
Roman Martyrology, Complete, August
Semen est sanguis Christianorum
(The blood of Christians is the seed of the Church) Tertullian, Apologeticum,
50
(The Notation P2V
preceding a name indicates that the Saint or Martyr was added after
1900 and prior to 1962 and the purging of Saints by Pope Paul
VI following the Second Vatican Council)
ROMAN MARTYROLOGY

August 1st
This Day, the First Day of August
At Rome, on Mount Esquiline, the dedication of
the Church of St. Peter in Chains.
At Antioch, the martyrdom of the seven holy brothers,
the Machabees, and their mother, who suffered under king Antiochus
Epiphanes. Their relics were transferred to Rome, and placed in the
Church of St. Peter, just mentioned.
At Eonie, the holy virgins Faith, Hope and Charity,
who won the crown of martyrdom under the emperor Adrian.
Also, at Rome, on the Latin road, the holy martyrs
Bonus, a priest, Faustus and Maurus, with nine others, mentioned
in the Acts of Pope St. Stephen.
At Philadelphia, in Arabia, the holy martyrs Cyril,
Aquila, Peter, Domitian, Rufus, and Menander, crowned on the
same day.
At Pergen, in Pamphylia, the holy martyrs Leontius,
Attius, Alexander, and six husbandmen, who were beheaded in the
persecution of Diocletian, under the governor Flavian.
At Gerona, in Spain, the birthday of the holy
martyr Felix. After enduring various torments, by order of Dacian,
he was cut with knives until he gave his undaunted soul to Christ.
At Vercelli, St. Eusebius, bishop and martyr,
who for the confession of the Catholic faith, was banished to Scythopolis
and thence to Cappadocia by the emperor Constantius. Afterwards returning
to his church, he suffered martyrdom in the persecution of the Arians.
His feast is kept on the 16th of December.
In the diocese of Paris, St. Justin, martyr.
At Vienne, St. Verus, bishop.
At Winchester, in England, St. Ethelwold, bishop.
In the territory of Liswin, St. Nemesius, confessor.
And elsewhere in divers places, many other holy martyrs, confessors,
and holy virgins.
Omnes sancti Mártyres,
oráte pro nobis. ("All ye Holy Martyrs, pray for us", from the
Litaniae Sanctorum, the Litany of the Saints)
Response: Thanks be to God.
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ROMAN MARTYROLOGY

August 2nd
This Day, the Second Day of August
At Nocera-de-Pagani, St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori,
bishop of St. Agatha of the Goths, and founder of the Congregation
of the Most Holy Redeemer, distinguished by his zeal for the salvation
of souls, by his writings, his preaching, and his example. He was inscribed
on the calendar of the saints by Pope Gregory XVI, in the year 1839,
the fifty-second after his happy death, and was declared Doctor of the
Universal Church by Pius IX, according to a decree of the Sacred Congregation
of Rites.
At Rome, in the cemetery of Callistus, the birthday of
St. Stephen, Pope and martyr. In the persecution
of Valerian, the soldiers suddenly entered whilst he was saying Mass,
but he remained before the Altar and concluded the Sacred Mysteries
with intrepidity, and was beheaded on his throne.
At Nicssa, in Bithynia, the martyrdom of St. Theodota
with her three sons. The eldest, named
Evodius, confessing Christ with confidence, was first beaten
with rods, by order of Nicetius, ex-consul of Bithynia, and then the
mother, with all her sons, was consumed by fire.
In Africa, St. Rutilius, martyr. He had
frequently secured safety from the perils of persecution by flight,
and sometimes even by means of money, but at last, being unexpectedly
apprehended, he was led to the governor, and subjected to many tortures.
Afterwards he was cast into the fire, and thus merited the glorious
crown of martyrdom.
At Padua, St. Maximus, bishop of that city,
who ended his blessed life in peace, with a reputation for miracles.
And elsewhere in divers places, many other holy martyrs, confessors,
and holy virgins.
Omnes sancti Mártyres, oráte pro nobis. ("All ye Holy
Martyrs, pray for us", from the Litaniae Sanctorum, the Litany
of the Saints)
Response: Thanks be to God.
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ROMAN MARTYROLOGY

August 3rd
This Day, the Third Day of August
At Jerusalem, the finding of the body of most
blessed Stephen, first martyr, and of the
Saints Gamaliel, Nicodemus, and Abibo,
through a divine revelation made to the priest Lucian, in the time of
the emperor Honorius.
At Constantinople, the birthday of St. Hermellus,
martyr.
In the East Indies, near Persia, the martyrdom
of holy monks and other Christians who were put to death after
suffering various torments, during the persecution of the Church of
God by King Abenner.
At Naples, in Campania, St. Aspren, bishop,
who was cured of a sickness by the Apostle St. Peter, and after being
baptized, was made bishop of that city.
At Autun, the demise of St. Euphronius, bishop
and confessor.
At Anagni, St. Peter, bishop, who rested
in the Lord after gaining great renown for monastical observance and
for pastoral vigilance.
At Philippi, in Macedonia, St. Lydia, a dealer
in purple, who was the first to believe in the Gospel when the
Apostle St. Paul preached in that city.
At Beroea, in Syria, the holy women Marana and
Cyra.
And elsewhere in divers places, many other holy martyrs, confessors,
and holy virgins.
Omnes sancti Mártyres, oráte pro nobis. ("All ye Holy
Martyrs, pray for us", from the Litaniae Sanctorum, the Litany
of the Saints)
Response: Thanks be to God.
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ROMAN MARTYROLOGY

August 4th
This Day, the Fourth Day of August
At Bologna, St. Dominic, confessor, founder of
the Order of Friars Preachers, most renowned for sanctity and
learning. He preserved his chastity unsullied to the end of his life,
and by his great merits raised three persons from the dead. After having
repressed heresies by his preaching, and instructed many in the religious
and godly life, he rested in peace on the 6th of this month. His feast,
however, is celebrated on this day, by decree of Pope Paul IV.
At Thessalonica, the birthday of blessed Aristarchus,
disciple and inseparable companion of the Apostle St. Paul, who
writes to the Colossians: "My fellow-prisoner Aristarchus salutes
you." He was consecrated bishop of the Thessalonians by the same
Apostle, and after long sufferings under Nero, crowned by Christ, rested
in peace.
At Rome, on the Latin road, the martyrdom of blessed
Tertullinus, priest and martyr, in the time of emperor Valerian.
After being cruelly beaten with rods, after having his sides burned,
his mouth shattered; after being stretched on the rack and scourged
with whips, he completed his martyrdom by being beheaded.
At Constantinople, the holy martyr Eleutherius,
of the senatorial rank, who was put to the sword for Christ,
in the persecution of Maximian.
In Persia, in the time of king Sapor, the holy
martyr Ia and her companions, who, with nine thousand Christian captives,
underwent martyrdom after having been subjected to various torments.
At Cologne, St. Protasius, martyr.
At Verona, St. Agabius, bishop and confessor.
At Tours, St. Euphronius, bishop.
At Borne, St. Perpetua, who was baptized
by the blessed Apostle Peter. She converted to the faith her son Nazarius
and her husband Africanus, buried the remains of many holy martyrs,
and finally went to our Lord endowed with an abundance of merit.
And elsewhere in divers places, many other holy martyrs, confessors,
and holy virgins.
Omnes sancti Mártyres,
oráte pro nobis. ("All ye Holy Martyrs, pray for us", from
the Litaniae Sanctorum, the Litany of the Saints)
Response: Thanks be to God.
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ROMAN MARTYROLOGY

