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Roman Martyrology, Complete, March
Semen est sanguis Christianorum (The blood of
Christians is the seed of the Church) Tertullian, Apologeticum, 50
ROMAN MARTYROLOGY
MARCH 1st
This Day, the First Day of March
At Rome, two hundred and sixty holy martyrs,
condemned for the name of Christ. Claudius ordered them to dig sand
beyond the Salarian gate, and then to be shot dead with arrows by
soldiers in the amphitheatre.
Also, the birthday of the holy martyrs Leo,
Donatus, Abundantius, Nicephorus, and nine others.
At Marseilles, the holy martyrs Hermes and
Adrian.
At Heliopolis, in the persecution of Trajan,
St. Eudoxia, martyr, who, being baptized by bishop Theodotus
and fortified for the combat, was put to the sword by the command of
the governor Vincent, and thus received the crown of martyrdom.
The same day, St. Antonina, martyr. For
deriding the gods of the Gentiles, in the persecution of Diocletian,
she was, after various torments, shut up in a cask and drowned in a
marsh near the city of Cea.
At Kaiserswerth, the bishop St. Swidbert,
who, in the time of Pope Sergius, preached the Gospel to the
inhabitants of Friesland, Holland, and to other Germanic peoples.
At Angers, St. Albinus, bishop and confessor,
a man of most eminent virtue and piety.
At Le Mans, St. Siviard, abbot.
At Perugia, the translation of St. Herculanus,
bishop and martyr, who was beheaded by order of Totila, king
of the Goths. Forty days after his decapitation his body, as Pope
St. Gregory relates, was found as sound and as firmly joined to the
head as if it had never been touched by the sword.
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
MARCH 2nd
This Day, the Second Day of March
At Rome, on the Latin road, the holy martyrs
Jovinus and Basileus, who suffered under the emperors
Valerian and Gallienus.
Also at Rome, under the emperor Alexander, and the prefect Ulpian,
many holy martyrs, who were a long time
tortured, and then condemned to capital punishment.
At Porto, the holy martyrs Paul, Heraclius,
Secundilla, and Januaria.
At Caesarea, in Cappadocia, the holy martyrs
Lucius, bishop, Absalon, and Lorgius.
In Campania, the commemoration of eighty holy
martyrs, who were barbarously killed by the Lombards, because
they would not eat meat which had been offered to the idols, nor
adore a goat's head.
At Rome, St. Simplicius, Pope and confessor.
In England, St. Chad, bishop of Mercia
and Lindisfarne, whose brilliant virtues are mentioned by Bede.
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
MARCH 3rd
This Day, the Third Day of March
At Caesarea, in Palestine, during the persecution of Valerian,
the holy martyrs Marinus, soldier, and
Asterius, senator. The former was examined by the judge on
the charge laid against him by his fellow-soldiers of being a
Christian, and as he admitted the accusation in no uncertain tone,
he was beheaded and thus received the crown of martyrdom. His
mutilated body was taken up by Asterius on his shoulders, and
wrapped in the garment which he himself wore. This service gained
for Asterius immediately the palm of
martyrdom as a reward for the honors which he had given to a martyr.
In Spain, the birthday of the holy martyrs
Hermiterius and Cheledonius, soldiers in the army at Leon, a
city of Galicia. On the approach of a persecution they went to
Calahorra, in order to confess the name of Christ, and after
enduring many torments there, they were crowned with martyrdom.
The same day, the passion of the Saints Felix,
Luciolus, Fortunatus, Marcia, and their companions.
Also, the holy soldiers Cleonicus, Eutropius,
and Basiliscus, who gloriously triumphed by the death of the
cross under the governor Asclepiades during the persecution of
Maximian.
At Brescia, St.Titian, bishop and confessor.
At Bamberg, the empress St. Cunegundes,
who preserved her virginity with the consent of her husband, the
emperor Henry I. She terminated a life rich in meritorious good
deeds with a holy death and worked many miracles afterward.
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
MARCH 4th
This Day, the Fourth Day of March
At Wilna, in Lithuania, blessed Casimir,
son of king Casimir, whom the Roman Pontiff, Leo X, placed in the
number of the Saints.
At Rome, on the Appian way, during the persecution of Valerian, the
birthday of St. Lucius, Pope and martyr,
who was first exiled for the faith of Christ; but being permitted by
divine Providence to return to his church, he suffered martyrdom by
decapitation, after having combated the Novatians. His praises have
been published by St. Cyprian.
Also, at Rome, on the Appian road, nine
hundred holy martyrs, who were buried in the same cemetery as
St. Cecilia.
The same day, St. Caius, a member of
the imperial household, who was drowned in the sea with
twenty-seven others.
At Nicomedia, in the reign of the emperor Diocletian,
the holy martyr Adrian and twenty-three others,
who endured martyrdom by having their limbs crushed. St. Adrian is
especially commemorated on the 8th of September, when his body was
conveyed to Rome.
