Jmj

Today, November 2, we members of the Catholic Church family celebrate All Souls Day, a time of prayer for the faithful departed who are undergoing final purification before entering heaven.
We also honor, in a special way, the following friends of God -- saints whose souls are now in heaven:

St. George of Vienne (French, bishop, c. 8th century)
St. Hermes (African, early martyr)
Bl. John Bodey (English, Oxford scholar, married schoolteacher, martyred [drawn, hanged, quartered] in 1583)
St. Jorandus of Kergrist (French, Benedictine monk, hermit, d. 1340)
St. Victorinus of Pettau (Pannonian [Austrian], Bible scholar, bishop, martyred c. 304)
Sts. Acindynus, Pegasius, Aphthonius, Elpidephorus, and Anempodistus (Persian, priests and seminarians, martyred in 345)
St. Ambrose of Agaune (Swiss, abbot, d. 523)
St. Amicus of Rambara (Italian, Benedictine abbot, c. 11th century)
Sts. Baya and Maura (Scottish, virgins, hermitesses, c. 10th century)
Sts. Carterius, Styriacus, Tobias, Eudoxius, Agapius, and five companions (soldiers, martyred by burning in Armenia, c. 315)
St. Eustochium of Tarsus (Cilician [Turkish], virgin, tortured, martyred in 362)
St. Justus of Trieste (martyred by drowning c. 303)
St. Marcian of Chalcis (Syrian, nobleman, hermit, d. 387)
Sts. Publius, Victor, Hermas, and Papias (African, early martyrs)
St. Theodotus of Laodicea (Turkish, bishop, d. 334)
Bl. Thomas of Walden [Thomas Netter] (English, Carmelite priest in France, d. 1430)

If you have anything to share about these holy people, please reply now -- biographical episodes, prayers through their intercession, the fact that one is your patron saint -- whatever moves you. If you are interested in one of these saints and want to find out more about him/her, please ask. Information is sometimes available on the Internet.

All you holy men and women, saints of God, pray for us.
God bless you.
John


-- J. F. Gecik (jfgecik@hotmail.com), November 02, 2001

Answers

[From a letter by Blessed John Bodey, in a letter written to Dr. Humphrey Ely, while in prison:]

"We consider that iron for this cause borne on earth shall surmount gold and precious stones in Heaven. [The 'iron borne' was the chains that he wore.] That is our mark, that is our desire. In the mean season we are threatened daily, and do look still when the hurdle shall be brought to the door. [The 'hurdle' was the sled on which Catholics were 'drawn' (dragged) by horses to the place of execution. JFG] I beseech you, for God's sake, that we want not the good prayers of you all for our strength, our joy, and our perseverance unto the end. . . . From our school of patience the 16th September, 1583."

The Catholic Encyclopedia says, "His mother made a great feast upon the occasion of her son's happy death, to which she invited her neighbours, rejoicing at his death as his marriage by which his soul was happily and eternally espoused to the Lamb."

-- (jfgecik@hotmail.com), November 02, 2001.

My apologies that I have nothing to share about these holy men and women of God on this day. But since it is All Souls Day, I want to offer a remembrance to my departed grandmother, Phoebe Agnes, whose name I took upon my confirmation. St. Agnes was made a saint the day before my birthday...though MANY years before I was born, and Phoebe was a female deacon mentioned in the New Testament. I went against the norm of picking a recognized and canonized saint, and took my grandmother's birth name...and I feel it is still reflective of the Catholic faith. It was only later that I learned how Biblical and Catholic my choice was. I do not know if Mamaw is finished with her purification process yet, but I know that her life was an example that led me to where I am now. I hope her soul is pleased in how I've turned out, and I pray her soul knows how honored I am to have been sealed with her name at my confirmation. I also invoke her intercession for me in me journey to dedicating myself to Mother Church.

All Holy Saints of God, Orare pro me, et pro nobis, ad Dominum Deum nostrum. Amen.

Melissa

-- Melissa (holy_rhodes@earthlink.net), November 02, 2001.

