St. Narcissus, bishop of Jerusalem.
St. Genitus, confessor, not a bishop, at Bourges.
St. Hyacinth, martyr in Lucania.
St. Quintus or Quintinus, martyr in Lucania.
St. Felician, martyr in Lucania.
St. Lucinius or Lucius, martyr in Lucania.
St. Zenobius, presbyter and martyr at Antioch.
St. Basil, bishop of Luni.
St. Terentius, bishop of Metz.
St. Appian, African bishop, at Pavia in Italy.
St. Eusebia, virgin and martyr, at Bergamo in Italy.
St. Jacob, bishop of Sarug.
St. Theodore, abbot, at Vienne in Gaul.
St. Ermelinde, virgin, at Meldert in Brabant.
St. Baldus, penitent, at Sens in Gaul.
St. Colman mac Duach, bishop in Ireland.
St. Sigebert, king of the East Angles and martyr.
St. Kennera, virgin, in Galloway, a district of Scotland.
St. Majorian, confessor, not a bishop, in French Auvergne.
St. Laudoveva, venerated as a queen, at Senlis in Gaul.
St. Anna Euphemianus, nun at Constantinople.
St. Merwinna, abbess of Romsey in England.
St. Elfleda or Ethelfleda, abbess of Romsey in England.
St. Stephen, bishop of Caiazzo.
St. Eadsius or Eadsinus, archbishop of Canterbury.
Bl. Ricwera, nun of the Premonstratensian order.
Bl. Abramius, abbot of Rostov.
Bl. Berengar, abbot of Formbach in Bavaria.
Bl. Wirundus, abbot of Formbach in Bavaria.
Bl. Theodoric, abbot of Formbach in Bavaria.
Bl. Peter Monoculus, also called of Igny, abbot of Clairvaux in Gaul.
Bl. Margaret, prioress at Bingen in Germany.
Bl. Ida, nun at Bingen in Germany.
Bl. Ida of Leeuw, Cistercian nun, at La Ramée in Brabant.
Bl. Henry de Bottis, bishop of Geneva.
Bl. Benevenuta Bojana, virgin of the Order of Friars Preachers, at Forum Julii in Italy.
Bl. Angelus Canetulus, canon regular of St. Saviour, at Bologna.
Bl. Lucia Bartolini Rucellai, of the Order of Friars Preachers, at Florence.
Of the three Spanish Turibii, of Astorga, of Palencia, and of Liébana.
"At Paris, the translation of St. Genevieve, virgin; which translation was made on the preceding day, but is recalled here, doubtless on account of the hindrance of the feast of SS. Simon and Jude." These things are read at the present day in the Hagenau edition of Usuard. See therefore what we said at the preceding day in the Passed Over, and the Acts of the blessed virgin at 3 January.
St. Salvius, bishop of Amiens, is commemorated today in the supplement of du Saussay's Gallican Martyrology and thence in the Universal Martyrology of de Saint-Allais; there is an error of one day. For, as we pointed out yesterday in the case of St. Salvius of Braga, the genuine feast of St. Salvius of Amiens is 28 October; although he has been treated in this our work, following the Roman Martyrology, at 11 January.
St. Paul of Thebes, prince of hermits, is praised today in the Sirmond codex and in two other Milanese ones. But his Acts were illustrated at the day on which he is venerated alike by Greeks and Latins, namely 15 January.
The memory of St. Ceolwulf, king of the Northumbrians, is recalled today by Challoner in his British Martyrology, or Monuments of ancient British piety. At the day immediately preceding we have already spoken of this commemoration in the Passed Over; where we also pointed out that his Acts have already been given in our work at 15 January.
The commemoration of the reform of St. Romuald, confirmed by Bl. Pope Alexander II in the year 1072, is made today by the Donauwörth Menologist and by Lechner in his Benedictine Martyrology. We omit more on this matter, since the Acts of St. Romuald were published long ago at 7 February.
St. Abramius the ascetic is announced today in all the calendars of the Greeks and Slavs, except the Constantinopolitan one of Morcelli, the calendars of Lindenbrog [Acta SS., volume II of March, page 434, number 6; cf. Graeco-Slavonic Year, page 3, number 12.], the old Neapolitan one, and the Eklogadion of Grottaferrata: of which the last two mention him at 22 December. The Armenians, however, venerate him on the preceding day, which we omitted to note in its place. With him is usually joined Mary, his niece, whose story is intimately connected with her uncle's deeds. Both are unknown to the Latins on this day, except that Molanus in the Auctarium praised Abramius, Cardinal de Noailles in the Paris Martyrology Abramius and Mary the Penitent, Arthur in the Gynecaeum Mary the Penitent, and Chastelain Mary "the Penitent, the New, of the Hellespont." But Mary the New is certainly to be struck out; for that title is due to an error into which, after our predecessors, several others have fallen, believing that Abramius, the guide of St. Mary the New in John Moschus Pratum spirituale, chapter 68., was that anchorite, the spiritual guide of his niece Mary. But Ἀβράμιος ὁ ἡγούμενος τῆς ἁγίας Μαρίας τῆς Νέας signifies the head of some monastery or church of the Mother of God. Whence it is also clear that from this the age in which Abramius lived cannot be determined. But since it is granted to speak again of that most celebrated anchorite, let it be permitted to vindicate in a few words, against Assemani, the rights of the opinion of our predecessors. For they believed they had demonstrated that Abramius led the solitary life on the Hellespont near Lampsacus in the sixth century, not in Syria in the time of the great Ephrem, and that the Ephrem his disciple who wrote the Life of his master [Acta SS., volume II of March, page 436 and following; in Greek in the works of Ephrem, Roman edition, volume II (Greek), page 1 and following.] is to be altogether distinguished from the most celebrated Syrian deacon. As patron of their opinion they produced Simeon Metaphrastes, who reworked and enlarged the Life written by Ephrem and inserted in it mention of the city of Lampsacus [In Latin in Surius, at 16 March; in Greek in Migne, Patrol. Graeca, volume CXV, column 43 and following.]. But these things did not please Assemani, who, seeing that in the manuscript codices the Life of Abramius was assigned to Ephrem the Syrian, contended that Abramius lived in the fourth century, when there were still many idolaters in Syria; that credit was not to be given to Metaphrastes; and he brought forward a passage of the Chronicle of Edessa, written in Syriac, in which the death of a certain Abramius of Chiduna, a recluse near Edessa, was marked at the year 356 [Bibl. Orient., volume I, pages 36 and 396; Kalendaria eccl. univ., volume V, page 324.]. And since the same arguments, the last excepted, had already been proposed long before by Tillemont Mémoires etc., volume VI, pages 586 and 785., who, as all know, is more unjust to Metaphrastes than is right, all who afterwards treated of Abramius said with one voice that Abramius was a Syrian, a contemporary of Ephrem and his master or at least friend, an anchorite at Chiduna near the city of Edessa. But why, I ask, is the authority of Simeon made so little of? Until new documents appear, we have before our eyes on the one side the testimony of a certain Ephrem, whom no one has proved to have been that Syrian, and who says nothing about his native land; and on the other that of Simeon, certainly a learned man, who saw fit, we know not for what reason, to add certain things to Ephrem's little work. Who will stand as judge? Our predecessors certainly erred in interpreting the words of John Moschus, which they read only in Latin, and hence in determining the age of Abramius: but the other things which they have have not yet been seriously refuted. Since nothing at all is brought forward to weaken the statements of Simeon, his words, which Ephrem in no way contradicts, retain their authority. These things noted, see the rest that pertains to the life of Abramius at 16 March.
