Jmj

On January 4, 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. Elizabeth Ann Seton of New York [nee Bayley] ["Mother Seton"] (American, convert from Episcopalianism, mother of five, widow, foundress of Daughters of Charity of Saint Joseph, started U.S. Catholic school system, died at age 46 in 1821 [beatified 1963, first native-born American to be canonized - 1975]) [On U.S. “particular calendar”]

Bl. Angela of Foligno (Italian, widow, Franciscan tertiary, mystic, died at age 60 in 1309 [beatified 1693])
Sts. Aquilinus, Geminus, Eugene, Marcian, Quintus, Theodotus, and Tryphon (African, martyred by Arians c. 484)
Bl. Christiana of the Cross Menabuoi of Castello di Santa Croce [baptized Oringa] (Italian, farm girl, serving maid, Augustinian nun, died at about age 70 in 1310 [beatified 1776])
St. Dafrosa of Rome [also called Affrosa] (Italian, mother of St. Bibiana, martyred by beheading, 4th century)
Bl. Emanuel Gonzalez Garcia of Seville [Manuel] ["Bishop of the Abandoned Tabernacle"] (Spanish, bishop, founder of Congregation of the Eucharistic Missionaries of Nazareth, founder of Disciples of Saint John, and founder of Children of Reparation, died at age 62 in 1940 [beatified 2001])
St. Ferreolus of Uzès (French, bishop, d. 581)
St. Genevieve Torres Morales of Almenara [Genoveva] (Spanish, orphan at age 8, lost a leg to amputation at age 13, founded and led Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and of the Holy Angels, died at age 86 in 1956 [beatified 1995, canonized 2003])
St. Gregory of Langres (French, civil governor, widower, bishop of Autun, d. 539)
Sts. Hermas, Aggaeus, and Caius (martyred c. 300)
St. Libentius of Hamburg (German, Benedictine monk, bishop, d. 1013)
St. Mavilus of Adrumetum (African, martyred [flung to ferocious beasts] in 212)
Bl. Palumbus of Subiaco (Italian, Benedictine priest, hermit, c. 1070)
St. Pharaïldis of Ghent (Belgian, abused wife, died at about age 90 c. 740)
Sts. Priscus, Priscillianus, and Benedicta, of Rome (Italian, priest, cleric, and laywoman, martyred in 362)
St. Rigobert of Rheims (French, Benedictine abbot, archbishop, hermit, c. 745)
Bl. Roger of Ellant (English, Cistercian abbot in France, d. 1160)
St. Stephen du Bourg of Meyria [Etienne] (French, Carthusian priest, died at about age 88 in 1118)
Bl. Thomas Plumtree of Lincolnshire (English, priest, martyred [hanged] under Elizabeth I in 1570 [beatified 1886])

[From St. Elizabeth Ann Seton:]
"The first end I propose in our daily work is to do the will of God; secondly, to do it in the manner he wills it; and thirdly to do it because it is his will."

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

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

John,

St. Seton is my spirtual friend. In her short span of 47 years (1774-1821) Elizabeth Seton was society belle and matron, wife, mother of five, widow, and religious foundress (American Sisters of Charity). In addition to founding the first native community of religious women, she established the first free Catholic day school, from which parochial schools sprang, and she opened the first Catholic orphanage. A member of one of New York's first families in the early American Republic, she suffered incredible trials of sickness and loss and performed great works of mercy and charity.

She died of TB, and had two daughters that were Sisters of Charity and a husband and a sister in law all die before her of TB. I was just at her daughters' graves (Annina, Rebecca) today. The Seton Shrine is a beautiful and holy place. Just 1 mile down road is the oldest grotto in America, and this is where the Sisters went to Mass on Sundays. And right down the steps from Grotto is Mount Saint Mary's College and Seminary. You should see the Church at Seminary, The Church is beautiful. The rest of Seton family is buried back at Grotto, and that is where my Dad is buried too. I love it in Emmitsburg Md. It is all Catholic, and I live only about 50 min car ride away. I am a very lucky man.

God Bless.

-- David -- January 05, 2002.

-- J. F. Gecik ("jfgecik@hotmail.com), December 24, 2004

Answers

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-- - (.@....), January 05, 2005.