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On December 26, 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. Stephen [“Protomartyr”] (Israelite, one of the first seven deacons ... the first Catholic martyr [if we place St. John the Baptist and the Holy Innocents in a special category], stoned by a group of Jews led by Saul of Tarsus [St. Paul] c. 35)

St. Amaethlu of Anglesey (Welsh, hermit, 6th century)
St. Archelaus of Kashkar (Mesopotamian [from what is now Iraq], bishop, opposed Manicheism, c. 278)
St. Christina of Markgate (English, Benedictine hermit, d. 1160)
Bl. Daniel of Villiers (French, Cistercian monk, 12th century)
Pope St. Dionysius (Greek? priest in Rome, elected to papacy in 259, reigned until [natural] death in 269) [All prior popes were probably or certainly martyred.]
Bl. Margaret of Hohenfels [Margareta] (German, Benedictine prioress, c. 1150)
St. Marinus of Rome (Italian, layman, tortured and martyred by beheading in 283)
St. Noël Chabanel of Saugues (French, Jesuit priest, missionary to Huron Indians, martyred in Canada at age 36 in 1649 [beatified 1925, canonized 1930])
Bl. Paganus of Lecco (Italian, Dominican friar for 50 years, martyred by heretics in 1274)
Bl. Secondo Pollo of Caresanablot (Italian, diocesan priest, military chaplain, died at age 33 in 1941 [beatified 1998])
St. Tathai of Caerwent (Irish, hermit, founder of monastic schools, miracle worker, died in Wales in 6th century)
St. Theodore of Rome (Italian, sacristan at Basilica of St. Peter, 6th century)
St. Vincentia Mary Lopez y Vicuña of Cascante [Vicenta María] (Spanish, foundress of Daughters of Mary Immaculate for Domestic Service [to aid oppressed servant girls], died at age 49 in 1896 [beatified 1950, canonized 1975])
St. Zeno of Gaza (Egyptian, bishop, c. 400)
Pope St. Zosimus (Greek, elected to papacy in March of 417, reigned until death in December of 418)

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 22, 2004

Answers

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