Also, the martyrdom of the Saints Archelaus,
Cyril, and Photius.
In Chersonesus, the passion of the saintly
bishops Basil, Eugenius, Agathodorus, Elpidius, Aetherius, Capito,
Ephrem, Nestor, and Arcadius.
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
MARCH 5th
This Day, the Fifth Day of March
At Antioch, the birthday of the martyr St.
Phocas, who triumphed over the old serpent after many
injuries which he suffered for the name of the Redeemer. That
triumph is still manifested to the people in our days; for if anyone
stung by a serpent, touches with faith the door of the martyr's
basilica, the power of the venom disappears, and he is immediately
cured.
At Caesarea, in Palestine, in the persecution of Diocletian,
St. Adrian, martyr, who, being first
exposed to a lion for the faith of Christ and then killed with the
sword by order of the governor Firmilian, received the crown of
martyrdom.
The same day, the passion of the holy martyrs
Eusebius, officer of the imperial palace,
and nine others.
At Caesarea, in Palestine, in the time of the emperor Severus,
St. Theophilus, bishop, who was
conspicuous by his wisdom and the purity of his life.
Also in Palestine, on the banks of the Jordan, the anchoret
St. Gerasimus, who lived in the time of
the emperor Zeno.
At Naples, the decease of St. John Joseph of
the Cross, Promoter and first Provincial of the Italian
branch of the Order of Discalced Friars Minor of St. Peter of Alcantara,
who, by emulating the virtues of St. Francis of Assisi and St. Peter
of Alcantara, became a new ornament of the Seraphic Order. He was
canonized by Pope Gregory XVI.
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
March 6th
This Day, the Sixth Day of March
The feast of the holy martyrs Perpetua and
Felicitas, who received the glorious crown of martyrdom on
the 7th of this month.
At Nicomedia, the birthday of the holy martyrs
Victor and Victorinus, who were, with
Claudian and his wife Bassa, subjected to many torments
during three years and were then thrust into prison, where they
ended the pilgrimage of life.
At Tortona, St. Marcian, bishop and martyr,
who received the crown of immortality by being killed under Trajan
for the glory of Christ.
At Constantinople, St. Evagrius, who
was elected bishop by the Catholics in the reign of Valens, and
being exiled by that emperor, departed for Heaven.
In Cyprus,in the time of the emperor Decius,
St. Conon, martyr, who, being compelled to run before a
chariot with his feet pierced with nails, fell on his knees, and
breathing a prayer expired.
Also, the passion of forty-two holy martyrs,
who were arrested in Amorium, and taken to Syria, where they
received the palm of martyrdom after a valiant combat.
At Bologna, St. Basil, bishop, who was
consecrated by Pope St. Sylvester, and by word and example governed
with great holiness the church entrusted to his care.
At Barcelona, in Spain, Blessed Ollegarius,
who was first a canon, and afterwards bishop of Barcelona and
archbishop of Tarragona.
At Ghent, in Flanders, St. Colette, virgin,
who at first professed the rule of the Third Order of St. Francis,
and afterwards, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, restored the
primitive discipline in a great number of monasteries of Nuns of the
Second Order. As she was adorned with Heavenly virtues, and
performed innumerable miracles, she was inscribed on the list of the
Saints by the Sovereign Pontiff, Pius VII.
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
MARCH 7th
This Day, the Seventh Day of March
In the monastery of Fossanova, near Terracina,
St. Thomas of Aquin, confessor and doctor, of the Order of
Preachers, illustrious by the nobility of his birth, the sanctity of
his life, and his knowledge of theology. Leo XIII declared him
Heavenly patron of all Catholic schools.
At Tuburbum, in Mauritania (Barbary), in the reign of the emperor
Severus, the birthday of the Saints Perpetua
and Felicitas, whose festival is kept on the 6th of this
month. St. Augustine relates that Felicitas, being with child, her
execution was deferred, according to the laws, until after her
delivery, and whilst she was in labor she mourned, and when exposed
to the beasts, she rejoiced. With them suffered
Revocatus, Saturninus, and Secundulus.
This last died in prison; all the others were delivered to the
beasts.
At Caesarea, in Palestine, the passion of St.
Eubulus, the companion of St. Adrian. Two days after the
latter, being mangled by the lions, and killed with the sword, he
was the last of all those who received the crown of martyrdom in
that city.
At Nicomedia, St. Theophilus, bishop,
who was driven into exile for the worship of holy images, and there
closed his life.
At Pelusium, in Egypt, St. Paul, bishop,
who for the same cause also died an exile.
At Brescia, St. Gaudiosus, bishop and
confessor.
In Thebais, St. Paul, surnamed the Simple.