August 5th
This Day, the Fifth Day of August
At Rome, on Mount Esquiline, the dedication
of the church of St. Mary of the Snows.
Also at Rome, during the persecution of Diocletian, the martyrdom of
twenty-three holy martyrs, who were beheaded
on the Salarian road, and buried at the foot of Cucumer hill.
At Augsburg, the birthday of St. Afra, martyr.
After being converted from Paganism by the instructions of bishop St.
Narcissus, and being baptized with all her household, she was delivered
to the flames for the confession of Christ.
At Ascoli, in the Marches, St. Emygdius, bishop
and martyr, who was consecrated bishop by Pope St. Marcellus,
and sent thither to preach the Gospel. He received the crown of martyrdom
for the confession of Christ, under the emperor Diocletian.
At Antioch, St. Eusignius, a soldier, who
at the age of one hundred and ten years, because he reproached Julian
the Apostate for forsaking the faith of Constantine the Great, under
whom he had served, and for having degenerated from his ancestors' piety,
was decapitated by his command.
Also, the holy martyrs Cantidius, Cantidian, and
Sobel, Egyptians.
At Chalons, in France, St. Memmius, a Roman
citizen, who, being consecrated bishop
of that city by St. Peter, brought to the truth of the Gospel the people
committed to his care.
At Autun, blessed Cassian, bishop.
At Teano, St. Paris, bishop.
In England, St. Oswald, king, whose life
is related by Venerable Bede.
The same day, St. Nonna, mother of blessed Gregory
Nazianzen.
And elsewhere in divers places, many other holy martyrs, confessors,
and holy virgins.
Omnes sancti Mártyres,
oráte pro nobis. ("All ye Holy Martyrs, pray for us", from the
Litaniae Sanctorum, the Litany of the Saints)
Response: Thanks be to God.
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ROMAN MARTYROLOGY

August 6th
This Day, the Sixth Day of August
On Mount Tabor, the Transfiguration of
our Lord Jesus Christ.
At Rome, on the Appian road, in the cemetery of Callistus, the birthday
of blessed Xystus II, Pope and martyr,
who received the crown of martyrdom in the persecution of Valerian,
by being put to the sword.
Also, the holy martyrs Felicissimus and Agapitus,
deacons of blessed Xystus; Januarius, Magnus, Vincent, and Stephen,
subdeacons, all of whom were beheaded with him, and buried in
the cemetery of Praetextatus. With them suffered
also blessed Quartus, as is related by
St. Cyprian.
At Burgos, in Spain, in the monastery of St. Peter of Cardegna, of the
Order of St. Benedict, two hundred monks, with
their abbot Stephen, who were put to death for the faith of Christ
by the Saracens, and buried in the monastery by the Christians.
At Alcala, in Spain, the holy martyrs Justus and
Pastor, brothers. While they were yet schoolboys, they threw
aside their books in school, and spontaneously ran to martyrdom. By
order of the governor Dacian, they were arrested, beaten with rods,
and as they exhorted each other to constancy, were led out of the city,
and had their throats cut by the executioner.
At Rome, St. Hormisdas, Pope and confessor.
At Amida, St. James, a hermit renowned
for miracles.
And elsewhere in divers places, many other holy martyrs, confessors,
and holy virgins.
Omnes sancti Mártyres,
oráte pro nobis. ("All ye Holy Martyrs, pray for us", from the
Litaniae Sanctorum, the Litany of the Saints)
Response: Thanks be to God.
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ROMAN MARTYROLOGY

August 7th
This Day, the Seventh Day of August
At Naples, in Campania, St. Cajetan of Tiene,
confessor, founder of the Theatines, who, through singular confidence
in God, made his disciples practice the primitive mode of life of the
Apostles. Being renowned for miracles, he was ranked among the saints
by Clement X.
At Arezzo, in Tuscany, the birthday of St. Donatus,
bishop and martyr, who among other miraculous deeds, made whole
again by his prayers (as is related by the blessed Pope Gregory), a
sacred chalice which had been broken by Pagans. Being apprehended by
the imperial officer Quadratian, in the persecution of Julian the Apostate,
and refusing to sacrifice to idols, he was struck with the sword, and
thus consummated his martyrdom. With him suffered
also the blessed monk Hilarinus, whose feast is celebrated on
the 16th of July, when his body was taken to Ostia.
At Rome, the holy martyrs Peter and Julian, with
eighteen others.
At Milan, St. Faustus, a soldier, who obtained
the palm of martyrdom after many combats, in the time of Aurelius Commodus.
At Coino, the passion of the holy martyrs Carpophorus,
Exanthus, Cassius, Severinus, Secundus and Licinius, who were
beheaded for the confession of Christ.
At Nisibis, in Mesopotamia, St. Dometius, a Persian
monk, who was stoned to death with two
of his disciples, under Julian the Apostate.
At Rouen, the holy bishop St. Victricius.
Whilst he was yet a soldier under Julian, he threw away his military
belt for Christ, and after being subjected by the tribune to many torments,
was condemned to capital punishment. But the executioner who had been
sent to put him to death being struck blind, and the confessor's chains
being loosened, he made his escape. Afterwards being made bishop, by
preaching the word of God, he brought to the faith of Christ the barbarous
people of Belgic Gaul, and finally died a confessor
in peace.
At Chalons, in France, St. Donation, bishop.
At Messina, in Sicily, St. Albert, confessor,
of the Order of Carmelites, renowned for miracles.
And elsewhere in divers places, many other holy martyrs, confessors,
and holy virgins.
Omnes sancti Mártyres, oráte pro nobis. ("All ye Holy
Martyrs, pray for us", from the Litaniae Sanctorum, the Litany
of the Saints)
Response: Thanks be to God.
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ROMAN MARTYROLOGY

August 8th
This Day, the Eighth Day of August
At Rome, the holy martyrs Cyriacus, deacon, Largus,
and Smaragdus, with twenty others, who suffered on the 16th of
March, in the persecution of Diocletian and Maximian. Their bodies were
buried on the Salarian road by the priest John, but were on this day
translated by Pope St. Marcellus to the estate of Lucina, on the Ostian
way. Afterwards they were brought to Rome, and placed in the Church
of St. Mary in Via Lata (the title of a cardinal-deacon).
At Anzarba, in Cilicia, St. Marinus, an aged man,
who was scourged, racked, and lacerated, and died by being exposed to
wild beasts, in the time of the emperor Diocletian and the governor
Lysias.
Also, the holy martyrs Eleutherius and Leonides,
who underwent martrydom by fire.
In Persia, St. Hormisdas, a martyr, under
king Sapor.
At Cyzicum, in Hellespont, St. Aemilian, bishop,
who ended his life in exile after having suffered much from the emperor
Leo for the worship of holy images.
In Crete, St. Myron, a bishop renowned
for miracles.
At Vienne, in France, St. Severus, priest and
confessor, who undertook a painful journey from India in order
to preach the Gospel in that city, and converted a great number of Pagans
to the faith of Christ by his labors and miracles.
And elsewhere in divers places, many other holy martyrs, confessors,
and holy virgins.
Omnes sancti Mártyres,
oráte pro nobis. ("All ye Holy Martyrs, pray for us", from the
Litaniae Sanctorum, the Litany of the Saints)
Response: Thanks be to God.
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ROMAN MARTYROLOGY

