December
3rd
This Day, the Third Day of
December
Memorial of Saint Francis Xavier, priest
of the Society of Jesus, evangelizer of the Indies, who,
born in Navarre, being one of the first companions of Saint
Ignatius, moved by the ardor of spreading the Gospel, zealously
proclaimed Christ to innumerable peoples in India, in the
Moluccas and other islands, and then in Japan, converting
many to the faith; and at length, in the island of Sancian
in China, died, consumed by sickness and labors.
2.
Commemoration of Saint Zephaniah, prophet, who, in
the days of Josiah, king of Judah, foretold the ruin of
the impious on the day of the Lord’s wrath and strengthened
the people of the poor and needy in the hope of salvation.
3.
At Tangier in Mauretania, Saint Cassian, martyr.
4.
At Winchester in England,
the deposition of Saint Birinus, who, sent to southern
Britain by Pope Honorius, was the first to hold the see
of Dorchester and zealously made known the word of salvation
to the people of the West Saxons who had not yet believed.
5.
At Chur of the Rhaetians among the Swiss, Saint Lucius,
hermit.
6.
At London in England, blessed Edward Coleman, martyr,
who, because of the Catholic faith he had embraced, was
falsely accused of conspiracy against King Charles the Second
and was hanged at Tyburn, and finally, while still alive,
was torn apart with the sword.
7.
At Trent in Venetia, blessed John Nepomucene de Tschiderer,
bishop, who with evangelical zeal of faith and gentleness
administered that Church, and in a time of affliction gave
to his flock a wondrous testimony of love.
December
4th
This Day, the Fourth Day of
December
Saint John of Damascus, priest and Doctor of the Church,
celebrated for holiness and learning, who strove vigorously
by word and writings against the Emperor Leo the Isaurian
for the veneration of sacred images, and, having become
a monk in the laura of Saint Sabbas near Jerusalem, composed
sacred hymns and there came to rest. His body was laid to
rest on this day.
2.
Commemoration of Saint Barbara, who is said to have
been a virgin and martyr at Nicomedia.
3.
At Alexandria in Egypt, Saint Heraclas, bishop, who,
a disciple, companion, and successor of Origen in the school,
attained a most celebrated reputation and was elected to
govern that see.
4.
At Sebastopolis in Pontus, Saint Meletius, bishop,
who, although already outstanding in the prerogative of
learning, was far more illustrious for the virtue of his
spirit and the sincerity of his life.
5.
At Bologna in Emilia, Saint Felix, bishop, who had
been a deacon of the Church of Milan under Saint Ambrose.
6.
At Vienne in Gallia Lugdunensis, Saint Aper, priest,
who, leaving his homeland, built himself a cell and led
a solitary and penitential life.
7.
In the district of Bourges in Aquitaine, Saint Sigiramnus,
monk, pilgrim, and abbot of Longoreto.
8.
At Le Mans in Neustria, Saint Adrehild, or Adra,
abbess of the monastery of Saint Mary.
9.
In the monastery of Ellwangen in Bavaria, Saint Sola,
priest and hermit.
10.
At Polybotus in Phrygia, Saint John, surnamed Thaumaturgus
[Wonderworker], bishop, who labored greatly for the
veneration of sacred Images against the policy of the Emperor
Leo the Armenian.
11.
In the monastery of Siegburg in Rhenania in Germany,
Saint Anno, bishop of Cologne, who, in the reign of
Emperor Henry IV, a man of vigorous mind, was held in high
honor both in the Church and in public affairs, and took
care to have many churches and monasteries built to promote
faith and piety.
12.
At Salisbury in England, Saint Osmund, bishop, who,
having come from Normandy to England with King William,
was soon promoted to the episcopate, dedicated the cathedral
church, and took care for the administration of the see
and for divine worship.
13.
At Parma in Emilia, Saint Bernard, bishop, who, as
a monk, sought perfection of life, as a cardinal worked
for the good of the Church, and finally as bishop always
aimed at the salvation of souls.
14.
At Siena in Etruria, blessed Peter Pectinari, religious
of the Third Order of Saint Francis, remarkable for special
charity toward the needy and the sick, and for humility
and silence.
15.
At Edo in Japan, the blessed martyrs Francis Galvez,
priest of the Order of Friars Minor, Jerome de Angelis,
priest, and Simon Yempo, religious, both of the Society
of Jesus, who were consigned to the fire out of hatred for
the faith.
16.
At Cologne in Rhenania in Prussia, blessed Adolph Kolping,
priest, who, ardently concerned for workers and social
justice, founded an association of young workers and spread
it in many places.
17.
At Verona in Italy, Saint John Calabria, priest,
who founded the Congregation of the Poor Servants and
Handmaids of Divine Providence.
December
5th
This Day, the Fifth Day of
December
1.
At Theveste in Numidia,
the passion
of Saint Crispina
of Thagora, a
matron,
who, in the time of Diocletian and Maximian, when she refused
to sacrifice to idols, was beheaded by order of the proconsul
Anolinus.
2.
Near Jerusalem,
Saint
Sabbas, abbot,
who, born in Cappadocia, reached the desert of Judea, where
he established a new form of eremitical life in seven monasteries,
called lauras, gathering hermits under one superior;
in the great laura, afterward distinguished by his
name, he spent many years, shining with the example of holiness
and striving vigorously for the Chalcedonian faith.
3.
In the monastery of Saint Peter of Aquara in Lucania,
Saint
Lucidus, monk.
4.
At Braga in Lusitania,
the commemoration
of Saint Gerald, bishop,
remarkable for restoring divine worship, repairing churches,
and promoting ecclesiastical discipline, who died in a place
called Bornos while carrying out pastoral visitations
in a remote region.
5.
At Mantua in Lombardy,
blessed
Bartholomew Fanti, priest
of the Order of Carmelites, who by words and example stirred
the hearts of the faithful to the holy love of God and to
filial devotion toward Mary, the Mother of God.
6.
At London in England,
Saint
John Almond, priest and martyr,
who for more than ten years secretly cared for souls, until
under King James the First. At Tyburn, he met the noose
because of the priesthood, not ceasing from the very gibbet
to distribute alms.
7.
At Schwerin in the region of Mecklenburg in Germany,
the passing
of blessed Nicholas Steno, bishop
of Titiopolis, who, born in Denmark, was one of the most
famous investigators of the natural world of his time; but
having professed the Catholic faith, desiring to serve God
in the defense of truth, he was made a priest and then ordained
a bishop, devoting all his care to the mission of northern
Europe.
8.
At Turin in Italy,
blessed
Philip Rinaldi, priest
of the Salesian Society, who worked for the spreading of
the faith into mission lands.
9.
Near Munich in Bavaria in Germany,
blessed
Narcissus Putz, priest and martyr,
who, when Poland was under foreign rule during wartime,
was cast into the detention camp of Dachau because of his
steadfastness in the faith, where, worn out by dreadful
torments, he died.
December
6rth
This Day, the Sixth Day of
December
Saint Nicholas, bishop
of Myra in Lycia, renowned for holiness
and intercession before the throne of divine grace.
2.
At Rome, the commemoration
of Saint Asella, virgin, who, as Saint Jerome writes,
prolonged her life in fasts and prayers even into old age.
3.
In Africa, the commemoration of holy martyrs, who,
in the time of the Vandal persecution under King Hunneric
the Arian, were tortured with the most severe and innumerable
punishments for the defense of the Catholic faith; from
whose company Dionysia and her son Majoricus are
praised, who, although still a youth and fearing the tortures,
was strengthened by the gaze and words of his mother, and,
having become braver than the rest in the tortures, yielded
up his soul.
4.
At Brescia in Lombardy, Saint Obitius, who, a
knight, converted to God and given to penance, expended
his goods for the public good.
5.
At Granada in Spain, blessed Peter Pascual, bishop
of Jaén, of the Order of Mercy, martyr, who, while
visiting his flock to exhort the people in defense of the
faith, was captured by the Moors and, held in chains, died.
6.
In the city of Hải Dương in Tonkin, Saint Joseph Nguyễn
Duy Khang, martyr, who, a catechist and companion
of Saint Jerome Hermosilla the bishop in his
journeys, was captured with him in the persecution of Emperor
Tự Đức, flogged, held in prison, and finally beheaded.
