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On December 11, 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:

Pope St. Damasus I of Rome (Italian, elected to papacy in 366, opposed Arianism and other heresies, commissioned the work [Vulgate, commentaries] of St. Jerome, published the scriptural canon, reigned until death at about age 78 in 384)

Bl. Arthur Bell of Temple Broughton (English, Franciscan priest, martyred under Charles I at age 53 in 1643 [beatified 1987])
St. Barsabas and companions (Persian, abbot and 12 monks, martyred in 342)
Bl. Casimir Sykulski of Konskie [Kazimierz] (Polish, diocesan priest, martyred by Nazis at Auschwitz [Poland] at age 58 in 1942 [beatified 1999])
St. Cian (Welsh, hermit, 6th century)
St. Daniel the Stylite of Maratha (Syrian, monk from age 12, priest, counselor to emperor and patriarch, preacher and healer, pillar-dwelling hermit for 33 years near Constantinople, died at about age 84 in 493)
St. Fidweten of Redon (Benedictine monk in France, d. 888)
Sts. Fuscian, Gentian, and Victoricus (two missionaries and a convert in France, tortured and martyred by beheading in 287)
Bl. Martin of St. Nicholas Lumbreras of Zaragoza [Martin de San Nicolas] and Bl. Melchior of St. Augustine Sanchez of Granada [Melchor de San Agustin] (Spanish, Augustinian friars, missionaries in Japan, martyred at about ages 40 and 33 in 1632 [beatified 1989])
St. Mary of Jesus Pidal y Chico de Guzman of Madrid [María de Jesús] [baptized María Maravillas] (Spanish, Discalced Carmelite nun, died at age 83 in 1974 [beatified 1998, canonized 2003])
St. Pens (Welsh)
Sts. Pontian, Trason, and Praetextatus of Rome (Italian, martyred in 302)
St. Sabinus of Piacenza (Italian, friend of St. Ambrose, bishop, envoy of Pope St. Damasus, d. 420)
Bl. Ugolino Magalotti of Camerino (Italian, Franciscan tertiary, hermit, d. 1373 [beatified 1856])

[From the Decree of St. Damasus (in "The Faith of the Early Fathers" by William A. Jurgens)]

The arrangement of the names of Christ ... is manifold:
Lord, because He is Spirit;
Word, because He is God;
Son, because He is the only-begotten son of the Father;
Man, because He was born of the Virgin;
Priest, because He offered Himself as a sacrifice;
Shepherd, because He is a guardian ...
Mountain, because He is strong;
Way, because there is a straight path through Him to life;
Lamb, because He suffered;
Cornerstone, because instruction is His;
Teacher, because He demonstrates how to live;
Sun, because He is the illuminator;
Truth, because He is from the Father;
Life, because He is the creator;
Bread, because He is flesh;
Samaritan, because He is the merciful protector;
Christ, because He is anointed;
Jesus, because He is a mediator;
Vine, because we are redeemed by His blood;
Lion, because he is king;
Rock, because He is firm;
Flower, because He is the chosen one; Prophet, because He has revealed what is to come.

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), December 08, 2004

Answers

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-- - (.@!.....), December 11, 2004.