The feast of St. Narcissus, their bishop, was assigned to the present day, on which the feast of St. Narcissus, bishop of Jerusalem, is kept, by the people of Gerona, and following their example by those of Augsburg in Swabia Acta SS., volume II of March, page 621.. As is clear from the proper Offices, the clergy of the island of Sardinia also keep today the feast of St. Narcissus, bishop of Gerona. Hence in the Key to Sacred Spain Peter Sainz de Baranda announced today, according to the liturgical calendars of Gerona, the feast of St. Narcissus, bishop of Gerona and martyr; and in the Hagenau, Lübeck-Cologne and Greven editions of Usuard there is read at the present day: "At Augsburg in Swabia, the feast of St. Narcissus, bishop and martyr, who converted St. Afra"; except that the Hagenau typesetters printed "Gundahyzaviae" in place of "Augusta Sueviae": other variations I omit. Although these things are not disjoined, Wallasser nevertheless joined them more closely in the German Canisian Martyrology, openly alleging that St. Narcissus, bishop of Gerona, came with Felix the deacon from Spain to Augsburg; there converted St. Afra the courtesan, St. Hilaria her mother and three handmaids, who were shortly to be martyrs; afterwards returned to Gerona and there suffered martyrdom. It is an obscure question whether St. Narcissus, bishop of Gerona, and St. Narcissus, bishop of Augsburg, are one and the same man. In the genuine Acts of St. Afra, martyr of Augsburg, there appears a bishop Narcissus, but without the title of a see, who baptized St. Afra and her household Ibid., volume II of August, page 58.. Bl. Notker the Stammerer, monk of St. Gall, who between the year 843 and 896 at some point set his hand to his Martyrology Cf. Acta SS., volume IX of October, page 270., where he praises St. Afra at 7 August, said openly that Narcissus was bishop of Gerona [Martyrol. at 7 Aug., in Canisius and Basnage, Monum. antiq., volume II, page III, page 163.]. This he doubtless drew from the History of the conversion of St. Afra, sewn on to her Passion. For in this history we read Acta SS., volume II of August, page 56.: "And Bishop Narcissus himself, having completed things in order, after nine months set out for Spain, to the city of Gerona. In which he won much people for God in three years. And so at last he attained the palm of martyrdom with his deacon Felix." Whence it follows that it was handed down from ancient times that St. Narcissus, the spiritual father of St. Afra, was bishop of Gerona. Yet the authority of that History is not of the highest, since St. Narcissus could not, in the year 307, or three years after St. Afra, when martyrdoms no longer took place in Spain, have attained the palm of martyrdom with his deacon Felix. Very many therefore, among them Tillemont, not daring to trust the History of the conversion of St. Afra, preferred to doubt whether Narcissus of Augsburg and Narcissus of Gerona were one man. Our predecessors affirmed it at 18 March Ibid., volume II of March, page 621. and at 5 August Ibid., volume II of August, page 45., and after them Francis Dorca [Colleccion de noticias para la historia de los santos martires de Gerona, page 185 and following.], Antoninus Merino España sagrada, volume XLIII, page 298 and following. and James Villanueva Viaje literario, volume XIII, pages 1 and 114.. But more recently Boniface Gams Die Kirchengeschichte von Spanien, volume I, page 302., relying on the silence of the Mozarabic liturgy and of the poet Prudentius, judged that he should be passed over; more promptly than cautiously. Among the remains of our predecessors I found a copy of the Legend which Gamans once copied from the manuscript Passional of Würzburg; likewise lessons sent in solemn form from Gerona to Augsburg in the year 1509; besides, the Sermon of Oliva, bishop of Vich, who flourished about the middle of the eleventh century It was edited by Flórez, España sagrada, volume XXVIII, page 265.; and finally some hymns to be sung on the feast of the translation of St. Narcissus. But in these nothing occurs by which the doubts that have been raised may be put down; and indeed the Gerona lessons in use at the beginning of the sixteenth century are enlarged with the most open fables. From these things, therefore, it is manifest that not much light shines from this quarter. In so great a darkness, however, nothing more cautious seems possible than to follow what was disputed in our work at 5 August in the Acts of St. Afra, or what was handed down in the same about St. Narcissus of Gerona, who is also of Augsburg, at the day on which his name is inscribed in the Roman Martyrology, 18 March.
The translation of St. Vincent Ferrer had been noted today in the enlarged Usuard of the Charterhouse of Brussels; which codex has been cited here and there in our work by our predecessors. But St. Vincent Ferrer seems to have been substituted for St. Vincent Madelgarius or of Soignies; whose translation (as will appear a little below) is really recalled on the present day. For the rest, the Acts of St. Vincent Ferrer were illustrated at 5 April.
St. Sabas in Gothia is commemorated at the 29th in the Eklogadion of Grottaferrata; whom indeed, although we read the announcement of St. Sabas the Goth in other books of the Greeks today, we easily distinguish, by the addition of these words "in Gothia," from his namesake and fellow-citizen, the commander of soldiers, who suffered at Rome. See therefore what ours have written about him at 12 April.
The translation of St. Wolbodo, bishop of Liège, performed in the year 1656 by Sanfelice, nuncio of Pope Alexander VII for Belgium, is recalled today in the Benedictine Calendar of Donauwörth and in Lechner's Benedictine Menology. Of this translation it has been spoken at the day on which the most blessed man was formerly venerated, 21 April.
The printed Menaea and one Milanese codex make memory today of St. Sabas, commander of soldiers, but have his synaxarion at the day on which the holy martyr is chiefly venerated by the Latins and the Greeks and was praised by ours; which is 24 April.
"At Cassiope in the island of Corcyra, of St. Donatus, of whom blessed Pope Gregory writes." These things Baronius in the Roman Martyrology, who did not recognize the same Donatus whom he had inserted in his calendars at 30 April. Our predecessors have already twice treated that saint, at the genuine day, and at the day on which the translation of his relics is recalled, among the Passed Over of 7 August. But not so fully that some things do not remain to be added. It is known from what was written in the places cited above that St. Donatus had a most richly adorned tomb in his episcopal city of Euroea, or rather, to conform the spelling itself to the more recent pronunciation of the Greeks, Euria. Nicephorus Callistus, who heard it by report from others, ἐπυθόμην Niceph. Call., book XII, chapter 45, page 348, Graeco-Latin edition., relates that there also existed there a city bearing the saint's name. Procopius seems to have written of this city, according to whom the Emperor Justinian repaired two fortresses of St. Donatus in the territory of Justinianopolis and of Photice De aedificiis, book IV, number 4, page 75, Paris edition.. That Euria was not very far distant from the city of Photice we learn from the same author, where he treats of the cities fortified in Epirus by the same emperor, and relates that the inhabitants of Euria itself, the ancient city, were transferred to a neighbouring island more easily defended Ibid., book IV, number 1, page 68, Paris edition.. More probably one or other of the two fortresses mentioned above was added to the new city, and it is the one which was afterwards called by the Normans Castel Saint-Donat, and long kept this name in the region itself, as we understand from the Epirote fragments edited by Bekker Corp. Scriptt. hist. Byz., Epirotica, pages 217 and 228.. The town of Paramythia now succeeds this fortress, if credit is given to the French traveller Pouqueville Voyage de la Grèce, volume II, page 152.; who, though a learned man, we find was deceived by a strange hallucination when he derived Aidoni, the recent name of a village subject to Paramythia, from ancient fables and Plutonic myths Ibid., pages 132 and 138.. But if he had known better the history of St. Donatus, which he makes little of and dismisses to fables, the man skilled in modern Greek would have seen that Aidoni is nothing else than St. Donatus, Ἅγιος being gradually shortened into Ἁἳ. But these things do not suffice to settle the question whether, after Justinian, the ancient name stuck to the old or to the new Euria, and to which of the two the Castle of St. Donatus or Paramythia corresponds. Certainly the more recent origin of Paramythia indicates that it succeeded the new Euria. In the time of St. Gregory the Great, as we are taught by his letters, the appellation of Euria still remained, when the bishop and clergy left their city, most probably on account of the incursions of the Avars, and migrated with the body of St. Donatus to the island of Corcyra. Whence arose the dispute about jurisdiction which you may see in the letters of St. Gregory himself Letters, book XIV, letters 7, 8 and 13.. The relics seem afterwards to have been brought back to the city of Euria; for when the Venetians had taken possession of the island of Cephalonia, which lies off the coast of Epirus, having been informed of the place in which that sacred treasure lay, they secretly made their way there and carried it off to their native land [Andrea Dandolo, Chronicon, book IV, chapter 14, and book IX, chapter 12, in Muratori, volume XII, columns 61, 62 and 273.]. Most, however, prefer to interpret the words of Andrea Dandolo, the Venetian chronologist, so that the body is thought to have been then laid up in Cephalonia, whither it had been brought from Corcyra. But there is no leisure here to discourse further on these things: let it suffice to have indicated the opinion, whose reasons will be plain to one who reads the Chronicle. These things were done in the year 1125. From this time the body of St. Donatus rested in the church of St. Mary of the Assumption on the island of Murano near Venice, which belonged to the diocese of Torcello. For which reason the name of St. Donatus was added to the title of this church, and it became the church of St. Mary of the Assumption and of St. Donatus, bishop and confessor [Moroni, Dizionario di erudizione, volume XCI, pages 558 and 559; Stato personale del clero di Venezia, 1855.]. The most recent translation of the body to its own chapel in the same church, made on 7 August 1656, is narrated in our work at 7 August Acta SS., volume II of August, page 181. and in Flaminio Corner Ecclesiae Torcellanae, part II, page 59.. The memory of these translations is kept in the ancient diocese of Torcello at 7 August, as may be seen in the Tables of the Venetian church Officia propria, Venice, 1845, page 285.. The rest that pertains to St. Donatus you may look for at 30 April.