7.
In the village of Picadero de Paterna in the district
of Valencia in Spain, blessed Aloysia Maria Frias Canizares,
virgin and martyr, who, in a time of persecution against
the faith, brought forth the eternal fruit of the contest
of faith.
December
7th
This Day, the Seventh Day of
December
Memorial
of Saint Ambrose, bishop of Milan and Doctor of the Church,
who fell asleep in the Lord on the day before the Nones
of April, but is celebrated especially on this day, when,
while still a catechumen and holding the office of prefect
of the city, he accepted the governance of the illustrious
see. A true shepherd and teacher of the faithful, he especially
exercised charity toward all, vigorously defended the freedom
of the Church and the doctrine of the true faith against
the Arians, and by composing commentaries and hymns devoutly
instructed the people in the faith.
2.
At Spoleto in Umbria, Saint Sabinus, who is venerated
as bishop and martyr.
3. In Syria,
Saint Athenodorus, martyr, who, as it is said, under
the Emperor Diocletian and the governor Eleusius, was tortured
with fire and other punishments, and at last condemned to
death by the sword; but when the executioner had fallen,
and no one else dared to strike him with the sword, he,
praying, fell asleep in the Lord.
4. At Teano
in Campania, Saint Urban, bishop.
5. In Palestine,
Saint John the Silent, or Hesychast, who, having
resigned the bishopric of Colonia in Armenia, in the
laura of Saint Sabbas, both in humble service to the
brethren and in harsh solitude and silence, led a monastic
life.
6. At Évry
in the district of Meaux in France, Saint Fare, abbess,
who, after having governed her monastery for many years,
was finally gathered to the assembly of virgins following
the Lamb of God.
7. In the
region of Ontario in Canada, the passion of Saint Charles
Garnier, priest of the Society of Jesus and martyr,
who, while pouring the water of baptism upon catechumens,
was grievously wounded by some pagans who broke in, and
at last, struck by a blow of an axe, died. His memorial
is celebrated on the nineteenth day of October with his
other companions.
8. At Savona
on the coast of Italy, Saint Mary Joseph (Benedicta)
Rossello, virgin, who founded the Institute of the
Daughters of Our Lady of Mercy and devoted herself with
all zeal to the work of saving souls, trusting in God alone.
December
8th
This Day, the Eighth Day of
December
Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the blessed Virgin Mary,
who, truly full of grace and blessed among women, from the
foreseen birth and saving death of the Son of God, in the
very first instant of her conception, by a singular privilege
of God, was preserved immune from all stain of original
guilt, as, from an older doctrine indeed handed down, was
solemnly defined by Pope Pius the Ninth on this very recurring
day as a certain dogma.
2. At Alexandria in Egypt, the commemoration of Saint Macarius,
martyr, who, in the time of the Emperor Decius, when
he was urged by the judge with many words to deny Christ,
but with greater constancy himself professed his faith,
was ordered to be burned alive to the end.
3. At Rome in the cemetery of Callistus on the Appian Way,
the deposition of Saint Eutychian, pope.
4. At Trier in Gallia Belgica, Saint Eucharius, who
is held to have been the first bishop of this city.
5. The commemoration of Saint Patapius, hermit, who,
originating from the Thebaid, lived at Constantinople near
Blachernae, and was buried in an Egyptian monastery.
6. On Mount Vosges in Burgundy, Saint Romaric, abbot,
who, a nobleman of King Theudebert, retired to the monastery
of Luxeuil, and afterward founded on his own estate a monastery,
over which he himself finally presided.
7. At Vaux-de-Cernay in the countryside of Paris, Saint
Theobald of Marly, abbot of the Cistercian Order, who
rendered the lowliest services to his brothers.
8. In the region of Ontario in Canada, the passion of Saint
Noël Chabanel, priest of the Society of Jesus and
martyr, who, having vowed to God that he would remain
even to death in the mission dear to him among the Hurons,
while making a journey in the forest with a certain apostate,
was killed by him out of hatred for the faith. His memorial
is celebrated on the nineteenth day of October with his
companions.
9. At Lima in Peru, blessed Narcisa of Jesus Martillo Moran,
virgin, who, bereft of her parents and lacking means
of subsistence, after many hardships was received into a
convent as a boarder, and gave herself to continual prayer
and austere penance.
10. In the village of Picadero de Paterna in the district
of Valencia in Spain, blessed Joseph Mary Zabal Blasco,
martyr, who, a father of a family, in the persecution
against the faith overcame the torments of his passion with
fortitude in Christ.
11. In the concentration camp of Dachau near Munich in Bavaria
in Germany, blessed Aloysius Liguda, priest of the
Society of the Divine Word and martyr, who, when
Poland had been invaded during the war, was murdered by
the prison guards, having confessed Christ the Lord even
to death.
December
9th
This Day, the Ninth Day of
December
Saint Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin,
who, of the stock of the native Indians, a man endowed with
the purest faith, by his humility and fervor brought it
about that, in honor of the blessed Virgin Mary of Guadalupe,
a sanctuary was rebuilt on the hill of Tepeyac near Mexico
City, where she appeared to him, and in the Lord he came
to rest.
2.
At Toledo in Spain, Saint Leocadia, virgin and martyr,
remarkable for her confession of Christ.
3.
At Pavia in Liguria, Saint Syrus, first bishop
of the city.
4.
At Nazianzus in Cappadocia, Saint Gorgonia, matron,
who was the daughter of Saint Nonna and the sister of Saints
Gregory the Theologian and Caesarius, whose virtues Gregory
himself wrote down.
5.
In the monastery of Genouillac near Périgueux in France,
Saint Cyprian, abbot, renowned for his care of the
sick.
6.
On the River Main in Bavaria in Germany, blessed Liberius
Wagner, priest and martyr, who, outstanding in charity,
crowned his pastoral care both for Catholics and for dissenters
with the shedding of his blood.
7.
At Gray in Burgundy, to which he had retired in exile,
the passing of Saint Peter Fourier, priest, who chose
for himself and wonderfully cared for the very poor parish
of Mattaincourt in Lorraine, renewed the Canons Regular
of Our Savior, and founded the Institute of the Canonesses
Regular of Our Lady for the free education of girls.
8.
At Moricone in Sabina in Italy, blessed Bernard Mary
of Jesus (Caesar) Silvestrelli, priest of the Congregation
of the Passion, who, having been elected superior general,
strove vigorously for its growth and spread.
9.
In the town of Llombay in the district of Valencia
in Spain, blessed Joseph Ferrer Esteve, priest of
the Order of Clerics Regular of the Poor Schools and
martyr, who was killed by bullets in hatred of the priesthood.
10.
In the village of Picadero de Paterna likewise in
the district of Valencia, the blessed Richard de los
Rios Fabregat, Julian Rodriguez Sanchez, and Joseph Gimenez
Lopez, priests of the Salesian Society and martyrs,
who, during a persecution against the faith, achieved a
noble contest for Christ.
December
10th
This Day, the Tenth Day of
December
1.
At Mérida in Lusitania, Saint Eulalia, virgin and martyr,
who, as it is said, in youthful age did not hesitate to
offer her life for the confession of Christ.
2.
At Rome in the cemetery of Thraso on the Via Salaria Nova,
Saint Maurus, martyr, whom Pope Saint Damasus celebrates
as an innocent boy not driven from the faith by any torture.
3.
At Ancyra in Galatia, Saint Gemellus, martyr.
4.
At Rome near Saint Peter’s, Saint Gregory the Third,
pope, who took care to have the Gospel preached to the
Germans and adorned the churches of the City with sacred
Images against the iconoclasts.
5.
In the monastery of Saint Nicholas of Viotorito in Calabria,
Saint Luke, bishop of Isola, who labored tirelessly
for the good of the poor and the formation of monks.
6.
At London in England, the holy martyrs Edmund Gennings,
priest, and Swithun Wells, who, in the persecution under
Queen Elizabeth the First, were condemned to death, the
former because he was a priest, the latter because he had
received him into his house; they were hanged before the
door of the dwelling and were put to death after being subjected
to tortures.
7.