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
MARCH 8th
This Day, the Eighth Day of March
At Granada, in Spain, St. John of God,
founder of the Order of the Brothers Hospitallers, celebrated for
his mercy to the poor, and his contempt of self. Pope Leo XIII
declared him Heavenly patron of hospitals and the infirm.
At Antinous, a city of Egypt, the birthday of
the holy martyr Philemon, and the
deacon Apollonius. As they firmly refused to sacrifice to the
idols when they were apprehended and brought before the judge, they
had their heels transpierced, were barbarously dragged through the
city, and finally consummated their martyrdom by the edge of the
sword.
Also, in the same place, the passion of the
Saints Arian, governor, Theoticus and three others, who were
submerged in the sea by order of the judge. Their bodies were
brought to the shore by dolphins.
At Nicomedia, St. Quinctilis, bishop and
martyr.
At Carthage, St. Pontius, deacon of
bishop St. Cyprian, who remained in banishment with him until his
death, and composed an excellent history of his life and martyrdom.
By ever glorifying God in his own sufferings, he merited the crown
of life.
Also in Africa, the Saints Cyril, bishop,
Rogatus, Felix, another Rogatus, Beata, Herenia, Felicitas, Urbanus,
Sylvanus, and Mamillus.
At Toledo, in Spain, the demise of blessed
Julian, bishop and confessor, most celebrated for his
sanctity and learning.
In England, St. Felix, bishop, who
converted the East-Angles to the faith.
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
MARCH 9th
This Day, the Ninth Day of March
At Rome, St. Frances, a widow, renowned
for her noble extraction, holiness of life, and the gift of
miracles.
At Sebaste, in Armenia, under the governor Agricolaus, in the time
of the emperor Licinius, the birthday of forty
holy soldiers of Cappadocia.
After being loaded with chains and confined in foul dungeons, after
having their faces bruised with stones, and being condemned to spend
the night naked, during the coldest part of winter, on a frozen
lake, where their bodies were benumbed and laid open by the frost,
they ended their martyrdom by having their limbs crushed. The
noblest of them were Cyrion and Candidus.
Their glorious triumph has been celebrated by St. Basil and other
Fathers in their writings. Their feast is kept on the tenth of this
month.
At Nyssa, the demise of St. Gregory, bishop,
brother of blessed Basil the Great, whose life and erudition
have rendered him illustrious. He was expelled from his own city for
having defended the Catholic faith during the reign of the Arian
emperor Valens.
At Barcelona, in Spain, the bishop St. Pacian,
distinguished by his life and preaching. He ended his career in
extreme old age, in the time of the emperor Theodosius.
In Moravia, the saintly bishops Cyril and
Methodius, who brought to the faith of Christ many nations in
those regions with their kings. Leo XIII prescribed that their feast
should be celebrated on the seventh of July.
At Bologna, St. Catherine, virgin, of
the Order of St. Clare, illustrious by the holiness of her life. Her
body is greatly honored in that city.
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
MARCH 10th
This Day, the Tenth Day of March
At Sebaste, in Armenia, forty holy martyrs.
At Apamea, in Phrygia, during the persecution of Marcus Antoninus
and Lucius Verus, the birthday of the holy
martyrs Caius and Alexander, who were crowned with a glorious
martyrdom, as is related by Apollinaris, bishop of Hierapolis, in
his book against the Cataphrygian heretics.
In Persia, the passion of forty-two holy
martyrs.
At Corinth, the holy martyrs Codratus, Denis,
Cyprian, Anectus, Paul, and Crescens, who were slain with the
sword in the persecution of Decius and Valerian, under the governor
Jason.
In Africa, the martyr St. Victor, on
whose festival St. Augustine delivered a discourse to his people.
At Jerusalem, St. Macarius, bishop and
confessor, at whose request the holy places were purified by
Constantine and Helena, and beautified with sacred edifices.
At Paris, the decease of the abbot St.
Droctoveus, who was a disciple of the blessed bishop Germanus.
In the monastery of Bobio, the abbot St.
Attalas, 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
MARCH 11th
This Day, the Eleventh Day of March
At Carthage, the holy martyrs Heraclius and
Zosimus.
At Alexandria, the passion of the Saints
Candidus, Piperion, and twenty others.
At Laodicea, in Syria, during the persecution of Diocletian,
the holy martyrs Trophimus and Thalus,
who obtained crowns of glory, after undergoing many severe torments.
At Antioch, the commemoration of many holy
martyrs, some of whom by order of the emporer Maximian were
laid on red-hot gridirons, not to be burned to death, but to suffer
a longer time, others were subjected to different horrible torments,
and won the palm of martyrdom.
Also, the Saints Gorgonius and Firmus.
At Cordova, St. Eulogius, a priest, who
deserved to be associated with the martyrs of that city, in the
persecution of the Saracens, because in writing of their combats for
the faith, he had envied their happiness.