All Souls Day is a great opportunity to put in a plug for the Plenary Indulgence! By performing this unselfish act of love in utilizing the Father’s bountiful gift, you can release a loved one, a friend, a relative, better still, a complete stranger, from Purgatory who may have been suffering for ages and who may have no one to pray for them! Wouldn’t we want someone to think about us when it is our turn to be purified? Here are some basic points you need to remember about Plenary Indulgences:

A Plenary Indulgence is most commonly granted for one of the following:

- Sacred Scripture is read for at least one half hour

- the Rosary is recited in a church or public oratory or in a family group, a religious Community or pious Association (at least two required to participate)

- adoration of the most Blessed Sacrament exposed for a minimum of one half hour

- when you receive Holy Communion for the first time

- when you assist at the sacred ceremonies of a First Communion.

There are other ways a Plenary Indulgence can be obtained. You can obtain full details about indulgences at this site: http://www.ourladyswarriors.org/indulge/

As an overview, only one Plenary Indulgence can be acquired per day for yourself or a soul in Purgatory. To acquire a Plenary Indulgence it is necessary to perform the work to which the indulgence is attached and to fulfill the following three conditions:

- sacramental confession, (within two weeks, before or after)

- Eucharistic Communion

- prayer for the intention of the Sovereign Pontiff - minimum One Our Father and One Hail Mary (Communion and the prayers for the intentions of the Holy Father must be performed on the day of the act to which the Plenary Indulgence is attached)

It is further required that all attachment to sin, even venial sin, be absent. For the purposes of obtaining a Plenary Indulgence (an Act of Perfect Contrition will accomplish this).

What a very special gift God has allowed us to give, in the form of a Plenary Indulgence, to those who have passed on. Imagine! This gift of the release of one soul from Purgatory could be given to a different soul each and every day for the rest of our lives. Melissa, wouldn’t a Plenary Indulgence be a lovely gift for your dearly- departed grandmother?

St. James and Mary Our Blessed Mother pray for the souls in Purgatory and pray for us!

Ed

-- Ed Lauzon (grader@accglobal.net), November 02, 2001.

Thanks, Melissa and Ed.
In case you had not heard, Melissa, the Church does honor St. Phoebe of Cenchreae [near Corinth]. Although she is not on the universal calendar, she does have a feast day (September 3) when she can be remembered in a special way (e.g., a priest can celebrate mass in memory of her).
She is referred to as a "matron and deaconess ... highly recommended to the Christians at Rome by Saint Paul, who praised her for her assistance to him and to many others (Romans 16:1-2). She may have brought Paul's epistle to the Romans to Rome with her."

God bless you.
John

-- (jfgecik@hotmail.com), November 03, 2001.

Thanks John! I think I just puffed up!!

Melissa

(...who has a Greek name and wonders why there isn't a St. Melissa from Greece or anywhere else. Or perhaps there is? I suspect you would be the detective to solve the mystery...)

-- Melissa (holy_rhodes@earthlink.net), November 04, 2001.

Ed, just wished to share with you that I acted on your suggestion, and will ratify it all with Reconciliation tomorrow at noon. It fell into place at the right time, as I seek the confessional on the first Monday of each month. Yeah, I know it's not the same os First Friday, but Mondays are the only time I can meet with my confessor of preference. He has a special gift as priest. He always ascribes the most healing penances...and his gentle manner and presence really show me that a priest is truly In Persona Christi. Plus, he is a former co-worker at the parish where I am employed, so I feel comfortable with him. In my opinion, he is the epitome of the priesthood...so Mondays it is. Thank you once more for the indulgence suggestion.

Melissa

-- Melissa (holy_rhodes@earthlink.net), November 04, 2001.

Jmj

Hello, Melissa.

I wish that I could say that I had succeeded in discovering a "St. Melissa," but (alas) I failed. There must be some uncanonized Melissas in heaven, and I think that you'll join them some day. You may be the first canonized St. Melissa!

However, I wouldn't go so far as to say that you don't have a patron saint -- if we use a little imagination!
As you probably know, "melissa" is a Greek word. It can be found in ancient pagan religion and mythology, but it had come to mean (honey)bee by the time of Jesus. ("Honey" is "mel" in Latin and "meli" in Greek.)

So, if there is no St. Melissa, is there another saint whose name means honeybee and who can be your patron?
Yes. In Hebrew, the word for honeybee is ... "deborah." There are three women named Deborah in the Old Testament, the most famous being this one (Judges 4:4): "Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, was judging Israel at that time."
St. Deborah is honored on September 1. Here is an icon of her. She could "bee" your new patron saint.