Likewise at London, the holy Polydore Plasden and Eustace
White, priests, and the blessed Brian Lacy, John Mason,
and Sidney Hodgson, martyrs, who in the same year suffered
the same punishments at Tyburn, some because they had come
to England as priests, others because they had given them
assistance.
8.
In the same place, at Tyburn,
nineteen years later, Saint John Roberts, of the
Order of Saint Benedict, and blessed Thomas Somers, priests
and martyrs, who, under King James the First, condemned
on account of the priesthood, and having embraced sixteen
thieves [who were to die with them], were hanged on the
same gallows.
9.
In the village of Valles in the district of Valencia
in Spain, blessed Gonsalvo Viñes Masip, priest and martyr,
who, in a time of persecution, achieved a noble contest
for Christ.
10.
In the village of Picadero de Paterna in the same
district of Spain, the blessed martyrs Anthony Martín
Hernández, priest, and Augustine Garcia Calvo, religious,
of the Salesian Society, who in the same period, on account
of the faith of Christ, received the stole of glory.
December
11th
This Day, the Eleventh Day of
December
Saint Damasus the First, pope,
who, in his difficult times, convened several synods against
schisms and various heresies to defend the Nicene faith,
took care that the sacred books be rendered into Latin by
Saint Jerome, and devoutly uncovered the tombs of the martyrs
and adorned them with verses.
2. In the district
of Amiens in Gallia Belgica, the holy martyrs Victoricus
and Fuscian.
3. At Piacenza in Emilia,
Saint Sabinus, bishop, who called the crowds to the
faith of Christ, established sanctuaries for virgins, and
steadfastly defended the Nicene truth.
4. At Constantinople,
Saint Daniel, surnamed the Stylite, priest,
who, after a life spent in the monastery and many labors
endured, following the manner and example of Saint Simeon,
was raised onto a column and stood there, broken by no force
of cold or heat or winds, for thirty-three years and three
months until his death.
5. In the monastery
of Himmerod near Trier in Germany, blessed David, monk,
whom, though weak in body, Saint Bernard received at Clairvaux
and afterward sent with brethren into Germany to found a
new monastery, where he devoted himself day and night to
prayer and good works.
6.
At Siena in Etruria, blessed Francis Lippi, hermit
of the Order of Carmelites, renowned for the outstanding
austerity of his life.
7.
In the district of Camerino in the Piceno of Italy, blessed
Hugolin Magalotti, hermit, of the Third Order of Saint
Francis.
8.
At Tiferno Metaurense, also in the Piceno, blessed Jerome,
priest of the Order of the Servants of Mary, who in
solitude and silence attained the knowledge of the saints.
9.
At Nagasaki in Japan, the blessed martyrs Martin Lumbreras
Peralta and Melchior Sánchez Pérez, priests of the Order
of Saint Augustine, who, scarcely having entered this city,
were apprehended and thrown into a dark cell, and finally
consigned to the fire.
10.
At London in England, blessed Arthur Bell, priest
of the Order of Friars Minor and martyr, who under
King Charles the First was condemned to death solely for
the priesthood and endured the gallows at Tyburn.
11.
At the place called El Saler near Valencia in Spain,
blessed Mary of the Column Villalonga Villalba, virgin
and martyr, who, while a religious persecution raged,
in her martyrdom followed the footsteps of Christ.
12.
In the town of La Aldehuela in the region of Madrid, also
in Spain, Saint Maravillas of Jesus Pidal y Chico de
Guzmán, virgin of the Order of Discalced Carmelites,
who founded many monasteries in Spain and in India, uniting
the contemplative life with active charity.
December
12th
This Day, the Twelfth Day of
December
Blessed
Mary the Virgin of Guadalupe in Mexico, whose motherly help a great people humbly implore
on the hill of Tepeyac near Mexico City, where she appeared,
and whom they confidently salute as a star in the evangelizing
of families of the peoples, of the natives, and of the poor,
and as their protector.
Commemoration of the holy
Alexandrian martyrs Epimachus and Alexander,
who, under the emperor Decius, after long imprisonment and
various tortures, were at last consumed by fire for the
faith of Christ. With them suffered the holy virgins
Ammonarion, Mercuria, Dionysia, and another, who, when
the judge was ashamed to be overcome by women and hesitated,
lest, by tortures inflicted upon them without hearing them,
their constancy also be conquered, were immediately ordered
to be beheaded.
3.
On the island of Cyprus, Saint Spyridon, bishop,
a true shepherd of the sheep, whose wondrous deeds were
celebrated by the voice of all.
4.
At Clonard in Ireland, Saint Finnian, abbot, who,
founder of many monasteries, was father and teacher of a
great throng of monks.
5.
At Quimper in Brittany, Saint Corentin, who is venerated
as the first bishop of this city.
6.
At Dorat in the district of Limoges in Aquitaine, Saint
Israel, priest and canon regular, who was of great assistance
to the bishop in the preaching of the word of God.
7.
At Neumünster in Holstein, Germany, the natal day of
Saint Vicelin, bishop of Oldenburg, who devoted himself
greatly to evangelizing the Slavs.
8.
At the town of San Gimignano in Etruria, blessed Bartolo
Buonpedoni, priest, who, at the age of sixty, stricken
with leprosy, laid down the care of his parish and, taking
the habit of the Third Order of Saint Francis, enclosed
himself in a hospice and patiently attended to all.
9.
In the district of Bastia near Assisi in Umbria, blessed
Conrad of Offida, priest of the Order of Friars Minor,
who greatly loved and sought humility and the original poverty
of the Order.
10.
At Naples in Campania, commemoration of blessed James
Capocci, bishop, who, from being a hermit of Saint Augustine,
was entrusted with the governance of the Church of Benevento,
and later of Naples, which he adorned with wisdom, doctrine,
and prudence.
11.
At Hue in Annam (Vietnam), Saint Simon Phan Đấc Hóa,
martyr, who, a physician and father of a family,
outstanding in charity toward the poor, was arrested under
the emperor Minh Mạng because he had received missionaries
into his home, and after imprisonment and scourging fulfilled
his martyrdom by beheading.
12.
Near Kraków in Poland, blessed Pius Bartosik, priest
of the Order of Conventual Friars Minor and martyr,
who, when Poland was subjected to an alien government hostile
to God, was broken by tortures in the extermination camp
of Oświęcim [Auschwitz] and fulfilled his martyrdom
for Christ.
December
13th
This Day, the Thirteenth Day of
December
Memorial of Saint Lucy, virgin and martyr,
who kept a burning lamp in readiness to meet the Bridegroom
while she lived, and at Syracuse in Sicily, being brought
to death for Christ, merited to enter with Him to the wedding
feast and to possess the unfailing light.
2.
At Portus Romanus, Saint Ariston, martyr.
3.
On the Sulcis Peninsula of Sardinia, Saint Antiochus,
martyr.
4.
In Armenia, the holy martyrs Eustratius, Auxentius, Eugene,
Mardarius, and Orestes.
5.
In northern Neustria, Saint Judoc, priest and hermit,
who, the son of Juthael, king of Armorica, and brother of
Saint Judicael, left his homeland and withdrew to a hermit’s
life so that he would not be compelled to succeed his father.
6.
At Cambrai in Austrasia, Saint Aubert, bishop.
7.
In the district of Strasbourg in Burgundy, Saint Odile,
virgin and first abbess of the monastery of Hohenbourg,
founded by her father, Duke Adalric.
8. At Naples in Campania,
blessed John (Francis) Marinoni, priest of the Order
of Clerics Regular, commonly called Theatines, who, together
with Saint Cajetan, devoted himself to the reform of the
clergy and the salvation of souls, and favored the Monti
di Pietà for the relief of the poor.
9.
In the monastery of the Visitation at Moulins in France,
the birthday of Saint Jane Frances Frémiot de Chantal,
whose memorial is kept on the twelfth day of August.
10.
At Fermo in the Piceno of Italy, blessed Anthony Grassi,
priest of the Congregation of the Oratory, a man humble
and peaceable, who by his example greatly stirred his brethren
to observe the rule.
11.
In the district of Tjyen-Tiyou in Korea, the holy
martyrs Peter Cho Hwa-so, a father of a family, and five
companions,2 who, when tempted by
the mandarin with promises or tortures to abandon the Christian
religion, persevered until beheaded.
