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Today, March 27, 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. Alexander (Pannonian [Hungarian], soldier, martyred in 3rd century)
St. Alkeld (Saxon in Britain, princess, nun, martyred by strangling c. 800)
St. Amator of Guarda (Portuguese, hermit)
St. Ananias (Israelite, prophet of Old Testament era)
St. Augusta of Treviso (Italian, virgin, martyred [beheaded by her pagan father] in 5th century)
St. Gelasius of Armagh (Irish, abbot, bishop, d. 1174)
St. John of Lycopolis (Egyptian, hermit for 40 years, advisor to emperor, c. 395)
St. Matthew of Beauvais (French, crusader, martyred by Muslims c. 1098)
Sts. Philetus, Lydia, Macedo, Theoprepius, Amphilochius, and Chronidas (martyred c. 121)
St. Romulus of Nīmes (French, Benedictine abbot, c. 730)
St. Suairlech of Fore (Irish, bishop, c. 750)
Bl. William Tempier (French, bishop, d. 1197)
Sts. Zanitas, Lazarus, Marotas, Narses, Elias, Abibos, Sembeeth, Mares, and Sabas (Persian, martyred in 344)

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), March 27, 2002

Answers

-- (_@_._), March 27, 2002.

The saints must be honored as friends of Christ and children and heirs of God, as John the theologian and evangelist says: 'But as many as received him, he gave them the power to be made the sons of God....' Let us carefully observe the manner of life of all the apostles, martyrs, ascetics and just men who announced the coming of the Lord. And let us emulate their faith, charity, hope, zeal, life, patience under suffering, and perseverance unto death, so that we may also share their crowns of glory.

Saint John of Damascus, Exposition of the Orthodox Faith

-- Choas (Choas@ivillage.com), March 27, 2003.

March 27th - Gelasius of Armagh B (AC)

(also known as Giolla Iosa, Gioua-Mac-Liag)

Died March 27, 1174. Son of the Irish poet Diarmaid, Saint Gelasius (meaning `servant of Jesus') was the learned abbot of Derry for 16 years. He was consecrated bishop of Armagh c. 1138, when Saint Malachy resigned and served as primate of Ireland until 1174. During his long episcopacy Gelasius had to deal with the events before and after the Norman invasion, including the alleged Donation of Ireland by Pope Adrian IV to Henry II of England, Henry's arrival in Ireland in 1171, and Pope Alexander III's confirmation of everything granted by Adrian IV.

He reconstructed the Cathedral of Armagh, and, in 1162, consecrated Saint Laurence O'Toole archbishop of Dublin, although the invasion and settlement of Dublin by Norsemen meant that the Christians of that see were looking more to Canterbury than Armagh. That same year, during the Synod of Clane in County Kildare, a uniform liturgy was ensured throughout Ireland by requiring that only Armagh-trained or Armagh-accredited teachers of divinity may teach in any school attached to the Irish Church.

Gelasius was an indefatigable prelate. He made constant visitations throughout Ireland, reorganized old monasteries, and convened synods. He is said to have been the first Irish bishop to whom the pallium was sent; Eugenius III's papal legate, Cardinal Paparo, brought four pallia with him to the Synod of Kells in 1152 for the archbishops of Armagh, Cashel, Dublin, and Tuam. The records of this synod include the firsts mention of tithes in Irish annals, which Cardinal Paparo proposed but none of the participants supported. The matter of tithes and the Peter's Pence was an important consideration in subsequent negotiations between Pope Adrian IV and Henry II of England.

Gelasius convened another synod at Armagh in 1170 in the hope of finding some means to expel the Anglo-Norman, who had invaded the country the previous year, before they became too entrenched. In 1171, Henry II arrived, lavishly entertained the civic and ecclesiastic Irish leaders, and requested the convening of the Synod of Cashel, during which he presented a plan for improving the Church of Ireland. At this time there was no mention of any claim of Canterbury or the Donation; however, the eighth canon of the synod decreed that the Irish Church would celebrate the Divine Office according to the usage of the Church of England (which was still Catholic).

The bishop of Armagh did not attend the Synod of Cashel. At that time he was occupied in a visitation of Connacht and Ulster in an attempt (in concert with the high king) to organize a defense of Ireland. He realized that Henry had duped many of Irish princes by masking his true intentions.

The following year Henry fell under interdict for his murder of Saint Thomas Becket. When news of Henry's penitential, bare-foot walk to the shrine of Saint Thomas and his plans for the `uplift' of the Irish Church reached Rome, Alexander III confirmed the Donation of Ireland made by Adrian IV. Shortly thereafter the Church of Ireland became English: the School of Armagh was closed (c. 1188) and the last native bishop of Armagh until the Reformation died in 1313 (Benedictines, D'Arcy, Encyclopedia, Healy, Husenbeth, Kenney, MacNeill, O'Hanlon, Stokes).

<><><><> Various Martyrs of the Faith

At Drizipara in Hungary, St. Alexander, a soldier. Under the Emperor Maximian, after he had endured many sufferings for Christ, and had performed numerous miracles, he completed his martyrdom by being beheaded.

In Illyria, SS. Philetus, a senator, his wife Lydia, and his sons Maccdo and Theoprepius; also Amphilochius, a captain, and Chronides, a notary. After they had undergone many tortures for confessing Christ, they gained the crown of glory.

In Persia, the birthday of the holy martyrs Zanitas, Lazarus, Marotas, Narses, and five others. They were savagely cut to pieces in the reign Of Sapor, King of the Persians, and so merited the palm of martyrdom.

At Salzburg in Austria, St. Rupert, bishop and confessor, who spread the Gospel in a wonderful manner among the Bavarians and Austrians.

In Egypt, the hermit St. John, a man of great sanctity. Among other evidences of his virtue was the gift of prophecy by which he foretold to the Emperor Theodosius his victories over the tyrants Maximus and Eugene.

<><><><><><> The fourth glorious mystery prayer of the Eucharistic Rosary, to be offered before the Blessed Sacrament:

The Death and Assumption of Mary, offered for filial devotion to Mary:

O Jesus, no longer could Thou leavest here below Thy blessed Mother; already she didst hear Thy voice calling her, and amid the transports of an ineffable communion, Thy love didst take away her soul from the land of exile. But her virginal body, like that of her divine Son, must not know corruption; so Thou didst raise her from the dead, and, brilliant as the sun, assume her soaring on angels' wings to the seat of eternal glory.

O Jesus, our resurrection and our life, we adore Thee and we pray that, through the intercession of Thy holy Mother, we may die in the arms of her who is also our own Mother, after having received in a fervent communion the pledge of our glorious resurrection.

Imprimatur: + John M. Farley, Archbishop of New York, Sept 19, 1908.

-- Richard Miller (trudie.miller@cox.net), March 27, 2003.