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On January 12, 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. Aelred of Rievaulx (English, nobleman, Cistercian abbot, spiritual writer, died at about age 58 in 1167) [commemorated by some on February 3]
St. Anthony Mary Pucci of Poggione de Vernio [Antonio Maria] [baptized Eustacchio (Eustace)] ["Il Curatino"] (Italian, peasant, Servite parish priest, died at age 73 in 1892 [beatified 1952, canonized 1962])
St. Arcadius of Caesarea (Mauritanian, tortured and martyred [limbs chopped off] c. 302)
St. Benedict Biscop of Northumbria (British, nobleman, Benedictine abbot, died at about age 61 c. 690)
St. Bernard Latini of Corleone [Bernardo] [baptized Filippo (Philip)] (Sicilian, shoemaker, swordsman and duelist, Capuchin brother, died at age 61 in 1667 [beatified 1768, canonized 2001]) [commemorated by some on the 19th]
St. Caesaria of Arles (French, sister of St. Caesarius, abbess, c. 530)
Holy Martyrs of Ephesus (from Asia Minor [now called Turkey], forty-two monks, opposed iconoclasts, martyred c. 762)
Holy Marytrs of Iona (Irish, thirty-eight monks, martyred in 750)
St. John of Ravenna (Italian, bishop, d. 494)
Bl. John Caspar Kratz of Duren [Johann Kaspar], Bl. Emmanuel d'Abreu of Arouca, Bl. Bartholomew Alvarez of Braganza [Bartholomé], and Bl. Vincent da Cunha [Vincente] (one German and three Portuguese, Jesuit missionaries, martyred by beheading in Vietnam in 1737) [d'Abreu was about age 29]
St. Margaret Bourgeoys of Troyes [Marguerite] (French, teacher, foundress and superior of Congregation of Notre Dame, died in Canada at age 79 in 1700 [beatified 1950, canonized 1982]) [commemorated by some on the 19th]
St. Martin of León (Spanish, Augustinian priest, died at about age 73 in 1203)
Bl. Nicholas Bunkerd Kitbamrung of Sampran (Thai, priest, martyred at age 48 in 1944 [beatified 2000])
St. Probus of Verona (Italian, bishop, d. 591)
St. Satyrus (Arab, martyred in 267)
St. Tatiana (Roman, martyred [thrown to beasts in amphitheater] c. 230)
Sts. Tigirius and Eutropius of Constantinople (from Asia Minor, priest and lector, tortured, c. 404)
St. Victorian of Asan (Italian, abbot, died in Spain c. 560)
Sts. Zoticus, Rogatus, Modestus, Castulus, and companions (African, at least forty soldiers, martyred)

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 27, 2004

Answers

-- ("jfgecik@hotmail.com), January 12, 2005.