December
14th
This Day, the Fourteenth Day of
December
Memorial
of Saint John of the Cross, priest of the Order of Carmelites
and Doctor of the Church,
who, at the urging of Saint Teresa of Jesus, was the first
among the brethren of the Order to undertake the reform,
which he sustained with countless labors and works as well
as with severe trials, and, as his writings bear witness,
seeking a life hidden in Christ and consumed with the flame
of the love of God, he ascended by the dark night to the
mountain of God; at Úbeda in Andalusia, in the region of
Spain, he finally rested in the Lord
2.
At Alexandria in Egypt, the commemoration of the holy
martyrs Heron, Ater, and Isidore, with Dioscorus, a boy
twelve years of age; the judge, in the persecution of
Decius, when he saw the first three, torn with various tortures
yet armed with the same constancy of faith, ordered them
to be consigned to the fire; but holy Dioscorus, after being
scourged in many ways, he ordered to be dismissed.
3.
At Apollonia in Bithynia, the holy martyrs Thyrsus, Leucius,
Callinicus, and companions, who are said to have suffered
in the time of the emperor Decius.
4.
At Antioch in Syria, Saint Drosida, martyr, whom
Saint John Chrysostom affirms to have been burned to death.
5.
At Ascalon in Palestine, the holy martyrs Ares, Promus,
and Elias, who, when they wished to go from Egypt into
Cilicia to visit and assist the confessors of Christ in
the persecution of the emperor Maximinus, were apprehended
at Caesarea, cruelly deprived of their eyes and feet, and
brought to Ascalon, where, by the order of Firmilian the
governor, Ares completed his martyrdom by fire, and the
others by beheading.
6.
At Pavia in Liguria, Saint
Pompeius, bishop, who, succeeding Saint Syrus, after
a few but peaceful years, departed to the Lord.
7.
At Reims in Gallia Belgica, the passion of Saint Nicasius,
bishop, who before the doors of the basilica which he
himself had founded was slain by the invading pagans,
together with his sister Eutropia, a virgin consecrated
to Christ, the deacon Florentius, and Jucundus.
8.
At Naples in Campania, Saint Agnellus, abbot of the
monastery of Saint Gaudiosus.
9.
At Poitiers in Aquitaine, Saint Venantius Fortunatus,
bishop, who composed the deeds of many saints and celebrated
the Holy Cross with polished hymns.
10.
At Thérouanne in northern France, Saint Folquin, bishop.
11.
At Orvieto in Tuscany, blessed Bonaventure of Pistoia,
priest of the Order of the Servants of Mary, who, moved
by the preaching of Saint Philip Benizi, assisted him in
bringing peace among factions in the cities of Italy.
12.
At the place Klifane in the territory of Lebanon, Saint
Nimatullah al-Hardini (Joseph Kassab), priest of the
Lebanese Maronite Order, who applied himself to the teaching
of theology, to the education of the young, and to pastoral
work, excelling in the spirit of prayer and penance.
13.
At Aachen in Germany, blessed Frances Schervier, virgin,
who. for some time in the city, was zealous toward the poor,
the sick, and the afflicted, and, serving the needs of the
poor, founded the Congregation of the Poor Sisters of
Saint Francis.
14.
At Barcelona in Spain, blessed Protase (Anthony) Cubells
Minguell, religious of the Order of Saint John of God
and martyr, who, when persecution raged against the
Church, was killed in hatred of the faith.
December
15th
This Day, the FifteenthDay of
December
1.
Commemoration of Saint Valerian, bishop of Abensa
in Africa, who, being more than eighty years old, in the
Vandal persecution was required by Genseric, the Arian king,
to hand over the vessels of the Church; when he steadfastly
refused to do this, he was ordered to be driven out alone
beyond the city. And when it was further commanded
that no one should allow him to live either in his house
or on his land, he lay for a very long time in the public
road under the open sky, and thus, a confessor of the orthodox
truth, completed the course of a blessed life.
2.
In the territory of Orléans in Gallia Lugdunensis, Saint
Maximin, priest, who is considered the first abbot
of Micy.
3.
In the monastery of Cava in Campania, blessed Marino,
abbot, remarkable for his fidelity toward the Roman
Pontiff.
4.
At Genoa in Liguria, blessed Mary Victoria Fornari,
who, having become a widow, founded the Order of the
Annunciation.
5.
In the same place, Saint Virginia Centurione Bracelli,
widow, who, devoting herself to the service of the Lord,
aided the poor in many ways, helped rural churches, and
established and directed the Auxiliary Ladies of Mercy.
6.
At Brescia in Lombardy, Saint Mary Crucified of Rosa,
virgin, who for the salvation of the soul and body of
her neighbor spent her wealth and herself, and founded
the Institute of the Handmaids of Charity.
7.
At Verona in Venetia, blessed Charles Steeb, priest,
who, born at Tübingen, professed the Catholic faith at Verona,
was raised to the priesthood, and founded the Institute
of the Sisters of Mercy for the care of the afflicted,
the needy, and the sick.
December
16th
This Day, the Sixteenth Day of
December
1.
Commemoration of Saint Haggai, prophet, who, in the
time of Zerubbabel, leader of Judah, admonished the people
that the house of the Lord should be rebuilt, into which
was to come the treasure of all nations.
2.
Commemoration of many holy virgins, who, in Africa
during the Vandal persecution under Hunneric the Arian king,
endured the weight and heat of burning plates of metal,
and happily completed the struggle of martyrdom.
3.
In Ireland, Saint Bean, hermit.
4.
At Cysoing in Artois, a province of Gaul, Saint Eberhard,
who, Count of Friuli, founded there a monastery of Canons
Regular, in which, some years after his death, he was piously
buried.
5.
At Vienne in Burgundy, Saint Ado, bishop, who, chosen
as bishop from the monastic life, by composing a Martyrology
greatly fostered the memory of the Saints.
6.
At Seltz near Strasbourg in Lorraine, Germany, Saint
Adelaide, who, as empress, possessed toward her
household a dignified graciousness, a most upright dignity
toward strangers, tireless in charity toward the poor, and
of overflowing generosity in honoring the churches of God.
7.
In Lucania, Saint Macarius of Collesano, monk, who,
outstanding for humility and abstinence, wisely governed
various monasteries of Mount Mercury and Latinianus.
8.
At Genoa in Liguria, commemoration
of blessed Sebastian (Salvatico) de Madiis, priest of
the Order of Preachers, who preached the Gospel to the people
of the region and advised on regular discipline in the convents.
9.
At Turin in the Piedmont,
blessed Mary of the Angels (Marianna) Fontanella, virgin
of the Order of Carmelites, who was renowned for voluntary
penances and the virtue of obedience.
10.
At Riva presso Chieri in Italy, blessed Clement Marchisio,
priest, who, pastor of this place, founded the Institute
of the Daughters of Saint Joseph.
11.
In the city of Nowe Miasto in Poland, blessed
Honorat of Biala Podlaska (Florentius) Kozminski, priest
of the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin, who devoted outstanding
labor to ministering to penitents, to the preaching of the
word of God, and to lifting the spirits of prisoners in
jail.
12.
Near the city of Mukdahan in Thailand, blessed
Philip Siphong Onphitak, martyr, who, a father of
a family, after the priest of the village of Song-Khon
was driven out, was chosen leader of the Christian community
and, when persecution began against Christians, was taken
to the bank of the Tum Nok stream and killed by bullets.
December
17th
This Day, the Seventeenth Day of
December
1.
At Jerusalem, Saint Modestus, bishop, who, after
the Holy City had been taken and laid waste by the Persians,
restored the monasteries and filled them with monks, and
with great labor repaired the sanctuaries destroyed by fire.
2.
At Eleutheropolis in Palestine, the passion of fifty
holy soldiers, who, in the time of the emperor Heraclius,
were slain for the faith of Christ by the Saracens besieging
Gaza.
3.
In Brittany, Saint Judicael, who greatly promoted
peace between the Bretons and the Franks, and, having laid
down the office of king, is said to have spent his life
in the monastery of Saint Méen.
4.
At Andenne in Brabant, Saint Begga, widow, who, after
the murder of her husband, founded the monastery of the
Blessed Virgin Mary, under the Rules of Saints Columban
and Benedict.
