October
3rd
This Day, the Third Day of
October
1.
Commemoration
of Saint Dionysius the Areopagite,
who, when Christ was preached by the blessed Paul the Apostle
before the Areopagus, adhered to Him, and was appointed
the first
bishop
of the Athenians.
2.
At Rome, in the cemetery of Pontian on the Via Portuensis,
Saint
Candida, martyr.
3.
At Alexandria in Egypt,
the commemoration
of the saints Faustus, Caius, Peter, Paul, Eusebius, Chaeremon,
Lucius, and two others,
who, first under the emperor Decius, and later under Valerian,
by order of the governor Aemilian, suffered many things
with
Saint Dionysius the bishop, confessors of the faith;
among them, indeed, Faustus under the emperor Diocletian
also received the palm of martyrdom.
4.
At Maiuma in Palestine,
the commemoration of Saint Hesychius, monk,
who was a disciple of Saint Hilarion and a companion on
his journeys.
5.
Commemoration
of Saint Maximian, bishop
of Bagai in Numidia, who, repeatedly subjected to very cruel
treatment by heretics, was finally thrown down from a high
tower and left for dead; but afterward, picked up by passersby
and healed, he did not cease to defend the Catholic faith.
6.
At Toulon in the province of France,
Saint
Cyprian, bishop,
who, a disciple of Saint Caesarius of Arles, defended the
orthodox faith concerning grace in many synods, asserting
that no one could make progress by his own power, nor seize
hold of anything divine, unless first called by the prevenient
grace of God.
7.
Among the Saxons,
the holy
martyrs, the two Ewalds—one surnamed the Black, the other
the White—who,
priests
of English origin, inspired by the example of Saint Willibrord
and his companions, went to the Saxons and, as they began
to preach Christ to them, were seized by the pagans and
consummated their martyrdom.
8.
In the
monastery of Metten in Bavaria,
blessed
Utho,
founder and first
abbot.
9.
In the region of Namur in Lotharingia,
Saint
Gerard,
first
abbot
of the monastery of Brogne, which he himself founded, who
labored for the renewal of monastic discipline both in Flanders
and in Lotharingia and restored many monasteries to the
original observance of the rule.
10.
At Chur in Rhaetia among the Swiss,
blessed
Adalgott, bishop,
who, a disciple of Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, was outstanding
for his work in monastic discipline.
11.
On the banks of the River Uruaçu near Natal in Brazil,
the blessed
Ambrose Francis Ferro, priest, and his companions, martyrs,1
who fell as victims of the oppression carried out against
the Catholic faith.
12.
At Madrid in Spain,
blessed
Crescentius García Pobo, priest
of the Third Order of Saint Francis of the Capuchins of
the blessed Virgin of Sorrows
and martyr,
who, during a fierce persecution against the faith, shed
his blood for Christ.
October
4th
This Day, the Fourth Day of
October
Memorial of Saint Francis, who, after an easygoing youth, was converted
at Assisi in Umbria and chose the Evangelical way of life;
having found Jesus Christ especially in the poor and the
forsaken, he made himself poor and served them, and he gathered
to himself the Friars Minor in companionship. He preached
to all the love of God on his journey even unto the Holy
Land, seeking in words and deeds the perfect following of
Christ, wishing to die naked upon the bare ground.
2.
At Bologna in Emilia, Saint Petronius, bishop, who
rose from worldly power to the office of the priesthood
and taught about the episcopal duty by his writings and
example.
3.
In the countryside of Tours in France, Saint Quintinus,
martyr.
4.
At Paris, also in France, Saint Aurea, abbess, whom
Saint Eligius placed in charge of a monastery founded by
himself within the city under the Rule of Saint Columban,
where he had gathered three hundred virgins.
5.
At New Orleans in Louisiana, in the northern United States
of America, blessed Francis Xavier Seelos, priest
of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, born in Bavaria,
who was constantly attentive to the needs of children, youth,
and immigrants.
6.
In the village of Xaraco in the region of Valencia
in Spain, blessed Henry Morant Pellicer, priest and martyr,
who, in a time of persecution, completed the contest for
the faith.
7.
Near the city of Gandía in the same region of Spain,
blessed Joseph Canet Giner, priest and martyr, who,
who, on account of his fidelity to Christ, deserved to be
united to the sacrifice of the Savior.
8.
In the town of Bellreguard, also in the region of
Valencia, blessed Alaphridus Pellicer Muńoz, religious
of the Order of Friars Minor and martyr, who in the
same period confirmed the faith in Christ even unto the
palm [of martyrdom].
October
5th
This Day, the Fifth Day of
October
1.
At Trier in Belgic France, the commemoration of the holy
martyrs, who, during the time of persecution under Emperor
Diocletian, are believed to have obtained the palm [of martyrdom].
2. At Corycus in Cilicia, Saint Charitina,
martyr.
3. The commemoration of Saint Mamlacha,
virgin and martyr, who, having come from the land of
the Garamćans into Persia, was ordered to be killed by King
Shapur II.
4. At Saint-Julien-en-Vienne in the region
of Vienne in France, Saint Apollinaris, bishop, who,
the brother of Saint Avitus, bishop of Vienne, and a man
inflamed with zeal for justice and integrity, after a long
vacancy of the See of Valence, restored the strength and
former dignity of the Christian religion.
5. The commemoration of Saint Placidus,
monk, who from boyhood was a most beloved disciple of
Saint Benedict.
6. At Nevers in Neustria, Saint Jerome,
bishop, whose generosity and pastoral care enriched
his Church.
7. At Paderborn in Saxony, Saint Meinulph,
deacon, who built and endowed the monastery of Böddeken,
in which he established consecrated virgins.
8. At León in Spain, the commemoration of
Saint Froilán, bishop, who, having been raised from
hermit to bishop, evangelized the regions of Spain liberated
from the yoke of the Moors, and was known for his zeal in
spreading the monastic life and for his generosity toward
the poor.
9. Likewise at Zamora in Spain, the commemoration
of Saint Atilanus, bishop, who, first a monk, was the
chief companion of Saint Froilán in winning over to Christ
the regions formerly devastated by the Moors.
10. At Florence in Etruria, blessed Peter
of Foraz Cornelii, who, a knight of the Order of Saint
John of Jerusalem, devoted himself with pious charity to
the care of the sick.
11. At Beaulieu in the region of Cahors in
France, the commemoration of Saint Flora, virgin
of the Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, who cared for the
sick poor in the hospital and shared in heart and body in
the Passion of Christ.
12. At Corneto in Latium, blessed Sanctus,
priest of the Order of Hermits of Saint Augustine, whom
a crowd followed as he preached the word of God.
13. At Nuremberg in Bavaria, blessed Raymond
of Capua, priest of the Order of Preachers, who was
the wise spiritual director of Saint Catherine of Siena
and composed the record of her life.
14. At Vigevano in Lombardy, blessed Matthew
(John Francis) Carreri, priest of the Order of Preachers,
who was a vehement and most eloquent preacher of the word
of God in his time.
15. At London in England, the blessed martyrs
William Hartley and John Hewett, priests, and Robert Sutton,
who, for their constancy toward the Catholic Church under
Queen Elizabeth I, were hanged with the noose in various
places near the city.
16. In the village of Mindelstetten
in the region of Regensburg in Germany, blessed Anne
Schäffer, virgin, who, at nineteen years of age, while
performing domestic service, was scalded by boiling water
and afterward, as her health declined, lived as a poor and
prayerful woman with peaceful spirit, bearing the cross
of her suffering for the salvation of souls.
17. At Pompeii near Naples in Italy, blessed
Bartholomew Longo, a lawyer who, deeply concerned for
Marian devotion and the Christian education of farmers and
children, founded the shrine of the Rosary in the
Valley of Pompeii and the Congregation of sisters of
the same title, with the help of his devout wife.
18. At the place called Tepatitlán in
Mexico, Saint Tranquilino Ubiarco, priest and martyr,
who, during a violent persecution against the Church, faithfully
fulfilled his pastoral ministry, and for this reason, being
hanged from a tree, achieved a glorious martyrdom.
19. At Kraków in Poland, Saint Maria Faustina
(Helena) Kowalska, virgin of the Sisters of the blessed
Virgin Mary of Mercy, who was greatly devoted to revealing
the mystery of Divine Mercy.
20. In the town of Plonkowo, likewise in Poland,
blessed Marian Skrzypczak, priest and martyr, who,
during the occupation of Poland under a regime hostile to
God, for his unshaken faith was shot in front of the church
and received the palm of martyrdom.
October
6rth
This Day, the Sixth Day of
October
Saint Bruno, priest, who, born at Cologne in Lotharingia, after
teaching theological disciplines in France, desired a solitary
life and, with a few disciples, founded the [Carthusian]
Order in a remote valley of Chartreuse in the Alps, where
the solitude of hermits was combined with a certain form
of community life. Summoned to Rome by blessed Pope Urban
II to assist him in the needs of the Church, he nonetheless
spent his final years in the hermitage near the monastery
of Torre in Calabria.
2.
At Laodicea in Phrygia, Saint Sagaris, bishop and martyr,
under Servilius Paulus, proconsul of Asia.
3.
At Agen in Aquitaine, Saint Faith, martyr.
4.
At Sorrento in Campania, Saint Renatus, bishop.
5.
At Auxerre in Neustria, Saint Romanus, bishop.
6.
In Venetia, the commemoration of Saint Magnus, bishop,
who, having fled from the city of Oderzo after it was captured
by the Lombards along with most of his flock, is said to
have founded the new city of Heraclea and to have overseen
the construction of eight churches in the Venetian region.
7.
In Brittany, Saint Ywi, deacon and monk, a disciple
of Saint Cuthbert, bishop of Lindisfarne, who crossed the
sea and lived in this region, diligent in vigils and fasts.
8.
At Azogyra in Crete, Saint John, surnamed Xenos (“the
Stranger”), who spread monastic life throughout the
island.
9.
At Gueret in the region of Limoges in Aquitaine, Saint
Pardulphus, abbot, renowned for the holiness of his
life, who is said to have driven away the Saracens, defeated
by King Charles Martel, from his oratory.
