Jmj

Today, January 30, we members of the Catholic Church family honor, in a special way, the following friends of God -- saints whose souls are now in heaven:

St. Adelelmus (French, manservant, soldier, Benedictine abbot, c. 1100)
St. Agrippinus of Alexandria (Egyptian, bishop, c. 180)
St. Aldegundis of Maubeuge (French, daughter of two saints, sister of another, Benedictine abbess, d. 684)
St. Alexander (martyred by crucifixion in 3rd century)
Bl. Amnichad of Fulda (Irish or Scottish, Benedictine monk in Germany, hermit, d. 1043)
St. Armentarius of Antibes (French, bishop, c. 450)
St. Armentarius of Pavia (Italian, bishop, c. 711)
St. Barses of Edessa (Syrian, bishop, died in Egypt c. 379)
St. Barsimaeus (Syrian, bishop, martyred c. 114)
St. Bathildis (English, queen of France, mother of three kings, widow, Benedictine , d. 680)
Sts. Felician, Philippian, and 124 companions (African, early martyrs)
Bl. Haberilla of Mehrerau (Swiss, nun, c. 1100)
St. Hippolytus of Antioch (Syrian, martyred c. 250)
St. Hyacintha Mariscotti [baptized Clarice] (Italian, noblewoman, Franciscan sister, d. 1640)
St. Martina (Roman, virgin, martyred in 228)
St. Mucian Mary Wiaux [Mutien Marie, "The Praying Brother," baptized Louis] (Belgian, Christian brother, elementary school teacher, d. 1917 [canonized 1989])
St. Savina of Milan (Italian, matron, d. 311)
Bl. Sebastian Velfré (Italian, Oratorian priest, spiritual director, d. 1710)
St. Tudy (Welsh, virgin, 5th century)

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), January 30, 2002

Answers

-- (_@_._), January 30, 2002.

I was baptised confirmed and recieved first eucharist at the Easter vigil this year (2002. I chose St. Hyacintha of Mariscotti as my patron saint because of the amazing change of grace added to her life and her lifetime faith.

-- kalen pihlak (kalen_pihlak@hotmail.com), April 19, 2002.

Jmj

Congratulations, Kalen, and welcome to our Catholic Church family!

Thank you so much for contributing to this thread. I hope that you will become a frequent visitor ot the Catholic forum.

You probably know a great deal about St. Hyacintha Mariscotti, but for the benefit of others, I will mention some things about her now. (These facts were found at, and merged from, two Internet sites about saints.)

Your confirmation patron saint is called "exceptional among saints in that she experienced not one conversion but two in her life. As a young religious sister, she was notoriously unfaithful to the rule. She repented and reformed herself, relapsed again into infidelity and then repented again and rose to the level of heroic virtue. The life of Saint Hyacintha demonstrates the way our sufferings can be transformed into blessings by God."

She was born into a noble family in Vignarello, Italy, in 1585 and was baptized Clarice. She "was educated in the Franciscan convent of Viterbo, where one of her blood sisters was a nun. In her youth, unlike many saints, Clarice showed no predisposition to piety. At age 20, she was passed over by the Marquis Cassizucchi in favor of her younger sister, whom he married. Thereafter, Clarice became so ill-tempered and made home life so unendurable that her family ... forced her into the convent of Franciscan tertiaries at Viterbo. She escaped but eventually returned to the convent and, in due course, was admitted and professed. Nevertheless, petulant Sr. Hyacintha used every possible opportunity to scandalize her community for a period of ten years during which she disregarded the spirit of the religious rule. She claimed every privilege to which her rank and wealth entitled her."

"Her first 'conversion' came when her confessor, attending her when she was sick, expressed astonishment at the furniture and decor of her room; he told her she was in the convent merely to help the devil and the shock of such a remark snapped her out of her spiritual lethargy; she set about reforming her life with exaggerated fervor. Sr. Hyacintha said her 'yes' and took a long step toward the Lord, but soon fell back into her old ways. Once again sickness, this time more serious, and once again reform that brought her back to her appointed ways. She became a model of heroic patience, penance, prayer, untiring goodness, sweetness, and promptness in serving all." From that time, she gave herself to a life of great penance and prayer.

"It is remarkable that such a character could become a model novice mistress. Sr. Hyacintha seems to have shown healthy common sense in the guidance of others, restraining their devotional and penitential excesses and giving very practical advice to the many who wrote to seek her counsel. Sr. Hyacintha's charity was also outstanding, and it was not limited to those of her community. Through her influence two confraternities were established in Viterbo that devoted themselves to the relief of the sick, the aged, and the disadvantaged. Sr. Hyacintha herself helping to provide the necessary funds by her own begging."

Sister Hyacintha died on January 30, 1640, and was canonized by Pope Pius VII in 1807.
Here is a small picture of her.

God bless you.
John

-- (jfgecik@hotmail.com), April 19, 2002.

Jmj

On January 30, we members of the Catholic Church family honor, in a special way, the following friends of God -- saints and blesseds whose souls are now in heaven:

St. Adelelmus of Laudun (French, manservant, soldier, Benedictine abbot, c. 1100)
St. Agrippinus of Alexandria (Egyptian, bishop, c. 180)
St. Aldegundis of Maubeuge (French, daughter of two saints, sister of another, Benedictine abbess, d. 684)
St. Alexander (elderly man, martyred by crucifixion in 3rd century)
Bl. Amnichad of Fulda (Irish or Scottish, Benedictine monk in Germany, hermit, d. 1043)
St. Armentarius of Antibes (French, bishop, c. 450)
St. Armentarius of Pavia (Italian, bishop, c. 711)
St. Barses of Edessa (Syrian, bishop, died in Egypt c. 379)
St. Barsimaeus of Edessa (Syrian, bishop, martyred c. 114)
St. Bathildis of Chelles (English, queen of France, mother of three kings, widow, Benedictine , d. 680)
Sts. Felician, Philippian, and 124 companions (African, early martyrs)
Bl. Haberilla of Mehrerau (Swiss, nun, c. 1100)
St. Hippolytus of Antioch (Syrian, martyred c. 250)
St. Hyacinth Mariscotti of Vignorello [Giacinta] [baptized Clarice] (Italian, noblewoman, Franciscan sister, d. 1640 [beatified 1726, canonized 1807])
St. Martina of Rome (Italian, virgin, martyred in 228)
St. Mucian Mary Wiaux of Mellet [Mutien Marie] ["The Praying Brother"] [baptized Louis] (Belgian, Christian brother, elementary school teacher, d. 1917 [canonized 1989])
St. Savina of Milan (Italian, matron, d. 311)
Bl. Sebastian Velfrè of Verduno [Sebastiano] (Italian, Oratorian priest, spiritual director, d. 1710)
St. Tudy (Welsh, virgin, 5th century)

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), January 30, 2004.