The Gospel-book of the Melchites of the church of Antioch in Angelo Mai Scriptt. vett., volume IV, part II, page 49. mentions "the disciples of Cyriacus and his companions." What this signifies, let those see who have the opportunity of inspecting the codex. Certainly some error lies hidden in these words, whether of the scribe, or of the translator, or finally of the editor. Since mention of companions indicates martyrs, perhaps the bishop Cyriacus is praised here about whom the Greeks tell fables at the preceding day. If that is true, see what is noted in our work at 4 May.
"At Autun, of St. John, bishop and confessor." These words are read today not in the very first edition, but in the following editions of the Roman Martyrology of Baronius; who added in the notes: "Of the same the tables or liturgical calendar of the church of Autun. His Life is said to have been written by Walfridus his successor." The distinguished man took this announcement and also the note from the Martyrology of Galesini. Hence du Saussay wrote at the present day in the Gallican Martyrology: "At Autun of the Aedui, of St. John, bishop and confessor, whom, although the church of Autun itself neither venerates nor recalls him, the Roman church, mother and mistress of all, conscious of his good deserts, has inscribed in its diptychs to be venerated with an annual commemoration." Why then do we place the blessed man among the Passed Over? Chastelain, namely, saw that an error lurked here and therefore wrote in the margin that in place of Augustodunum, Hagustaldum in England, where this John was bishop, should rather be written. The same is suggested by Francis Mary de Aste, archbishop of Otranto, in the Observations on the Roman Martyrology, affirming that it is stated by Pagi in the Critica of the Annals of Baronius at the year 687, number 7, and at the year 721, number 6, that this John is one and the same as John, bishop of York or of Hexham. But in neither place does Pagi dispute on this matter; he only explains the dates of St. John of York. Nevertheless "at Autun" must most certainly be struck out. This church indeed had three bishops named John: of whom the first, John de Arceis, was translated to the see of Langres in the year 1343; the second, John Rolin, departed this life in the year 1483; the third, another John Rolin, died in the year 1501: but none of these was ever inscribed by anyone in the sacred calendars. Nor does any other John appear in the Lives of the holy patrons, martyrs and bishops of Autun which came to light in the year 1713; nor in the breviaries or liturgical calendars of Autun is mention made of any John who is not celebrated in the universal Church. But is Hagustaldum to be substituted? Let the announcement be substituted, or rather removed altogether. For from the notes of Galesini and Baronius it is clear that St. John, bishop of Hexham and York, commonly called of Beverley, is designated. We have given the words of Baronius. Those of Galesini are these: "From the tables of the church of Autun. His Life was indeed written by Walfridus the bishop, who succeeded in his place." Among the prelates of Autun there was no Walfridus, nor anyone whose name came near this form. But St. John, who, having left the see of Hexham, had ascended that of York, when he had judged that this too must be left, so as to live the rest of his life at Beverley, put in his place his priest Wilfrid; who is called St. Wilfrid the Second or the Younger and whose Acts were set forth in our work at 29 April: for the other St. Wilfrid, namely the First or the Elder, preceded St. John in the see of York and was illustrated in our work at 24 April. Further, as may be seen in the Passed Over at 12 October, in the sacred calendars, and especially in the Roman Martyrology, the name of Wilfrid is rather often turned by an easy change into Walfrid. But the Life which was written by St. Wilfrid the Younger has hitherto not yet been printed; only that which was composed about the middle of the eleventh century, more than three centuries after the death of St. John, by Folcard, monk of Canterbury. All these things are confirmed from elsewhere. For Galesini is not the author of the error, but Maurolico, who in his Martyrology wrote at the present day: "On the same day, of blessed John, bishop of Autun, of whom Bede writes." But Bede did not write of the bishops of Autun, but in book V, chapter 2, of the Ecclesiastical History of the English and elsewhere praised St. John, bishop of Hexham, or of York and Beverley. This St. John of Beverley was formerly venerated on many days, and also on 25 October; but in the ancient books I have nowhere found 29 October. But these things suffice, since it was long ago spoken in these Acts of St. John of York or of Beverley at the day on which he is also inscribed in the Roman Martyrology, 7 May.
The feast of St. Euphrosyne is announced today in the Roman auctaria of Bede of St. Cyriacus. This solitary announcement doubtless pertains to some translation of the relics of one or other St. Euphrosyne; namely either of St. Euphrosyne, virgin of Alexandria, whose relics came into Gaul, or of St. Euphrosyne, martyr of Terracina in the reign of Trajan. Of the former it has been spoken in our work at 11 February;
of the one of Terracina at 12 May.
St. Rictrude, formerly celebrated at Marchiennes in the territory of Arras, is announced today in the Usuard of Molanus, in the German Martyrology of Canisius or Wallasser, in the Supplement of du Saussay's Gallican, in Ferrarius's General Catalogue of the saints and in Arthur's Gynecaeum. This memory did not escape Papebroch in the Commentary which he prefixed to the Acts of St. Rictrude at 12 May.
The translation of St. Ivo is announced today in the calendars of the old Breviaries of Saint-Brieuc, Léon, Rennes and the abbey of Saint-Melaine of Rennes, which Lobineau and Tresvaux published at the beginning of the Lives of the saints of Armorican Brittany. Already above in the Passed Over at the 27th of this month we showed that this saint and the translations of his body were treated in our work at 19 May.
Bl. Andrew of Peschiera, an outstanding worker of the Order of Friars Preachers in the Valtellina, is praised today in the Dominican Hagiology by Emmanuel de Lima. His Acts exist in our work at 19 May.
The feast of the Venerable Bede, priest, is observed today by the English, as appears from the more recent proper offices of England. In the year 1855 Nicholas Cardinal Wiseman, archbishop of Westminster, and his suffragans, who had betaken themselves to Rome for the dogmatic definition of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and very many other cardinals and bishops asked our most holy Lord Pope Pius IX to be pleased to grant the most learned man the title of doctor of the Church, and to order his festival to be kept in the universal Church on 29 October (as has long been done in England); judging that a man so celebrated in the universal Church was no less worthy of this honour than very many more recent ones. But lest the Roman calendar, laden with so many names, should have to be entirely reformed, it seemed good to refuse the latter request; on the other hand the title of doctor was granted. The petition of the bishops of England was published in the Analecta juris pontificii Volume I, column 1218 and following.; and the Acts of the venerable man himself are in our work at the day on which he is inscribed in the Roman Martyrology, 27 May.
"At Milan, the feast of St. Quintinus, confessor," is announced today by Galesini in his Martyrology; into which he brought him, following, as he alleges in the notes, an ancient calendar of the church of Milan and a written book. On this authority Ferrarius inserted the same name at the present day in his General Catalogue of the saints, confessing however that in the tables, that is, in the liturgical calendars of the same church, no Quintinus is noted; Bosca also inserted him in the Milanese Martyrology, advising however that his Acts had entirely perished, since they appear nowhere. But in calendars the place of cult is not usually added; wherefore it is credible that "Milan" was added only for this reason, that the calendar was Milanese in origin. If this is the genuine cause, why should Quintinus not be of the band of St. Hyacinth, of which below? But if the word "at Milan" was rightly written, is not Quirinus, bishop of Siscia, formerly venerated at Milan in the church of St. Vincent, to be understood? (For in calendars Quirinus and Quintinus have often been substituted for one another.) This Quirinus of Siscia has already met us in the Passed Over at 27 October; where we pointed out that his genuine feast-day is that at which his Acts were set forth in our work, 4 June.
St. Barnabas is praised today in the old Calendar of Naples. His Acts have already been illustrated at 11 June.
The second translation of St. Vincent, confessor, in the monastery of Soignies in Hainaut is remembered today in the Usuardine additions of Molanus. Of this translation, which even in these times is celebrated every year on the present day in the whole diocese of Tournai, it has been spoken in these very Acts at the day on which the principal festival of this most celebrated ascetic is kept, 14 July.
I find the translation of St. Kenelm, son of the king of the Mercians, killed by treachery in the year 819, noted by our predecessors in the manuscript Index of the saints of October, according to the enlarged Usuard of the Charterhouse of Brussels. Other martyrologists celebrate him on the day of his death, 3 November, others, far more numerous, at 17 July. Mention of his translation is made in the Acts, but the day is not added; as may be seen in our work at the aforesaid day, at which our predecessors illustrated his passion, 17 July.
