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On December 19, 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:

Pope St. Anastasius I of Rome (Italian, elected to papacy in 399, reigned until death in 402)
St. Avitus of Micy [also called Adjutus] (abbot)
St. Bernard Paleara of Teramo [Bernardo] (Italian, Benedictine monk, bishop, d. 1122)
Bl. Cecilia of Ferrara (Italian, married woman, Dominican nun, d. 1511)
St. Cyriacus, Paulillus, Secundus, Anastasius, Syndimius, and companions, of Nicomedia (from Asia Minor [now called Turkey], martyred in 303)
Sts. Darius, Zosimus, Paul, and Secundus, of Nicaea (from Asia Minor, early martyrs)
Sts. Dominic Bui Van Uy of Tien Mon [Daminh], Francis Xavier Ha Trong Mau of Ke Rieng [Phanxico Xavie], Stephen Nguyen Van Vinh of Phu Trang [Stephano], and Thomas Nguyen Van De of Bo Trang [Toma] (Vietnamese, three catechists and a tailor, Dominican Tertiaries, martyred by strangling at about ages 38/49/25/29 in 1839 [beatified 1900, canonized 1988])
St. Fausta of Sirmium (from what is now Croatia, mother of St. Anastasia, widow, 3rd century)
St. Gregory of Auxerre (French, bishop, died at about age 85 c. 540)
Bl. Macarius of Würzburg (Scottish or Irish, Benedictine abbot in Germany, d. 1153)
St. Manirus (Scottish, early missionary)
Bl. Mary Eve of Providence Noiszewska of Osaniszki [Maria Ewa] [baptized Bogumila] and Bl. Mary Martha of Jesus Wolowska of Lublin [Maria Marta] [baptized Kazimiera] (Polish born in Lithuania, Sister of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Immaculatian sister, martyred by Nazis at Gora Pietralewicka at ages 57 and 63 in 1942 [beatified 1999])
Sts. Meuris and Thea of Gaza (Palestinian, virgins, martyred c. 307)
St. Nemesius of Alexandria (Egyptian, martyred by burning in 250)
St. Ribert of Saint-Oyend (French, Benedictine abbot, c. 790)
St. Samthana of Meath (Irish, abbess, 6th century)
St. Timothy (African, deacon, marytred by burning c. 250)
Pope Bl. Urban V de Grimoard of Grisac [baptized Guillaume (William)] (French, university teacher, Benedictine abbot, papal legate, elected to papacy in 1362, reigned until death in Avignon [France] at about age 60 in 1370 [beatified 1870])
Bl. William of Fenoli [Guglielmo] (Italian, Carthusian brother, c. 1205 [beatified 1860])

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), December 19, 2004

Answers

-- ("jfgecik@hotmail.com), December 19, 2004.