Jmj

On August 24, 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. Bartholomew of Cana [also called Nathaniel] (Israelite, apostle, missionary, believed to have been martyred by flaying in Armenia, 1st century)

Bl. Alice Rich of Abingdon (English, Benedictine prioress, c. 1270)
St. Aurea of Ostia (Italian, virgin, martyred by drowning c. 260)
St. Eutychius of Phrygia (from Asia Minor [now called Turkey], raised from the dead by St. Paul [Acts 20], companion of St. John, 1st century)
St. George Limniotes (hermit in Asia Minor [Turkey], martyred at about age 95 c. 730)
St. Irchard of Kincardinshire (Scottish, missionary bishop to the Picts, 7th century)
Bl. Luke Mellini [Luca] (Italian, Celestine father general, c. 1460)
Bl. Mary Incarnation of the Sacred Heart Rosal Vasquez of Quetzaltenango [Marķa Encarnacion del Sagrado Corazon] [baptized Marķa Vicenta] (Guatemalan, reformer of the Sisters of Bethlehem, died at age 65 in 1886 [beatified 1997] [incorruptible])
St. Mary Michael Desmaisieres of Madrid [Marķa Miguela] (Spanish, founded Institute of the Handmaids of the Blessed Sacrament, died at age 59 in 1865 [beatified 1925, canonized 1934])
St. Ouen of Sancy (French, king's chancellor, bishop of Rouen, died at least age 73 in 684)
St. Patrick the Elder of Nevers (Irish or French, abbot, c. 450)
St. Ptolemy of Nepi (Italian, disciple of St. Peter, bishop, martyred in 1st century)
St. Romanus of Nepi (Italian, bishop, successor of St. Ptolemy, martyred in 1st century)
Bl. Sandratus of Gladbach (German, Benedictine abbot, d. 986)
St. Tation of Claudiopolis (Bithynian [from part of what is now Turkey], martyred c. 304)
Holy Martyrs of Utica (North African, between 150 and 300 Christian prisoners, martyred ["burned" in huge lime pit] c. 260-285)

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. Additional 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), August 26, 2004

Answers

[Note: I am copying the following several (indented) messages from the old, obsolete "saints" thread for this day of the year, so that the old thread can later be deleted. JFG]

John, How was St. Bartolomew martyed? I do not know what "flaying in Armenia" means. Please Help? David

-- David -- August 24, 2001.

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Jmj

Hi, David.
Armenia is now an independent nation. I believe that it borders on Turkey, and it used to be in the southeastern part of the U.S.S.R. (when it was a slave of the communists in Moscow).

To "flay" a person or animal is to strip the skin off the surface of the body. Can you imagine how incredibly painful that must have been? Yet St. Bartholomew offered up his suffering in union with his Lord Jesus's crucifixion. He fled on the night of the Lord's arrest, but, having been strengthened by the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, he did not flee from his own murderers some years later.

God bless you.
John

-- August 24, 2001.

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John,

Thank you for posting the saints of the day. I have enjoyed this very much. The thought of such a martyrdom as St. Bartholomew's scares me silly, I must admit. The Holy Spirit must surely have been with him.

Somewhere recently I read that all the disciples/apostles who fled from Jesus' crucifixcition died a martyr's death. All except John who stayed with Jesus. Is this true?

Thanks,

cksunshine

-- cksunshine -- August 24, 2001.

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John, I can not imagine that kind of pain! I was still in shock of how St. John Wall was killed, and now I read this! I will pray that I always have the courage to defend my relegion. We are Blessed to have Saints with such courage to Pray to, and We are Blessed to have you to teach us about them! God Bless You, David

-- David -- August 24, 2001.

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Jmj

Thank you, CKSunshine and David.
Yes, I have always heard the same -- that Tradition tells us that all of the Apostles were martyrs except for my patron saint. (To have a martyr as a patron saint, I decided to call upon help from St. John Fisher too.)
JFG

-- August 24, 2001.

-- ("jfgecik@hotmail.com), August 26, 2004.