5.
In the monastery of Fulda in Austrasia, Saint Sturm,
abbot, who, a disciple of Saint Boniface, evangelized
Saxony and, at the command of his master, took care to have
this celebrated monastery rebuilt, and was its first abbot.
6.
On Mount Mercury in Lucania, Saint Christopher of Collesano,
monk, who, together with his whole family, devoted himself
earnestly to spreading the monastic life.
7.
Near Brussels in Brabant of Lorraine, Saint Vivina,
first abbess of the monastery of the Blessed Virgin
Mary of Bigards.
8.
At Rome on the Caelian Hill, Saint John of Matha, priest,
who, a Frenchman by birth, founded the Order of the Most
Holy Trinity for the Ransom of Captives.
9.
At Barcelona in Spain, Saint Joseph Manyanet y Vives,
priest, who, in order that all families might be made
perfect after the example of that holy family of Jesus,
Mary, and Joseph of Nazareth, founded the Congregations
of the Sons and of the Daughters of the Holy Family.
10.
In the village of Don Benito near Badajoz in Spain, blessed
Matilda of the Sacred Heart Téllez Robles, virgin, who,
seeing in her neighbor the image of Christ Himself, gave
herself with kindness and diligence, especially to the material
and spiritual help of the poor, and founded the Congregation
of the Daughters of Mary, Mother of the Church.
11.
At Rome, at Saint Sabina on the Aventine, blessed Hyacinth
(Henry) Cormier, priest, who, as Master General, prudently
governed the Order of Preachers, greatly fostering theological
and spiritual studies.
December
18th
This Day, the Eighteenth Day of
December
1.
At Jerusalem, Saint Modestus, bishop, who, after
the Holy City had been taken and laid waste by the Persians,
restored the monasteries and filled them with monks, and
with great labor repaired the sanctuaries destroyed by fire.
2.
At Eleutheropolis in Palestine, the passion of fifty
holy soldiers, who, in the time of the emperor Heraclius,
were slain for the faith of Christ by the Saracens besieging
Gaza.
3.
In Brittany, Saint Judicael, who greatly promoted
peace between the Bretons and the Franks, and, having laid
down the office of king, is said to have spent his life
in the monastery of Saint Méen.
4.
At Andenne in Brabant, Saint Begga, widow, who, after
the murder of her husband, founded the monastery of the
Blessed Virgin Mary, under the Rules of Saints Columban
and Benedict.
5.
In the monastery of Fulda in Austrasia, Saint Sturm,
abbot, who, a disciple of Saint Boniface, evangelized
Saxony and, at the command of his master, took care to have
this celebrated monastery rebuilt, and was its first abbot.
6.
On Mount Mercury in Lucania, Saint Christopher of Collesano,
monk, who, together with his whole family, devoted himself
earnestly to spreading the monastic life.
7.
Near Brussels in Brabant of Lorraine, Saint Vivina,
first abbess of the monastery of the Blessed Virgin
Mary of Bigards.
8.
At Rome on the Caelian Hill, Saint John of Matha, priest,
who, a Frenchman by birth, founded the Order of the Most
Holy Trinity for the Ransom of Captives.
9.
At Barcelona in Spain, Saint Joseph Manyanet y Vives,
priest, who, in order that all families might be made
perfect after the example of that holy family of Jesus,
Mary, and Joseph of Nazareth, founded the Congregations
of the Sons and of the Daughters of the Holy Family.
10.
In the village of Don Benito near Badajoz in Spain, blessed
Matilda of the Sacred Heart Téllez Robles, virgin, who,
seeing in her neighbor the image of Christ Himself, gave
herself with kindness and diligence, especially to the material
and spiritual help of the poor, and founded the Congregation
of the Daughters of Mary, Mother of the Church.
11.
At Rome, at Saint Sabina on the Aventine, blessed Hyacinth
(Henry) Cormier, priest, who, as Master General, prudently
governed the Order of Preachers, greatly fostering theological
and spiritual studies.
December 18th
This Day, the Eighteenth Day of December
1.
Commemoration of Saint Malachi, prophet, who, after
the return from the Babylonian exile, announced the great
day of the Lord and His coming into the temple, and foretold
that a pure offering would always and everywhere be made
to His name.
2.
In Africa, commemoration of the holy martyrs Namphamon,
Miggin, Sanam, and Lucita, who, as attested by Maximus
of Madaura, a pagan, in a letter written to Saint Augustine,
were held in great veneration by the Christian people.
3.
At Tours in Gallia Lugdunensis, Saint Gatian, the
first bishop, who is said to have been sent to that
city from the city of Rome, and was buried in the cemetery
of the Christians in that same town.
4.
At Killaloe in Ireland, Saint Flannan, bishop.
5.
In the monastery of Heidenheim in Bavaria, Saint Winebald,
abbot, who, English by birth, followed Saint Boniface
with his brother Saint Willibald, and helped in evangelizing
the peoples of Germany.
6.
On the hill of Gò-Voi in Tonkin [Vietnam], the
holy martyrs Paul Nguyễn Văn Mỹ, Peter Trương Văn Dương,
and Peter Vũ Văn Truật, catechists, who, steadfast in
the faith under the emperor Minh Mạng, were strangled.
7.
At Borgaro near Turin in Italy, blessed Nemesia (Giulia)
Valle, virgin of the Institute of the Sisters of Charity,
who, outstanding in the education of the young and in guiding
them in the love of the Gospel, ran continually in the way
of the Lord’s commandments through love of her neighbor.
December
19th
This Day, the Nineteenth Day of
December
1.
At Rome, in the cemetery of Pontian on the Via Portuensis,
the deposition of Saint Anastasius the First, pope,
a man of richest poverty and apostolic solicitude, who firmly
opposed heretical doctrines.
2.
At Auxerre in Gallia Lugdunensis, Saint Gregory, bishop.
3.
At the Charterhouse of Casotto in the Piedmont, blessed
William of Fenolis, religious, who had previously led
the eremitical life.
4.
At Avignon in Provence of Gaul, blessed Urban the Fifth,
pope, who, raised from being a monk to the chair of
Peter, immediately turned his mind especially to bringing
the Apostolic See back to the City and to restoring the
unity of the Church.
5.
At the place of Bac-Ninh in Tonkin, the holy martyrs
Francis Xavier Hà Trọng Mậu and Dominic Bùi Văn Úy, catechists;
Thomas Nguyễn Văn Đệ, tailor; and Augustine Nguyễn Văn Mới
and Stephen Nguyễn Văn Vinh, farmers, of whom one was a
neophyte and the other still a catechumen; all of whom,
refusing to trample upon the cross, suffered prison and
tortures, and at last, by order of the emperor Minh Mạng,
were strangled.
6.
In the town of Slonim in Poland, blessed Mary Eve of
Providence Noiszewska and blessed Mary Martha of Jesus Wolowska,
virgins of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Immaculate
Conception and martyrs, who, during the wartime occupation
of Poland, were killed by bullets for keeping the faith.
December
20th
This Day, the Twentieth Day of
December
1.
At Rome, near the cemetery of Callistus on the Via Appia,
the deposition of Saint Zephyrinus, pope, who governed
the Roman Church for eighteen years and entrusted to Saint
Callistus, his deacon, the task of establishing the cemetery
of the Roman Church on the Via Appia.
2.
Likewise at Rome, on the Via Salaria Vetus, in the cemetery
ad Septem Palumbas, Saint Liberalis, martyr, who
is said once to have held the office of consul in the world.
3.
At Antioch in Syria, Saint Philogonius, bishop, who,
by the will of God, was called from being a lawyer to govern
this Church, and together with Saint Alexander the bishop
and their companions, was the first to enter into combat
for the Catholic faith against Arius; distinguished in merits,
he rested in the Lord, and Saint John Chrysostom celebrated
him with splendid praise.
4.
In the Jura mountains of Switzerland, by the river Doubs,
Saint Ursicinus, who, a disciple of Saint Columban,
first lived the eremitical life in solitude, and, once discovered,
inspired many to that same manner of life.
5.
In the monastery of Exilensis in the region of Castile in
Spain, Saint Dominic, abbot, who, formerly a hermit,
restored this monastery when it was almost ruined, renewed
its discipline, and exalted the divine praise day and night.