St. Guinifort or Gunifort, martyr at Pavia in Italy, because he is said to have been sprung from Scotia (whether the Irish or the Caledonian), has been ascribed to their calendars by martyrologists both Irish and Scottish. Among these Camerarius praises the holy martyr today; others on other days; but our predecessors spoke of him at the day on which he is chiefly venerated, 22 August.
The eulogy of SS. Claudius, Asterius, Neon and Neonilla, the last of whom you would more rightly call Theonilla with the proconsular Acts, is recited today in the Basilian Menology of the latest edition; with which the more recent Slavs agree. They also occur in the Greek calendars on the 26th and 27th of January. Their Acts our predecessors illustrated at 23 August.
The eulogy of St. Melitina, martyr, already met with at 16 September, is drawn together today by the printed Menaea of the Greeks, both old and more recent. Of what could be learned about the holy martyr our predecessors commented at 15 September.
St. Eldetrudis, virgin, is remembered today in Greven's Usuard. She seems to me to be St. Hildetrudis or Hiltrudis, who was formerly venerated in the convent of Liessies in Hainaut at the day on which she was inscribed in the Roman Martyrology and was celebrated in these our Acts, 27 September.
The memory of St. Piat or Piato, who preached the faith at Tournai in Belgium, is renewed today in his Universal Martyrology by the Chevalier de Saint-Allais: on what authority I do not know at all. For we have the old and new codices of the proper Offices, even of the particular churches of Tournai: in none is mention made of St. Piato today. For the rest, see his Acts illustrated at 1 October.
"At Münster, the coming of the heads of the two holy Ewalds, priests and martyrs," is announced today in Greven's Usuard and in the Lübeck-Cologne edition. Of this translation, by which in the year (as it seems) 1074 these two heads were carried from Cologne to Monasterium, commonly Münster, it has been spoken in our work at the day on which the Acts of these same martyrs were examined, 3 October.
The translation of St. Victor, commander of the Theban legion, at Sancti, or Xanten, is remembered today in Greven's edition of Usuard and thence in Wallasser's Canisian Martyrology. Of this translation, of the time at which it was performed, and of the names of the town, it has been spoken in our work and in the auctarium to volume V of October, at the day on which that most celebrated legion is inscribed in the Roman Martyrology, 10 October.
"On the same day, of the holy bishops Maximilian, martyr, and Valentine, confessor." These things we read in just so many words today in the Roman Martyrology; into which they were brought from the auctaria of Molanus to Usuard, where these occur: "In the city of Passau, the triumph of St. Maximilian, martyr, and of St. Valentine, confessor." The Spanish fable-makers twisted these saints (as at the present day in Tamayo's Spanish Martyrology) to Viana in Galicia near Tuy; but we have so often disputed against this kind of fables that in a manifest matter we can pass them over. For Valentine is the bishop of Passau, inscribed separately in the Roman Martyrology at 7 January; and Maximilian, bishop of Lorch, inscribed in the same calendars at 12 October. Wherefore of the praises of the former it has been spoken in our work at 7 January,
and of St. Maximilian at 12 October.
The translation of SS. Martius, Polycarp, Valerius, Stephen, Honoratus, Terentia, Margaret, Baldina, Sambaria and Margaria, companions of St. Ursula, into the Belgian Premonstratensian abbey of Bonne-Espérance was formerly recalled there. Of these it has been spoken in the Posthumous Glory of St. Ursula at 21 October.
The apparition of St. Maximinus, bishop and martyr, of the company of St. Ursula, is remembered today by Gelenius. That matter is narrated in the Posthumous Glory of St. Ursula at 21 October.
Since SS. Arethas and companions recur again today in the Eklogadion of Grottaferrata, I have thought it not beside the point to propose something by conjecture on that tangled question whether there existed two martyrs Arethas, the one Roman, the other Homerite, or one. As is known, Usuard, the first of all the Latin martyrologists, inscribed in his calendars an Arethas who suffered at Rome with a huge band of companions. Baronius copied him, and besides spoke on two other days of Arethas with companions in Arabia, and of the martyrs of Najran with the name of Arethas suppressed Cf. Acta Sanctorum, volume X of October, page 714 and following.. But since no trace of that Roman Arethas can be found anywhere, Sollerius on Usuard Observ. at 1 October., John Stilting at 1 October Acta SS., volume I of October, page 29. and Martinov in the Graeco-Slavonic Year rightly remained in doubt. But truly, although the band of companions and the place of the passion of the Arethas praised at 1 October must be altogether doubted, the name itself and the distinction from the Homerite martyr seem altogether to be asserted. For that martyr is present without companions in the Calendar of Constantinople of the eighth century, in that of Naples of the ninth, and in those of Ostromir and Grottaferrata of the eleventh. I omit what Martinov, by error as I think, adduces here, the Jerusalem and the Kallipolis ones (unless the two editions of Scholz disagree; for I do not have the N. T.), as well as the Florentine. The Moscow one I have not seen. Alone among the older calendars the Assemanian Glagolitic codex of the eleventh century adds companions here: but, as though the writer of this codex wished to show that he had acted so because he believed only one Arethas had existed, he left the 24th day empty. Other ancient codices, however, commemorate Arethas and companions at 24 October: they are the Constantinople one already cited, the Kallipolis one of the tenth century, the Bandini one in the Medicean Library of the eleventh century, and many others. To confess frankly, then, what I think: I believe that companions were added by Usuard to that Arethas whom the Greeks in his age still venerated on 1 October, from some confused notice which they had received of the band of the Najran martyrs. Let the bare name of Arethas at 1 October, therefore, be held as certain. But now, to return whence I digressed, to explaining the Grottaferrata calendars: I think that today a feast is again kept of the Najran martyrs, as being better known, so that perhaps at the 24th, on which Arethas alone is named, the memory of the leader is chiefly celebrated, and at the 29th, on which mention is made of the companions, that of these. What pertains to the blessed martyrs, however, you will find set out at length at 24 October.
The translation of St. Albuinus, or rather Albinus, bishop of Fritzlar, or rather of Büraburg, is announced today by Camerarius. We gave his Acts at 26 October.
St. Ferrutius, martyr, is announced today in the Hagenau edition of Usuard, probably put off to this day because, on account of the feast of SS. Simon and Jude, his feast was formerly kept at Würzburg on 29 October; as we showed above at the day on which we gave his Acts, 28 October.
The feast of St. Honoratus, bishop and confessor of Vercelli in Italy, is announced today in Greven's and Molanus's editions of Usuard, in Wallasser's Canisian Martyrology, in the Italian Hagiology and in Ferrarius's General Catalogue of the saints; and this feast is the right one. But as is our custom we followed the Roman Martyrology and spoke of St. Honoratus at the nearest day, 28 October.
St. Faro, bishop of Meaux, is announced today in the Hagenau edition of Usuard, probably because somewhere his festival was celebrated on this day, having been hindered on the preceding day by the concurring feast of SS. Simon and Jude. See his Acts at 28 October.
The genuine feast of St. Dodo, confessor and abbot of Wallers, is today, and it is inscribed at the present day in the Usuard of Molanus and thence in the Canisian Martyrology and the Benedictine calendars. Why we anticipated it by one day we explained at the nearest day, 28 October.
SS. Anastasia and Cyril, whose virtue the Greeks today heap with deserved praises, we, following the Roman Martyrology, illustrated in their Acts at the preceding day, 28 October.
St. Quirinus, martyr, is announced today in the Calendar of Verdun which Martène edited Ampliss. Collectio, volume VI, column 683.. But since this Calendar is a kind of abridgement of the Hieronymian Martyrology, a doubt arises whether Quirinus was not written in place of Quintinus, companion of St. Hyacinth; of whose band it will be spoken below. See, however, what we said a little above about St. Quintinus of Milan.
St. Feliciana, martyr, is read today in some calendars in place of St. Felician, as we showed in the Sylloge on St. Hyacinth and companions.
St. Sancinthus, Sacinotus, Sachietus, etc., who is read today in some calendars, is St. Hyacinth of Lucania; of whom there will be talk below.
St. Lucanus and St. Lucania occur today in some Hieronymian calendars, as we shall point out below in the case of St. Hyacinth. These names were fashioned from Lucania, a region of the Kingdom of Naples, where St. Hyacinth and companions suffered martyrdom.