August 9th
This Day, the Ninth Day of August
St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein),
martyr, Carmelite nun and convert from Judaism. Together with
her sister Rosa, a Carmelite extern, they
were gassed to death by the Nazis at Auschwitz concentration camp August
9, 1942.
The vigil of St. Lawrence, martyr.
At Rome, St. Romanus, soldier, who was
moved by the torments of blessed Lawrence to ask for baptism from him.
He was immediately prosecuted, scourged, and finally beheaded.
In Tuscany, the birthday of the holy martyrs Secundian,
Marcellian, and Verian. In the time of Decius, they were scourged
by the ex-consul Promotus, then racked and torn with iron hooks. Being
burned with fire applied to their sides, they merited the triumphant
palm of martyrdom by having their heads struck off.
At Verona, the holy martyrs Firmus and Rusticus,
in the time of the emperor Maximian.
In Africa, the commemoration of many holy martyrs,
during the persecution of Valerian. Being exhorted by
St. Numidicus, they obtained the palm of
martyrdom by being cast into the fire, but Numidicus, although thrown
into the flames with the others and overwhelmed with stones, was nevertheless
taken out by his daughter. Found half dead, he was restored and deserved
afterwards by his virtue to be made priest of the church of Carthage
by blessed Cyprian.
At Constantinople, the holy martyrs Julian, Marcian,
and eight others. For having set up the image of our Saviour
on the brazen gate, they were exposed to many torments, and then beheaded
by order of the impious emperor Leo.
At Chalons, in France, St. Domitian, bishop and
confessor.
And elsewhere in divers places, many other holy martyrs, confessors,
and holy virgins.
Omnes sancti Mártyres,
oráte pro nobis. ("All ye Holy Martyrs, pray for us", from the
Litaniae Sanctorum, the Litany of the Saints)
Response: Thanks be to God.
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ROMAN MARTYROLOGY

August 10th
This Day, the Tenth Day of August
At Rome, on the Tiburtine road, the birthday of the
blessed archdeacon Lawrence, a martyr during
the persecution of Valerian. After much suffering from imprisonment,
from scourging with whips set with iron or lead, from hot metal plates,
he at last completed his martyrdom by being slowly consumed on an iron
instrument made in the form of a gridiron. His body was buried by blessed
Hippolytus and the priest Justin in the cemetery of Cyriaca, in the
Veran field.
Also, at Rome, the martyrdom of one hundred and
sixty-five holy martyrs, who were soldiers under the emperor
Aurelian.
At Bergamo, St. Asteria, virgin and martyr,
in the persecution of the emperors Diocletian and Maximian.
At Alexandria, the commemoration of the holy
martyrs, in the persecution of Valerian, under the governor Aemilian.
They were a long time subjected to various excruciating torments, and
won the crown of martyrdom by different kinds of deaths.
At Carthage, the holy virgins and martyrs Bassa,
Paula, and Agathonica.
At Rome, the holy confessor Deusdedit, a laboring
man, who gave to the poor every Saturday what he had earned during
the week.
In Spain, the Apparition of the Blessed Virgin
Mary, under the name of our Lady of Ransom, foundress of the
Order for the Redemption of Captives.
And elsewhere in divers places, many other holy martyrs, confessors,
and holy virgins.
Omnes sancti Mártyres,
oráte pro nobis. ("All ye Holy Martyrs, pray for us", from the
Litaniae Sanctorum, the Litany of the Saints)
Response: Thanks be to God.
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ROMAN MARTYROLOGY

August 11th
This Day, the Eleventh Day of August
At Rome, between the two laurels situated about three miles from the
city, the birthday of St. Tiburtius, martyr,
under the judge Fabian, in the persecution of Diocletian. After he hard
walked barefoot on burning coals and confessed Christ with increased
constancy, he was put to the sword.
Also, at Rome, the holy virgin Susanna,
a woman of noble race, and niece of the blessed Pontiff Caius. She merited
the palm of martyrdom by being beheaded in the time of Diocletian.
At Gomana, in Pontus, St. Alexander, bishop, surnamed
Carbonarius, who added to a consummate knowledge of philosophy
an eminent degree of Christian humility. He was promoted to the See
of that church by St. Gregory Thaumaturgus, and became illustrious,
not only by preaching, but also by suffering martyrdom by fire.
The same day, the martyrdom of St. Rufinus,
bishop of the Marsi, and his companions, under the emperor Maximinus.
At Evreux, in France, St. Taurinus, bishop.
Being made bishop of that city by the blessed Pope Clement, he propagated
the Christian faith by the preaching of the Gospel, and the many labors
he sustained for it. Celebrated for glorious miracles, he slept in the
Lord.
At Cambrai, in France, St. Gaugericus, bishop
and confessor.
In the province of Valeria, St. Equitius, abbot,
whose sanctity is attested by the blessed Pope Gregory.
At Todi, St. Digna, virgin.
And elsewhere in divers places, many other holy martyrs, confessors,
and holy virgins.
Omnes sancti Mártyres,
oráte pro nobis. ("All ye Holy Martyrs, pray for us", from the
Litaniae Sanctorum, the Litany of the Saints)
Response: Thanks be to God.
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ROMAN MARTYROLOGY

August 12th
This Day, the Twelfth Day of August
At Assisi, in Umbria, St. Clare, virgin, the first
of the Poor Women of the Order of Friars Minor. Being celebrated
for holiness of life and miracles, she was placed among holy virgins
by Alexander IV.
At Catania, in Sicily, the birthday of St. Euplius,
deacon, under the emperors Diocletian and Maximian. He
was a long time tortured for the confession of the Lord, and finally
obtained the palm of martyrdom by being
put to the sword.
At Augsburg, St. Hilaria, mother of the
blessed martyr Afra. Because she watched at the sepulchre of her
daughter, she was cast into the fire for the faith of Christ, together
with her maid-servants Digna, Euprepia, and Eunomia.
On the same day there suffered also in that city
Quiriacus, Largius, Crescentian, Nimmia, and Juliana,
with twenty others.
In Syria, the holy martyrs Macarius and Julian.
At Nicomedia, the holy martyrs, the Count Anicetus
and his brother Photinus, with many others, under the emperor
Diocletian.
At Faleria, in Tuscany, the Saints Gracilian,
and Felicissima, virgin, who, for the confession of the
faith, had their mouths bruised with stones, and being afterwards struck
with the sword, received the palm of martyrdom.
The same day, the holy martyrs Porcarius, abbot
of the monastery of Lerins, and five hundred monks, who
were slain for the Catholic faith by barbarians, and were thus crowned
with martyrdom.
At Milan, the demise of St. Eusebius, bishop and
confessor.
At Brescia, St. Herculanus, bishop.
And elsewhere in divers places, many other holy martyrs, confessors,
and holy virgins.
Omnes sancti Mártyres, oráte pro nobis. ("All ye Holy
Martyrs, pray for us", from the Litaniae Sanctorum, the Litany
of the Saints)
Response: Thanks be to God.
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ROMAN MARTYROLOGY

