Jmj

On February 19, 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. Auxibius of Soli (Cypriot, bishop, 1st century)
St. Barbatus of Benevento (Italian, bishop, died at about age 71 in 682)
St. Beatus of Liébana (Spanish, Benedictine monk, d. 789)
St. Belina of Troyes (French, peasant, virgin, martyred defending her chastity in 1135 [canonized 1203])
St. Boniface of Brussels (Belgian, university lecturer, bishop of Lausanne in Switzerland, chaplain to nuns, d. 1265 [beatified 1702])
St. Conrad Confalonieri of Piacenza [Corrado] (Italian, Franciscan tertiary, hermit, died at about age 60 c. 1350 [canonized 1625])
St. Gabinus of Rome (Italian, nobleman, brother of a pope, father of a saint, priest, martyred by starvation c. 295)
Bl. George Kaszyra of Aleksandrowo [Jerzy] (Polish, Marianist priest, martyred by Nazis [burned to death] at Rosica [Poland] at age 38 in 1943 [beatified 1999])
St. George of Lodève (Spanish, Benedictine monk in France, bishop, c. 884)
Bl. Joseph Zaplata of Jerka [Józef] (Polish, member of Congregation of Christian Brothers, martyred by Nazis at Dachau [Germany] at age 40 in 1945 [beatified 1999])
St. Lucy Yi Zhen-mei of Mianyang (Chinese, virgin, school teacher, catechist, martyred at age 46 in 1862 [beatified 1909, canonized 2000])
St. Mansuetus of Milan (Italian, bishop, fought Monothelite heresy, c. 690)
St. Mesrob the Teacher, of Taron (Armenian, civil servant, hermit, priest, missionary in Georgia, developed written Armenian alphabet, translated New Testament, died at about age 94 in 439)
St. Odran (Irish, chariot driver for St. Patrick, martyred c. 452)
Holy Martyrs of Palestine (Palestinian, hermits, martyred by Muslims c. 509)
Sts. Publius, Julian, Marcellus, and companions (African, early martyrs)
St. Valerius of Antibes (French, bishop, c. 450)
St. Zambdas of Jerusalem (Palestinian, bishop, c. 304)

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), February 19, 2005

Answers

-- ("jfgecik@hotmail.com), February 19, 2005.

CORRECTION: The Holy Martyrs of Palestine were not martyred by Moslems/Muslims. The religion known as Islam did not yet exist in 509. The hermits were martyred by "Saracens." My mistake was to change that term to "Moslems" (which is what "Saracens" later equated to). However, in 509, the "Saracens" were just an Arab tribe in the Sinai peninsula.

Thanks to N.S. for indirectly calling this error to my attention by asking me if I might have the date (509) wrong.
JFG

-- ("jfgecik@hotmail.com), February 19, 2005.

St. Porten is not mentioned here. He was a soldier in the roman army. I forgot the historical time but I think it was about 3rd century.

-- Tom Atkins (TomFrey4@air.net), February 19, 2005.