Jmj

Today, February 11, we members of the Catholic Church family celebrate the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes.
We also honor, in a special way, the following friends of God -- saints whose souls are now in heaven:

St. Adolphus of Osnabrück (German, count, Cistercian monk, bishop, d. 1224)
St. Ardanus of Tournus (French, Benedictine abbot, d. 1058)
St. Benedict of Aniane (French, courtier, Benedictine abbot in Germany, d. 821)
St. Caedmon (English, cowherd, Benedictine brother, singer of sacred poetry, d. 670)
St. Calocerus of Ravenna (Italian, bishop, c. 130)
St. Castrensis of Capua (Italian, bishop, 5th century)
Bl. Elisabeth Salviati (Italian, Camaldolese abbess, d. 1519)
St. Gobnata of Ballyvourney (Irish, abbess, 6th century?)
Pope St. Gregory II (Roman, Vatican librarian under four popes, elected to papacy in 715, reigned until death in 731)
Bl. Helwisa of Coulombs (French, Benedictine hermitess, c. 1065)
St. Jonas of Demeskenyanos (Egyptian, monk, gardener for 84 years, 4th century)
St. Lazarus of Milan (Italian, archbishop, d. 450)
St. Lucius and companions (from Asia Minor [Turkish], bishop and disciples in France, martyred [died in prison or beheaded by Arians] in 350)
Holy Martyrs of Africa (Numidian, guarded holy scriptures from burning by pagans, martyred c. 303)
Pope St. Paschal I (Roman, Benedictine abbot, elected to papacy in 817, fought iconoclasm, reigned until death in 824)
Sts. Saturninus the elder, Saturninus the younger, Felix, Mary, Hilarianus, Dativus, Felix, Thelica, Emeritus, Ampelius, Rogatus, Victoria, and 37 companions (North African ... priest, his four children, two senators, and disciples ... tortured and martyred [racked, torn with iron hooks, beaten with cudgels] in 304)
St. Severinus of Agaunum (French, abbot, c. 507)
St. Theodora (Constantinopolitan [Turkish], empress, d. 867)

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), February 11, 2002

Answers

[Special note for Melissa the Honey Bee -- copied from one of my sources:]

"St. Gobnata ([Gaelic for] "honey bee") used her bees to keep out unwelcome visitors. ...
"Another tradition relates that she routed an enemy by loosing her bees upon them. Her beehive has remained a precious relic of the O'Herlihys."

-- (jfgecik@hotmail.com), February 11, 2002.

Jmj

On February 11, we members of the Catholic Church family celebrate the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes.
We also honor, in a special way, the following friends of God -- saints whose souls are now in heaven:

St. Adolph of Osnabrück [Adolf] (German, count, Cistercian monk, bishop, d. 1224)
Holy Martyrs of Africa (Numidian, guarded holy scriptures from burning by pagans, martyred c. 303)
St. Ardanus of Tournus (French, Benedictine abbot, d. 1058)
St. Benedict of Aniane (French, courtier, Benedictine abbot in Germany, d. 821)
St. Caedmon of Whitby (British, cowherd, Benedictine brother, singer of sacred poetry, d. 670)
St. Calocerus of Ravenna (Italian, bishop, c. 130)
St. Castrensis of Capua (Italian, bishop, 5th century)
Bl. Elizabeth Salviati of Boldrone [Elisabetta] (Italian, Camaldolese abbess, d. 1519)
St. Gobnata of Ballyvourney (Irish, abbess, 6th century?)
Pope St. Gregory II of Rome (Italian, Vatican librarian under four popes, elected to papacy in 715, reigned until death in 731)
Bl. Heloise of Coulombs (French, Benedictine hermitess, c. 1065)
St. Jonas of Demeskenyanos (Egyptian, monk, gardener for 84 years, 4th century)
St. Lazarus of Milan (Italian, archbishop, d. 450)
St. Lucius and companions, of Adrianople (from Asia Minor [Turkish], bishop and disciples in France, martyred [died in prison or beheaded by Arian heretics] in 350)
Pope St. Paschal I of Rome (Italian, Benedictine abbot, elected to papacy in 817, fought iconoclasm, reigned until death in 824)
Sts. Saturninus the elder, Saturninus the younger, Felix, Mary, Hilarianus, Dativus, Felix, Thelica, Emeritus, Ampelius, Rogatus, Victoria, and 37 companions, of Abitina (North African ... priest, his four children, two senators, and disciples ... tortured and martyred [racked, torn with iron hooks, beaten with cudgels] in 304)
St. Severinus of Agaunum (French, abbot, c. 507)
St. Theodora of Constantinople (Turkish, empress, d. 867)

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), February 10, 2004.