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
MARCH 12th
This Day, the Twelfth Day of March
At Rome, St. Gregory, Pope and eminent Doctor of the Church, who on account of his illustrious deeds, and
the conversion of the English to the faith of Christ, was
surnamed the Great, and called the
Apostle of England.
Also at Rome, St. Mamilian, martryr.
At Nicomedia, the passion of the blessed
martyr Peter, chamberlain of the emperor Diocletian. For
complaining openly of the atrocious torments inflicted on the
martyrs, he was, by order of the emperor, first suspended and a long
time scourged, then, salt and vinegar being rubbed into his wounds,
he was burned on a grate over a slow fire. Thus did he become truly
the heir of St. Peter’s name and faith.
In the same city, St. Egdunus, priest,
and seven others, who were strangled one by one, on
successive days, to terrify those who remained.
At Constantinople, St. Theophanes, who
gave up great wealth to embrace poverty in the monastic state. By
Leo the Armenian he was kept in prison two years for the worship of
holy images, then exiled in Samothracia, where, overwhelmed with
afflictions, he breathed his last and wrought many miracles.
At Capua, St. Bernard, 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
MARCH 13th
This Day, the Thirteenth Day of March
At Nicomedia, the birthday of the holy martyrs
Macedonius, his wife Patritia, and their daughter Modesta.
At Nicaea, the holy martyrs Theuseta, and
Horres, his son, Theodora, Nimphodora, Marcus, and Arabia,
who were burned to death for Christ.
At Hermopolis, in Egypt, the martyr St.
Sabinus, who after many sufferings, terminated his martyrdom
by being precipitated into a river.
In Persia, St. Christina, virgin and martyr.
At Cordova, the holy martyrs Rudericus,
priest, and Solomon.
At Constantinople, the bishop St. Nicephorus.
In defense of the traditions of his forefathers and of the worship
of sacred images, he opposed firmly the Iconoclast emperor Leo the
Armenian, by whom he was sent into exile, where he underwent a long
martyrdom of fourteen years, and departed for the kingdom of God.
At Camerino, St. Ansovinus, bishop and
confessor.
In Thebais, St. Euphrasia, 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
MARCH 14th
This Day, the Fourteenth Day of March
At Rome, the birthday of forty-seven holy
martyrs, who were baptized by the Apostle St. Peter, whilst
he was kept in the Mamertine prison with his fellow-Apostle St.
Paul. After a detention of nine months they all fell by the sword of
Nero, after most generously confessing the faith.
Also, at Rome, St. Leo, bishop and martyr.
In Africa, the holy martyrs Peter and
Aphrodisius, who obtained the crown of martyrdom in the
persecution of the Vandals.
At Carrhae, in Mesopotamia, the patrician St.
Eutychius and his companions, who were killed by Evelid, king
of Arabia, for the confession of the faith.
In the province of Valeria, two saintly monks,
who were hanged on a tree by the Lombards, and though dead, were
heard singing psalms even by their enemies.
In the same persecution, a deacon of the
church of Marsico was beheaded for the confession of the
faith.
At Halberstadt, in Germany, the demise of the
Blessed queen Matilda, mother of the emperor Otho I,
celebrated for her humility and patience.
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
MARCH 15th
This Day, the Fifteenth Day of March
At Caesarea, in Cappadocia, the martyrdom of
St. Longinus, the soldier who is said to have pierced our
Lord's side with a lance.
The same day, the birthday of St. Aristobulus,
a disciple of the Apostles, who terminated by martyrdom a life spent
in preaching the Gospel.
At Thessalonica, St. Matrona, servant
of a Jewess, who, worshipping Christ secretly, and stealing away
daily to the church to pray, was detected by her mistress, and
subjected to many trials. Being at last beaten to death with heavy
clubs, she gave up her pure soul to God in confessing Christ.
The same day, St. Menignus, a dyer, who
suffered under Decius.
In Egypt, St. Meander, who, seeking
diligently for the remains of the holy martyrs, merited to be made a
martyr himself, under the emperor Diocletian.
At Cordova, St. Leocritia, virgin and martyr.
At Rome, the birthday of Pope St. Zachary,
who governed the Church of God with great vigilance, and renowned
for merits, rested in peace.
At Bieti, the bishop St. Probus, at
whose death the martyrs Juvenal and Eleutherius were present.
At Borne, St. Speciosus a monk, whose
soul his brother saw carried up to Heaven.
At Vienna, in Austria, St. Clement Mary
Hofbauer, a professed priest of the Congregation of the Most Holy
Redeemer, remarkable for his energy in promoting the glory of
God and the salvation of souls. As he became illustrious by his
virtues and
miracles, the Sovereign Pontiff Pius X placed him in the catalogue
of Saints.
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
MARCH 16th
This Day, the Sixteenth Day of March
At Rome, the martyrdom of the deacon St.
