uguzo of Carvagna (Italian, shepherd, early martyr)

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), August 16, 2004

Answers

[Note: I am copying the following several (indented) messages from the old, obsolete "saints" thread for this day of the year, so that the old thread can later be deleted. JFG]

John,Thank you! I enjoy reading about Our Saints! You are a Great Catholic. God Bless you, David

-- August 16, 2001.

You will soon be among the saints in heaven, David. I just know it!
John

-- (jgecik@amdg.ihs), August 16, 2001.

John, Thanks for the compliment! I just hope it is not to soon, because I have a 3 year old girl to raise! I would love her to become a Holy Nun! I hope that you did not mean I was leaving here soon God Bless You! David

-- August 16, 2001.

Don't worry, David. I did not mean TOO soon.
I mean "soon" as the word has meaning to God. To him, a thousand years are as a moment!
I will pray for you and your daughter.
JFG

-- August 16, 2001.

St. Roch lived in the late 1200's and early 1300's in France. He was born into a wealthy family but as an adult gave away everything he had to the poor. He devoted his life to helping people who were stricken with the plague in Italy. He was known to cure patients with the sign of the cross. He himself ended up with the plague but recovered. When he returned to France, he refused to disclose his identity to his uncle who was head of the government because he had given away his family's fortune. They accused him of being a spy in the clothes of a pilgrim so they threw him in jail where he died five years later. When he was found dead in his cell, there was a red cross marked on his chest. Many miracles have been attributed to St. Roch.

-- Terri -- August 16, 2001.

Thanks so much, Terri.
I have heard that many Italians have a devotion to St. Roch, whom they call Rocco.
JFG

-- (jgecik@amdg.ihs), August 16, 2001.

Why is St. Roch portrayed with a dog at his feet?

-- Enrique Ortiz -- August 17, 2001.

It has been said that when St. Roch became ill with a plague, the first to help him in his time of distress was a dog. So in art, he is shown with a dog at his feet. Theresa V.

-- Terri -- August 17, 2001.

[Sorry. I must have messed up the HTML, maybe leaving out a "blockquote" tag, so the above messages were not properly indented. JFG]

-- ("jfgecik@hotmail.com), August 16, 2004.