6.
At Torre del Greco near Naples in Campania, blessed Vincent
Romano, priest, who, as pastor, devoted his whole heart
to the education of boys and to caring for the needs of
workers and fishermen.
7.
In the Sachsenhausen concentration camp in Germany, blessed
Michael Piaszczynski, priest and martyr, who, Polish
by birth, imprisoned in foreign captivity for the faith,
passed to heavenly glory through torture.
December
21st
This Day, the Twenty-first Day of
December
1.
Saint Peter Canisius, priest of the Society of Jesus
and Doctor of the Church, who, sent into Germany,
labored vigorously for many years by preaching and writing
to defend and strengthen the Catholic faith, among which
works his book entitled “Catechism” stands out; at Freiburg
in Switzerland, he at last rested from his labors.
2.
Commemoration of Saint Micah, prophet, who in the
days of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, by his
preaching defended the oppressed, condemned idols and wickedness,
and announced to the chosen people—come forth from the days
of eternity—that a leader would be born in Bethlehem of
Judah who would shepherd Israel in the strength of the Lord.
3.
In Lycia, Saint Themistocles, martyr, who, in the
time of the emperor Decius, is said to have offered himself
in place of Saint Dioscorus, who was sought to be killed,
and, having been tortured on the rack, scourged, and beaten
with clubs, gained the crown of martyrdom.
4.
At Monte Cerignone in Flaminia, blessed Dominic Spadafora,
priest of the Order of Preachers, who labored diligently
in the ministry of preaching.
5.
At Hanoi in Tonkin [Vietnam], the passion of Saints Andrew
Dũng-Lac and Peter Trưỏng Van Thi, priests and martyrs,
who, when they refused the order to trample upon the cross,
completed the struggle by beheading. Their memorial is celebrated
on the twenty-fourth day of November.
6.
At Koblenz in the Rhineland of Germany, blessed Peter
Friedhofen, religious, who, having first worked as a
chimney sweep, later founded the Congregation of the
Brothers of Mercy of Mary Help of Christians, for which,
with a calm and peaceful spirit, he endured many insults
and trials.
December
22nd
This Day, the Twenty-second Day of
December
1.
Commemoration of the holy martyrs Chaeremon, bishop of
Nilopolis, and many others in Egypt, of whom
some, when the persecution of the emperor Decius was raging,
were scattered in flight and, wandering in the deserts,
were killed by wild beasts; others, consumed by hunger,
cold, and sickness; others, finally, were slain by barbarians
and robbers — so that all, by a different manner of death,
were crowned with the same glory of martyrdom.
2.
Likewise, commemoration of Saint Ischyrion, martyr
in Egypt, who, at the same time, when he had scorned to
sacrifice despite insults and injuries, was run through
the middle of his body with a sharp stake and put to death.
3.
At Rome, on the Via Labicana, in the cemetery ad Duas Lauros,
the holy thirty martyrs, all of whom were crowned
on one day.
4.
In the region of Raithu in Egypt, the holy forty-three
monks, who for the Christian religion were killed by
the Blemmyes.
5.
At Utrecht in Gelderland of Lorraine, Saint Hunger, bishop.
6.
At London in England, blessed Thomas Holland, priest
of the Society of Jesus and martyr, who, carrying
out the ministry in secret, under King Charles the First
was condemned to death and, strangled by the noose, gave
up his spirit.
7.
At Chicago in Illinois of the United States of North America,
Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini, virgin, who founded
the Institute of the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred
Heart of Jesus and, with outstanding charity, devoted
every labor to the care of migrants.
December
23rd
This Day, the Twenty-third Day of
December
Saint
John of Kęty, priest,
who, having been ordained, fulfilled the office of teaching
for many years in the Academy of Kraków, and then undertook
the pastoral care of the parish of Olkusz. There,
uniting right faith with virtues, he became an example of
piety and charity toward his neighbor for his fellow workers
and disciples, and on the day after this, at Kraków in Poland,
he departed to the joys of heaven.
2. At Gortyna
on the island of Crete, the ten holy martyrs Theodulus,
Saturninus, Euporus, Gelasius, Eunician, Zoticus, Pontius,
Agathopus, Basilides, and Evaristus, who, in the persecution
of the emperor Decius, when ordered to sacrifice at the
dedication of the temple of Fortune, publicly resisted,
suffered torments, and were beheaded.
3. At Rome,
commemoration of Saint Servulus, who, from early
age lying paralyzed in a portico near the church of Saint
Clement, as Saint Gregory the Great writes, strove always
to give thanks to God in his suffering, and whatever he
collected from alms he distributed to the poor.
4. At Chartres in
Gaul, Saint Ivo, bishop, who restored the order of
canons and accomplished and wrote much for the concord of
priesthood and empire and for the welfare of the Church.
5. At Brixen
in the territory of Trent, blessed Hartmann, bishop,
who, formerly a canon regular, prudently, and faithfully
governed that Church.
6. In Iceland,
Saint Thorlac, bishop of Skálholt, who devoted himself
to reforming the morals of clergy and people.
7. At Canterbury
in England, commemoration of Saint John Stone, priest
of the Order of the Hermits of Saint Augustine and martyr,
who, a vigorous champion of the Catholic faith, under King
Henry the Eighth, completed his martyrdom on the gallows.
8. At Valencia
in Spain, blessed Nicholas, surnamed the Factor, priest
of the Order of Friars Minor, who, inflamed with the most
ardent charity of God, was rapt in ecstasies.
9. At Montreal
in Canada, Saint Marie-Marguerite d’Youville, religious,
who, having become a widow and mother of a family, piously
raised two sons to the priesthood and devoted all her strength
to caring for the sick, the elderly, and the afflicted of
every kind, for whom she founded the Congregation of
the Sisters of Charity.
10. At São
Paulo in Brazil, blessed Anthony of Saint Anne Galvão
de França, priest of the Order of Friars Minor, who
devoted himself fruitfully to preaching and the ministry
of penance, and founded the Recolhimento de Luz (“Retreat
of Light”), where he guided the community of Sisters with
the highest spiritual moderation.
11. In the
district of Tjyen-Tiyon in Korea, Saint Joseph Cho Yun-ho,
martyr, who, a young man following in the footsteps
of Saint Peter Cho Hwa-so, his father, was killed by blows
for the name of Christian.
12. In the
district of Valencia in Spain, blessed Paul Meléndez
Gonzalo, martyr, who, a father of a family, while
persecution raged against the faith, cleaving to the footsteps
of Christ, through His grace came to the eternal kingdom.
December
24th
This Day, the Twenty-fourth Day of
December
1. Commemoration
of all the holy ancestors of Jesus Christ, the son of David,
the son of Abraham, the son of Adam — that is, the fathers
who were pleasing to God and were found just, and who died
according to faith, having received no promises but seeing
them from afar and greeting them — from whom Christ was
born according to the flesh, who is over all things, God,
blessed forever.
2.
At Bordeaux in Aquitaine, Saint Delphinus, bishop,
who was closely united in friendship with Saint Paulinus
of Nola and gave vigorous effort to warding off the errors
of Priscillian.
3.
At Rome, commemoration of Saint Tarsilla, virgin,
whose continual prayer, seriousness of life, and singular
abstinence her nephew, Saint Gregory the Great, praises.
4.
At Trier in Austrasia, Saint Irmina, abbess of the
monastery of Oeren, who, a matron consecrated to God, gave
to Saint Willibrord the small monastery she had founded
in her estate at Echternach and enriched it from her own
goods.
5.
At Kraków in Poland, the birthday of Saint John of Kęty,
whose memorial is kept on the day before this.
6.
At Bologna in Emilia, blessed Bartholomew Mary Dal Monte,
priest, who in many regions of Italy preached the word
of God to the Christian people and clergy, and founded
the Pious Work of Missions for the same purpose.
7.
At Comonte near Bergamo in Lombardy, Saint Paola Elisabetta
(Costanza) Cerioli, who, all her children having died prematurely,
was left a widow and devoted her wealth and strength to
instructing country boys and orphans without hope for the
future; and, founding the Institute of Sisters and the Congregation
of Fathers and Brothers of the Holy Family, she attained
in the Lord the joys of motherhood.
8.