St. Aquilina, virgin and martyr, the place of her contest omitted, is announced today in Greven's Usuard. I suspect that she is of the company of St. Ursula; but since it is a mere suspicion, it seemed that it should be recorded in this place.
The people of Palestrina venerate St. Abundius, martyr, today with the common office. This celebration was doubtless given rise to by relics taken out of the Roman cemeteries. But almost daily we point out that this kind of martyrs is mentioned by us only in the Passed Over.
The memory of the venerable Francis Pallu, bishop of Heliopolis and missionary to China, is recalled today in the Universal Martyrology of de Saint-Allais and in other books; but he has not yet obtained a place among the saints claimed by the Church.
Francis of St. John of Lucca, who departed this life in the year 1659, with the title of blessed added, and
Bonaventure Gasparini, also of Lucca by birth, founder of the congregation of the guardian angels in his native city, whose Life Martin Manfredi published, are praised today in the Sacred Diary of Lucca by Gabriel Gramatica and Dominic Mansi. Neither obtained ecclesiastical cult.
St. Luran or Lauran, bishop of Daire or Doire Lurain, is announced today in the martyrologies of Tallaght and Donegal. Doire, Daire, now Derry, is an oak-grove; so that St. Luran communicated his name to the present parish of Derryloran, in the county of Tyrone, in Ulster; in which parish there has been built a new town named Cookstown. The battle of Mona-doire-Lothair is commemorated by the Four Masters at the year 557; on account of which Colgan observes Trias Thaum., page 574. that Moin-mor of Dore-lothuir is situated within the bounds of northern Ireland, and William Reeves Ecclesiastical antiquities of Down, Connor etc., pages 339 and 340. that part of the name survives in the word for the town of Moneymore, part in the word for the parish of Derryloran. The same writers of the Annals at the years 1123 and 1136 mention the airchinneach of Derry Lurain; whence it appears that there existed there at that time an ecclesiastical institution of great moment and wealth, as one needing "a head, provost or supreme prefect of the ecclesiastical territory and of the household dwelling in it;" for this was the office of the airchinneach, similar to that of seneschals. But whether St. Luran began this institution, at what time he himself lived, with what praises he chiefly shone, these and other things Irish archaeologists will one day determine. Meanwhile I will add only this one thing, namely that he seems to be the same as St. Lurach of the Poems, son of Cuana or Cuanach, of Derry Lurain in Ulster: who is remembered in the Martyrology of Tallaght at 17 February; at which day he is also celebrated in other Irish calendars, especially those of Donegal, where these things are added: "He was of the race of Colla Uais, monarch of Ireland. Darerca, sister of St. Patrick, was his sister. And he himself was a bishop." The name, the place and the condition agree. For Lurach and Luran are different forms of the same name; in both the same see is designated; add that both are called bishops. Colgan at 17 February Acta SS. Hiberniae, page 367. Cf. Kelly, Calendar of Irish saints, page 76. relates, according to chapter XII of the genealogical Sanctilogium, that he was the son of Cuanach, son of Carius, son of Fethlemidius, son of Ehinus, son of Fiachra Tort, son of Colla Uais. This same man is said in the Martyrology of Tallaght to rest with seventeen other companions at Ath Truim. Trim was a monastery founded by St. Patrick, illustrious for religion, now a parish in the county of Meath, in the province of Leinster.
Fonere of Domnach in the Martyrology of Tallaght, or Faoinir of Domnach Faoinir in the Martyrology of Donegal, is announced on this day. Is Domnach Faoinir or Faeinir the same place which in the Tripartite Life of St. Patrick In Colgan, Trias Thaum., page 148. is called Domnach-Fainre, in the older Registers of Armagh In W. Reeves, Eccl. ant. of Down, page 294. Domnaghfenra and Domnachfionnray, and now Donaghenry or Donoghenry, in the county of Tyrone, in the province of Ulster? If so, nothing but his name, communicated to the parish, seems to survive.
The memory of St. Cuan of Inis-liacc is celebrated today in the Irish Martyrologies of Tallaght and Donegal. Cu, in Latin canis (dog), Cuan, likewise in Latin catulus (whelp), was a common name among the old Irish; of whom Colgan Acta SS. Hiberniae, page 251. counts ten among the saints, among them the present one. But what island is Inis-liacc? Neither Colgan, nor O'Donovan, nor Reeves, who contributed most of all to the investigation of the old topography of Ireland, seem to have discovered it. Light will nevertheless one day come by which both St. Cuan and his see may be known.
The memory of St. Caelan of Tigh-na-manach, that is, of the House of the monks, is recalled today in the Martyrologies of Tallaght and Donegal. Since in the Life of St. Columba, abbot of Iona, there is a whole chapter entitled "The prophecy of the holy man concerning Cailtan, his monk," Colgan conjectured that he was perhaps the same as the one who is celebrated today, although there are very many other namesakes among the Irish saints. For the word Coel, Cail or Caol, by which "wasted, lean, slender" is signified, passed into a proper name, with diminutive signs added; so that Cail, Cael, Caol, Caolan, Cailan, Coelan, Cuilan, Cailten, Coelten, etc. are various forms of the same name Cf. Colgan, Trias Thaum., pages 379 and 597.. But it is all the more difficult to find out which St. Caelan is announced today. Wherefore Reeves rightly judges Vita S. Columbae, page 60. that Colgan wasted his labour in investigating who Caeltan, the disciple of St. Columba, was. Nor shall I more happily determine which Caelan is venerated today. See among the Passed Over at 25 February what Camerarius and Dempster proposed about Caeltan, the disciple of St. Columba.
Aedh Glas in the Martyrology of Tallaght, or Aedh Glastuir in the Martyrology of Donegal, is remembered today. Aedh, in Latin Aidus, is a most common name among the Irish, both simply and with signs of diminution and veneration added. Glas, a noun, is the sea; but Glas or Glais, an adjective, signifies green, pale and poor, and is used for a proper name. Thus Glas, a poet, is remembered Martyrology of Donegal, page 241., and Glas Mac Dremain, an excellent sailor O'Curry, Lectures on the mss. materials of ancient Irish history, page 315., and St. Glasan in the diminutive form Mart. Dung., page 265.. Toir, again, is an enclosure round a church; Tuir, a pillar, a leader; and Tor, a tower, a summit. What then is Glastuir? Colgan Acta SS. Hib., page 221., on the occasion of St. Maidoc (for Aidus, Aidinus, Moedoc and Maidoc are one name), listing twenty-two SS. Aidus, inserts among them Aidus of Glastor; by which he signifies that Glastor seemed to him the name of a place, from which the surname (of the Green Tower) was given to St. Aidus. But in the Martyrology of Donegal, contrary to custom, the particle o, in Latin de, is omitted. I should not dare, however, on that account to oppose the authority of so great a man, especially since in other martyrologies the insertion of that particle is usually neglected. But who could say who Aidus of the Green Tower is?
The feast of Findcan in the Martyrology of Tallaght, or Fionnchan in the Martyrology of Donegal, is recalled on the present day. This name is the same as Finchanus, Finnichanus, Finthanus Cf. Colgan, Acta SS. Hib., pages 383 and 384.. But the more widely this name extends, the more difficult it is to determine which saints individually are indicated in the sacred calendars.
St. Aidus, son of Aidus, and St. Aidan of Cluain Eocuille were mentioned in the Passed Over, the former at 31 August, the latter at 9 October, and were referred to 27 October, and thence to the present day, so that (if it seemed good) they might be illustrated together with St. Colman mac Duach. But if we had treated them in the Commentary on St. Colman, we should have had to inquire on the same title into all the saints of the same house. An endless work.
Taimthianna, virgin, is celebrated today in the Martyrology of Donegal. Is she the same as St. Tartinna of Cill-aird, in Ui-Garrchon, in the province of Leinster, who is praised at 3 July in the Martyrologies of Tallaght and Donegal? The cause of this conjecture coming into my mind is Colgan, who, mentioning St. Tartinna, called her Tamthinna Cf. Colgan, Acta SS. Hib., page 422. and Tamthenna Ibid., page 858.; on which authority Archdall also made St. Tamthinna abbess at Killaird, in the county of Wicklow. But unless Killaird is Killery in the county of Sligo, barony of Tirerrill, province of Connacht, or Killare in West Meath, barony of Rathconrath, province of Leinster, that see is hitherto unknown.
Gualaferus or Walaferus, archbishop, according to some of Duffel, to others of Durham, to others of Dublin, to others of Dunblane in Scotland, is again brought forward today by Camerarius. He seems first to have appeared in the sixteenth century in Domyns's Life of St. Rumold, as we observed in the Passed Over at 20 October; where we also showed, or at least hinted, why he seems to be excluded from our Acts.