August 13th
This Day, the Thirtenth Day of August
At Rome, blessed Hippolytus, martyr, who
gloriously confessed the faith, under the emperor Valerian. After enduring
other torments, he was tied by the feet to the necks of wild horses,
and being cruelly dragged through briars and brambles, and having all
his body lacerated, he yielded up his spirit. On the same day, suffered
also blessed Concordia, his nurse, who
being scourged in his presence with leaded whips, went to our Lord;
and nineteen others of his house, who were
beheaded beyond the Tiburtine gate, and buried with him in the Veran
field.
At Imola, the birthday of St. Cassian, martyr.
As he refused to worship idols, the persecutor called the boys whom
the saint taught and who hated him, giving them leave to kill him. The
torment suffered by the martyr was the more grievous, as the hand which
inflicted it, by reason of its weakness, rendered death more tardy.
At Todi, St. Cassian, bishop and martyr,
under the emperor Diocletian.
At Burgos, in Spain, the Saints Centolla and Helena,
martyrs.
At Constantinople, St. Maximus, a monk,
distinguished for learning and for zeal for Catholic truth. Combating
valiantly the Monothelites, he had his hands and tongue torn from him
by the heretical emperor Constans, and was banished to Chersonesus,
where he breathed his last. At this time, two
of his disciples, both called Anastasius, and many others endured
diverse torments and the hardships of exile.
In Germany, St. Wigbert, priest and confessor.
At Rome, St. John Berchinans, a scholastic
of the Society of Jesus, illustrious for his innocence and for his fidelity
to the rules of the religious life. He was canonized by Leo XIII.
At Poitiers, St. Radegundes, queen, whose
life was renowned for miracles and virtues.
And elsewhere in divers places, many other holy martyrs, confessors,
and holy virgins.
Omnes sancti Mártyres,
oráte pro nobis. ("All ye Holy Martyrs, pray for us", from the
Litaniae Sanctorum, the Litany of the Saints)
Response: Thanks be to God.
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ROMAN MARTYROLOGY

August 14th
This Day, the Fourteenth Day of August
The vigil of the Assumption of the Blessed
Virgin Mary.
At Rome, the birthday of the blessed priest Eusebius,
who for the defense of the Catholic faith was shut up in a room of his
own house by the Arian emperor Constantius, where constantly persevering
in prayer for seven months, he rested in peace. His body was removed
by the priests Gregory and Orosius, and buried in the cemetery of Callistus,
on the Appian road.
In Dalmatia, St. Ursicius, a martyr, who
was beheaded for Christ, after suffering various torments, under the
emperor Maximian, and the governor Aristides.
In Africa, St. Demetrius, martyr.
At Apamea, in Syria, St. Marcellus, bishop and
martyr, who was killed by the exasperated Gentiles, for having
pulled down a temple of Jupiter.
At Todi, St. Callistus, bishop and martyr.
In the island of Aegina, St. Athanasia, widow,
celebrated for monastical observance, and the gift of miracles.
And elsewhere in divers places, many other holy martyrs, confessors,
and holy virgins.
Omnes sancti Mártyres,
oráte pro nobis. ("All ye Holy Martyrs, pray for us", from the
Litaniae Sanctorum, the Litany of the Saints)
Response: Thanks be to God.
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ROMAN MARTYROLOGY

August 15th
This Day, the Fifteenth Day of August
The Assumption of the Most Holy Virgin Mary, Mother
of God.
At Rome, on the Appian way, St. Tharsicius, acolyte.
The Pagans accosted him as he was carrying the sacrament of Christ's
body, and began to inquire what it was. But he judged it an unworthy
thing to cast pearls before swine. They therefore beat him with sticks
and stones until he expired. The sacrilegious searchers examined his
body, but found no vestige of the sacrament of Christ, either in his
hands or in his clothes. The Christians took up the body of the martyr,
and buried it reverently in the cemetery of Callistus.
At Tagasta, in Africa, St. Alipius, bishop,
who was the disciple of blessed Augustine, and the companion of his
conversion, his colleague in the pastoral charge, his valiant fellow-soldier
in combating heretics, and finally his partner in the glory of
Heaven.
At Soissons, in France, St. Arnulf, bishop and
confessor.
At Alba, in Hungary, St. Stephen, king
of the Hungarians, whose feast is celebrated on the 2nd of September.
At Rome, St. Stanislaus Kostka, a native
of Poland, confessor, of the Society of Jesus, who being made perfect
in a short space, fulfilled a long time by the angelical innocence of
his life. He was inscribed on the list of the saints by the Sovereign
Pontiff, Benedict XIII.
And elsewhere in divers places, many other holy martyrs, confessors,
and holy virgins.
Omnes sancti Mártyres,
oráte pro nobis. ("All ye Holy Martyrs, pray for us", from the
Litaniae Sanctorum, the Litany of the Saints)
Response: Thanks be to God.
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ROMAN MARTYROLOGY

August 16th
This Day, the Sixteenth Day of August
St. Joachim, father of the Most Blessed Virgin
Mary, whose birthday is the 20th of March.
At Rome, St. Titus, deacon, who, when the
city was taken by the Goths, was put to death by a barbarous tribune,
whilst distributing money to the poor.
At Nicaea, in Bithynia, St. Diomedes, physician,
who underwent martyrdom for the faith of Christ by being beheaded, during
the persecution of Diocletian.
Also, thirty-three holy martyrs.
At Ferentino, in Campania, St. Ambrose, centurion.
In the persecution of Diocletian, he was subjected to different kinds
of tortures, and finally passing through fire without injury, was cast
into the water, and thus reached the place of eternal rest.
At Milan, the demise of St. Simplician, bishop,
renowned by the testimony given of him by St. Ambrose and St. Augustine.
At Auxerre, St. Eleutherius, bishop.
At Nicomedia, St. Arsacius, confessor.
Under the persecutor Licinius, he left the military service, and leading
a solitary life, became so famous for working miracles, that we read
of his expelling the demons and killing a huge dragon by his prayers.
Finally he foretold the destruction of the city, and gave up his soul
to God in prayer.
In France, near Montpelier, the demise of blessed
Roch, confessor, who by the Sign of the Cross, delivered many
cities of Italy from an epidemic. His body was afterwards transferred
to Venice, and deposited with the greatest honors in the church dedicated
under his invocation.
At Rome, St. Serena, who had been the wife
of the emperor Diocletian.
And elsewhere in divers places, many other holy martyrs, confessors,
and holy virgins.
Omnes sancti Mártyres,
oráte pro nobis. ("All ye Holy Martyrs, pray for us", from the
Litaniae Sanctorum, the Litany of the Saints)
Response: Thanks be to God.
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ROMAN MARTYROLOGY