10.
At Lambach in Bavaria, the passing of blessed Adalbero,
bishop of Würzburg, who suffered much for the Apostolic
See at the hands of schismatics and was driven from his
episcopal seat more than once; he spent his final years
in peace at the monastery of Lambach, which he himself had
founded.
11.
At the Charterhouse of Arvieres in Burgundy, which he had
founded, Saint Artaldus, bishop of Belley, who, nearly
ninety years old and a monk, was unwillingly elected bishop
and, after two years, returned to monastic life, which he
continued until his 106th year.
12.
At Naples in Campania, Saint Mary Frances of the Wounds
of our Lord Jesus Christ (Anne Mary Gallo), virgin of
the Secular Third Order of Saint Francis, remarkable for
her patience, penance, and love of God and souls amid innumerable
and constant sufferings and trials.
13.
At Rochefort in France, blessed Francis Hunot, priest
and martyr, who, during the fierce persecution against
the Church, was imprisoned aboard a filthy prison ship for
being a priest, and, struck by fever, gave up his spirit.
14.
At Longueuil in Canada, blessed Mary Rose (Eulalie) Durocher,
virgin, foundress of the Congregation of the Sisters
of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary, for the human and
Christian education of girls.
15.
At the city of An-Hňa in Annám [Vietnam], Saint
Francis Trần Văn Trung, martyr, who, a soldier,
was ordered to renounce the Christian faith; he firmly refused
to apostatize and was beheaded by order of Emperor Tự Đức.
16.
At Courtrai in Belgium, blessed Isidore of Saint Joseph
De Loor, religious of the Congregation of the Passion,
who fulfilled the duties entrusted to him in holiness, and,
struck by illness, endured great suffering as an example
to his brothers.
October
7th
This Day, the Seventh Day of
October
Memorial
of the blessed Virgin Mary of the Rosary,
the day on which, through the prayer of the Rosary, or the
Marian Crown, the protection of the holy Mother of God is
invoked to promote meditation on the mysteries of Christ,
under her guidance, she who was singularly united with the
incarnation, passion, and resurrection of the Son of God.
2. At Capua
in Campania, Saint Marcellus, martyr.
3. At Padua in Venetia,
Saint Justina, virgin and martyr.
4. At Bethsaloe
in the province of Augusta Euphratesia in Syria, the
holy martyrs Sergius and Bacchus.
5. At Rome,
Saint Mark, pope, who founded a titular church in
the district of Pallacinae and a basilica in the cemetery
of Balbina on the Via Ardeatina, where he himself was buried.
6. At Bourges
in Aquitaine, Saint August, priest and abbot, whose
hands and feet were so crippled that he could move only
by supporting himself on his knees and elbows, but who,
having been healed through the intercession of Saint Martin,
gathered monks and devoted himself continually to prayer.
7. At Saintes,
likewise in Aquitaine, Saint Palladius, bishop, who
built a basilica over the tomb of Saint Eutropius and promoted
the veneration of saints in his city.
8. At the monastery
of Bellafont in the kingdom of León, blessed Martin,
surnamed Cid, abbot, who founded this monastery and
affiliated it with the Cistercian Order.
9. At sea, off
the coast near Rochefort in France, blessed John Hunot,
priest and martyr, who, during the French turmoil, was
confined on a prison ship for being a priest, and completed
his course of captivity in fidelity to God.
10. At the village
of Benaguacil in the region of Valencia in Spain,
blessed Joseph Llosa Balaguer, religious of the Third
Order of Capuchin Franciscans of the Sorrowful blessed Virgin
Mary, and martyr, who suffered martyrdom in the persecution
against the faith.
October
8th
This Day, the Eighth Day of
October
1.
At Antioch in Syria, Saint Pelagia, virgin and martyr,
whom Saint John Chrysostom extolled with great praise.
2.
The commemoration of Saint Reparata, who is venerated
as a virgin and martyr in various places.
3.
At Como in Liguria, Saint Felix, bishop, who, having
been ordained by Saint Ambrose of Milan, was the first to
preside over the Church of this city.
4.
At Rouen in the region of Lyon in France, Saint Evodius,
bishop.
5.
At Denain in Hainaut, Saint Ragenfreda, abbess, who
established monasteries there with her resources and governed
them worthily.
6.
At Genoa in Liguria, Saint Hugh, religious, who,
after having long served as a soldier in the Holy Land,
as commander of the Commandery of the Order of Saint
John of Jerusalem shone in this city by his kindness
and charity toward the needy.
7.
At London in England, the blessed John Adams, Robert
Dibdale, and John Lowe, priests and martyrs, who, under
Queen Elizabeth I, ministered separately to the Catholic
people and, for this reason, were condemned to death and
at Tyburn, through the most bitter torments, together attained
the heavenly kingdom.
October
9th
This Day, the Ninth Day of
October
Saints Denis, bishop, and his companions,
of whom it is handed down that he was sent by the Roman
Pontiff into France and, having become the first bishop
of Paris, near Lutetia was martyred together with the
priest Rusticus and the deacon Eleutherius.
Saint John Leonardi, priest, who in Lucca in Etruria abandoned the
practice of apothecary medicine in order to be initiated
into the priesthood. Zealous for teaching children
the Christian doctrine, for restoring apostolic life among
the clergy, and for spreading the Christian faith everywhere,
he founded the Clerics Regular, later called of the Mother
of God. For this cause he endured many tribulations,
and in Rome laid the foundations of the College for the
Propagation of the Faith, where, worn out by his labors,
he peacefully died.
3.
Commemoration of Saint Abraham, patriarch and father
of all the faithful, who, when the Lord called, departed
from the city of Ur of the Chaldeans, his homeland, and
wandered through the land promised by God to him and to
his descendants. Likewise, he manifested his entire
faith in God when, hoping against hope, he did not refuse
to offer in sacrifice Isaac, his only-begotten son, given
to him in old age by the Lord from a barren wife.
4.
At Laodicea in Syria, the passion of the holy martyrs
Diodorus, Diomedes, and Didymus.
5.
At Julia, in the territory of Parma on the Via Claudia,
Saint Domninus, martyr.
6.
At Antioch in Syria, the commemoration of Saint Publia,
who, her husband having died, entered a monastery and, when
the Apostate Emperor Julian was passing by, sang with her
virgins the Davidic words: “The idols of the nations are
silver and gold,” and “Let those who make them become like
them.” By the emperor’s order, she was struck on the face
and harshly rebuked.
7.
In the district of Bigorre on the slope of the Pyrenees
Mountains, Saint Sabinus, hermit, who made monastic
life illustrious in Aquitaine.
8.
At Tifernum Tiberinum in Umbria, Saint Domninus, hermit.
9.
In Hainaut in Austrasia, Saint Ghislain, who lived
a monastic life in a cell he had built for himself.
10.
At Monte Cassino, Saint Deusdedit, abbot, who was
thrown into prison by the tyrant Sicard and there, exhausted
by hunger and hardship, gave up his spirit to God.
11.
At Braunau in Bohemia, the repose of Saint Gunther, hermit,
who, having abandoned worldly pleasures, first withdrew
to the seclusion of monastic life, and then to the remote
forest solitudes between Bavaria and Bohemia, where he lived
as united to God as he was separated from men and there
died.
12.
At the monastery of Montsalvy in France, Saint Bernard
of Rodez, abbot of the Canons Regular.
13.
At Valencia in Spain, Saint Louis Bertrand, priest
of the Order of Preachers, who in South America preached
the Gospel of Christ to various indigenous peoples and defended
them from their oppressors.
14.
At Turón in the region of Asturias in Spain, the
holy martyrs Innocent of the Immaculate (Emmanuel) Canoura
Arnau, priest of the Congregation of the Passion,
and eight companions 2
of the Brothers of the Christian Schools, who, during the
troubles of that time, were slain without trial out of hatred
for the faith and attained their final victory.
October
10th
This Day, the Tenth Day of
October
1.
Commemoration of Saint Pinytius, bishop of Knossos
on the island of Crete, who flourished under the emperors
Marcus Aurelius Verus and Lucius Aurelius Commodus, and
through his writings took the greatest care to provide for
the faith and spiritual advancement of the flock entrusted
to him.
2.
At Nicomedia in Bithynia, the holy martyrs Eulampius
and his sister Eulampia, in the persecution of the emperor
Diocletian.
3.
At Cologne in Germany, the holy martyrs Gereon and his
companions, who for true piety bravely laid down their
necks to the swords.
4.
At the village of Birten, also in the district of Cologne
in Germany, the holy martyrs Victor and Mallosius.
5.
At Bonn, also in Germany, the holy martyrs Cassius and
Florentius.
6.
At Nantes in Gaul (Lugdunensis), Saint Clarus, who is venerated
as the first bishop of that city.
7.
At Populonia in Etruria, Saint Cerbonius, bishop,
who, as Pope Saint Gregory the Great recounts, withdrew
to the island of Elba when the Lombards were devastating
the region, showing many signs of his virtue.
8.
Near Ramerupt in the countryside of Troyes, also in Neustria,
Saint Tanca, virgin and martyr, who, as is said,
in defense of her virginity suffered a glorious death.
9.
At Rochester in England, the passing of Saint Paulinus,
bishop of York, who, a monk and disciple of Pope Saint
Gregory the Great, was sent by him with others to preach
the Gospel to the English. He converted King Edwin of Northumbria
to the faith of Christ and baptized his people in the rivers
with the laver of regeneration.
10.
In the monastery of Jouarre in the district of Meaux in
Neustria, Saint Telchilde, abbess, who, noble by
birth, shining in merit and strong in virtue, taught consecrated
virgins to go out to meet Christ with lamps burning.
11.
At Ceuta in Mauretania Tingitana, the passion of seven
holy martyrs from the Order of Friars Minor—namely,
Daniel, Samuel, Angelus, Leo, Nicholas, Hugolinus, priests,
and Domnus—who were sent by Brother Elias to preach
the Gospel of Christ among the Moors, and after enduring
insults, chains, and scourging, at last, by beheading, attained
the palm of martyrdom.