I understand from the notes of our predecessors that St. Brabantius, confessor, is praised today by Camerarius. One is inclined to doubt whether he is of the kind of those saints whom Camerarius invented.
Robert, first a Premonstratensian canon in the monastery of St. Martin at Laon, then first abbot of the convent of the Island of Blessed Mary (commonly Mariënweerd) in Gelderland, is praised today with the title of blessed father by the distinguished Chrysostom Vander Sterre in the Feasts of the saints of the Premonstratensian Order, and at 9 October George Lienhart, abbot of Roggenburg, calls the same man blessed in the Hagiological Ephemerides of the Premonstratensian Order. Indications of perpetual ecclesiastical cult are lacking; and so Hugo, abbot of Étival, abstains from the title of blessed Annal. Praemonst., volume I, page 877.. Le Paige Bibl. Praemonst., page 476., who liberally calls him blessed, will give the curious a Life collected from several documents.
The venerable John VI, supreme pontiff, is remembered today in Bucelin's Benedictine Nomenclator. But that pope was neither a Benedictine, being a Greek, nor is he to be recalled today, since he died on 9 January of the year 705, nor is he to be inscribed in the sacred calendars, since he did not shine with a reputation for holiness.
The venerable Ruthard, first abbot of St. Peter's at Erfurt, then archbishop of Mainz, and finally departed from this life in the year 1109, after varied fortune, with the praise of piety, is celebrated on this day by Schindele in the Supplement of Bucelin's Benedictine Menology; but Ruthard neither died on this day, nor was ever counted among the saints, as may be seen in the books of Gudenus on the affairs of Erfurt, and of Masen and Joannis on the affairs of Mainz.
The feast of Smaragdus, abbot in Lorraine, with the title of saint added, is celebrated today by Ferrarius in the General Catalogue of the saints, following (as he himself alleges) the monuments of the monastery of Saint-Mihiel, of which he was abbot. But no Benedictine martyrologists or menologists, not Mabillon in the Acta sanctorum and the Benedictine Annals, not Calmet in the History of Lorraine, not Rivet in the Literary History of France, not the editors of his works and the bibliographers, in a word no one at all whom I have seen, calls Smaragdus saint or blessed; much less indicates that he was honoured with ecclesiastical cult. With how many rash conjectures the notes of Ferrarius teem, who here and there cites tables or orders of the divine office and other monuments never seen by him, we either indicate in the Passed Over or experience on almost every day; so that we can easily neglect his statements. But in this place he agrees to some extent with Mabillon, who testifies Annal. Bened., at the year 819, number 91. that in a more recent necrology the death of Smaragdus is noted on 29 October. But since that necrology has not been published down to this day, Ferrarius must have drunk from another source. The monks of Aniane formerly venerated on 7 March St. Ardo, surnamed Smaragdus Acta SS. Ord. S. Bened., century IV, part I, pages 589 and 590., who has often been confused by bibliographers with Smaragdus, abbot of Saint-Mihiel: was then, like the books, so also the praise of holiness transferred from the one to the other? This is certain: in the innumerable books on Smaragdus of Lorraine which I have turned over, he is indeed here and there praised for his piety and diligence, but nowhere have any traces of ecclesiastical cult been detected by me.
The memory of Regimbald, abbot of Baume, is recalled today in Bucelin's Nomenclator. But at Baume, which was a monastery of the diocese of Besançon, there was no abbot Regimbald, but in the year 1100 Reginald I and at the end of the thirteenth century Reginald II; neither honoured with ecclesiastical cult Cf. Gallia Christiana nova, volume XV, column 177 and following..
The memory of Asser, monk of St. Bertin or of Sithiu, with the title of blessed, is recalled today in the Benedictine Nomenclator prefixed to Bucelin's Menology. The Asser is meant who lived at the court of Alfred the Great and wrote the Life of this prince. And indeed, because the name of Alfred is written today in some sacred calendars, that of Asser was for that reason also brought in. Undeservedly: neither in England, nor in the monastery of St. Bertin (where, besides, Asser was never a monk), was he listed among the saints a hundred years before the decrees of Pope Urban VIII, as I have already pointed out in the Passed Over at 26 October Acta SS., volume XI of October, page 793..
Gregoria, virgin, a Roman nun, occurs today in Bucelin's Nomenclator, and also in the index of Cherle's Benedictine Menology. But other Benedictine menologists and martyrologists prefer to ignore her. Certainly, if she existed, she never obtained ecclesiastical cult.
Peter of Châlons, monk of Clairvaux, is praised today with the title of blessed by Henriquez in the Cistercian Menology, following the author of the Exordium magnum of the Cistercian Order, Conrad (as it seems), abbot of Eberbach; who, relating with how great gravity of manners, integrity of religion, prudence and simplicity the disciples of St. Bernard excelled, lists among those whom he himself had seen at Clairvaux Dom Peter of Châlons Tissier, Bibl. patrum Cister., volume I, page 244.. Herrera, Cherle and Lechner also mention him in their Benedictine Menologies or Martyrologies: of whom the last ascribed him to Spanish Catalonia; but he was rather by nation of Catalaunum in Gaul, commonly Châlons.
The venerable Fr. Paul Spannochi, who flourished with a great reputation for virtue among the Servants of the Blessed Virgin Mary at Siena, is commemorated today in the Sienese Diary of the year 1722. He never attained ecclesiastical cult.
An anonymous Florentine Carmelite nun, whose soul Bl. Mary Magdalen de' Pazzi is related to have seen borne to heaven, is recorded today with the title of blessed by Arthur in the Gynecaeum: but he gave this title to innumerable women, signifying by it nothing but a reputation for piety.
Fr. Rainerius, to whom as a novice the Blessed Virgin Mary promised her protection and who died piously about the year 1270 at Ghent in Flanders;
Ardicius Solarius, or rather Amizo de Solar, formerly enrolled in the Roman curia and doctor of canon law at Milan, afterwards an illustrious disciple of St. Dominic, and who departed this life not in the year 1288 but about the middle of the thirteenth century Cf. Touron, Vie de S. Dominique et de ses premiers disciples, pages 578 and 579.;
Catherine of St. Michael, Dominican nun in the monastery of La Coronada at Úbeda, who, remarkable for austerity of life and more than a hundred years old, migrated to God about the year 1600;
Peter Bastida, who, while ministering the sacraments to the plague-stricken of Avignon, contracted the infection and on 29 October of the year 1629 fell a victim of charity; and finally
Silvester of Lucca, very highly praised for innocence and for observance of the divine office and of the choir, who died about the year 1650,
are commemorated today in the Dominican Hagiology of Emmanuel de Lima; but no indications of legitimate ecclesiastical cult exist.
Lawrence of the Presentation, nun and prioress of the monastery of the Order of Preachers at Valladolid in Spain, who departed this life on this day after first vespers in the year 1607, is very highly praised besides for patience, zeal for prayer and humility by Dominic Marchese and Emmanuel de Lima in their Dominican menologies; but she never began to be publicly venerated.
Michael Lazzari of Pancrudo, an Aragonese, who died in the year 1602, illustrious for perpetual silence, continual prayer, spiritual conversations and many extraordinary gifts, is celebrated today in the Dominican Sacred Diary. He lacks legitimate cult.
Fr. Peter of Macerata, who at the end of the thirteenth century had quarrels about poverty with other Friars Minor, is honoured with the title of blessed by Arthur du Monstier in the Franciscan Martyrology. No proofs of ecclesiastical cult exist.
Fr. Seraphinus Luke of Francofonte, made from a robber a hermit and from a hermit a Reformed Friar Minor, is commemorated today by Benedict Mazzara in the Italian Franciscan Legendary and by Benignus Fremaut in the Flemish Spiritual Palm. Seraphinus died in the convent of Messina on 29 October of the year 1616, at the age of about 70 years. But in the year 1661 Ferdinand Francis Gravina, marquis of Francofonte, with the leave of superiors, raised his relics from the ground and had them enclosed in a casket to be set into a wall, with a marble inscription placed beside. But these things do not have the character of ecclesiastical cult; wherefore we are forced to pass over this remarkable prodigy of divine mercy and of most severe penance.
Fr. Joseph Albis, who died about the year 1580 in the convent of San Bernardino at Madrid, is joined today to the blessed by Arthur in the Franciscan Menology; likewise Fr. Angelus of Calassio, who departed in the year 1606 at Rome in the convent of St. Francis in Trastevere with the praise of a most observant man. Huber also celebrates the latter on this day, the former on another; but in both places without the title of blessed: rightly. Mazzara calls Fr. Angelus only venerable.