August 17th
This Day, the Seventeenth Day of August
The Octave of St. Lawrence, martyr.
At Cracow, in Poland, St. Hyacinth, confessor,
of the Order of Preachers, who slept in the Lord on the 16th of this
month.
At Carthage, in Africa, the holy martyrs Liberatus,
abbot, Boniface, deacon, Servus and Rusticus, subdeacons, Rogatus and
Septimus, monks, and Maximus, a young child. In the persecution
of the Vandals, under king Hunneric, they were subjected to various
unheard-of torments for the confession of the Catholic faith and the
defense of one baptism. Finally, being nailed to the wood wherewith
they were to be burned, as the fire was always put out miraculously
whenever kindled, they were struck with iron bars by order of the tyrant
until their brains were dashed out. Thus they terminated the glorious
series of their combats, and were crowned by our Lord.
At Caesarea, in Cappadocia, the birthday of St.
Mamas, martyr, who, from childhood to old
age, endured a long martyrdom, and at length ended it happily
in the reign of Aurelian, under the governor Alexander. He has been
highly praised by the holy fathers Basil and Gregory Nazianzen.
In Achaia, St. Myron, priest and martyr,
who was beheaded at Cyzicum, after undergoing many torments, in
the time of the emperor Decius and the governor Antipater.
At Nicomedia, the holy martyrs Straton, Philip
and Eutychian, who were condemned to the beasts, but being uninjured
by them, ended their martyrdom by fire.
At Teramo, St. Anastasius, bishop and confessor.
At Ptolemais, in Palestine, the holy martyrs Paul,
and his sister Juliana, who suffered under Valerian.
And elsewhere in divers places, many other holy martyrs, confessors,
and holy virgins.
Omnes sancti Mártyres,
oráte pro nobis. ("All ye Holy Martyrs, pray for us", from the
Litaniae Sanctorum, the Litany of the Saints)
Response: Thanks be to God.
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ROMAN MARTYROLOGY

August 18th
This Day, the Eighteenth Day of August
At Palestrina, the birthday of the holy martyr
Agapitus. Although only fifteen years of
age, as he was fervent in the love of Christ, he was arrested
by order of the emperor Aurelian, and scourged a long time. Afterwards,
under the prefect Antiochus, he endured more severe torments, and being
delivered to the lions by the emperor's order without receiving any
injury, he was finally struck with the sword, and thus merited his crown.
At Rome, during the persecution of Diocletian, the
blessed John and Crispus, priests,
who charitably buried the bodies of many saints, and afterwards becoming
partakers of their merits, they deserved the joys of eternal life.
In the same city, the holy martyrs Hernias, Serapion,
and Polysenus. Being dragged through narrow, stony, and craggy
places, they yielded up their souls to God.
In Dalmatia, the holy martyrs Florus and Laurus,
stonecutters, who, after the martyrdom of Proculus and Maximus,
their employers, were subjected to many torments under the governor
Licion, and plunged into a deep well.
At Myra, in Lycia, the holy martyrs Leo and Juliana.
At Metz, in France, St. Firmin, bishop and confessor.
At Rome, on the Lavican road, St. Helena, mother
of the pious emperor Constantine the Great, who was the first
to set the example to other princes of protecting and extending the
Church.
At Monte-Falo, in Umbria, blessed Clare, virgin,
nun of the Order of Augustinians, in whom the mysteries of our
Lord's passion were renewed, and are venerated with the greatest devotion.
Pope Leo XIII solemnly added her to the list of holy virgins.
And elsewhere in divers places, many other holy martyrs, confessors,
and holy virgins.
Omnes sancti Mártyres,
oráte pro nobis. ("All ye Holy Martyrs, pray for us", from the
Litaniae Sanctorum, the Litany of the Saints)
Response: Thanks be to God.
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ROMAN MARTYROLOGY

August 19th
This Day, the Nineteenth Day of August
At Rome, St. Julius, senator and martyr,
who was delivered up to the judge Vitellius, and by him thrown into
prison. By order of the emperor Commodus, he was beaten with rods
until he expired. His body was buried in the cemetery of Calepodius
on the Aurelian road.
In Cilicia, the birthday of St. Andrew, tribune,
and his military companions, who were converted to Christianity
through a miraculous victory they had gained over the Persians. Being
accused on this account, they were massacred in the defiles of Mount
Taurus by the army of the governor Seleueus, under the emperor Maximian.
In Palestine, St. Timothy, a martyr, in
the persecution of Diocletian, under the governor Urbanus. After overcoming
many torments, he was consumed with a slow fire.
In the same country suffered also Thecla and Agapius.
The former being exposed to the beasts, was torn to pieces by their
teeth, and went to her spouse; but Agapius, after enduring many torments,
was reserved for greater combats.
At Anagni, St. Magnus, bishop and martyr,
who was put to death in the persecution of Decius.
At the castle of Brignoles, in Provence, the demise of
St. Louis, bishop of Toulouse, of the Order
of Friars Minor, renowned for holiness of life and miracles. His body
was taken thence to Marseilles, and buried with due honors in the church
of the Friars Minor.
In the neighborhood of Sisteron, in France, blessed
Donatus, priest and confessor. Being from his very infancy endowed
with the grace of God in an extraordinary manner, he lived the life
of an anchoret for many years, and after
having been renowned for glorious miracles, went to Christ.
In the territory of Bourges, St. Marian, confessor.
At Mantua, St. Rufinus, confessor.
At Rome, blessed Urban II, Pope, who followed
in the footsteps of St. Gregory VII, in his zeal for learning and religion,
and fired the crusaders with enthusiasm for the recovery of the holy
places in Palestine from the power of the infidels. The veneration paid
to him from time immemorial Pope Leo XIII approved and confirmed.
And elsewhere in divers places, many other holy martyrs, confessors,
and holy virgins.
Omnes sancti Mártyres,
oráte pro nobis. ("All ye Holy Martyrs, pray for us", from the
Litaniae Sanctorum, the Litany of the Saints)
Response: Thanks be to God.
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ROMAN MARTYROLOGY

August 20th
This Day, the Twentieth Day of August
In the territory of Langres, the demise of St. Bernard, first abbot
of Clairvaux, illustrious for virtues, learning, and miracles. He was
declared Doctor of the universal Church by the Sovereign Pontiff, Pius
VIII.
In Judea, the holy prophet Samuel, whose sacred relics (as is related
by St.Jerome), were taken to Constantinople by the emperor Arcadius,
and deposited near Septimus.
The same day, St. Lucius, senator, who
was converted to the faith, on seeing the constancy of Theodore, bishop
of Gyrene, during his martyrdom. He also
converted the governor Dignian, with whom he set out for Cyprus, where,
seeing other Christians crowned for the confession of the Lord, he offered
himself voluntarily, and merited the same crown of martyrdom, by having
his head struck off.
In Thrace, in the time of the governor Apellian,
thirty-seven holy martyrs, who had
their hands and feet cut off for the faith of Christ, and were cast
into a burning furnace.
Also, the holy martyrs Severus, and the centurion
Memnon, who, suffering the same kind of death, went victoriously
to Heaven.
At Cordova, during the persecution of the Arabs,
the holy martyrs Leovigildus and Christopher,
monks, who were thrust into prison for the defense of the Christian
faith, and soon after, by being beheaded and cast into the fire, obtained
the palm of martyrdom.
At Rome, blessed Porphyry, a man of God,
who instructed the holy martyr Agapitus in the faith and doctrine of
Christ.
In the island of Noirmoutiers, St. Philibert,
abbot.
At Chinon, St. Maxinms, confessor, disciple
of the blessed bishop Martin.
On Mount Senario, in the diocese of Florence,
blessed Manetius, confessor, one of the seven founders of the
Order of the Servites of the Blessed Virgin Mary, who breathed his last
whilst reciting hymns in her honor.
And elsewhere in divers places, many other holy martyrs, confessors,
and holy virgins.
Omnes sancti Mártyres,
oráte pro nobis. ("All ye Holy Martyrs, pray for us", from the
Litaniae Sanctorum, the Litany of the Saints)
Response: Thanks be to God.
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ROMAN MARTYROLOGY