[I have a booklet ("Patron Saints") published by the Daughters of St. Paul. Although it does not list "Melissa" among its hundreds of names and feastdays, it does list "Milissa" with a date of March 16. I had never heard of that name, but I found (on the Internet) that many women have it. I have not been able to find out any information about a St. Milissa. Perhaps it is "derived" from a different name.]

St. James, pray for us.
God bless you.
John

-- (jfgecik@hotmail.com), November 05, 2001.

It was a nice and Christian thing to do here John - to take the time to do a little research to brighten someone's day! How nice you are! As one who contributes often to the forum I can appreciate the time it takes to post a thread. Most of the time, it's not just something we find in our heads and put down on "paper". Usually it requires time-consuming research. This little sacrifice of yours denonstrates a love and concern for others that we all can learn from in dealing with others throughout our busy day.

Peace!

Ed

-- Ed Lauzon (grader@accglobal.net), November 06, 2001.

Christ's peace be with you, too, Ed. Thanks.
JFG

-- (jfgecik@hotmail.com), November 06, 2001.

Could Melissa just be the female form of MELITUS?

MELITUS Memorial 4 December Profile 3rd century bishop in Pontus (modern Turkey). His name derives from his skill as a preacher (mel = honey). Frequently persecuted for his faith, but there are no records of him being a martyr. Died c.295

-----------------

-- Enrique Ortiz (eaortiz@yahoo.com), November 06, 2001.

Thanks John and Enrique, for your efforts and input. I really appreciate the information and it did brighten my day...got a bad head cold, so I'm feeling pretty puny right now.

As far as the honeybee reference...I was aware of that, and many years ago got a small bumble-bee tattoo on my bum because of the etymology of my name. Kinda surprising, huh? Future religious with secrets!

Peace and all good,

Melissa

<')))><

-- Melissa Wilson (holy_rhodes@earthlink.net), November 06, 2001.

Maybee BUM-ble BEE tattoos get burned off in Purgatory.

-- (jfgecik@hotmail.com), November 06, 2001.

John,

LOL!! You certainly have a way with words!

-- Melissa (holy_rhodes@earthlink.net), November 06, 2001.

Jmj

On November 2, we members of the Catholic Church family celebrate All Souls Day, a time of prayer for the faithful departed who are undergoing final purification before entering heaven.
We also honor, in a special way, the following friends of God -- saints and blesseds whose souls are now in heaven:

Sts. Acindynus, Pegasius, Aphthonius, Elpidephorus, and Anempodistus (Persian, priests and seminarians, martyred in 345)
St. Ambrose of Agaune (Swiss, abbot, d. 523)
St. Amicus of Rambara (Italian, Benedictine abbot, c. 11th century)
Sts. Baya and Maura (Scottish, virgins, hermitesses, c. 10th century)
Sts. Carterius, Styriacus, Tobias, Eudoxius, Agapius, and five companions, of Sebaste (soldiers, martyred by burning in Armenia, c. 315)
St. Eustochium of Tarsus (Cilician [Turkish], virgin, tortured, martyred in 362)
St. George of Vienne (French, bishop, c. 8th century)
St. Hermes (African, early martyr)
Bl. John Bodey of Wells (English, Oxford scholar, married schoolteacher, martyred [drawn, hanged, quartered] under Elizabeth I in 1583 [beatified 1929])
St. Jorand of Kergrist (French, Benedictine monk, hermit, d. 1340)
St. Justus of Trieste (martyred by drowning c. 303)
St. Marcian of Chalcis (Syrian, nobleman, hermit, d. 387)
Sts. Publius, Victor, Hermas, and Papias (Northwest African, early martyrs)
St. Theodotus of Laodicea (from Asia Minor [Turkish], bishop, d. 334)
Bl. Thomas Netter of Walden (English, Carmelite priest in France, d. 1430)
St. Victorinus of Pettau (Pannonian [Austrian], Bible scholar, bishop, martyred c. 304)

If you have anything to share about these holy people, please reply now -- biographical episodes, prayers through their intercession, the fact that one is your patron -- whatever moves you. If you are interested in one of these saints or blesseds and want to find out more about him/her, please ask. Information is sometimes available on the Internet.

All you holy men and women, saints of God, pray for us.
God bless you.
John

-- J. F. Gecik (jfgecik@hotmail.com), November 02, 2003.