Fr. Angelus, who, after having for some time managed the Christian cause at Hierapolis or On, is said afterwards to have been killed by the Bulgars on a journey into Tartary in the year 1307;
Fr. John de Moncon, one of the first twelve missionaries of the kingdom of Peru, who departed this life in Ethiopia about the year 1540;
six anonymous Friars Minor, killed for the faith by the English at Monaghan in Ireland in the year 1579;
Fr. Francis de Sanctis, who shone among the Discalced Minors for holiness and the management of offices, and died happily about the year 1600 at León in Tarraconensian Spain;
Fr. Vincent of Nicotera, who with a reputation for miracles left this life about the year 1602 at Palermo in Sicily; and
St. Anne Mary of Plasencia in Spain, disciple of St. Peter of Alcántara, who, weighed down with years and with the merits of a most austere life, died among the Poor Clares of Plasencia at eighty years of age: these Huber praises today in the Franciscan Menology, abstaining from the titles of blessedness and sanctity.
James of Denmark, of the blood of the kings of the Danes, famous for his knowledge of the sacred languages and for his flight from his native land as it was slipping into heresy, is celebrated today and called blessed by Arthur du Monstier, who records that, having crossed over to America, he was the first to minister the sacraments of the Holy Eucharist to the Indians of Michoacán. But he died after the middle of the sixteenth century, and was never enrolled among the blessed by the Church. Wherefore Huber and Mazzara, praising him on this day in the Franciscan Menology and Legendary, call him neither saint nor blessed.
Bl. Dulcelina, member of the third order of St. Francis, is mentioned at this day by Arthur in the Gynecaeum. Huber in the Menology of the Order of St. Francis and others recall her feast on 26 October. Wherefore we treated her in the Passed Over of that day: where we said that she departed from the living about the year 1282 with a reputation for sanctity, without seeming to have been honoured with any but domestic cult.
Catherine, duchess of Milan, a pupil of the third order of Minors, done to death by poison at Monza in Insubria in the year 1404, is commemorated today by Huber, who adds no indications of ecclesiastical cult. For that Arthur adorns the same woman with the title of blessed in the Franciscan Martyrology and in the Gynecaeum is a sign of nothing but the writer's facility.
Francis Lopez, a Portuguese by birth, priest of the Society of Jesus, landed at Goa in the year 1556 with John Nunez Barreto, patriarch of Ethiopia. After he had laboured diligently for the salvation of souls in this city for several years, in the year 1568, with three other pupils of the Society of Jesus, Anthony Dionysius, James Carvalho and Emmanuel Lobo, he went on board a ship for Cochin. But captured on the voyage by the Mohammedans, and urged to give his name to the religion of Mohammed unless he wished to meet a cruel death, he answered: "I am a Christian; I will willingly meet death for Christ." When he had said this, one Mohammedan drove a spear through the middle of his ribs, another inflicted wounds on his head, others plunged him into the sea. Carvalho and Lobo also met a cruel death on this day, 29 October. Dionysius, however, escaped unharmed after many misfortunes Tanner, Societas Jesu ad sanguinem militans, page 229 and following..
The memory of Isaac Jogues, priest of the Society of Jesus, born at Orléans in France, is recalled in the menology of the Society of Jesus at 29 October, although he died on another day. In the year 1636 he came to Canada; where, when he had for six years been cultivating the Hurons with incredible diligence, he was captured by the Iroquois, who, after he had endured for Christ the tearing out of his nails, the cutting off of his finger-joints and many other torments, gave him his liberty. Having returned to France, by many prayers he obtained from his superiors that he might be allowed again to preach Christ to the Hurons and the Iroquois. He had scarcely arrived there when on 28 October of the year 1646 he was beheaded Ibid., page 229..
Abdias, as is fitting, not withdrawing from the apostles Simon and Jude, is remembered today in Greven's Usuard and in Canisius. We noted a few things about him on the preceding day among the Passed Over.
The consecration of the cathedral church is recalled today by the clergy of Massa and Populonia, as is prescribed in the Order of the divine office. These things we scarcely touch upon in the Passed Over.
"The repose of our holy father Peter, twenty-seventh patriarch of Alexandria." These words, from the calendars of the Copts in Stephen Evodius Assemani Bibl. Medic. codicum mss. orientalium catalogus, page 168. and in Angelo Mai Scriptt. vett., volume IV, part II, page 99., at the 2nd of the month Hathur, which is 29 October. Of a man most hostile to the council of Chalcedon let it suffice to have recorded the name here. Whoever desires more, let him consult the commentary of Sollerius prefixed to volume V of the Acts of June, page 60.
Timothy of Esphigmenou, or pupil of the monastery of Esphigmenou on Mount Athos, martyr, killed by the Turks in the year 1820, is praised today by his own people. If you wish to know something about him, consult Martinov in the Graeco-Slavonic Year.
St. Marcellus, martyr at León in Spain, is celebrated today by Ferrarius in the General Catalogue of the saints by an error of one day. We shall speak of him at his genuine feast-day, 30 October.
"The memory of St. Felician and of the Vagenses," marked in just these words, I find today in the old Calendar of Carthage, which Mabillon, having found it on the cover of a codex of Cluny, first published in the Vetera Analecta Page 163 and following, edition of 1723.. The most learned editor added here and there in the notes excellent conjectures, by which the truth is not laid open, but study is stirred up. Which kind of conjectures is detected especially today in the case of St. Felician and the martyrs of Vaga. He suspected, then, that Felician was either the acolyte mentioned in St. Cyprian's letter to Cornelius about Fortunatus, or the bishop of Mustis of the Donatist party; and that the Vagenses were killed by the rioting Donatists. Ruinart Historia Persecut. Vandalicae, page 257. also exercised himself on these things, and seemed to himself to have found that the martyrs of Vaga are St. Mammarius of Lambaesis and his fellow-citizens Felix the deacon, Albinus, Vivus, Donatus, Victorian, likewise a deacon, and Libosus, one of the chief men of the city; then Lawrence, Faustinian, Ziddinus, Crispinus, Leucius, of Thamugadi; Faustina of Tigisis; Fausta and Faustina of Vaga. All of whom, sought out through Numidia by order of Anulinus the proconsul, Alexander, count of Vaga, had thrown into prison. But when it was heard that the proconsul had come into the neighbouring town of Bosa, they were led there, and there consummated a most bitter and long-drawn martyrdom on 10 June of the year 305. Morcelli also came round to this opinion Africa Christiana, volume III, page 428., since he called St. Mammarius and his companions the martyrs of Vaga in the index of his work. In my judgment, rightly. For in the same way Bl. Nicholas and companions are called the martyrs of Gorcum, not because they suffered at Gorcum (they suffered martyrdom at Brielle), nor because all were born or lived at Gorcum (not even all of them were brought there), but because their martyrdom took its name from the place whence it took its beginning. St. Felician, whose name in the Calendar of Carthage precedes the martyrs of Vaga, seemed to the Chevalier de Saint-Allais (or whoever enlarged Chastelain's Universal Martyrology under his name) to be counted among the martyrs of Vaga, as though there were only one group. Mabillon's opinion is different; and certainly the interposed copulative particle "and" stands in the way, and so does the absence of Felician among the martyrs of Vaga whose names I gave a little earlier. Nor does it please me to admit the bishop of Mustis, since he twice adhered to the heretical or schismatic Donatists. Nor does St. Cyprian's acolyte much please me, since it is not established that he was a martyr. But in the martyrologies a Felician, martyr in Africa, occurs at 30 January, and another Felician, martyr in Mauretania, at 18 March. Moreover, not all the martyrs inscribed in the Calendar of Carthage are Africans; among them Spain claims some for itself, Italy some; why then should not that Felician be the same as the one of Lucania, companion of St. Hyacinth, praised today in almost all martyrologies? Yet it is much more likely that he is the same as St. Felician who on the next day leads the column of other martyrs in the Hieronymian and other calendars. Further, to conclude these things, for the martyrs of Vaga see in our work the Acts of St. Mammarius and companions at 10 June; for St. Felician, wait until we come to 30 October.
The feast of St. Germanus, bishop of Capua, is announced today in the Vatican codex of Usuard, by anticipation of one day. For his genuine feast is kept on the day at which we shall speak of him, 30 October.
Stephen Urosh, king of Serbia, is praised today in the Typikon of Chilandari; by the more recent Serbs he is commonly celebrated on the following day. Accordingly, sending the reader for the present to the Graeco-Slavonic Year, we have resolved to inquire into the legitimate cult of this king at 30 October.