August 21st
This Day, the Twenty-First Day of August
At Annecy, in Savoy, the festival of St. Jane
Frances Fremiot de Chantal, foundress of the Order of Nuns of
the Visitation of St. Mary, who is commemorated on the 13th of December.
At Rome, in the Veran field, St. Cyriaca, widow
and martyr. In the persecution of Valerian, after devoting herself
and all her goods in the service of the saints, she gave up her life
by suffering martyrdom for Christ.
At Salona, St. Anastasius, a law officer,
who was converted to the faith by seeing the fortitude with which blessed
Agapitus bore his torments, and being put to death by order of the emperor
Aurelian, for confessing the name of Christ, went to Our Lord.
In Sardinia, the birthday of the holy martyrs
Luxorius, Cisellus, and Camerinus, who were put to the sword
in the persecution of Diocletian, under the governor Delphius.
In Gevaudan, St. Privatus, bishop and martyr,
who suffered in the persecution of Valerian and Gallienus.
The same day, the holy martyrs Bonosus and Maximian.
At Fundi, in Campania, St. Paternus, a martyr,
who came from Alexandria to Rome to visit the tomb of the Apostles.
Thence he retired to the neighborhood of Fundi, where, being seized
by the tribune whilst he was burying the bodies of the martyrs, he died
in captivity.
At Edessa, in Syria, during the persecution of Maximian,
the holy martyrs Bassa, and her sons Theogonius,
Agapius, and Fidelis, whom their pious mother exhorted to martyrdom
and sent before her bearing their crowns. Being herself beheaded, she
joyfully followed them and shared their victory.
At Verona, St. Euprepius, bishop and confessor.
Also St. Quadratus, bishop.
At Siena, in Tuscany, blessed Bernard Ptolemy,
abbot and founder of the Congregation of Olivetans.
And elsewhere in divers places, many other holy martyrs, confessors,
and holy virgins.
Omnes sancti Mártyres,
oráte pro nobis. ("All ye Holy Martyrs, pray for us", from the
Litaniae Sanctorum, the Litany of the Saints)
Response: Thanks be to God.
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ROMAN MARTYROLOGY

August 22nd
This Day, the Twenty-Second Day of August
The Octave of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin
Mary.
At Rome, on the Ostian road, the birthday of the
holy martyr Timothy. After he had been arrested by Tarquinius,
prefect of the city, and kept for a long time in prison, as he refused
to sacrifice to the idols, he was scourged three times, subjected to
the most severe torments, and finally beheaded.
At Porto, St. Hippolytus, bishop, most
renowned for learning. Having gloriously confessed the faith, in the
time of the emperor Alexander, he was bound hand and foot, precipitated
into a deep ditch filled with water, and thus received the palm of
martyrdom. His body was buried by the Christians
at that place.
At Autun, St. Symphorian, a martyr, in
the time of the emperor Aurelian. Refusing to offer sacrifice to the
idols, he was first scourged, then confined in prison, and finally ended
his martyrdom by being beheaded.
At Rome, St. Antoninus, martyr, who, openly
declaring himself a Christian, was condemned to capital punishment by
the judge Vitellius, and buried on the Aurelian road.
Also, at Porto, the holy martyrs Martial, Saturninus,
Epictetus, Maprilis, and Felix, with their companions.
At Nicomedia, the Saints Agathonicus, Zoticus,
and their fellow-martyrs, under the emperor Maximian and
the governor Eutholomius.
At Tarsus, the Saints Athanasius, bishop and martyr,
Anthusa, a noble woman whom he had baptized, and two of her slaves,
who suffered under Valerian.
At Bheims, the holy martyr Maurus and his companions.
In Spain, the saintly martyrs Fabrician and Philibert.
At Pavia, St. Gunifort, martyr.
And elsewhere in divers places, many other holy martyrs, confessors,
and holy virgins.
Omnes sancti Mártyres,
oráte pro nobis. ("All ye Holy Martyrs, pray for us", from the
Litaniae Sanctorum, the Litany of the Saints)
Response: Thanks be to God.
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ROMAN MARTYROLOGY

August 23rd
This Day, the Twenty-Third Day of August
The vigil of St. Bartholomew, Apostle.
At Todi, St. Philip Beniti of Florence,
confessor. He contributed greatly to the growth of the Order of the
Servites of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and was a man of the greatest humility.
He was numbered among the saints by Clement X.
At Antioch, the birthday of the holy martyrs Restitutus,
Donatus, Valerian, and Fructuosa, with twelve others, who were
crowned after having distinguished themselves by a glorious confession.
At Ostia, the holy martyrs Quiriacus, bishop,
Maximus, priest, Archelaus, deacon, and their companions, who
suffered under the prefect Ulpian, in the time of Alexander.
At Aegaea, in Cilicia, the holy martyrs Claudius,
Asterius, and Neon, brothers, who were accused of being Christians
by their step-mother, under the emperor Diocletian, and the governor
Lysias, and after enduring bitter torments, were fastened to a cross,
and thus conquered and triumphed with Christ. After them suffered
Donvina and Theonilla.
At Rheims, in France, the birthday of the Saints
Timothy and Apollinaris, who merited to enter the Heavenly kingdom
by consummating their martyrdom in that city.
At Lyons, the holy martyrs Minervus, and Eleazar
with his eight sons.
Also, St. Luppus, martyr, who, though a
slave, enjoyed the liberty of Christ, and was likewise deemed worthy
of the crown of martyrdom.
At Jerusalem, St. Zaccheus, bishop, who
governed the church of that city the fourth after the blessed Apostle
James.
At Alexandria, St. Theonas, bishop and confessor.
At Utica, in Africa, blessed Victor, bishop.
At Autun, St. Flavian, bishop.
At Clermont, in Auvergne, St. Sidonius, a bishop
distinguished for learning and sanctity.
And elsewhere in divers places, many other holy martyrs, confessors,
and holy virgins.
Omnes sancti Mártyres,
oráte pro nobis. ("All ye Holy Martyrs, pray for us", from the
Litaniae Sanctorum, the Litany of the Saints)
Response: Thanks be to God.
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ROMAN MARTYROLOGY