12.
At Bridlington in England, Saint John, priest, who,
as prior of the monastery of the Canons Regular of
Saint Augustine, was known for his prayer, austerity, and
gentleness.
13.
In the city of Khartoum in Sudan, Saint Daniel
Comboni, bishop, who founded the Institute for the
Missions to Africa and, having been appointed bishop
in Africa, spared no effort in spreading the Gospel throughout
those regions and providing for human dignity in many ways.
14.
At Kraków in Poland, blessed Angela Maria (Zofia Kamila)
Truszkowska, virgin, who founded the Franciscan Congregation
under the title of Saint Felix of Cantalice to help
abandoned children, the poor, and the marginalized.
15.
At the town of Działdowo, also in Poland, Blessed Leon Wetmański,
auxiliary bishop of Płock, who, during the wicked persecution
in Poland against God and man, completed his martyrdom by
a fearless death in a detention camp.
16.
At Linz in Austria, blessed Edward Detkens, martyr,
who, a Pole by nationality, during the same time died from
the torture of lethal asphyxiation.
October
11th
This Day, the Eleventh Day of
October
1.
Commemoration of Saint Philip, who, one of the seven
deacons chosen by the Apostles, converted Samaria to the
faith of Christ, baptized the eunuch of Candace, queen of
the Ethiopians, and preached the Gospel in every city through
which he passed, until he came to Caesarea, where he is
said to have rested.
2.
At Anazarbus in Cilicia, the holy martyrs Tharacus, Probus,
and Andronicus, who offered their lives for the confession
of Christ during the persecution of the emperor Diocletian.
3.
In the region of Vexin in Lugdunensian France, the commemoration
of the holy martyrs Nicasius, Quirinus, Scubiculus, and
Pientia.
4.
At Verdun, also in France, Saint Sanctinus, bishop,
who is believed to have been the first to preach the Gospel
there.
5.
Commemoration of Saint Sarmata, abbot in the Thebaid,
who was a disciple of Saint Anthony and was killed by Saracens.
6.
At Uzčs in Narbonese France, Saint Firminus, bishop,
who, a disciple of Saint Caesarius of Arles, taught his
people the way of truth.
7.
In the region of Ossory in Ireland, Saint Canice, abbot
of the monastery of Achadh Bó, which he founded among many
others.
8.
Near the fortress of Schemarin in the Caucasus Mountains,
the natal day of Saint Anastasius, priest and apocrisiarius
of the Roman Church, who, a companion of Saint Maximus the
Confessor in exile and in the confession of the Catholic
faith, during the holy Liturgy, while saying, “Holy things
for the holy,” gave up his soul to God.
9.
At Lier in Brabant, Saint Gummarus, who, though
a soldier, was devout toward God and built a chapel
there from his own goods, where he was laid to rest.
10.
At Cologne in Lorraine of Germany, Saint Bruno, bishop,
brother of Emperor Otto I, who, having assumed the government
of Lorraine along with the episcopate, fulfilled the office
of priest with great devotion and met the needs of the time
with the virtue of a magnanimous leader.
11.
At Gniezno in Poland, Saint Gaudentius, also called Radzim,
bishop, who, both in flesh and spirit the brother and
faithful companion of Saint Adalbert, bishop of Prague,
was present at his martyrdom and was afterward thrown into
chains.
12.
At Riga on the Baltic Sea, commemoration of Saint Meinhard,
bishop, who, first a monk in Germany, already advanced
in age undertook the journey to evangelize the people of
Livonia. He built the church at Uxkull, and having
been ordained bishop, actively laid the foundations of the
Christian faith in that region.
13.
At Bologna in Emilia, blessed James of Ulm Griesinger,
religious of the Order of Preachers, who, although unlettered,
was a most skilled painter of stained glass and gave for
fifty years to all an example of work and prayer.
14.
At Calosso in Lombardy, the passing of Saint Alexander
Sauli, first bishop of Aleria on the island of
Corsica, then of Pavia, who, of the Congregation of Clerics
Regular of Saint Paul, wonderfully assisted the poor with
charity.
15.
At Hanoi in Tonkin [Vietnam], Saint Peter Lę Tuy, priest
and martyr, who was beheaded for Christ under the emperor
Minh Mạng.
16.
At Madrid in Spain, Saint María Desolata (Emmanuela)
Torres Acosta, virgin, who from her youth showed marvelous
concern for the poor and the sick, helping them with tireless
self-denial, especially through the Congregation of the
Servants of Mary, Ministers to the Sick, which she founded.
17.
At Barcelona, also in Spain, blessed Ángel Ramos Velázquez,
religious of the Salesian Society and martyr, who, in
a time of persecution against the Church, completed his
struggle for the faith.
October
12th
This Day, the Twelfth Day of
October
1.
At Rome on the Via Laurentina, Saint Hedistus, martyr.
2.
At Anazarbus in Cilicia, Saint Domnina, martyr, who,
under the emperor Diocletian and the governor Lycianus,
is said to have endured many torments and to have given
up her spirit to God in prison.
3.
Commemoration of four
thousand nine hundred sixty-six holy martyrs and confessors
of the faith,
who, during the Vandal persecution in Africa — being bishops,
priests, or deacons of the Church of God and
joined by crowds of faithful laity
— were driven into exile in the dreadful desert by order
of Huneric, the Arian king, out of hatred for Catholic truth;
and in the end, having been cruelly tortured in various
ways, they celebrated their martyrdom. Among them were
Cyprian and Felix, bishops and distinguished priests
of the Lord.
4.
At Piacenza in Emilia, Saint Opilion, deacon.
5.
At Rome, Saint Felix IV, pope, who converted two
temples in the Roman Forum into a church in honor of Saints
Cosmas and Damian and labored greatly for the Catholic faith.
6.
In Noricum Ripense, Saint Maximilian, who is believed
to have been bishop of Lauriacum.
7.
At Pavia in Lombardy, Saint Rotobald, bishop, a man
of exemplary abstinence, devoted above all to divine worship
and the gathering of saints’ relics.
8.
At Ascoli in Piceno, Italy, Saint Seraphin of Montegranaro
(Felix de Nicola), religious of the Order of Friars
Minor Capuchin, who, a true poor man, shone with humility
and piety.
9.
At London in England, blessed Thomas Bullaker, priest
of the Order of Friars Minor and martyr, who, under
King Charles I, was arrested while celebrating Mass and,
because he was a priest, was hanged at Tyburn, disemboweled
while still breathing, and died.
10.
In the village of Ribarroja de Turia in the region
of Valencia, Spain, blessed Joseph González Huguet,
priest and martyr, who, during a fierce persecution against
the faith, fought a noble battle for Christ.
11.
In the village of Massamagrell, in the same region
of Spain, blessed Pacificus (Peter) Salcedo Puchades,
religious of the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin and martyr,
who, in the same persecution, was conformed to the Passion
of Christ.
12.
At the extermination camp of Oświęcim, or Auschwitz,
near Kraków in Poland, blessed Roman Sitko, priest and
martyr, who, during the occupation of Poland in wartime,
cruelly tortured by persecutors of humanity and religion,
passed over to the vision of eternal beatitude.
October
13th
This Day, the Thirteenth Day of
October
1. Commemoration of
Saint Theophilus, Bishop
of Antioch, a man of the highest learning, who, sixth after
the blessed Apostle Peter, held the episcopate of that Church,
and composed a book against Marcion for the defense of the
orthodox faith.
2.
At Córdoba in Bćtica, Spain, the holy martyrs Faustus,
Januarius, and Martial, who, like three crowns, adorn
the city.
3.
At Thessalonica in Macedonia, Saint Florentius, martyr,
who, after various torments, is said to have been killed
by fire.
4.
At Kobern on the Moselle near Trier, Saint Lubentius,
priest.
5.
At Matuta on the Ligurian coast, the repose of Saint
Romulus, Bishop of Genoa, who, filled with apostolic
zeal, died while visiting the people in the countryside.
6.
At Tours in the region of Lyon in France, Saint Venantius,
abbot, who, though still of youthful age, had taken
a wife, and, being led to the basilica of Saint Martin and
moved by the life of the monks, chose, his wife consenting,
to live among them in Christ.
7.
At Solignac in the region of Limoges in Aquitaine, Saint
Leobonus, hermit.
8.
On the island of Iona in Scotland, the repose of Saint
Comgan, abbot, who came to that region from Ireland
with his sister, Saint Kentigerna, her sons, and several
missionaries.
9.
At Augsburg in Bavaria, Germany, Saint Simbert, who
was bishop and abbot of Murbach.
10.
At Cézerniac in the region of Auvergne, France, Saint
Gerald, who, Count of Aurillac, for the salvation of
his provinces, secretly led a monastic life under secular
garb, and offered a memorable example to rulers.
11.
Near Subiaco in Latium, Saint Chelidonia, virgin,
who is said to have lived a solitary and most austere life,
serving God alone for fifty-two years.
12.
At Trino in Montferrat, blessed Magdalene Panattieri,
virgin, a sister of the Penitents of Saint Dominic.
13.
In the village of Balasar near Braga in Portugal,
blessed Alexandrina Maria da Costa, who, rendered
immobile in all her limbs in order to escape the evil will
of a certain man toward her, offered all her sufferings
to the Lord, in contemplation of the Eucharist, for love
of God and for her needy brethren.
October
14th
This Day, the Fourteenth Day of
October
Saint Callistus the First, Pope and Martyr,
who, as deacon, after a long exile in Sardinia, took charge
of the cemetery bearing his name on the Appian Way, where
he left behind memorials worthy of veneration for future
generations; elected pope, he promoted right doctrine and
kindly reconciled the lapsed, and at last gloriously brought
his industrious episcopate to completion by martyrdom. On
this day is commemorated the burial of his body at Rome
on the Aurelian Way in the cemetery of Calepodius.
2.
At Capua in Campania, Saint Lupulus, martyr.
3.
At Rimini in Emilia, Saint Gaudentius, who is believed
to have been the first bishop of that city during
the time of persecution.
