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On January 23, 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:

Sts. Agathangelus of Rome and Clement of Ancyra (Italian and Galatian [from what is now part of Turkey], deacon and bishop, martyred c. 309)
St. Amasius of Teano (Greek, bishop in Italy, d. 356)
St. Asclas of Antinoe (Egyptian, martyred by drowning c. 287)
Bl. Bernard of Lyonnais (French, nobleman, army officer of Charlemagne, Benedictine abbot, archbishop of Vienne, died at about age 63 in 842 [beatified 1907])
Bl. Bernard of Lippe [Bernhard] (German, Cistercian abbot, bishop of Semgallen, d. 1217)
St. Colman of Lismore (Irish, bishop, c. 702)
St. Emerentiana of Rome (Italian, catechumen who received "baptism of blood," foster-sister of St. Agnes, virgin, martyred by stoning [for praying at Agnes's tomb] c. 304)
St. Eusebius of Mount Coryphe (Syrian, hermit, 4th century)
St. Ildephonsus of Toledo (Spanish, nobleman, abbot, archbishop, Marian writer, died at about age 60 in 667)
St. John the Almsgiver of Arnathus (Cypriot, patriarch [bishop] of Alexandria, died at about age 66 c. 619)
St. Lufthildis of Cologne (German, hermitess, c. 850)
St. Maimbod (Irish, pilgrim, missionary, died in France c. 880)
St. Martyrius of Valeria (Italian, hermit, martyred in 6th century)
Bl. Nicholas Gross of Niederwenigern-an-der-Ruhr [Nikolaus] (German, layman, father, union activist, opponent of Nazis, martyred by hanging at age 46 in 1945 [beatified 2001])
St. Ormond of Mairé (French, abbot, 6th century)
St. Parmenas (Israelite? one of the seven original deacons [Acts 6:5], martyred in Macedonia c. 98)
Sts. Severian and Aquila (African, possibly husband and wife, early martyrs)

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), January 23, 2005

Answers

-- ("jfgecik@hotmail.com), January 23, 2005.

I have the same name as the saint. My orthodox Jewish family emigrated from Vienna to UK in the early 1800's as far as I know. Do you have any geneological information about the Catholic Saint? Many Thanks, Nicholas Gross MD PhD

-- Nicholas Jacob Gross (nicholas.gross@med.va.gov), February 22, 2005.