Cyriacus, who, after along imprisonment, was covered with
melted pitch and stretched on the rack, to have his limbs distended
with ropes, was beaten with clubs, and finally beheaded
with Largus, Smaragdus, and twenty others,
by order of Maximian. Their feast, however, is kept on the 8th of
August, the day on which their bodies were taken up by the blessed
Pope Marcellus and reverently entombed.
At Aquileia, in the time of the emperor Numerian and the governor
Beronius, the birthday of the holy bishop
Hilary, and the
deacon Tatian, who terminated their
martyrdom with Felix, Largus, and Denis,
after being subjected to the rack and other tortures.
In Lycaonia, the holy martyr Papas, who
was scourged for the Christian faith, torn with iron hooks, then
compelled to walk with shoes pierced with nails, and finally bound
to a barren tree. In leaving this world to go to God, he rendered
the tree fruitful.
At Anazarbum, in Cilicia, under the governor Marcian,
the martyr St. Julian, who was a long
time tortured, then put into a sack with serpents, and cast into the
sea.
At Ravenna, St. Agapitus, bishop and confessor.
At Cologne, St. Heribert, a bishop,
celebrated for sanctity.
At Clermont, in Auvergne, the demise of St.
Patrick, bishop.
In Syria, St. Abraham, hermit, whose
life has been written by the blessed deacon Ephrem.
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
MARCH 17th
This Day, the Seventeenth Day of March
In Ireland, the birthday of St. Patrick,
bishop and confessor, who was the first to preach Christ in
that country, and became illustrious by great miracles and virtues.
At Jerusalem, St. Joseph of Arimathea,
noble senator and disciple of our Lord, who took his body down from
the cross, and buried it in his own new sepulchre.
At Rome, the Saints Alexander and Theodore,
martyrs.
At Alexandria, the commemoration of many holy
martyrs, who being seized by the worshippers of Serapis, and
refusing constantly to adore that idol, were cruelly murdered, in
the reign of the emperor Theodosius, who afterwards issued orders
that the temple of Serapis should be destroyed.
At Constantinople, St. Paul, martyr,
who was burned alive under Constantine Copronymus, for defending the
worship of holy images.
At Chalons, in France, St. Agricola, bishop.
At Nivelle, in Brabant, St. Gertrude, a virgin
of noble birth. Because she despised the world, and during her whole
life practiced all kinds of good works, she deserved to have Christ
for her spouse in Heaven.
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
MARCH 18th
This Day, the Eighteenth Day of March
At Jerusalem, St. Cyril, bishop and doctor,
who suffered many injuries from the Arians for the faith. Often
exiled from his church, he at length rested in peace with a great
reputation for sanctity. A magnificent testimony of the purity of
his faith is given by a general Council, in a letter to Pope Damasus.
At Caesarea, in Palestine, the birthday of the
blessed bishop Alexander, who from his own city, in
Cappadocia, where he was bishop, coming to Jerusalem to visit the
holy places, took upon himself, by Divine revelation, the government
of that Church, in the place of the aged Narcissus, its bishop.
Sometime afterwards, when he had become venerable by his age and
grey hairs, he was led to Caesarea and shut up in prison, where he
ended his martyrdom for the confession of Christ during the
persecution of Decius.
At Augsburg, St. Narcissus, bishop, who
was the first to preach the Gospel in the Tyrol. Afterwards, setting
out for Spain, he converted many to the faith of Christ at Gerona,
where, with the deacon Felix, he
received the palm of martyrdom during the persecution of Diocletian.
At Nicomedia, ten thousand holy
martyrs, who were put to the sword for the confession of
Christ.
Also, the holy martyrs Trophimus and Eucarpius.
In England, the holy king Edward, who
was assassinated by order of his treacherous stepmother, and became
celebrated for many miracles.
At Lucca, in Tuscany, the birthday of the holy
bishop Frigdian, who was illustrious by the power of working
miracles. His feast is more especially celebrated on the 18th of
November, when his body was translated.
At Mantua, St. Anselm, 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
MARCH 19th
This Day, the Nineteenth Day of March
In Judea, the birthday of St. Joseph, spouse
of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary. Pius IX, yielding to the
desires and prayers of the whole Catholic world, declared him Patron
of the Universal Church.
At Sorrento, the holy martyrs Quinctus,
Quinctilla, Quartilla, and Mark, with nine others.
At Nicomedia, St. Pancharius, a Roman,
who was beheaded under Diocletian, and thus received the crown of
martyrdom.
The same day, the holy bishops Apollouius and
Leontius.
At Ghent the Saints Landoaldus, a Roman
priest, and the deacon Amantius, who were sent to preach the
Gospel by Pope St. Martin, and after their death became illustrious
by many miracles.