4.
At Bruges in Belgic France, the commemoration of Saint
Donatian, bishop of Reims, whose relics are kept in
this city.
5.
At Todi in Umbria, Saint Fortunatus, bishop, who,
as Pope Saint Gregory the Great reports, shone with the
grace of extraordinary virtue in aiding prisoners.
6.
In the region of Châlons in the Champagne of France,
Saint Manechildis, virgin.
7.
At Luni in Liguria, the commemoration of Saint Venantius,
bishop, who took special care for the clergy and monks
and was held in honor and friendship by Pope Saint Gregory
the Great.
8.
Near Beauvais in Neustria, Saint Angadrisma, abbess
of the monastery founded by Saint Ebrulf and called Oratory,
which had several places of prayer where she served the
Lord without ceasing.
9.
At San Severino in Picenum, Italy, Saint Dominic, priest
of the Camaldolese Order, surnamed Loricatus because
of the iron shirt he wore around his flesh, who, having
been ordained simoniacally, became a hermit monk and, as
a disciple of Saint Peter Damian, led a life of the greatest
austerity and discipline.
10.
At Angers in France, blessed James Laigneau de Langellerie,
priest and martyr, who, during the storms of the French
upheaval, was beheaded because of his priesthood.
11.
In the village of Picadero de Paterna in the region
of Valencia, Spain, blessed Anna Maria Aranda Riera,
virgin and martyr, who, while the persecution against
the faith was raging, poured out her blood for Christ.
12.
In the internment camp of Dachau near Munich in Bavaria,
Germany, blessed Stanislaus Mysakowski and Francis Roslaniec,
priests and martyrs, who, while Poland was occupied
during wartime by men hostile to God and humanity, completed
their martyrdom through the pollution of poisonous gas.
13.
At Lviv in Ukraine, blessed Roman Lysko, priest and martyr,
who, during a time of persecution against the faith, cleaving
constantly to the footsteps of Christ, through His grace
attained the heavenly kingdoms.
October
15th
This Day, the FifteenthDay of
October
Memorial of Saint Teresa of Jesus, virgin and doctor of the Church,
who, at Ávila in Spain, having been enrolled in the Order
of Carmelites, became mother and teacher of stricter observance;
she arranged in her heart a spiritual progress under the
image of an ascent by degrees of love toward God; for the
reform of her Order she endured many hardships, which indeed
she overcame with an unconquered spirit; she also composed
books filled with her most lofty doctrine and experience.
2.
At Edessa in Syria, the commemoration of Saint Barses,
bishop, who, by the Arian emperor Valens, was banished
to distant regions on account of the Catholic faith, and,
having been worn out by the change of exile three times,
on an unknown day of the month of March ended his life.
3.
At Trier in Gallia Belgica, Saint Severus, bishop,
who, a disciple of Saint Lupus of Troyes, was companion
to Saint Germanus of Auxerre in rooting out in Britain the
errors of Pelagius and preached the Gospel of Christ among
the Germans.
4.
At Kitzingen in Germany, Saint Thecla, abbess, who,
having been sent from England to help Saint Boniface, first
presided over the monastery of Ochsenfurt, then over that
of Kitzingen.
5.
In the monastery of Trebnitz in Silesia, the birthday
[into heaven] of Saint Hedwig, religious, whose memorial
is celebrated tomorrow.
6.
At Torres Vedras in Lusitania, blessed Gonçalo de Lagos,
priest of the Order of Hermits of Saint Augustine, who
excelled in teaching the Christian precepts to children
and the unlearned.
7.
At Nagasaki in Japan, Saint Magdalene, virgin and martyr,
strong in spirit both in fostering the faith and in enduring
the punishment of the gallows for thirteen days under the
emperor Iemitsu.
8.
At Valencia in Spain, blessed Narcís Basté Basté, priest
of the Society of Jesus and martyr, who, faithfully
receiving the words of Christ, in a time of persecution
against the faith, passed through death into glorious life.
October
16th
This Day, the Sixteenth Day of
October
Saint Hedwig, religious, who, of Bavarian stock and duchess of the Poles,
was greatly devoted to the aid of the poor, for whom she
founded hospices, and after the death of her husband Duke
Henry, spent the rest of her life laboriously in a monastery
of Cistercian nuns which she herself had established and
over which her daughter Gertrude presided as abbess.
She died at Trzebnica in Poland on the fifteenth day of
October.
Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque, virgin,
who, having been admitted among the nuns of the Order of
the Visitation of the blessed Virgin Mary, advanced in a
wondrous way along the path of perfection and, endowed with
mystical gifts, was especially solicitous for devotion to
the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, for the promotion
of whose veneration in the Church she accomplished many
things. She fell asleep in the Lord at Paray-le-Monial
in the region of Autun in France on the seventeenth day
of October.
3.
At Jerusalem, the commemoration of Saint Longinus,
who is honored as the soldier who opened the side of
the Lord fixed to the Cross with a lance.
4.
In the countryside of Toul in France, Saint Eliphius,
who is said to have received the crown of martyrdom.
5.
The commemoration of Saints Martinian and Saturian, martyrs
in Africa, along with their two brothers, who, during
the Vandal persecution under the Arian king Genseric, were
servants of a certain Vandal and, having been converted
to the faith of Christ by Saint Maxima, a virgin and their
fellow servant, for the constancy of their Catholic faith
were first beaten with knotted clubs and torn to the bone,
then exiled among the Moors, where, having brought several
to the faith of Christ, they were condemned to death; Maxima
herself, after enduring many struggles and being freed,
rested with a holy end in a monastery as mother of many
virgins.
6.
In the territory of Limoges in Aquitaine, Saints Amandus
and his disciple Junian, hermits.
7.
At Arbon in Germany, Saint Gall, priest and monk,
who, while still a boy, was received by Saint Columban into
the monastery of Bangor in Ireland, and eventually in this
region zealously spread the Gospel and trained brethren
in monastic discipline, until, nearly one hundred years
old, he rested in God.
8.
At Noyon in Neustria, Saint Mummolinus, bishop, who,
first a monk, assisted Saint Audomarus in missionary work,
and then succeeded Saint Eligius in the episcopal see.
9.
In the monastery of Hersfeld in Franconia in Germany,
Saint Lullus, bishop of Mainz, who, as companion and
helper of Saint Boniface in the office of preaching, was
ordained bishop by him, that he might be a teacher for priests,
a guide in the Rule for monks, and a faithful preacher and
pastor for the Christian people.
10.
In the region of Retz near Nantes in Brittany, Saint
Vitalis, hermit.
11.
In the region of Mirepoix at the foot of the Pyrenees in
France, Saint Gauderic, farmer, renowned for his
piety toward the Mother of God.
12.
At Brioude among the Arverni in Aquitaine, Saint Bonita,
virgin.
13.
At Pamiers, also at the Pyrenees in France, Saint Anastasius,
monk, who, born in Venice, first led a hermit’s life
on the island of Tombelaine near Mont-Saint-Michel, then
lived as a monk at Cluny, and finally withdrew into solitude
during his last years.
14.
At Saint-Bertrand-de-Comminges, likewise among the mountains
of the Pyrenees in France, Saint Bertrand, bishop,
who, following the counsels of Pope Saint Gregory VII, energetically
took part in the reform of the Church, restored his city,
which had been ruined through neglect, and in the fully
rebuilt cathedral church, established canons regular bound
to the discipline of Saint Augustine.
15.
In the monastery of Igny in the region of Reims in France,
the passing of blessed Gerard of Clairvaux, abbot,
who, while visiting this monastery, was killed by a wicked
monk.
16.
At Muro Lucano in Basilicata, Saint Gerard Majella, religious
of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, who, seized
by the impulse of love for God, embraced everywhere a most
austere manner of life, and consumed with zeal for God and
souls, peacefully rested while still young.
17.
Near Kraków in Poland, in the extermination camp of Oświęcim,
or Auschwitz, the blessed martyrs Anicetus Kopliński,
of the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin, and Joseph Jankowski,
of the Society of the Catholic Apostolate, priests,
who, when their homeland was invaded by followers of a wicked
doctrine hostile to men and to the faith, the one was confined
in a gas chamber poisoned with deadly gas, the other was
slain by the camp guards, bearing witness to the faith of
Christ even unto death.
October
17th
This Day, the Seventeenth Day of
October
Memorial of Saint Ignatius, bishop and martyr,
who, a disciple of Saint John the Apostle and second after
Saint Peter, ruled the Church of Antioch and, under the
emperor Trajan, condemned to the beasts, was brought to
Rome and there was crowned with glorious martyrdom. On the
journey, while he experienced the savagery of the guards,
as if of leopards, he wrote seven letters to different Churches,
in which he exhorted the brethren to serve God in unity
with the bishops and not to prevent him from being sacrificed
as a victim for Christ.
2.
Commemoration of Saint Hosea, the prophet, who not
only by words, but also by the manner of his life, revealed
to the unfaithful people of Israel the Lord as an ever-faithful
Bridegroom moved by infinite mercy.
3.
Commemoration of Saints Rufus and Zosimus, martyrs,
whom blessed Polycarp associated with Saint Ignatius in
martyrdom, writing to the Philippians: “They were partakers
of the sufferings of the Lord, and they did not love the
present age, but Him who died and rose again for them and
for all.”
4.
In Proconsular Africa, the holy martyrs of Voli,
whom Saint Augustine celebrated in a sermon.
5.
At Lycopolis in Egypt, Saint John, hermit, who, among
other outstanding virtues, was also remarkable for the prophetic
spirit.
6.
At Agen in Aquitaine, Saint Dulcidius, bishop, who
fiercely defended the Catholic faith against the impiety
of the Arians.
7.
At Orange in the Province of France, Saint Florentius,
bishop.
8.
At Toulouse also in France,
the birth into heaven of blessed Gilbert, abbot of
Cîteaux, who, an Englishman by birth, a man of sublime learning,
defended Saint Thomas Becket in exile.
9.
At Binasco in Lombardy, blessed Balthasar Ravaschieri
de Clavario, priest of the Order of Friars Minor.
