Jmj

Today, February 23, 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. Polycarp of Smyrna (Palestinian?, disciple of St. John the Apostle, bishop in Asia Minor for 70 years, martyred by stabbing c. 155)
St. Alexander Akimetes (Greek, army officer, abbot, d. 430)
St. Boisil of Melrose (English, abbot, c. 664)
St. Dositheus of Gaza (Egyptian, monk, c. 530)
St. Felix of Brescia (Italian, bishop, battled heretics for forty years, c. 650)
St. Florentius of Seville (Spanish, c. 485)
Bl. John of Hungary (French, Franciscan friar in Hungary, d. 1287)
St. Jurmin (English, prince, 7th century)
St. Lazarus the Painter (from Asia Minor [Turkish], monk, icon-painter, c. 867)
St. Martha of Astorga (Spanish, virgin, martyred by beheading in 252)
Holy Martyrs of Sirmium (Serbian, 72 people martyred c. 303)
St. Medrald of Vendôme (French, Benedictine abbot, c. 850)
St. Milburga of Wenlock (English, princess, Benedictine abbess, miracle worker, d. 715)
St. Mildgytha (English, Benedictine nun, c. 676)
St. Milo of Benevento (French, archbishop in Italy, d. 1076)
St. Ordonius of Sahagún [Ordoño] (Spanish, Benedictine monk, bishop, d. 1066)
St. Romana of Todi (Italian, hermitess, died at age 18 in 324)
St. Serenus the Gardener (Greek, hermit in Pannonia [Hungary], martyred in 303)
St. Willigis of Mainz (German, imperial chancellor, archbishop, d. 1011)
St. Zebinus of Syria (Syrian, hermit, 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), February 24, 2002

Answers

-- (_@_._), February 24, 2002.

Jmj

On February 23, 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. Polycarp of Smyrna (Palestinian?, disciple of St. John the Apostle, bishop in Asia Minor for 70 years, martyred by stabbing c. 155)

St. Alexander Akimetes (Greek, army officer, abbot, d. 430)
St. Boisil of Melrose (British, abbot, c. 664)
St. Dositheus of Gaza (Egyptian, monk, c. 530)
St. Felix of Brescia (Italian, bishop, battled heretics for forty years, c. 650)
St. Florentius of Seville (Spanish, c. 485)
Bl. John of Hungary [Jean/Janos] (French, first Franciscan friar in Hungary, d. 1287)
St. Jurmin (British, prince, 7th century)
St. Lazarus Zographos of Constantinople [“zographos” is Greek for “painter”] (Turkish, monk, icon painter, c. 867)
St. Martha of Astorga (Spanish, virgin, martyred by beheading in 252)
St. Medrald of Vendôme (French, Benedictine abbot, c. 850)
St. Milburga of Wenlock (British, princess, Benedictine abbess, miracle worker, d. 715)
St. Mildgytha (British, Benedictine nun, c. 676)
St. Milo of Benevento (French, archbishop in Italy, d. 1076)
St. Ordonius of Sahagún [Ordoño] (Spanish, Benedictine monk, bishop, d. 1066)
Bl. Rafaela Ybarra de Villalongo of Bilbao (Spanish, mother, widow, founded Institute of the Sisters of Guardian Angels, d. 1900 [beatified 1984])
St. Romana of Todi (Italian, hermitess, died at age 18 in 324)
St. Serenus the Gardener and 72 companions, of Sirmium (Greek and Pannonian [Serbian], hermit and others, martyred in 303)
St. Willigis of Mainz (German, imperial chancellor, archbishop, d. 1011)
St. Zebinus (Syrian, hermit, 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), February 22, 2004.

Some schismatic bodies (and the less than 1% of Catholics who use a special permission to follow an older liturgical calendar) remember St. Peter Damian on this day.
But almost all Catholics of the Latin Church commemorate St. Peter Damian on February 21 instead.

-- J. F. Gecik (jfgecik@hotmail.com), February 22, 2004.