August 24th
This Day, the Twenty-Fourth Day of August
The Apostle St. Bartholomew, who preached
the Gospel of Christ in India. He passed thence into the Greater
Armenia, where, after converting many to the faith, he was flayed alive
by the barbarians, and beheaded by order of king Astyages, and thus
he terminated his martyrdom. His sacred body was first carried to the
island of Lipara, then to Benevento, and finally to Rome in the island
of the Tiber, where it is venerated by the pious faithful.
At Carthage, three hundred holy martyrs,
in the time of Valerian and Gallienus. Among other torments inflicted
on them, a pit filled with burning lime was prepared by order of the
governor, who, live coals with incense being brought to him, said to
the confessors: "Choose one of these two things; to offer incense
to Jupiter on these coals, or to cast yourselves into the lime."
Armed with faith, and confessing Christ to be the Son of God, they quickly
precipitated themselves into the pit, and amidst the vapors of the lime
were reduced to dust. From this circumstance this blessed troop obtained
the appellation of White Mass. [ Massae Candidae Carthigini ]
At Nepi, St. Ptolemy, bishop, disciple
of the blessed Apostle Peter. Being sent by him to preach the Gospel
in Tuscany, he died a glorious martyr of
Christ in the city of Nepi.
In the same place, St. Eomanus, bishop
of that city, who was the disciple of St. Ptolemy,
and his companion in martyrdom.
At Ostia, St. Aurea, virgin and martyr,
who was plunged into the sea with a stone tied to her neck. Her body,
being cast on the shore, was buried by blessed Nonnus.
In Isauria, St. Tatio, martyr, who received
the crown of martyrdom by being beheaded in the persecution of Domitian,
under the governor Urbanus.
The same day, St. Eutychius, disciple of
the blessed Evangelist John. He preached the Gospel in many countries,
was subjected to imprisonment, to stripes and fire, and finally he rested
in peace.
Also, St. George Limniota, monk. Because
he reprehended the impious emperor Leo for breaking holy images and
burning the relics of the saints, he had his hands cut off and his head
burned by order of the tyrant, and went to our Lord to receive the
recompense of a martyr.
At Rouen, St. Owen, bishop and confessor.
At Nevers, St. Patrick, abbot.
And elsewhere in divers places, many other holy martyrs, confessors,
and holy virgins.
Omnes sancti Mártyres,
oráte pro nobis. ("All ye Holy Martyrs, pray for us", from the
Litaniae Sanctorum, the Litany of the Saints)
Response: Thanks be to God.
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ROMAN MARTYROLOGY

August 25th
This Day, the Twenty-Fifth Day of August
At Paris, St. Louis, confessor, King of France,
illustrious by the holiness of his life and the fame of his miracles.
At Rome, in the time of the emperor Commodus,
the holy martyrs Eusebius, Pontian, Vincent, and Peregrinus,
who were first racked, distended by ropes, then beaten with rods and
burned on their sides. As they continued faithfully to praise Christ,
they were scourged with leaded whips until they expired.
Also, at Rome, St. Genesius, martyr, who
embraced the profession of actor while
he was yet a Pagan. One day he was deriding the Christian mysteries
in the theatre in the presence of the emperor Diocletian; but by the
inspiration of God he was suddenly converted to the faith and baptized.
By the command of the emperor, he was forthwith most cruelly beaten
with rods, then racked, and a long time lacerated with iron hooks, and
burned with fire-brands. As he remained firm in the faith of Christ,
and said: "There is no king besides Christ. Should you kill me a thousand
times, you shall not be able to take Him from my lips or my heart,"
he was beheaded, and thus merited the palm of martyrdom.
At Italica, in Spain, St. Gerontius, a bishop,
who preached the Gospel in that country in Apostolic times, and
after many labors died in prison.
At Aries, in France, another blessed Genesius,
who, filling the office of notary, and refusing to record the impious
edicts by which Christians were commanded to be punished, threw away
his tablets publicly, and declared himself a Christian. He was seized
and beheaded, and thus attained to the glory of martyrdom through
baptism in his blood.
In Syria, St. Julian, martyr.
At Tarragona, St. Maginus, martyr.
At Constantinople, St. Mennas, bishop.
At Utrecht, St. Gregory, bishop.
At Naples, St. Patricia, virgin.
And elsewhere in divers places, many other holy martyrs, confessors,
and holy virgins.
Omnes sancti Mártyres,
oráte pro nobis. ("All ye Holy Martyrs, pray for us", from the
Litaniae Sanctorum, the Litany of the Saints)
Response: Thanks be to God.
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ROMAN MARTYROLOGY

August 26th
This Day, the Twenty-Sixth Day of August
At Rome, St. Zephirinus, Pope and martyr.
In the same city, during the persecution of Valerian,
the holy martyrs Irenaeus and Abundius,
who were thrown into a sewer from which they had taken the body of blessed
Concordia. Their bodies were drawn out by the priest Justin, and buried
in a crypt near St. Lawrence.
At Vintimigilia, a city of Liguria, St. Secundus,
martyr, a distinguished man and officer in the Theban Legion.
At Bergamo, in Lombardy, St. Alexander, martyr,
who was one of the same legion, and endured
martyrdom by being beheaded for the constant confession of the name
of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Among the Marcians, the Saints Simplicius,
and his sons Constantius and Victorian, who were first tortured
in different manners, and then being struck with the axe, obtained the
crown of martyrdom, in the time of the emperor Antoninus.
At Nicomedia, the martyrdom of St. Adrian,
son of the emperor Probus. For reproaching Licinius on account of the
persecution raised against Christians, he was put to death by his order.
His body was buried at Argyopolis by his uncle Domitius, bishop of
Byzantium.
In Spain, St. Victor, martyr, who merited
the crown of martyrs by being slain by
the Moors for the faith of Christ.
At Capua, St. Rufinus, bishop and confessor.
At Pistoja, St. Felix, priest and confessor.
At Lima, in Peru, St. Rose of St. Mary, virgin,
of the third Order of St. Dominic. Her feast is celebrated on the 30th
of this month.
And elsewhere in divers places, many other holy martyrs, confessors,
and holy virgins.
Omnes sancti Mártyres,
oráte pro nobis. ("All ye Holy Martyrs, pray for us", from the
Litaniae Sanctorum, the Litany of the Saints)
Response: Thanks be to God.
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ROMAN MARTYROLOGY

August 27th
This Day, the Twenty-Seventh Day of August
At Rome, the demise of St. Joseph, confessor,
illustrious by the innocence of his life and miracles, who, to instruct
youth in piety and letters, founded the Order of the Poor Clerks Regular
of the pious Schools of the Mother of God.
At Capua, in Campania, the birthday of St. Rufus,
bishop and martyr, a patrician, who was baptized with all
his family by blessed Apollinaris, disciple of St. Peter.
In the same place, the holy martyrs Rufus and
Carpophorus, who suffered under Diocletian and Maximian.
At Tomis, in Pontus, the holy martyrs Marcellinus,
tribune, and Mannea, his wife, and his sons John, Serapion, and Peter.
At Lentini, in Sicily, St. Euthalia, virgin.
Because she was a Christian she was put to the sword by her brother
Sermilian, and went to her spouse.
The same day, the martyrdom of St. Anthusa the
Younger, who was made a martyr by being cast into a well for
the faith of Christ.
At Bergamo, St. Narnus, who was baptized
by blessed Barnabas, and consecrated by him first bishop of that city.
At Aries, the holy bishop Caesarius, a
man of great sanctity and piety.
At Autun, St. Syagrius, bishop and confessor.
At Pavia, St. John, bishop.
At Lerida, in Spain, St. Licerius, bishop.
In Thebais, St. Poemon, anchoret.
At San Severino, in the March of Ancona, St. Margaret,
widow.
And elsewhere in divers places, many other holy martyrs, confessors,
and holy virgins.
Omnes sancti Mártyres,
oráte pro nobis. ("All ye Holy Martyrs, pray for us", from the
Litaniae Sanctorum, the Litany of the Saints)
Response: Thanks be to God.
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ROMAN MARTYROLOGY