At Civita-di-Penna, the birthday of blessed
John, a man of great holiness, who came from Syria into
Italy, where he constructed a monastery, and, after having been the
spiritual guide of many servants of God for forty-four years, rested
in peace, renowned for great virtue.
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
MARCH 20th
This Day, the Twentieth Day of March
In Judea, St. Joachim, father of the Most
Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, whose festival is kept on
the 16th of August.
In Asia, the birthday of St. Archippus,
fellow-laborer of the blessed Apostle Paul, who mentions him in his
epistles to Philemon, and to the Colossians.
In Syria, the holy martyrs Paul, Cyril,
Eugenius, and four others.
The same day, the Saints Photina, a Samaritan,
and her sons Joseph and Victor; also, Sebastian, military officer,
Anatolius, and Photius; Photides, Parasceves and Cyriaca, sisters,
who were all martyred for confessing Christ.
At Amisus, in Paphlagonia, seven holy women,
Alexandra, Claudia, Euphrasia, Matrona, Juliana, Euphemia, and
Theodosia, who were put to death for the confession of the
faith. They were followed by Derphuta and her
sister.
At Apollonia, the bishop St. Nicetas,
who breathed his last in exile, where he had been sent for upholding
the worship of holy images.
In the monastery of Fontanelle, St. Wulfran,
bishop of Sens, who after having resigned his bishopric and
performed miracles, departed out of this life.
In England, the demise of St. Cuthbert, bishop
of Lindisfarne, who from his childhood to his death was renowned for
good works and miracles.
At Siena, in Tuscany, blessed Ambrose of the
Order of Preachers, celebrated for sanctity, eloquence, 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
MARCH 21st
This Day, the Twenty-First Day of March
On Mount Cassino, the birthday of the holy
abbot Benedict, who restored and wonderfully extended in the
West the monastic discipline, which was almost destroyed. His life,
brilliant in virtues and miracles, was written by Pope St. Gregory.
At Alexandria, under the emperor Constantine and the governor
Philagrius, the commemoration of the holy
martyrs who were attacked and murdered by the Arians and the
Gentiles whilst they were in the church on Good Friday.
The same day, the holy martyrs Philemon and
Domninus.
At Catania, St. Birillus, who was
consecrated bishop by St. Peter. After
converting many Gentiles to the faith, in extreme old age he rested
in peace.
At Alexandria, blessed Serapion, anchoret and
bishop of Thmuis, a man of great virtue, who being forced
into exile by the enraged Arians, went to Heaven.
In the territory of Lyons, the abbot St.
Lupicinus, whose life was resplendent with the luster of
holiness 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
MARCH 22nd
This Day, the Twenty-Second Day of March
At Narbonne, in France, the birthday of the
bishop St. Paul, a disciple of the Apostles. He is said to
have been the proconsul Sergius Paulus, who was baptized by the
blessed Apostle Paul, and left at Narbonne, where he was raised to
the Episcopal dignity when the Apostle went to Spain. Having
zealously discharged the office of preaching and performed miracles,
he departed for Heaven.
At Terracina, St. Epaphroditus, a
disciple of the Apostles, who was consecrated bishop of that city by
the blessed Apostle Peter.
In Africa, the holy martyrs Saturninus and
nine others.
The same day, the birthday of the Saints
Callinica and Basilissa, martyrs.
An Ancyra, under Julian the Apostate, St.
Basil, priest and martyr, who gave up his soul to God after
having endured grievous torments.
At Carthage, St. Octavian, archdeacon, and
many thousands of martyrs, who were slain by the Vandals
for the Catholic faith.
In the same place, St. Deogratias, bishop of
Carthage, who ransomed many captives taken from that city by
the Vandals, and performed other good works, after which he went to
rest in the Lord.
At Osimo, in the March of Ancona, St.
Benvenutus, bishop.
In Sweden, St. Catharine, virgin,
daughter of St. Bridget.
At Rome, St. Lea, a widow, whose
virtues and happy death are related by St. Jerome.
At Genoa, St. Catharine, a widow,
celebrated for her contempt of the world and her love of God.
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
MARCH 23rd
This Day, the Twenty-Third Day of March
In Africa, the holy martyrs Victorian,
proconsul of Carthage, and two brothers, of Aquaregia. Also
two merchants, named Frementius, who, bishop Victor Africanus
tells us, were subjected to most atrocious torments for their
courageous confession of the Catholic faith, and gloriously crowned
under the Arian king Hunneric, during the persecution of the
Vandals.
Also in Africa, St. Fidelis, martyr.
In the same country, St. Felix, and twenty
others.
At Caesarea, in Palestine, the holy martyrs
Nicon, and twenty-nine others.
Also, the crowning of the holy martyrs
Domitius, Pelagia, Aquila, Eparchius, and Theodosia.
At Lima, in Peru, the archbishop St. Turibius,
through whose labors faith and ecclesiastical discipline were
diffused through America.