At Annaya in Lebanon, the birthday of Saint Sharbel (Joseph)
Makhlouf, whose memorial is celebrated on the twenty-fourth
day of July.
December
25th
This Day, the Twenty-fifth Day of
December
After countless ages from the creation of the world,
when in the beginning God created heaven and earth and formed
man in His own image; and also after many ages, since the
Most High set the bow in the clouds after the flood, as
a sign of covenant and peace; from the migration of Abraham,
our father in faith, from Ur of the Chaldeans, in the twenty-first
century; from the going forth of the people of Israel out
of Egypt, under the leadership of Moses, in the thirteenth
century; from the anointing of David as king, about the
thousandth year; in the sixty-fifth week, according to the
prophecy of Daniel; in the one hundred ninety-fourth Olympiad;
from the founding of the City, in the seven hundred fifty-second
year; in the forty-second year of the reign of Caesar Octavian
Augustus; the whole world being composed in peace, Jesus
Christ, eternal God and the Son of the eternal Father, wishing
to consecrate the world by His most merciful coming, conceived
of the Holy Spirit, and nine months having passed after
His conception, is born in Bethlehem of Judah from the Virgin
Mary, having become man: the
Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ according to the flesh.
2.
At Rome, the commemoration of Saint Anastasia, martyr
at Sirmium in Pannonia.
3.
Likewise at Rome, in the cemetery of Apronianus on the Via
Latina, Saint Eugenia, martyr.
3.
Likewise at Rome on the Via Latina, the holy martyrs
Jovinus and Basileus.
5.
In the monastery of Cluny in Burgundy, in Gaul, blessed
Peter the Venerable, abbot, who ruled the monastic Order
by the precepts of its former observance and composed many
treatises.
6.
At Sanseverino in Picenum of Italy, blessed Bentivoglio
de’ Bonis, priest of the Order of Minims, an outstanding
preacher.
7.
In the city of Unzen in Japan, blessed Michael Nakashima,
religious of the Society of Jesus and martyr,
who, being a catechist, for the sake of the faith
of Christ, was plunged into boiling water and attained the
crown of martyrdom.
8.
At Rome, blessed Mary of the Apostles (Mary Teresa) von
Wüllenweber, virgin, German by nationality, who, enkindled
with missionary ardor, founded at Tivoli in Latium the
Institute of the Sisters of the Divine Savior.
9.
At Kraków in Poland, Saint Albert (Adam) Chmielowski,
religious, who, renowned for his art as a painter, devoted
himself to the poor, striving to be good to them in all
things, and founded the Congregations of Brothers and
Sisters of the Third Order of Saint Francis serving
the poor.
December
26th
This Day, the Twenty-sixth Day of
December
Feast
of Saint Stephen, the Protomartyr, a man full of faith
and the Holy Spirit, who, first of the seven deacons whom
the Apostles chose as helpers in the ministry, also first
of the disciples of the Lord shed his blood at Jerusalem,
bearing witness on behalf of Jesus Christ, whom he affirmed
he saw standing in glory at the right hand of the Father,
and he was overwhelmed with stones, praying for his persecutors.
2. At Rome, in the cemetery of Callistus on the Via
Appia, Saint Dionysius, pope, who, after the persecution
of the emperor Valerian, consoled the brethren either grieving
with letters and by his presence, or redeemed captives from
tortures by ransom, or taught the ignorant the doctrines
of the faith, excelling in every virtue.
3. Commemoration of Saint Zeno, bishop of
Maiuma in Palestine, who rebuilt a basilica with his kinsmen
Saints Eusebius, Nestabius, and Zeno, martyrs, and even
to the end of his life practiced the work of a weaver, that
he might earn his livelihood and aid the poor.
4. At Rome on the Via Tiburtina, near blessed Lawrence,
the deposition of Saint Zosimus, pope.
5. At Sardis in Lydia, Saint Euthymius, bishop
and martyr, who, on account of the veneration of sacred
images, was afflicted with exile by the emperor Michael
the iconoclast, and finally, under the emperor Theophilus,
was cruelly beaten with ox sinews and completed his martyrdom.
6. At Madrid in Spain, Saint Vincentia Maria Lopez
Vicuña, virgin, who founded and spread the Institute
of the Daughters of Mary Immaculate, so that aid of
soul and body might be provided to girls separated from
their families and assigned to domestic service.
7. In the village of Song-Khon in Thailand, the
blessed martyrs Agnes Phila and Lucia Khambang, virgins
of the Sisters Lovers of the Cross, as well as Agatha
Phutta, Cecilia Butsi, Bibiana Hampai, and Maria Phon,
who, refusing to deny the Christian faith, were killed with
bullets in the cemetery of the village.
8. Near the place Dragali in Montenegro, blessed
Secondo Pollo, priest of Vercelli, who, performing the
office of chaplain of soldiers during the Second World War,
while attending a dying soldier, was himself gravely wounded
and a little later, having lost blood, gave up his spirit
to God.
December
27th
This Day, the Twenty-seventh Day of
December
Feast of Saint John, Apostle and Evangelist,
who, the son of Zebedee, with his brother James and Peter
was a witness of the Transfiguration, as also of the Passion
of the Lord, and from the Lord Himself at the cross received
Mary as his mother. In the Gospel and in other writings
he shows himself as a theologian, who, having been deemed
worthy to contemplate the glory of the Word made flesh,
announced what he saw.
2.
Commemoration of Saint Fabiola, a Roman widow,
who, as Saint Jerome attests, turned her penance toward
the benefit of the poor and brought it to perfection.
3.
At Apamea in Bithynia, the passion of Saint Theodore,
monk of the laura of Saint Sabas in Palestine, priest
and martyr, who, at Constantinople with his brother
Saint Theophanes, for the defense of sacred Images,
endured beatings, imprisonment, exile, and also the branding
on his forehead, for which reason he was called Graptus,
and died in prison.
4.
At Liendo in Cantabria on the coast of Spain, blessed
Alaphrid Parte, priest of the Order of the Clerics Regular
of the Pious Schools and martyr, who, in time of
persecution, because he was a priest, was led to a glorious
martyrdom.
5.
Likewise, in a vessel in the strait of the sea before Liendo
in Spain, blessed Joseph Mary Corbin Ferrer, martyr,
who fought a noble contest for Christ.
December 28th
This Day, the Twenty-eighth Day of
December
Feast of the Holy Innocents, martyrs.
The boys who in Bethlehem of Judah were killed by the impious
king Herod, so that with them the infant Jesus, whom the
Magi had adored, might perish, and who, honored as martyrs
from the earliest ages of the Church, are the first fruits
of all who would pour out their blood for God and the Lamb.
2.
At Alexandria in Egypt, Saint Theonas, bishop, who
was the teacher and predecessor of Saint Peter the martyr.
3. Commemoration of
Saint Antony, monk,
who lived a solitary life and, as an old man, retired to
the monastery of Lérins in Provence, where, kindly and learned,
he died piously.
4.
At Matelica in Picenum of Italy, blessed Mattia de’ Nazarei,
abbess of the Order of Poor Clares.
5.
At Lyon in Gaul, the natal day of Saint Francis de Sales,
bishop of Geneva, whose memory is celebrated on the
day of his death at Annecy, the twenty-fourth of January.
6.
At Rome, Saint Gaspar del Bufalo, priest, who strove
vigorously for the liberty of the Church, and, having been
cast into prison, did not cease to lead sinners back to
the right way, especially through devotion to the Most Precious
Blood of Christ, in whose honor he founded the Congregations
of Missionaries and of Sisters.
7.
At Naples in Italy, blessed Catherine Volpicelli, virgin,
who, continually devoted to the assistance of the poor and
the sick, founded the Institute of the Handmaids of the
Sacred Heart, taking care that Christian charity might
always be expressed by activity adapted to the needs of
the times.
8.
At Kyiv in Ukraine, blessed Gregory Khomysyn, bishop
of Stanislaviv and martyr, who, in time of persecution
against the faith, merited to recline at the banquet of
the heavenly Lamb.
December 29th
This Day, the Twenty-ninth Day of
December
Saint Thomas Becket, bishop and martyr,
who, for the defense of justice and of the Church, was forced
into exile from the see of Canterbury and from the very
kingdom of England, and after six years having returned
to his homeland still endured many things, until, in the
cathedral church, struck with the sword by the agents of
King Henry the Second, he departed to Christ.