SS. Nune and Mane, by I know not what carelessness, while I was excerpting Assemani's Armenian calendars, I referred to the 28th instead of the 29th, and conversely Abramius to the 29th Above, page 419.. Let what we said above, then, about the two holy virgins, to be praised more at length after 31 October, be considered as noted here.
The feast of St. Vulganius, bishop and confessor, in the fortress which is called Lens, is celebrated today by Molanus in the additions to Usuard; and thence in Wallasser's Canisian Martyrology, in the Supplement of du Saussay's Gallican and in Ferrarius's General Catalogue of the saints; but the genuine feast is the day at which we shall speak of him, 2 November.
We find SS. Menas and Menaeus commemorated in certain excerpts of the Sirmond Synaxarion, kept apart, and which are therefore missing in the Graeco-Slavonic Year. The same names are also put forward by a codex of the Menaea inspected by our predecessors in the library of the Friars Preachers at Florence. It is added in the former place that the synaxis of the martyrs is held at the Hebdomon, in which Procopius teaches that a church of this title was built by Justinian De aedificiis, book I, number 9.. Wrongly, however, and by confusion with the next announcement, I think the same feast is indicated in the quarter τῶν Βιγλεντίας, or ἐν τῷ Βιγλεντίῳ, in the printed Menaea at 1 August. But who those SS. Menas and Menaeus are you will not determine with easy labour. For we find Menaeus nowhere except in this very announcement, which occurs twice, at 1 August, as was just noted, and today in certain codices. I know that in Sirleto, and thence in the Roman Martyrology, SS. Meneus and Capito are praised on 24 July. But for Meneus Hymeneus is to be read, an abbreviation of the name which cannot be admitted here, since we already read Menaeus in Procopius. There are, however, two most celebrated Menases among the Greeks: Menas the great martyr, whose church, situated on the Acropolis, celebrated its encaenia on 21 September Graeco-Slavonic Year, at this day., and the feast of its title on 11 November; and then Menas Kallikelados, the translation of whose relics is commemorated at 17 February, and his principal feast at 10 December. Since we remain in doubt, and nothing certain occurs, we shall propose a conjecture. St. Menas Kallikelados is said to have suffered at Alexandria; and a certain Meneus, presbyter of Alexandria and martyr, occurs on 13 July in the Hieronymian calendars. Although scarcely any bond of fellowship is found between the Hieronymian and the Greek calendars, could it not have happened that the relics of these two martyrs were brought together from Alexandria to Constantinople? I shall note here that two Meneuses occur in Wright's Syriac martyrology at the 12th and 23rd of June, the latter at Laodicea, the former at a place whose name has been deleted [Journal of Sacred Literature, Oct. 1865, page 6 after page 45, and Jan. 1866, pages 42 and 428.]. But all these things, as I hope, can be more fully explained, if Menas the great martyr is meant, at 11 November;
but if Menas Kallikelados, at 10 December.
"In Ireland, the feast of St. Motiferus, monk," is announced today by Ferrarius in the General Catalogue of the saints. It is clear from the notes that the same man is understood whose memory Challoner celebrates on the day before, and whom we showed in the Passed Over at 28 October to be St. Tochannu, also called Dochanna or Mochanna Mocufircetea, called in Latin Mauricius or Macharius, inscribed in the Scottish calendars at the day at which we shall treat of him, 12 November.
"On the same day, the feast of St. Pontian, pope and martyr; who, deported by the Emperor Alexander under the consuls Severus and Quintianus, with Hippolytus the presbyter, into exile in the island of Sardinia, Bucina, consummated martyrdom. Written in the book of the bishops." Just these words our predecessors found in the Arras, St. Martin of Tournai and Liessies codices of Bede and Florus, and they judged them to have proceeded from Florus. The book of the bishops is the Liber pontificalis itself, called that of Anastasius the Librarian, but put together by the successive labour of several; in which book St. Pontian is read to have died on the third day before the Kalends of November Anastasius the Librarian, part II, volume II, page 181.. But the author of that commemoration doubtless read in his copy "on the fourth day before the Kalends of November"; which fault could be received all the more easily because in the Catalogue of Liberius Ibid., in the place cited. St. Pontian is said to have been discharged on the fourth day before the Kalends of October. But, be that as it may, we follow (as far as is possible) the order of the Roman Martyrology in our work: on which authority we shall speak of St. Pontian, bishop of Rome, and of St. Hippolytus the presbyter (whom some suspect to be the same as St. Hippolytus, bishop of Porto), at 19 November.
The translation of St. Erasmus and other martyrs at Gubbio is commemorated today by Ferrarius in the General Catalogue of the saints, following, as he himself adds in the notes, the Tables or Order of the divine office of the church of Gubbio. But nothing of this kind is found in the Order of the divine office which Joseph Pecci, bishop, published for the year 1847; nor does anything occur in the old calendar of Gubbio which Sarti published De episcopis Eugubinis, page CXXXIX.. This Sarti seems to have passed over this translation altogether in his work on the bishops of Gubbio. Yet not all memory of this translation has perished, about which Jacobilli has handed down these things [Vite de' santi dell' Umbria, after volume II, Catal. delle reliquie dell' Umbria, page V.]: "In the church of St. Secundus outside the walls of Gubbio are kept the head and arm of St. Erasmus, martyr, brought there in the year 1620 from the parish of St. Erasmus, which is a mile and a half distant from the city." In that town the body of the saint himself had been preserved for many centuries, and to this present day his tomb is shown, inscribed with Lombardic characters. But who he is no one could say. The inhabitants think that he is the same as St. Erasmus, martyr of Antioch, who is venerated on 13 November. Nevertheless, on the occasion of St. Erasmus, bishop and martyr of Formia in Campania, Henschenius touched lightly on him in these our Acts at 2 June.
He can (if it pleases) be touched on again at 13 November.
St. John Pan-y-agua, Cistercian lay brother at Sacramenia (Sacra Moenia), in the kingdom of Castile, is celebrated today by the Cistercian Calendar of Dijon, as I find noted in the papers of our predecessors. But since in most Cistercian calendars his feast is fixed on 14 December, we too shall speak of the blessed man at 14 December.
"The memory of Peter and Paul, of John the Forerunner, of Stephen the protomartyr, of Barnabas the apostle, of Joseph the patriarch and of Cleopas, Trophimus, Dorymedon, Cosmas, Damian, Bassa and their companions. Their synaxis is held in the venerable apostle-church of the holy and most illustrious Paul in the Orphanotrophium; and at the same time the encaenia of that same church." These things the Sirmond codex today, with which, as far as can be conjectured from the papers of our predecessors, two Milanese copies of the Menaea agree, omitting, however, the place of the solemnity and the encaenia. The Ostromir Calendar has only seven names: Peter, Paul, John, Joseph, Cosmas, Damian and Trophimus. Of the church of St. Paul du Cange Constantinopolis Christ., book IV, page 114, Paris edition. and Banduri Imperium Orient., volume II, pages 620 and 621. have discoursed at length; let readers consult them. The deeds of all the saints who are commemorated here have been or will be illustrated in our work at the days noted below. Of SS. Peter and Paul our predecessors treated at 29 June;
of St. John the Forerunner at 24 June;
of St. Barnabas at 11 June;
of St. Cleopas at 25 September;
of SS. Trophimus and Dorymedon at 19 September;
of SS. Cosmas and Damian at 27 September.
of St. Bassa and companions at 21 August.
Of St. Joseph the patriarch, son of Jacob (for it is of him, not of Joseph the thirteenth-century patriarch of Constantinople, that the talk in the Sirmond and Ostromir codices can be), we spoke on the preceding day among the Passed Over Above, page 421.. But when we showed that we doubted of his cult as generally received among the Greeks, the commemoration of all the old patriarchs escaped us, which is made on the Sunday before the Nativity, and in which the patriarch Joseph obtains his eulogy together with others less worthy than himself. Their memory seems indeed at one time to have been celebrated on the second Sunday before the Nativity. For so the Ostromir Calendar has at 6 December. More probably, on account of the custom of the Greeks known to him, Greven assigned a fixed seat in the ecclesiastical calendars to St. Joseph. Although we could certainly treat of him today, yet since the condition and history of ancient Egypt become better known day by day, we think it better to refrain from this labour and to refer him to 11 December.
Of St. Stephen the protomartyr it will be treated at 26 December.
Noticed an error, have a suggestion, or want to share a thought? Let me know.