At Antioch, St. Theodulus, priest.
At Caesarea, St. Julian, confessor.
In Campania, St. Benedict, a monk, who
was shut up by the Goths in a burning furnace, but was the next day
found uninjured.
At Barcelona, in Spain, St. Joseph Oriol,
priest and beneficiary of the church of St. Mary of the
Kings. He was remarkable for his love of poverty and his charity
towards the needy and the infirm. Distinguished both in life and
after death by the working of miracles, he was placed in the number
of the Saints by Pius X.
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
MARCH 24th
This Day, the Twenty-Fourth Day of March
At Rome, the holy martyrs Mark and Timothy,
who were crowned with martyrdom under the emperor Antoninus.
In the same city, St. Epigmenius, priest,
who consummated his martyrdom by the sword, in the persecution of
Diocletian, under the judge Turpius.
Also, at Rome, in the time of Julian the Apostate,
the passion of blessed Pigmenius, a priest,
who was killed for the faith of Christ, by being precipitated into
the Tiber.
At Caesarea, in Palestine, the birthday of the
holy martyrs Timolaus, Denis, Pausides, Romulus, Alexander, another
Alexander, Agapius, and another Denis, who merited the crown
of life by being beheaded in the persecution of Diocletian, under
the governor Urban.
In Mauritania (Barbary),the birthday of the
saintly brothers Romulus and Secundus, who suffered for the
faith of Christ.
At Trent, the martyrdom of the holy child
Simeon, who was barbarously murdered by the Jews. He became
celebrated for many miracles.
At Synnadas, in Phrygia, St. Agapitus, bishop.
At Brescia, St. Latinus, bishop.
In Syria, St. Seleucus, 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
MARCH 25th
This Day, the Twenty-Fifth Day of March
The Annunciation of the most Blessed Virgin
Mary, Mother of God.
At Rome, St. Quirinus, martyr, who
after losing his goods, suffering imprisonment in a dark dungeon,
and being severely scourged, was put to death with the sword, and
thrown into the Tiber. The Christians found his body in the island
of St. Bartholomew and buried it in the Pontian cemetery.
In the same city, two hundred and sixty-two
holy martyrs.
At Sirmium, the martyrdom of St. Irenaeus,
bishop. In the time of the emperor Maximian, under the
governor Probus, after undergoing bitter torments, and a painful
imprisonment for many days, he was beheaded.
At Nicomedia, St. Dula, the servant of
a soldier, who was killed for the preservation of her chastity, and
deserved the crown of martyrdom.
At Jerusalem, the commemoration of the good
Thief, who confessed Christ on the cross, and deserved to
hear from Him these words: "This day thou shalt be with Me in
paradise."
At Laodicea, St. Pelagius, bishop, who
having endured exile and other afflictions for the Catholic faith
under Valens, rested in the Lord.
At Pistoja, the holy confessors Barontius and
Desiderius.
In Indre, an island of the Loire, the abbot
St. Hermelandus, whose glorious life is attested by signal
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
MARCH 26th
This Day, the Twenty-Sixth Day of March
At Rome, on the Lavican road, St. Castulus,
martyr, chamberlain in the palace of the emperor. For
harboring the Christians, he was three times suspended by the hands,
three times cited before the tribunals, and as he persevered in the
confession of the Lord, he was thrown into a pit, overwhelmed with a
mass of sand, and thus obtained the crown of martyrdom.
In the same city, the crowning of the holy
martyrs Peter, Marcian, Jovinus, Thecla, Cassian, and others.
At Pentapolis, in Lybia, the birthday of the
holy martyrs Theodore, bishop, Irenaeus, deacon, Serapion and
Ammonius, lectors.
At Sirmium, the holy martyrs Montanus, priest,
and Maxima, who were cast into a river for the faith of
Christ.
Also, the holy martyrs Quadratus, Theodosius,
Emmanuel, and forty others.
At Alexandria, the holy martyrs Eutychius and
others, who died by the sword for the Catholic faith, in the
time of Constantine, under the Arian bishop George.
The same day, St. Ludger, bishop of
Munster, who preached the Gospel to the Saxons.
At Saragossa, in Spain, St. Braulio, bishop
and confessor.
At Treves, St. Felix, 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
MARCH 27th
This Day, the Twenty-Seventh Day of March
The festival of St. John Damascene, confessor
and Doctor of the Church. He is mentioned on the 6th of May.
At Drizipara, in Pannonia, St. Alexander, a
soldier, in the time of emperor Maximian. Having overcome
many tribulations for Christ, and wrought many miracles, he
completed his martyrdom by decapitation.
The same day, the Saints Philetus, senator,
his wife Lydia, and their sons Macedon and Theoprepides; also
Amphilochius, an officer in the army, and Chronidas, a notary,
who were put to death for the confession of Christ.