August 28th
This Day, the Twenty-Eight Day of August
At Hippo Regius, in Africa, the birthday of St.
Augustine, bishop and famous Doctor of the Church. Converted
and baptized by the blessed bishop Ambrose, he defended the Catholic
faith with the greatest zeal against the Manicheans and other heretics,
and after having sustained many other labors for the Church of God,
he went to his reward in Heaven. His relics, owing to the invasion of
barbarians, were first brought from his own city into Sardinia, and
afterwards taken by Luitprand, king of the Lombards, to Pavia, where
they were deposited with due honors.
At Rome, the birthday of St. Hermes, an
illustrious man, who, as we read in the Acts of the blessed Pope Alexander,
was first confined in prison, and afterwards ended his
martyrdom by the sword, under the judge
Aurelian.
At Brioude, in Auvergne, St. Julian, martyr,
during the persecution of Diocletian. Being the companion of the
blessed tribune Ferreol, and secretly serving Christ under a military
garb, he was arrested by the soldiers, and killed in a barbarous manner
by having his throat cut.
At Coutances, in France, St. Pelagius, martyr,
who received the crown of martyrdom under the emperor Numerian and the
judge Evilasius.
At Salerno, the holy martyrs Fortunatus, Caius,
and Anthes, beheaded under the emperor Diocletian and the proconsul
Leontius.
At Constantinople, the holy bishop Alexander,
an aged and celebrated man, through whose efficacious prayers Arius,
by the judgment of God, burst asunder and exposed his intestines.
At Saintes, St. Vivian, bishop and confessor.
Also, St. Moses, an Aethiopian, who gave
up a life of robbery and became a renowned anchoret.
He converted many robbers, and led them to a monastery.
And elsewhere in divers places, many other holy martyrs, confessors,
and holy virgins.
Omnes sancti Mártyres,
oráte pro nobis. ("All ye Holy Martyrs, pray for us", from the
Litaniae Sanctorum, the Litany of the Saints)
Response: Thanks be to God.
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ROMAN MARTYROLOGY

August 29th
This Day, the Twenty-Ninth Day of August
The beheading of St. John the Baptist,
who was put to death by Herod about the feast of Easter. However, the
solemn commemoration takes place today, when his venerable head was
found for the second time. It was afterwards solemnly carried to Rome,
where it is kept in the church of St. Silvester, near Campo Marzio,
and honored by the people with the greatest devotion.
At Rome, on Mount Aventine, the birthday of St.
Sabina, martyr. Under the emperor Adrian, she was struck with
the sword, and thus obtained the palm of martyrdom.
Also, at Rome, St. Candida, virgin and martyr,
whose body was transferred to the church of St. Praxedes by Pope Paschal
I.
At Antioch, in Syria, the birthday of the holy
martyrs Nicaeas and Paul.
At Constantinople, the holy martyrs Hypatius,
an Asiatic bishop, and Andrew, a priest, who for the worship
of holy images, under Leo the Isaurian, after having their beards besmirched
with pitch and set on fire, and the skin of their heads torn off, were
beheaded.
At Perugia, St. Euthymius, a Roman, who
fled from the persecution of Diocletian with his
wife and his son Crescentius, and there rested in the Lord.
At Metz, St. Adelphus, bishop and confessor.
At Paris the demise of St. Merry, priest.
In England, St. Sebbi, king.
At Smyrna, the birthday of St. Basilla.
In the vicinity of Troyes, St. Sabina, a virgin,
celebrated for virtues and miracles.
And elsewhere in divers places, many other holy martyrs, confessors,
and holy virgins.
Omnes sancti Mártyres,
oráte pro nobis. ("All ye Holy Martyrs, pray for us", from the
Litaniae Sanctorum, the Litany of the Saints)
Response: Thanks be to God.
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ROMAN MARTYROLOGY

August 30th
This Day, the Thirtieth Day of August
The feast of St. Rose of St. Mary, virgin,
whose birthday is the 26th of this month.
At Rome, on the Ostian road, the martyrdom of
the blessed priest Felix, under the emperors Diocletian and Maximian.
After being racked he was sentenced to death, and as they led him to
execution, he met a man who spontaneously declared himself a Christian,
and was forthwith beheaded with him. The Christians not knowing his
name, called him Adauctus, because he was
added to St. Felix and shared his crown.
Also, at Rome, St. Gaudentia, virgin and martyr,
with three others.
In the same city, St. Pammachius, a priest
distinguished for learning and holiness.
At Colonia Suffetulana, in Africa, sixty blessed
martyrs, who were murdered by the furious Gentiles.
At Adrumetum, also in Africa, the Saints Boniface
and Thecla, who were the parents of twelve blessed sons, martyrs.
At Thessalonica, St. Fantinus, confessor,
who suffered much from the Saracens, and was driven from his monastery,
in which he had lived in great abstinence. After having brought many
to the way of salvation, he rested at last at an advanced age.
In the diocese of Meaux, St. Fiacre, confessor.
At Trevi, St. Peter, confessor, who was
distinguished for many virtues and miracles. He is honored in that place,
whence he departed for Heaven.
At Bologna, St. Bononius, abbot.
And elsewhere in divers places, many other holy martyrs, confessors,
and holy virgins.
Omnes sancti Mártyres,
oráte pro nobis. ("All ye Holy Martyrs, pray for us", from the
Litaniae Sanctorum, the Litany of the Saints)
Response: Thanks be to God.
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ROMAN MARTYROLOGY

August 31st
This Day, the Thirty-First Day of August
At Cardona, in Spain, St. Raymond Nonnatus, Cardinal
and confessor, of the Order of Mercedarians, renowned for holiness
of life and miracles.
At Treves, the birthday of St. Paulimis, a bishop,
who was exiled for the Catholic faith by the Arian emperor Constantius,
in the time of the Arian persecution. By having to change the place
of his exile, which was beyond the limits of Christendom, he became
wearied unto death, and finally, dying in Phrygia, received a crown
from the Lord for his blessed martyrdom.
Also, the holy martyrs Robustian and Mark.
At Transaquae, among the Marsi, near lake Celano, the birthday of
the holy martyrs Cresidius, priest, and his companions,
who were crowned with martyrdom in the persecution of Maximinus.
At Caesarea, in Cappadocia, the Saints Theodotus,
Rufina, and Ammia. The first two were the parents of the martyr
St. Mamas, who was born in prison, and whom Ammia brought up.
At Athens, St. Aristides, most celebrated
for his faith and wisdom, who presented to the emperor Adrian a treatise
on the Christian religion, containing the exposition of our doctrine.
In the presence of the emperor, he also delivered a discourse in which
he clearly demonstrated that Jesus Christ is the only God.
At Auxerre, St. Optatus, bishop and confessor.
In England, St. Aidan, bishop of Lindisfarne.
When St. Cuthbert, then a shepherd, saw his soul going up to Heaven,
he left his sheep and became a monk.
At Nusco, St. Amatus, bishop.
On Mount Senario, near Florence, blessed Bonajuncta,
confessor, one of the seven founders of the Order of the Servites
of the Blessed Virgin Mary, who gave up his soul into the hands of the
Lord whilst discoursing to his brethren on the Passion of our Saviour.
And elsewhere in divers places, many other holy martyrs, confessors,
and holy virgins.
Omnes sancti Mártyres,
oráte pro nobis. ("All ye Holy Martyrs, pray for us", from the
Litaniae Sanctorum, the Litany of the Saints)
Response: Thanks be to God.
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Roman Martyrology by Month
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Totally Faithful to the Sacred
Deposit of Faith entrusted to the Holy See in Rome
“Scio
opera tua ... quia modicum habes virtutem, et servasti
verbum Meum, nec non negasti Nomen Meum”
“I
know your works ... that you have but little power, and yet
you have kept My word, and have not denied My Name.”
(Apocalypse 3.8)
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