10.
At Wrexham in Wales, Saint Richard Gwyn, martyr,
who, a father of a family and schoolmaster, professed
the Catholic faith and, arrested for having persuaded others
to convert to it, after long tortures, remained steadfast
in the faith and was hanged and dismembered while still
alive.
11.
At Rome, blessed Peter of the Nativity of the blessed
Virgin Mary Casani, priest of the Order of Clerics
Regular of the Pious Schools, who used the gifts of nature
and grace for the instruction of children, gladly serving
the Lord in the little ones.
12.
At Paray-le-Monial, in the region of Autun in France,
the passing of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque, virgin,
whose memorial is celebrated on the previous day.
13.
In the region of La Vallée de Guyon, also in France,
blessed James Burin, priest and martyr, who, during
the time of the French upheaval, while secretly fulfilling
many pastoral duties, fleeing from house to house from a
band of pursuers, was finally stabbed to death while holding
the chalice in his hands.
14.
At Valence, also in France, the blesseds Mary-Natalie
of Saint Louis (Marie-Louise-Joseph Vanot) and four companions,3
virgins of the Ursuline Order and martyrs,
who, during the French upheaval, condemned to death out
of hatred for the Catholic faith, ascended the scaffold
while reciting the psalm Miserere.
15.
At Hue in Annam [Vietnam], Saint Isidore Gagelin, priest
of the Paris Foreign Missions Society and martyr,
who, under the emperor Minh Mạng, was strangled for Christ.
16.
At Suna on Lake Verbano in Italy, blessed Contardo Ferrini,
who, in educating the young, surpassed human learning with
faith and Christian life.
17.
Near Ciudad Real in Spain, blessed Fidel Fuidio Rodríguez,
religious of the Society of Mary and martyr,
who, during the persecution against the faith, was pierced
by bullets and passed to the Lord.
18.
At La Nucía near Alicante, also in Spain, blessed
Raymond Stephen Bou Pascual, priest and martyr, who,
in the same persecution, merited to be redeemed as a faithful
disciple in the blood of Christ.
19.
In the town of Algemesí in the Valencian region,
also in Spain, blessed Tarsilla Cordoba Belda, martyr,
who, a mother of a family, in the same period was
heard in Christ into glory.
October
18th
This Day, the Eighteenth Day of
October
Feast of Saint Luke, Evangelist,
who, as is said, was born of a pagan family at Antioch and
was a physician by profession. Converted to the faith of
Christ, he became the most beloved companion of blessed
Paul the Apostle. In the Gospel book, he carefully arranged
all things that Jesus did and taught, as the scribe of Christ’s
gentleness, and likewise, in the Acts of the Apostles,
he recounted the beginnings of the life of the Church up
to Paul’s first sojourn in the City.
2.
At Antioch in Syria, Saint Asclepiades, bishop, who
was one of the distinguished number of confessors of the
faith during the time of persecution.
3.
At Pozzuoli in Campania, the holy martyrs Proculus, deacon,
Eutychius, and Acutius.
4.
At Riom among the Arverni in Aquitaine, Saint Amabilis,
priest.
5.
At Nassogne in Austrasian Brabant, Saint Monon, who
is believed to have been a hermit in the forest of
the Ardennes and a martyr.
6.
At Arenas, in the region of Castile in Spain, Saint Peter
of Alcántara, priest of the Order of Friars Minor, who,
endowed with the gift of counsel and with a life of penance
and austerity, reformed the observance of regular discipline
in the convents of the Order throughout Spain, and was a
counselor to Saint Teresa of Jesus in the reform of the
Carmelite Order.
7.
In the village of Ossernenon, in Canadian territory,
the passion of Saint Isaac Jogues, priest of the Society
of Jesus and martyr, who was first reduced to slavery by
the natives and had his fingers mutilated, and at last died
when his head was struck with a blow of a tomahawk; his
memorial, along with that of his companions, is celebrated
on the following day.
8.
At Rome, the heavenly birthday of Saint Paul of the Cross,
priest, whose memorial is observed tomorrow.
October
19th
This Day, the Nineteenth Day of
October
Holy martyrs John de Brébeuf, Isaac Jogues, priests, and their
companions
of the Society of Jesus, on the day on which Saint Jean
de la Lande, religious, was killed by certain pagans of
the place in the village of Ossernenon, then in Canadian
territory, where also, a few years earlier, Saint René Goupil
had obtained the palm of martyrdom. With one and
the same veneration are honored on this day their fellow
members Saint Gabriel Lalemant, Anthony Daniel, Charles
Garnier, and Noël Chabanel, who, in the territory of
Canada, on different days and after many labors undertaken
in the mission among the Hurons to proclaim the Gospel of
Christ to the peoples of that region, fell as martyrs.
Saint
Paul of the Cross, priest,
who, already from youth, was notable for penance and zeal
and was inflamed with singular charity toward Christ crucified,
seen in the face of the poor and the sick. He founded
the Congregation of Clerics Regular of the Cross and
Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ; his heavenly birthday,
however, occurs at Rome on the previous day.
3.
Commemoration of Saint Joel, prophet, who foretold
the great day of the Lord and the mystery of the outpouring
of His Spirit upon all flesh, which on the day of Pentecost
the divine majesty deigned wonderfully to fulfill in Christ.
4.
At Rome, the commemoration of the holy Ptolemaeus, Lucius,
and another companion, who, as Saint Justin reports,
were proven Christians and, because they condemned either
immorality in customs or injustice in judgments, were condemned
by the prefect Lollius Urbicus under the emperor Antoninus
Pius.
5.
At Ostia on the Tiber, Saint Asterius, martyr.
6.
At Sens in the region around Lyon, France, the commemoration
of Saints Sabinian and Potentian, who are held to have
been the first pastors of that city and there completed
their confession by martyrdom.
7.
In Egypt, Saint Varus, soldier,
who, under the emperor Maximian, while visiting and comforting
six holy hermits detained in prison, after the seventh had
died in the desert, wished to take his place, and having
suffered most cruelly with them, gained the palm of martyrdom.
8.
At Iluro near the Pyrenees in Aquitaine, commemoration
of Saint Grat, bishop, who, in the time of Alaric, king
of the Arian Goths, attended the Council of Agde to restore
the Church of that region of France.
9.
In Brittany, Saint Ethbin, monk, who lived a solitary
life.
10.
At Cavaillon in Provence, Saint Veranus, bishop,
who was endowed with great virtues, especially in treating
the sick.
11.
At Évreux, also in France, Saint Aquilinus, bishop,
who, as it is said, while he was a soldier, devoted himself
to good works and, with the consent of his wife, made a
vow of continence and was raised to this see.
12.
At Oxford in England, Saint Frideswide, virgin, who,
born of royal lineage and made abbess, ruled over
two monasteries, one of monks and the other of nuns.
13.
At Biville near Cherbourg in Normandy, blessed Thomas
Hélye, priest, who spent his days in sacred ministry
and his nights in prayer and penance.
14.
At London in England, Saint Philip Howard, martyr,
who, Earl of Arundel and father of a family, fell
from the favor of Queen Elizabeth because he had embraced
the Catholic faith, and was cast into prison, where, wonderfully
devoted to prayer and penance, consumed by want and hardships,
he merited to receive the crown of martyrdom.
15.
At Nagasaki in Japan, the holy martyrs Luke Alonso Gorda,
priest, and Matthew Kohioye, religious, both of the
Order of Preachers, the former of whom first served fearlessly
in the Philippines and then for a decade in Japan as a minister
of the Gospel, and the latter, eighteen years old, was his
companion in spreading and bearing witness to the faith.
16.
At Langeac, on the Allier River in France, blessed Agnes
of Jesus Galand, virgin of the Order of Preachers, who,
as prioress of the convent, stood out with ardent
love for Jesus Christ and zeal for the Church, offering
continuous prayers and penances for its shepherds.
October
20th
This Day, the Twentieth Day of
October
1.
Commemoration of Saint Cornelius, centurion, whom
Saint Peter the Apostle baptized at Caesarea in Palestine,
the firstfruits of the Church from among the Gentiles.
2.
At Agen in Aquitaine, Saint Caprasius, martyr.
3.
At Aulnay in the countryside of Reims in Neustria, Saint
Sindulph, hermit, who led a solitary life, known to
God alone.
4.
At Salzburg in Bavaria, Saint Vitalis, bishop, who,
born in Ireland, was a disciple of Saint Rupert, a companion
in his travels, and imitator of his labors and vigils; chosen
by him as his successor, he converted the people of Pinzgau
to the faith of Christ.
5.
At Constantinople, Saint
Andrew, called “of the Crisis” or “the Calybite,”
monk and martyr, who was born on the island of Crete.
On account of his veneration of sacred Images, under the
emperor Constantine Copronymus, he was repeatedly beaten
and subjected to tortures unto death, and finally, hurled
from the city wall into filth, he was put to death.
6.
At Troyes on the Seine in France, Saint Aderald, archdeacon,
who, by his warnings and example, made illustrious the canonical
rule, even while he was held captive by the Saracens in
the Holy Land.
7.
At Sévigny in Normandy, Saint Adeline, first abbess
of the monastery of Mortain, which she founded with the
help of her brother Saint Vitalis.
8.
At Lviv in Ruthenia, blessed
Jacob Strepa, bishop of Halicz, of the Order of Friars
Minor, distinguished for pastoral solicitude and apostolic
virtues.
9.
At Treviso in Italy, Saint Maria Bertilla (Anna Francesca)
Boscardin, virgin of the Congregation of the Sisters
of Saint Dorothy of the Sacred Hearts, who in the hospital
was solicitous for both the bodily and spiritual health
of the sick.
10.
At Vienna in Austria, blessed James (Francis Alexander)
Kern, priest of the Order of Premonstratensians, who,
while still a student, was called to arms in the First World
War and seriously wounded; afterward, he devoted himself
with great care to pastoral ministry, which he exercised
only briefly, for he was afflicted with a long and bitter
illness, which he bore with courage of soul, peacefully
submitting to the will of God.