In Persia, in the reign of King Sapor, the
holy martyrs Zanitas, Lazarus, Marotas, Narses, and five others,
who merited the palm of martyrdom by being barbarously murdered.
At Salzburg, St. Rupert, bishop and confessor,
who spread the Gospel extensively in Bavaria and Austria.
In Egypt, the hermit St. John, a man of
great holiness, who among other virtues, was replenished with the
spirit of prophecy, and predicted to the emperor Theodosius that he
would gain the victory over the tyrants Maximus and Eugenius.
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
MARCH 28th
This Day, the Twenty-Eighth Day of March
St. John of Capistran, confessor, who
is mentioned on the 23rd of October.
At Caesarea, in Palestine, the birthday of the
holy martyrs Priscus, Malchus, and Alexander. In the
persecution of Valerian, they were dwelling in the suburbs of
Caesarea, but knowing that in the city the Heavenly crown of
martyrdom was to be gained, and burning with the divine ardor of
faith, they go to the judge of their own accord, rebuke him for
shedding the blood of the faithful in torrents, and are forthwith
condemned to be devoured by beasts for the name of Christ.
At Tarsus, in Cilicia, the holy martyrs Castor
and Dorotheus.
In Africa, the holy martyrs Rogatus, Successus,
and sixteen others.
At Rome, St. Xystus III, Pope and confessor.
At Norcia, the abbot St. Speus, a man
of extraordinary patience, whose soul at its departure from this
life was seen by all his brethren to ascend to Heaven in the shape
of a dove.
At Chalons, in France, the demise of St.
Gontram, king, who devoted himself to exercises of piety,
renounced the pomps of the world, and bestowed his treasures on
churches and the poor.
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
MARCH 29th
This Day, the Twenty-Ninth Day of March
In Persia, the holy martyrs Jonas and
Barachisius, under Sapor, king of Persia. Jonas, being
pressed in a vice till his bones were broken, was cut in twain;
Barachisius was suffocated by burning pitch poured into his throat.
At Heliopolis, near Mount Lebanon, under Julian the Apostate,
St. Cyril, deacon and martyr, whose
body was opened and his liver plucked out by the Gentiles, who
devoured it like wild beasts.
At Nicomedia, the martyrdom of the holy
martyrs Pastor, Victorinus and their companions.
In Africa, under the Arian king Genseric, during the persecution of
the Vandals, the holy confessors Armogastes,
count, Mascula, Archimimus, and Saturus, master of the king's
household. Having endured many severe torments, as well as
reproaches, for the confession of the truth, they reached the end of
their glorious combats.
At Asti, St. Secundus, martyr.
In the monastery of Luxeuil, the decease of
the abbot St. Eustasius, a disciple of St. Columbau, who had
under his guidance nearly six hundred monks. Eminent in sanctity, he
was also 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
MARCH 30th
This Day, the Thirtieth Day of March
At Rome, on the Appian way, the martyrdom of
blessed Quirinus, tribune, baptized with all his household,
by Pope St. Alexander, who was imprisoned in his house. Under the
emperor Adrian, he was delivered to the judge Aurelian, and, as he
persevered in the confession of the faith, his tongue was plucked
out, he was stretched on the rack, his hands and feet were cut off,
and the sword terminated the course of his martyrdom.
At Thessalonica, the birthday of the holy
martyrs Domninus, Victor, and their companions.
At Constantinople, the commemoration of many
holy martyrs of the Catholic communion, whom the heresiarch
Macedonius, in the time of Constantius, put to death by unheard-of
kinds of torments. For among other tortures, he cut off the breasts
of Christian women by pressing them between the lids of chests, and
seared the wounds with hot iron.
At Senlis, the demise of St. Regulus, bishop
of Aries.
At Orleans, in France, St. Pastor, bishop.
At Syracuse, St. Zosimus, bishop and confessor.
On Mount Sinai, St. John Climacus, abbot.
At Aquino, St. Clinius, 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
MARCH 31st
This Day, the Thirtieth-First Day of March
At Thecua, in Palestine, the holy prophet Amos,
whom the priest Amasias frequently scourged, and whose temples Ozias,
that priest's son, pierced with an iron spike. Being carried half
dead to his native place, he expired there and was buried with his
forefathers.
In Africa, the holy martyrs Theodulus, Anesius,
Felix, Cornelia, and their companions.
In Persia, during the reign of king Isdegerdes,
St. Benjamin, deacon. Because he would
not cease to preach the word of God, sharp-pointed reeds were forced
under his nails, a thorny stake driven through his entrails; and
thus he consummated his martyrdom.
At Rome, the holy virgin Balbina,
daughter of the blessed martyr Quirinus, who was baptized by Pope
St. Alexander, and after overcoming the world, was buried on the
Appian road at her father's side.
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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