Jmj

On January 6, 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:

Bl. André Bessette of Saint-Gregoire [baptized Alfred] (Canadian [Quebecois], Holy Cross brother for 67 years, miracle worker through intercession of St. Joseph, died at age 91 in 1937 [beatified 1982]) [On U.S. "particular calendar"]

Holy Martyrs of Africa (of uncertain number and anonymous, martyred by burning c. 210)
St. Anastasius (Pannonian [from what is now Hungary], martyred c. 4th century)
St. Diman Dubh of Connor (Irish, abbot, bishop, d. 658)
St. Edeyrn of Armorica (French, hermit, 6th century)
St. Eigrad of Glamorgan (Welsh, 6th century)
St. Erminold of Prüfening (German, Benedictine abbot, d. 1121)
Bl. Frederick of Saint-Vanne [Frédéric] (French, Benedictine prior, d. 1020)
Bl. Gertrude van Oosten of Delft [Geertje] (Dutch, serving girl, beguine, mystic, stigmatist, d. 1358)
St. Guarinus of Sion [Guerin] (French, Cistercian abbot in Switzerland, bishop in France, died at about age 85 in 1150)
St. John de Ribera of Seville [Juan] (Spanish, duke's son, archbishop of Valencia for 42 years, died at about age 78 in 1611 [beatified 1796, canonized 1959])
St. Macra of Rheims (French, virgin, tortured and martyred in 287)
St. Merinus (Irish, hermit in Wales, 6th century)
St. Owen of Aberdaron [Hywyn] (Welsh, missionary, c. 516)
Bl. Peter Bonilli of San Lorenzo di Trevi [Pietro] (Italian, parish priest, founded Religious of the Holy Family of Spoleto, died at age 94 in 1935 [beatified 1988])
St. Peter of Canterbury (Italian, Benedictine abbot in England, c. 608 [canonized 1915]) [commemorated by some on June 1]
St. Raphaela of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Porras y Ayllón of Pedro Abad [Rafaela del Sagrado Corazón de Jesus] [baptized Rafaela Maria] (Spanish, co-foundress and mother general of Handmaids of the Sacred Heart, died at age 74 in 1925 [beatified 1952, canonized 1977])
St. Schottin of Mt. Mairge (Irish, hermit, 6th century)
St. Wiltrudis of Bergen (Bavarian, duchess, widow, Benedictine abbess, c. 986)
[On the Latin Church's universal calendar, January 6 is the Solemnity of the Epiphany. The celebration is transferred in many nations, including the U.S., to the Sunday between January 2 and 8. Many Christians celebrate this or another day in January as a commemoration of the Magi, traditionally known as Sts. Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar.]

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 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, do you happen to know where and by whom were the names of the Magi made known since the Gospels or any of the books in the NT don't give them?

-- Enrique Ortiz -- January 07, 2002.

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Jmj

That's an interesting question, Enrique.
In fact, not only do the gospels not give the names of the Magi, they do not even relate that there were precisely three of them. There could have been two, or there could have been more than three ... but people have always spoken of three, either because Our Lady passed this down by word of mouth, or simply because there are three gifts named in the gospel.

One of my favorite sources of miscellaneous information, Fr. William Saunders, published a diocesan newspaper article on the subject of the Magi. Here is what he says in reply to your specific question:

"Since the seventh century in the Western Church, the Magi have been identified as Gaspar, Melchior, and Balthasar. A work called the 'Excerpta et Collectanea,' attributed to St. Bede (d. 735) [states], 'The Magi were the ones who gave gifts to the Lord. The first is said to have been Melchior, an old man with white hair and a long beard... who offered gold to the Lord as to a king. The second, Gaspar by name, young and beardless and ruddy complexioned ... honored Him as God by his gift of incense, an oblation worthy of divinity. The third, black-skinned and heavily bearded, named Balthasar. .. by his gift of myrrh testified to the Son of Man who was to die.' An excerpt from a Medieval saints calendar printed in Cologne read, 'Having undergone many trials and fatigues for the Gospel, the three wise men met at Sewa (Sebaste in Armenia) in AD 54 to celebrate the feast of Christmas. Thereupon, after the celebration of Mass, they died: St. Melchior on January 1, aged 116; St. Balthasar on January 6th, aged 112; and St. Gaspar on January 11th, aged 109.' The Roman Martyrology also lists these dates as the Magi's respective feast days." [The full article is here.]

Enrique, we don't know how much of this is fact and how much is legend (including the names). Here is what the old Catholic Encyclopedia has to say:
"The names of the Magi are as uncertain as is their number. Among the Latins, from the seventh century, we find slight variants of the names, Gaspar, Melchior, and Balthasar ... The Syrians have Larvandad, Hormisdas, Gushnasaph, etc.; the Armenians, Kagba, Badadilma, etc."

Holy Magi, pray for us.
God bless you.
John

-- January 07, 2002.

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Thank you, John. Very fine information!

-- Enrique Ortiz -- January 08, 2002.

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You're welcome, Enrique. It was a pleasure.
JFG

-- January 08, 2002.

-- J. F. Gecik ("jfgecik@hotmail.com), December 25, 2004

Answers

-- ("jfgecik@hotmail.com), January 06, 2005.