October
21st
This Day, the Twenty-first Day of
October
1.
At Nicomedia in Bithynia, the holy martyrs Dasius, Zoticus,
and Caius, who, being members of Diocletian’s household
and accused of setting fire to the palace, were sentenced
to death and, with millstones tied around their necks, were
drowned in the sea.
2.
At Cologne in Germany, the commemoration of holy virgins,
who completed their lives in martyrdom for Christ, where
afterward a basilica of the city was built and dedicated
in honor of the maiden Ursula, an innocent virgin, regarded
as the leader among them.
3.
On the island of Cyprus, Saint Hilarion, abbot, who,
following in the footsteps of Saint Anthony, first lived
a solitary life near Gaza, and then in that province became
the founder and model of the eremitical way of life.
4.
Commemoration of Saint Malchus, monk, whose asceticism
and illustrious life at Maronia near Antioch in Syria was
recounted by Saint Jerome.
5.
At Bordeaux in Aquitaine, Saint Severinus, bishop,
whom Saint Amandus, bishop, honorably received when he came
from the East and desired to make him his successor.
6.
At Laon in France, Saint Cilinia, mother of
the holy bishops Principius of Soissons and Remigius of
Reims.
7.
At Lyon in France, commemoration of Saint Viator, lector,
who, disciple and minister of Saint Justus, bishop of Lyon,
followed him into the solitude of Egypt and remained with
him unto death.
8. At Trier in Austrasia,
Saint Wendelin, hermit.
9.
At Marseille in the Province of France, Saint Maurontius,
bishop, who had also been abbot of the church of Saint
Victor.
10.
At Cortona in Etruria, blessed Peter Capucci, priest
of the Order of Preachers, who, through meditation on death,
directed himself toward heavenly things, and by diligent
preaching warned the faithful not to fall into eternal death.
11.
At Seoul in Korea, Saint Peter Yu Tae-ch’ol, martyr,
who, at thirteen years of age, exhorted his fellow captives
in prison to endure their torments, and after being beaten
with a hundred blows, was finally strangled by a noose,
fulfilling his martyrdom.
12.
In the village of Belencito near Medellín in Colombia,
blessed Laura of Saint Catherine of Siena Montoya y Upegui,
virgin, who committed herself with great fruit for God
to the proclamation of the Gospel among indigenous peoples
still lacking the faith of Christ, and founded the Congregation
of the Missionary Sisters of Mary Immaculate and Saint Catherine
of Siena.
October
22nd
This Day, the Twenty-second Day of
October
1.
Commemoration of Saint Mark, bishop of Jerusalem,
who was the first from among the Gentiles to take up the
governance of the Church of the holy city, which, having
been scattered in fear, he is said to have gathered together
again by his faith and diligence.
2.
At Hierapolis in Phrygia, Saint Abercius, bishop,
who, a disciple of Christ the Good Shepherd, is said to
have led the faith as a pilgrim through various regions
and to have nourished it with mystical food.
3.
At Adrianople in Thrace, the holy martyrs Philip, bishop
of Heraclea, and Hermes, deacon, of whom the
former, at the beginning of the persecution of the emperor
Diocletian, when ordered to close the church and to show
all its vessels and books, said to the governor Justinus
that the things he demanded could neither be given by him
nor received by the governor; after prison and scourging,
he was burned with the deacon in the fire.
4.
At Rouen in the region around Lyon, France, Saint Mellon,
bishop, who is said to have proclaimed the Christian
faith in that city and to have established the episcopal
see.
5.
In the territory of Besançon in Germania, Saint Valerius,
deacon of the Church of Langres, killed by pagans.
6.
In the district of Châlons in Neustria, Saint Lupentius,
abbot of the basilica of Saint Privatus of the Gévaudan,
who, having unjustly suffered many cruel things from Innocent,
count of the city, was beheaded.
7.
At Auch in Aquitaine, Saint Leotadius, bishop.
8.
In the monastery of Berceto in Lombardy, Saint Moderanus,
abbot, formerly bishop of Rennes in France, remarkable
for his love of solitude and devotion toward the places
of the saints.
9.
In the territory of Nantes in Brittany, Saint Benedict,
who lived an eremitical life at Macérais.
10.
At Huesca in Aragon of Spain, the holy virgins and martyrs
Nunilo and Alodia, who, having an unbelieving father
but taught in Christian doctrine by their mother, when they
refused to abandon the faith of Christ, after a long imprisonment,
by order of ‘Abd ar-Rahman II, king of Córdoba, fell beneath
the stroke of the sword.
11.
At Fiesole in Etruria, Saint Donatus the Scot, bishop,
who, renowned for learning and piety, traveling as a pilgrim
from Ireland to Rome, was given by God as an outstanding
pastor to the people of this city.
October
23rd
This Day, the Twenty-third Day of
October
Saint John of Capestrano, priest
of the Order of Minors, who championed regular discipline
and ministered through nearly all of Europe to strengthen
the Catholic faith and morals; by the fervor of his exhortations
and prayers he sustained the people of the faithful and
devoted himself to defending the liberty of Christians.
At the place Ujlak, finally, on the bank of the Danube
in the kingdom of Hungary, he departed from life.
2.
Near Cádiz in the region of Baetica in Spain, the saints
Servandus and Germanus, martyrs in the persecution of
the emperor Diocletian.
3.
In Persia, the holy martyrs John, bishop, and James,
priest, who, under King Shapur II, were cast into prison
and after a year brought their struggle to completion by
the sword.
4.
At Antioch in Syria, Saint Theodoret, priest and martyr,
who, as it is said, having been arrested by the impious
Julian, Count of the East, when he persisted in the confession
of Christ, was led to martyrdom.
5.
At Cologne in Germany, the commemoration of Saint Severinus,
bishop, praiseworthy in every virtue.
6.
At Pavia in Liguria, the commemoration of Saint Severinus
Boethius, martyr, who, distinguished for learning and
writings, while detained in prison, wrote a treatise on
the consolation of philosophy, and served God with integrity
even to death inflicted by King Theodoric.
7.
At Syracuse in Sicily, Saint John, bishop, whose
character, justice, wisdom, prudent counsel, and care for
the affairs of the Church were praised by Saint Gregory
the Great, pope.
8.
At Rouen in Neustria, Saint Romanus, bishop, who
utterly destroyed the shrines of the pagans which were still
very frequented in the city, promoted the good to better
things, and strove to recall the wicked from evil.
9.
In the district of Herbadillic near Poitiers in Aquitaine,
France, Saint Benedict, priest.
10.
At Constantinople, Saint Ignatius, bishop, who, because
he rebuked Bardas Caesar for having repudiated his wife,
was afflicted by him with many injuries and driven into
exile, but restored by Saint Nicholas I, pope, at last rested
in peace.
11.
At Romsey in England, Saint Ethelfleda, who, dedicated
to God from infancy in the monastery founded by her father
Ethelwold, and having become abbess, ruled it most
excellently until old age.
12.
At Campoli in Etruria, Saint Allucio, true peacemaker,
protector of the poor and pilgrims, and liberator of captives.
13.
At Mantua in Lombardy, blessed John Bono, hermit,
who, as a young man, having lost his mother, practiced the
art of juggler and actor, wandering through various regions
of Italy; but at the age of forty, when a grave illness
came upon him, vowed to the Lord that he would forsake the
world so that, by penance and love, he might devote himself
entirely to Christ and the Church, and he founded a congregation
under the Rule of Saint Augustine.
14.
Likewise at Milan in Lombardy, blessed John Angelo Porro,
priest of the Order of the Servants of Mary, who, as
prior of the convent, on all feast days, standing
at the door of the church or running through the streets,
would gather children in order to teach them Christian doctrine.
15.
At York in England, blessed Thomas Thwing, priest and
martyr, who, falsely accused of conspiracy, by order
of King Charles II was hanged and cruelly dismembered, and
attained the palm of martyrdom.
16.
At Valenciennes in France, the blessed Mary Clotilde
Angela of Saint Francis Borgia (Clotilde Joseph) Paillot
and five companions,4 virgins and martyrs,
who, consecrated to God, in the time of the French upheaval,
condemned to death out of hatred for the faith, went piously
to the gallows, to the wonder of the people.
17.
In the city of Thọ-Đức in Annam [Vietnam], Saint
Paul Tống Viết Bường, martyr, who, a soldier,
under the emperor Minh Mạng, died for Christ.
18.
At Reims in France, blessed Arnold (Julian Nicholas)
Reche, brother of the Christian Schools, who, docile
to the Holy Spirit in all things, took great care for the
young, always diligent in carrying out the office of teacher
and constant in prayer.
19.
At Ciudad Real in Spain, the blessed martyrs Hildefonsus
García and Justinian Cuesta, priests, and Euphrasius de
Celis, Honorinus Carracedo, Thomas Cuartero, and Joseph
Mary Cuartero, religious of the Congregation of the
Passion, who, while a religious persecution was raging,
were killed by bullets for Christ and the Church.
20.
In the place called El Saler near Valencia likewise
in Spain, blessed Leonard Olivera Buera, priest and martyr,
who, in the time of the same religious persecution, imitating
the Passion of Christ, deserved to attain the eternal reward.
21.
In the town of Benimaclet likewise in the region
of Valencia in Spain, the blessed Ambrose Leon (Peter)
Lorente Vicente, Florentius Martin (Alvaro) Ibáńez Lázaro,
and Honoratus (Andrew) Zorraquino Herrero, religious
of the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools
and martyrs, who in the same time shed their blood for Christ.
October
24th
This Day, the Twenty-fourth Day of
October
Saint Anthony Mary Claret, bishop,
who, having been ordained priest, traveled for many years
through Catalonia in the region of Spain, preaching to the
people; he founded the Society of Missionary Sons of
the Immaculate Heart of the blessed Virgin Mary, and,
having been made bishop of Santiago on the island of Cuba,
was greatly distinguished for the salvation of souls. Having
returned to Spain, he still endured many things for the
Church, and, in exile among the Cistercian monks of Fontfroide
near Narbonne in southern France, he died.