2.
Commemoration of Saint David, king and prophet, who,
the son of Jesse of Bethlehem, found favor before God and
was anointed with holy oil by the prophet Samuel, so that
he might rule the people of Israel; he transferred the Ark
of the Covenant of the Lord into the city of Jerusalem,
and the Lord Himself soon swore to him that his seed would
remain forever, because from him Jesus Christ, according
to the flesh, was to be born.
3.
At Arles in Provence of Gaul, Saint Trophimus, who
is held to have been the first bishop of this city.
4.
At Carthage, Saint Liberius, bishop of Vaga and
martyr, who, in the Council of Carthage concerning the
baptism of heretics, asserted: “In the Gospel Christ said:
I am the truth, and not: I am custom.”
5.
At Milan in Liguria, Saint Martinian, bishop.
6.
At Constantinople, Saint Marcellus, abbot of the
monastery of the Acoemetae on the Bosporus, in which the
chanting of psalms was carried on day and night without
any interruption whatsoever.
7.
At Ouche in Neustria, Saint Ebrulf, abbot of the
monastery of Saint-Evroul, in the time of King Childebert.
8.
At Palermo in Sicily, blessed Gerard Cagnoli, religious
of the Order of Minors, who first and for a long time remained
in the eremitical life.
9.
At London in England, blessed William Howard, martyr,
Viscount Stafford who, professed the Catholic faith,
and on account of this, falsely accused of conspiracy against
King Charles the Second, was struck with the axe for Christ
and died.
10.
At Seoul in Korea, Saints Benedict Hyõn Kyõng-nyõn, widow
and catechist, and six companions,4 martyrs,
who, for the Christian name, were afflicted with many torments
and put to death by beheading.
11.
In the city of Paterna in the district of Valencia
of Spain, blessed Joseph Aparicio Sanz, priest and martyr,
who, when the persecution against the faith was raging,
poured out his blood for Christ.
12.
In the village of Picadero de Paterna likewise in
the district of Valencia, the blessed martyrs Henry John
Requena, priest, and Joseph Perpiñá Nácher, who completed
a noble contest for Christ.
13.
In the village of San Miguel de los Reyes in the same district,
blessed John Baptist Ferreres Boluda, priest of the
Society of Jesus and martyr, who, in the same persecution,
imitating the Passion of Christ, was deemed worthy to obtain
the illustrious palm.
December 30th
This Day, the Thirtieth Day of
December
1.
At Rome, in the cemetery of Callistus on the Via Appia,
the deposition of Saint Felix the First, pope, who
ruled the Roman Church under the emperor Aurelian.
2.
At Bonnonia in Moesia, Saint Hermes, exorcist and martyr.
3. Commemoration of
Saint Anysius, bishop
of Thessalonica, who flourished in the time of the emperor
Theodosius, having been appointed by the Roman Pontiffs
as apostolic vicar in Illyricum, and was heaped with praise
by Saint Ambrose.
4.
At Tours in Lugdunensian Gaul, Saint Perpetuus, bishop,
who rebuilt the basilica of Saint Martin and many others
in honor of the saints, and established in his Church the
practice of fasts and vigils.
5.
At Aosta in the Graian Alps, Saint Iucundus, bishop.
6.
At Flavigny in the territory of Beauvais in Neustria,
Saint Geremarus, abbot of the monastery of this place,
which he founded.
7.
At Evesham in England, Saint Egwin, bishop, who founded
the monastery of that place.
8.
In the Vestini of Italy, Saint Ranieri, bishop of
Forcone, whose virtue in the administration of goods Pope
Alexander the Second praised.
9.
At Canne in Apulia, Saint Roger, bishop.
10.
At the town of Fragalà in Sicily, Saint Lawrence, monk
under the rule of the Easterners, notable for the austerity
of his life and for unwearied preaching.
11.
At Palestrina in Latium, blessed Margaret Colonna, virgin,
who, preferring poverty for Christ to riches and pleasures
of the world, served according to the Rule of Saint Clare,
which she professed.
12.
At Genoa in Liguria of Italy, blessed Eugenia Ravasco,
virgin, who founded the Institute of the Sisters
Daughters of the Most Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary,
to whose care she entrusted the instruction of girls, as
well as the needs of the sick and of very young children.
13.
In the district of Pancalieri near Turin in Italy,
blessed John Mary Boccardo, priest, who, amid many labors
expended for the care of the aged and the sick and the Christian
instruction of children, founded the Congregation of
the Poor Sisters Daughters of Saint Cajetan.
December 31st
This Day, the Thirty-first Day of
December
Saint
Sylvester the First, pope,
who for many years piously ruled the Church, in the time
when Constantine the Augustus built venerable basilicas
and the Council of Nicaea acclaimed Christ the Son of God.
On this day at Rome, in the cemetery of Priscilla, his body
was laid to rest.
2. Likewise
at Rome, in the cemetery of the Jordani on the Via Salaria
Nova, the holy martyrs Donata, Paulina, Rogata, Dominanda,
Serotina, Saturnina, and Hilaria.
3. At Sens
in Lugdunensian Gaul, Saint Columba, virgin and martyr.
4. At Constantinople,
Saint Zoticus, priest, who took upon himself the
care of feeding orphans.
5. At Jerusalem,
Saint Melania the Younger, who, with her husband
Saint Pinian, departed from the city of Rome and set
out for the Holy City; and there she among the women consecrated
to God and he among the monks pursued the religious life,
and both rested in a holy death.
6. At Ravenna
in Flaminia, Saint Barbatus, priest.
7. At Lausanne
among the Swiss, Saint Marius, bishop, who transferred
the See from Avenches to that place, rebuilt many churches,
and was a defender of the poor.
8. In the
district of La Louvesc, in the mountains near Le Puy in
Gaul, Saint John Francis Regis, priest of the Society
of Jesus, who, by preaching and celebrating the Sacrament
of Penance, traveling through the mountains and rural districts
of the place, unceasingly cared for the renewal of the Catholic
faith in the souls of the inhabitants.
9. At the
castle of Mercuès near Cahors in southern Gaul, the passing
of blessed Alain de Solminihac, bishop of Cahors, who,
by pastoral visitations, strove to provide for the correction
of the morals of the people, and with apostolic zeal endeavored
in every way to renew the Church committed to him.
10. At Paris
in Gaul, Saint Catherine Labouré, virgin of the Daughters
of Charity, who venerated in a special way the Immaculate
Mother of God and was distinguished by simplicity, charity,
and patience.
_____________________
1. Among whom: Saints Emilius the physician, Dativa,
Leontia, Tertius, Boniface of Sibida, Servius, and Victrix.
2. Whose names are: Saints Peter Yi Myong-so and Bartholomew
Chong Mun-ho, fathers of families; Peter Son Son-ji, father
of a family and catechist; Joseph Peter Han Chae-kwon, formerly
a catechist; Peter Chong Won-ji, a youth.
3. Among whom: Saints John, Paul, another John, another
Paul, Photinus, Zitas, Eugenius, Muselius, John, Stephen,
Theodore, John, another Theodore, the son of the preceding,
George, Theopemptus, another George, Sergius, another George,
another Theodore, Cyriacus, another John, Zitas, Philoxenus,
another George, another John, another George — all from
the cohort of the Scythians; Theodosius, Epiphanius, John,
Theodore, Sergius, George, Thomas, Stephen, Conon, another
Theodore, Paul, another John, another George, another John,
another John, Paulinus, Caiumas, Abramius, Marmises, [and]
Marinus — all from the cohort of the Volunteers.
4.
Whose names [are]: Saints Peter Ch'oe Ch'ang-hub, catechist;
Barbara Cho Chung-i, widow of Saint Sebastian Nam I-gwan;
Magdalene Han Yong-i, widow; Elizabeth Chong Chong-hye,
virgin, daughter of Saint Cecilia Yu So-sa and sister of
Saint Paul Chong Hasang; Barbara Ko Sun-i, wife of Saint
Augustine Pak Chong-won; Magdalene Yi Yong-dog, virgin,
sister of Saint Catherine Yi.
