Jmj

On January 17, 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. Anthony the Abbot of Koman (Egyptian, desert hermit from age 35, spiritual father of many, sometimes called founder of Christian monasticism, died at age 104 in 356)

Sts. Achillas and Amoes ["Flowers of the Desert"] (Egyptian, hermits, 4th century)
Sts. Anthony, Merulus, and John, of Rome (Italian, Benedictine monks, martyred c. 590)
Sts. Genulfus of Cahors and Genitus of Celle-sur-Naton (French, monks, 3rd century)
Bl. Joseph of Freising (Bavarian, Benedictine monk, bishop, d. 764)
St. Julian Sabas the Elder of Mt. Sinai (Mesopotamian [from what is now part of Iraq], hermit, d. 377)
St. Mildgytha of Mercia (British, princess, Benedictine abbess, daughter of one saint and sister of two, d. 676)
St. Nennius of Clonard (Irish, abbot, 6th century)
St. Pior (Egyptian, hermit, disciple of St. Antony, c. 395)
St. Richimir (French, Benedictine abbot, c. 715)
Bl. Rosalind of Villeneuve [Roseline] (French, noblewoman, Carthusian contemplative nun, mystic, died at about age 61 in 1329 [incorruptible] [beatified 1851])
St. Sabinus of Piacenza (Italian, papal legate, bishop, d. 420)
Sts. Speusippus, Eleusippus, Meleusippus, and Leonilla, of Cappadocia (from Asia Minor [now called Turkey], family members, martyred in 175)
St. Sulpicius Pius of Berry [Sulpice "le Debonnaire"] (French, army chaplain, bishop of Bourges, d. 647)

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 messages from the old, obsolete "saints" thread for this day of the year, so that the old thread can later be deleted. JFG]

I see that Blessed Roseline de Villeneuve's body is incorruptible, so I decided to do a search on google.com with her name to see what more information could be found. I found this link. Interesting story about her life, and it is amazing for someone to be dead 673 years and to be preserved from corruption.

She is only "blessed" I see. It is my understanding that you need three miracles as part of the process for canonization? I was in discussion recently with someone who said only one is needed. Do you know John what it is?

Does "blessed" mean that we believe them to be in heaven, like a saint, or that they lived a blessed life?

Gordon

-- G Vink -- January 18, 2002.

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Jmj

I'll meet you halfway, Gordon. Not 1 nor 3, but 2 miracles.
For non-martyrs, one approved, posthumous miracle is required for beatification, and a second one is required for canonization. (The pope can waive the requirement for martyrs.) This is based on rather new regulations. Previously, more authenticated miracles were required.

There are quite a large number of incorrupt saints and blesseds. (See the book "Incorruptibles" by Joan Cruz, not just Bl. Roseline.)

When a person is beatified ("blessed"), the Church makes a firm statement that he/she is in heaven, and a feastday is assigned. However, the distinction between this and canonization is explained by the old Catholic Encyclopedia as follows:
"Canonization is a precept of the [pope] commanding public veneration to be paid an individual by the universal Church. ...
"[B]eatification ... differs from canonization in that [beatification] implies a locally restricted, not a universal, permission to venerate, which is a mere permission, and [not a] precept; while canonization implies a universal precept."

God bless you.
John

-- January 18, 2002.

-- J. F. Gecik ("jfgecik@hotmail.com), December 27, 2004

Answers

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-- (God@Bless.OurSaints), January 17, 2005.