2.
At Hierapolis in Phrygia, the saints Cyriacus and Claudian,
martyrs.
3.
At Constantinople, Saint Proclus, bishop, who vigorously
proclaimed blessed Mary as the Mother of God, and restored
to the city the body of Saint John Chrysostom in a triumphant
translation from exile, so that he even merited to be called
“the Great” in the Ecumenical Council of Chalcedon.
4.
At Najran in Arabia, the passion of Saints Aretas,
prince of the city, and his three hundred and forty companions,
in the time of the emperor Justin, under Du Nuwas, also
called Dhu Nuwas, king of the Homerites.
5.
At Tours in Neustria, Saint Senoch, priest, who in
ancient ruins established a monastery, constant in vigils,
prayer, and charity toward servants.
6.
In the monastery of Vertou in the district of Retz in France,
Saint Martin, deacon and abbot, whom Saint Felix,
bishop of Nantes, sent to convert the pagans of the region.
7.
At Tongeren in Brabant of Austrasia, Saint Evergislus, bishop
of Cologne and martyr, who, while attending to the duties
of pastoral office, when he had set out for Poitiers, was
struck down on the way by robbers and died.
8.
In Brittany, Saint Magloire, who is said to have
been a disciple of Saint Illtud, to have succeeded Saint
Samson, bishop of Dol, and to have led a life of solitude
on the island of Sark.
9.
At Coutances in Neustria, Saint Fromundus, bishop,
who founded the convent of nuns at Ham and carried out the
pastoral office in the love of the Lord.
10.
At Hué in Annam [Vietnam], Saint Joseph Lę Đằng Thị,
martyr, who, a centurion [military captain], having
been detained in prison because he was a Christian, bore
witness among his fellow prisoners, in the midst of tortures,
to the faith from which he never swerved, and was finally
strangled under the emperor Tự Đức.
11.
At Como in Italy, blessed Aloysius Guanella, priest,
who founded the Congregation of the Servants of Charity
and the Daughters of Saint Mary of Providence, both
to aid the needs of the miserable and afflicted, and to
promote their salvation.
12.
At Ronchi on the river Adige in the territory of Verona
in Italy, blessed Joseph Baldo, priest, who, devoted
to pastoral care, founded the Congregation of the Little
Daughters of Saint Joseph to aid the elderly and the
sick, as well as to educate children and young people.
October
25th
This Day, the Twenty-fifth Day of
October
1.
At Rome, in the cemetery of Thraso on the Via Salaria Nova,
Saints Chrysanthus and Daria, martyrs, whom Pope
Saint Damasus praises.
2.
At Soissons in Gallia Belgica, Saints Crispin and Crispinian,
martyrs.
3.
At Florence in Etruria, Saint Minias, martyr.
4.
At Périgueux in Aquitaine, Saint Fronto, who is believed
to have been the first to preach the Gospel in this city.
5.
At Constantinople, Saints Martyrius, subdeacon, and Marcian,
cantor, who were killed by the Arians under Emperor
Constantius.
6.
At Brescia in Venetia, Saint Gaudentius, bishop,
who, ordained by Saint Ambrose, outstanding among the bishops
of his time in doctrine and virtues, taught his people by
word and writings and built the basilica which he named
the Council of Saints.
7.
In the territory of Gévaudan in France, Saint Hilary,
bishop of Mende.
8.
In the district of Segovia in Spain, Saint Fructus,
who lived a hermit life upon a rugged rock.
9.
At Pécs [Five Churches ]in Hungary, Saint Maurus, bishop,
who, having spent almost his entire life as a scholar, at
length became a monk and abbot in the monastery of Saint
Martin.
10.
At Vic in Catalonia in Spain, Saint Bernard Calbó, bishop,
who, having given up the office of judge, first became an
abbot among the Cistercians, then, having been elected to
the see of Vic, vigorously promoted sound doctrine.
11.
At the town of Saint-Antoine in the Subalpine region,
the passing of blessed Thaddeus Machar, bishop of Cork
and Cloyne in Ireland, who, having suffered the envy of
the powerful, withdrew and, while making his way to Rome,
migrated to heaven.
12.
In the town of Nules near Tortosa in Spain, blessed Recaredo
Centelles Abad, priest of the Society of Diocesan Worker
Priests and martyr, who, during a persecution against
the Church, was killed at the gates of the cemetery in hatred
of the priesthood.
13.
At Alzira in the district of Valencia also in Spain,
blessed María Teresa Ferragud Roig and her daughters María
of Jesus (Vicenta), María Veronica (Joaquina), and María
Felicidad Masia Ferragud, virgins of the Order of Capuchin
Poor Clares, and Josefa of the Purification (Ramona)
Masia Ferragud, virgin of the Order of Discalced Augustinians,
martyrs, who in the same period were crowned for
their fearless witness to Christ.
October
26th
This Day, the Twenty-sixth Day of
October
1.
At Nicomedia in Bithynia, Saints Lucian and Marcian,
martyrs, who, under Emperor Decius, by order of the
proconsul Sabinus, are said to have been killed by fire.
2.
At Carthage, the commemoration of Saint Rogatian, priest,
to whom, in the persecution under Emperor Decius, Saint
Cyprian entrusted the care of the Church of Carthage, and
who, together with Saint Felicissimus, suffered hardships
and imprisonment for the name of Christ.
3.
At Strasbourg in Germany, Saint Amand, who is believed
to have been the first bishop of this city.
4.
At Narbonne on the coast of Gaul, Saint Rusticus, bishop,
who, when he had considered resigning his office and living
his life in silence, was persuaded by Saint Leo the Great
to blessed perseverance, and thus strengthened, remained
in the work committed to him and in the labor undertaken.
5.
At Angoulęme in Aquitaine, the commemoration Saint Aptonius,
bishop.
6.
At Lastingham in Northumbria, Saint Cedd, who, brother
of Saint Chad, was ordained bishop of the East Saxons
by Saint Finan and took care to lay the foundations of the
Church among them.
7.
At Hexham also in Northumbria, Saint Eata, bishop,
who, a man most gentle and most simple, ruled over many
monasteries as well as churches, and having returned to
Hexham, being both abbot and bishop, never ceased from the
ascetic way of life.
8.
At Metz in Austrasia, Saint Sigebald, bishop, founder
of several monasteries.
9.
In the monastery of Hersfeld in Germany, the deposition
of Saint Wigbert, also called Albuin, the first bishop
of Büraburg, who, an Englishman by birth, having been called
by Saint Boniface with others and sent into Hesse, there
sowed the seeds of the divine word.
10.
In Scotland, Saint Bean, bishop of Mortlach.
11.
At Pavia in Lombardy, Saint Fulco, bishop, of the
Scottish people, a man peaceful, and most devoted to zeal
and to charity.
12.
At Reggio Emilia, blessed Damian Furcheri, priest
of the Order of Preachers, an outstanding preacher of the
Gospel.
13.
At Ravello near Amalfi in Campania, blessed Bonaventure
of Potenza, priest of the Order of Friars Minor Conventual,
who was remarkable for obedience and charity toward all.
October
27th
This Day, the Twenty-seventh Day of
October
1.
At Rome, Saint Evaristus, pope, who, the fourth after
Blessed Peter, ruled the Church of Rome under Emperor Trajan.
2.
At Smyrna in Asia, Saint Thraseas, bishop of Eumenia
in Phrygia and martyr.
3.
At Clermont in Aquitaine, Saint Namatius, bishop,
who built the cathedral church.
4.
At Naples in Campania, the deposition of Saint Gaudiosus,
bishop, who, because of the persecution of the Vandals,
is said to have come from Abitina into Campania is said
to have come and, in a holy end, to have rested in a monastery.
5.
On the island of Iona in Scotland, Saint Odhran, monk,
who was among the first disciples of Saint Columba.
6.
At Vicenza in Venetia, the commemoration of blessed Bartholomew
of Bragança, bishop, of the Order of Preachers, who
in this city established the Militia of Jesus Christ
to defend the Catholic faith and the liberty of the Church.
7.
In the city of Paterna in the district of Valencia in Spain,
blessed Salvador Mollar Ventura, religious of the
Order of Friars Minor and martyr, who, in a time of persecution
against the faith, merited as a faithful disciple to be
redeemed in the blood of Christ.
October 28th
This Day, the Twenty-eighth Day of
October
Feast of Saints Simon and Jude, Apostles,
the former of whom was surnamed the Cananean or “the Zealot;”
but the latter, also called Thaddeus, the son of James,
at the Last Supper asked the Lord about His manifestation,
who answered him: “If anyone loves me, he will keep my
word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him
and will make our abode with him.”
2.
At Mainz in Belgic France,
Saint Ferrutius, martyr, who, having left the military
service that he might serve Christ more freely and more
fittingly, is said to have fallen in martyrdom.
3.
At Como in Gallia Cisalpina, Saint Fidelis, martyr.
4.
At Ávila in Spain, the passion of Saints Vincent, Sabina,
and Christeta, martyrs, who, fleeing from Évora of the
Carpetani to this city, were cruelly killed.
5.
At Tizac in Aquitaine, Saint Genesius, who, twice
clothed in white, is celebrated to have departed from this
world through martyrdom.
6.
At Amiens in Neustria of Gaul, Saint Salvio, bishop,
devoted from his earliest youth to divine studies and adorned
with integrity of life.
7.
At Meaux also in Neustria, Saint Faro, bishop, who,
first a member of the royal household, was led to the service
of God by Saint Fara his sister, and persuaded his wife
to put on the veil of religion so that he might be received
into the clergy; and, having been called to the pastoral
governance, he enriched the Church with very abundant donations
from his own possessions, established parishes, and fostered
monasteries.
8.
At Annecy in Savoy, the commemoration of Saint Germain,
abbot, who founded and ruled the priory of Talloires,
distinguished for his love of solitude.
9.
In the province of Fujian in China, Saints Francis
Serrano, bishop, and Joachim Royo, John Alcober, and Francis
Diaz del Rincon, priests of the Order of Preachers,
martyrs, who confirmed the same faith by the same suffering.
10.
In the district of Cho-Ray in Tonkin [Vietnam],
Saint John Baptist, priest and martyr, beheaded for
Christ.
11.
In the village of Ejutla in Mexico, Saint Roderick
Aguilar, priest and martyr, who, during a raging persecution,
was hanged by soldiers from a tree, and gloriously fulfilled
the martyrdom which he had desired.
12.
At Alzira in the district of Valencia in Spain,
blessed Salvador Damian Enguix Gares, martyr, who,
a father of a family, in a time of persecution brought
his contest for the faith to completion.
13.
In the village of Gilet in the same district of Spain,
blessed Joseph Ruiz Bruixola, priest and martyr,
who in the same period merited to bear the palm of victory
before Almighty God.
October 29th
This Day, the Twenty-ninth Day of
October
1.
At Carthage, Saint Felician, martyr.
2.
Commemoration of Saint Narcissus, bishop of Jerusalem,
praiseworthy in holiness, patience, and faith, who, agreeing
with Saint Victor the pope concerning the time for celebrating
the Christian Pasch, asserted that the mystery of the Lord’s
Resurrection was to be celebrated on no other day than Sunday,
and, one hundred and sixteen years old, happily departed
to the Lord.
3.
At Vercelli in Liguria, Saint Honoratus, bishop,
who, a disciple of Saint Eusebius in the monastery and companion
in prison, after his master was the second to hold this
see, which he taught with right doctrine, and was worthy
to give Saint Ambrose, when dying, the Viaticum.
4.
At Sidon in Phoenicia, Saint Zenobius, priest, who,
under the severity of the persecution of the Emperor Diocletian,
encouraging others to martyrdom, was himself crowned with
martyrdom.
5.
At Edessa in Osrhoene of Mesopotamia, Saint Abraham,
anchorite, whose deeds Saint Ephrem the deacon wrote.
6.
In the territory of Vienne in Gaul, Saint Theodarius,
abbot, who, a disciple of Saint Caesarius of Arles,
founded cells for monks, and was appointed by the bishop
an intercessor to God and a penitentiary priest for the
whole people of the city.
7.
At Doagh in Ireland, Saint Colman, bishop.
8.
At the monastery of Fanay in the district of Cambrai in
Neustria, Saint Dodon, abbot, who, placed in charge
of the monastery of Wallers, preferred the eremitical life.
9.
Near Naples in Italy, blessed Cajetan Errico, priest,
who fostered with every effort spiritual retreats and contemplation
of the Eucharist, so that he might gain souls for Christ,
by which also he brought forth the Missionaries of the
Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary.
October 30th
This Day, the Thirtieth Day of
October
1.
At Syracuse in Sicily, Saint Marcian, who is believed
to have been the first bishop of that city.
2.
Commemoration of Saint Serapion, bishop of Antioch,
who, most renowned for learning and doctrine, left no lesser
fame for holiness.
3.
At Alexandria in Egypt, Saint Eutropia, martyr, who,
when she refused to deny Christ, was most cruelly tortured
and gave up her spirit.
4.
At Tangier in Mauretania,
the passion of Saint Marcellus, centurion, who, on
the emperor’s birthday, when all were sacrificing, threw
down before the standards his military belt, weapons, and
even the vine-rod, declaring himself to be a Christian,
and that he could no longer obey the military oath consistently,
but only Jesus Christ; for which reason, by beheading, he
completed his martyrdom.
5.
At León in Spain, the holy martyrs Claudius, Lupercus,
and Victorius, who suffered for the name of Christ during
the persecution of the emperor Diocletian.
6.
At Cumae in Campania, Saint Maximus, martyr.
7.
At Capua, also in Campania, Saint Germanus, bishop,
of whom Pope Saint Gregory the Great wrote.
8.
At Potenza in Lucania, Saint Gerard, bishop.
9.
At Cividale del Friuli in Venetia, blessed Benvenuta
Bojani, virgin, sister of the Penitents of Saint Dominic,
who devoted herself entirely to prayer and austerities.
10.
At Winchester in England, blessed John Slade, martyr,
who, because he denied the primacy of Queen Elizabeth I
in spiritual matters, was hanged and cruelly dismembered.
11.
At Limerick in Ireland, the passion of blessed Terence
Albert O’Brien, bishop and martyr, who, of the Order
of Preachers, being in charge of the diocese of Emly, he
gave devoted service to the care of those afflicted by the
plague, but was arrested by soldiers under the rule of Oliver
Cromwell, and, out of hatred for the priesthood and the
Catholic faith, was led to the gallows.
12.
At Acri in Calabria, blessed Angelo, priest of the
Order of Friars Minor Capuchin, who, tirelessly traversing
the Kingdom of Naples, preached the word of God in speech
suited to the simple.
13.
At Angers in France, blessed John Michael Langevin, priest
and martyr, killed by beheading for the priesthood,
the first of a group of nearly one hundred men and women
who, while the terror of the French upheaval raged, remained
unanimous, steadfast, and fearless in the faith of Christ
even unto death.
14.
In the town of Dolinka near Karaganda in Kazakhstan,
blessed Alexis Zaryckyj, priest and martyr, who, during
the rule of a regime hostile to God, was deported to a detention
camp, and through the struggle of faith attained eternal
life.
October 31st
This Day, the Thirty-first Day of
October
1. At Alexandria
in Egypt, Saint Epimachus of Pelusium, martyr, who,
as it is said, in the time of the persecution under the
emperor Decius, when he saw the prefect compelling Christians
to sacrifice to idols, attempted to overthrow the altar;
for this he was arrested and torn apart, and finally was
beheaded by the sword.
2. At Saint-Quentin
[Augusta Viromanduorum] in Belgic Gaul, Saint Quentin,
martyr, who, of senatorial rank, suffered for Christ
under the emperor Maximian.
3. At Fosses
in Brabant in Austrasia, Saint Foillan, priest and abbot,
who, Irish by birth, brother and companion of Saint Fursey,
always faithful to the monastic institutions of his homeland,
established at Fosses and Nivelles a double monastery of
men and of women; while traveling between them, he was killed
by robbers.
4. At Milan
in Lombardy, Saint Antoninus, bishop, who labored
greatly to extinguish the Arian heresy among the Lombards.
5. At Regensburg
in Bavaria, Saint Wolfgang, bishop, who, after serving
as a schoolmaster and embracing the monastic life, was elevated
to the episcopal see, restored the discipline of the clergy,
and died humbly while visiting the territory of Pupping.
6. At Cahors
in Aquitaine, blessed Christopher of Romagna, priest
of the Order of Friars Minor, who, sent by Saint Francis,
after many labors for the salvation of souls, died at the
age of one hundred years.
7. At Rieti
in Sabina, blessed Thomas of Florence Bellacci, religious
of the Order of Friars Minor, who, having traveled to
the Holy Land and Ethiopia, suffered captivity and hardships
for Christ at the hands of unbelievers, and at last, returned
to his homeland, rested in peace, nearly one hundred years
old.
8. At Youghal
in Ireland, blessed Dominic Collins, religious of
the Society of Jesus and martyr, who, after being held for
a long time, was persistently questioned and tortured, and
firmly confessed the Catholic faith; for this reason, he
was hanged and so completed his martyrdom.
9. At Palma
on the island of Majorca, Saint Alphonsus Rodríguez,
who, bereft of his wife, children, and all his fortune,
was received as a religious into the Society of Jesus,
and for many years served as porter in the College; he shone
with humility, obedience, and perseverance under the yoke
of penance.
10. In the
town of Piotrków Kujawski in Poland, blessed
Leon Nowakowski, priest and martyr, who, during
the occupation of Poland, in military fashion, was killed
by bullets for having valiantly defended the faith before
a regime hostile to God.
____________________________________________
1.
Whose
names are: Blessed Anthony Baracho, Anthony Vilela Cid,
Anthony Vilela the Younger and his daughter, Diego Pereira,
Emmanuel Rodrigues Moura and his wife, the daughter of Francisco
Dias the Younger, Francisco de Bastos, Francisco Mendes
Pereira, Joăo da Silveira, Joăo Lostau Navarro, Joăo Martins
and seven youths, Joseph do Porto, Matthew Moreira, Simon
Correia, Stephen Machado de Miranda and his daughter Inęs,
Vincent de Souza Pereira.
2.
Whose
names are: Saints Cyril Bertrán (Joseph) Sanz Tejedor, Marcian
Joseph (Philomenus) López López, Victorian Pius (Claudius)
Bernabé Cano, Julian Alphridus (Wilfrid) Fernández Zapico,
Benjamin Julian (Vincent Alphonsus) Andrés, Augustus Andrew
(Romanus) Martín Fernández, Benedict of Jesus (Hector) Valdivielso
Sáez, and Anicetus Adolphus (Emmanuel) Seco Gutiérrez.
3.
Whose
names are: Blessed Maria Laurentina of Saint Stanislaus
(Joanna Regina) Prin, Maria Ursula of Saint Bernardine (Hyacintha
Augustina Gabriela) Bourla, Maria Ludovica of Saint Francis
(Maria Genevieve) Ducrez, and Maria Augustina of the Sacred
Heart of Jesus (Maria Magdalena) Dejardin.
4.
Whose
names are: Blessed Maria Scholastica Joseph of Saint James
(Maria Margaretha Joseph) Leroux and Maria Cordula Joseph
of Saint Dominic (Joanna Louisa) Barre, of the Order of
Ursulines; Josephine (Anna Joseph) Leroux, of the Order
of Poor Clares; Maria Francisca (Maria Lievina) Lacroix
and Anna Maria (Maria Augustina) Erraux, of the Order of
Brigittines.
Omnes
sancti Mártyres, oráte pro nobis.
(“All ye Holy Martyrs, pray for us,”
from the Litaniae Sanctorum, the Litany of the
Saints)
2004 Roman Martyrology by Month (to
be completed)
“Scio
opera tua ... quia modicum habes virtutem, et servasti
verbum Meum, nec non negasti Nomen Meum”
For the
entire year in the Original
Latin in a PDF file, click here:
