Memorial of Saints (January 9)

Feasts, Obligatory and Optional Memorials of Saints

St. Marciana was a Christian from Mauritania, in the West coast of Africa. Accused as a Christian during the rule of Emperor Diocletian, she was arrested and brought to gladiators who tried to rape her. Her virginity however was miraculously preserved. But eventually, she was sent to the ampitheater where she was killed by a wild bull and a leopard (died ca. 303 A.D.).

Sts. Julian and Basilissa (his wife), used their home as a hospital to care for the poor and the sick. After St. Basilissa's death, Julian was arrested as a Christian during the persecutions under Emperor Diocletian. St. Julian was martyred together with a priest, and a mother and her child (died ca. 304 A.D.).

St. Peter of Sebastea is a brother of St. Basil (who founded Eastern monasticism). Peter entered a monastery in Armenia and eventually became its abbot in 362 A.D. In 380 A.D., he became bishop of Sebastea. As bishop, he worked against the Arian heresy and attended well the General Council of Constantinople (died ca. 391 A.D.).

St. Waningus left his position as a governor in Neustria to devote his life to God after a dream he experienced. In the dream, St. Eulalia of Barcelona warned him of the difficulties a rich man will have in entering the Kingdom of God. Because of this warning in a dream, St. Waningus left his political life, and together with St. Wandrille, helped to found an abbey, a church, and a convent (died ca. 683 A.D.).

St. Adrian of Canterbury became abbot of a monastery near Naples, Italy. St. Theodore, who became archbishop of Canterbury, appointed Adrian to be abbot of St. Augustine's monastery. As abbot of this monastery, the monastery became renowned as a center of learning. When St. Adrian's tomb was exhumed, his body was found to be incorrupt (died ca. 710 A.D.).

St. Berhtwald of Canterbury became abbot of Reculver in Kent, England. He succeeded St. Theodore as archbishop of Canterbury. Berhtwald was archbishop for thirty-seven years. He was noted to be a very good scripture scholar (died ca. 731 A.D.).

Saints in the Byzantine Calendar [January 9]

• St. Polyeucte, Martyr
• Eustratius, Venerable

January 9 in the Philippines commemorates the Feast of the Black Nazarene.

In Tagalog the feast is called "Pista ng Itím na Nazareno". Officially and liturgically it is the National Feast of Jesus Nazareno, a religious festival held in Manila, Philippines. It is also known as the Traslación after the mass procession associated with the feast. Centered around the statue of the Black Nazarene, an image of Jesus Christ, is carried along the streets of Manila proper atop an engineless carriage. This carriage is surrounded every year by more than a million devotees, with devotees near the carriage exerting efforts to ride the carriage to get closer to the statue. They do this by as an act of faith in the miraculous powers of the Black Nazarene. Learn more at Wikipedia.org

Memorial of Saints (January 8)

St. Severinus of Noricum was an ascetic. He loved the contemplative life and also his mission among the Roman peoples of Noricum in Austria. From his life and mission in Noricum, he moved on to become superior of different monasteries - teaching his monks love for the poor, the sick and the oppressed. St. Severinus was also known for his prophecies and his miracles. One of his miracles was to help the famine-stricken city of Faviana. Through his intercessory prayers, the ice in the river Danube (next to Faviana) cracked. Because of this miracle, the city acknowledged him as their wonder-worker (died ca. 533 A.D.).

St. Apollinaris the Apologist defended the faith through a letter he sent to the Emperor Marcus Aurelius (ca. 161-180 A.D.). Apollinaris pointed out that a recent military victory had been achieved mainly because of the Emperor's twelfth legion - which was composed mainly of Christian soldiers. Apollinaris argued that both the prayers and the fighting skills of these Christian soldiers contributed much to the victory of the Emperor. The prayers of the Christian soldiers produced a miraculous rain shower that quenched their thirst. When this rain shower then turned into a thunderstorm, it blinded and then frightened the Emperor's opponents (died ca. 179 A.D.).

St. Lawrence Giustiniani was an archbishop of Venice known for his concern for the poor. Early in life, he entered an Augustinian monastery and was ordained priest in 1046 A.D. He eventually became superior general of the Augustinian canons from 1424-1431 A.D. As general, he wrote works of an ascetical and mystical nature. When he became archbishop, his episcopate was noted for its austerity and charity to the poor -in the form of food and clothing (died ca. 1455 A.D.).

St. Lucian of Beauvais was a missionary in Gaul. Catholic tradition tells us that he is a companion of St. Denis of Paris. Lucian was made bishop of Beauvais. He was martyred there together with Maximian and Julian. Lucian's companions were martyred earlier before his own execution (died ca. 290 A.D.).

St. Severinus of Septempeda was the brother of St. Victorinus. Severinus became bishop of Septempeda in Ancona, Italy. The area in which he administered his see was later on to be known as San Severino (died ca. 550 A.D.).

St. Erhard was an Irishman. Tradition says he became auxiliary bishop of Ratisbon and then abbot of Ebersheimmünster Abbey. Nothing more is known of St. Erhard save for these little biographical details about his life (died ca. 686 A.D.).

St. Gudula was educated at Nivelles under her cousin St. Gertrude. After her cousin Gertrude's death in 664 A.D., she returned to the family castle near Morzelles. It was here that she led a holy life dedicated to God until her death. She was noted for her help to the poor in her area and became patroness of Brussels (died ca. 712 A.D.).

St. Pega was the sister of St. Guthlac. She lived a secluded life near her brother's hermitage at Croyland in the Fens in England. She was reputed to have cured a blind man. After her brother's death, she made a pilgrimage to Rome where she passed away (died ca. 719 A.D.).

St. Thorfinn was a Norwegian who became a canon of the cathedral at Nidaros. In time, he became bishop of Hamar. His support of the archbishop of Nidaros against King Eric caused his exile. In his exile he experienced a shipwreck, but was eventually able to reach the Cistercian abbey of Ter Doest near Flanders. His life was commemorated in a poem written by Walter de Muda (died ca. 1285 A.D.).

Other Saints celebrated on January 8 in the Roman Calendar

• St. Wulsin, bishop

Saints in the Byzantine Calendar [January 8]

• Venerable George the Chozebite, Abbot and St. Emilian the Confessor, Bishop of Cyzikus
• Venerable Dominika of Carthage
• Sts. Juliana and Basilissa, Martyrs
• Afterfeast of the Theophany of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ
• Venerable Gregory the Recluse, of the Kiev Caves
• Hieromartyr Isidore and 72 others at Yuriev, Estonia
• Saint Paisius of Uglich
• Saint Carterius of Caesarea in Cappadocia
• Martyrs Theophilus the Deacon, and Helladius, in Libya
• Martyrs Julian and his wife, Basilissa, and those with them in Egypt
• Venerable Elias the Hermit, of Egypt
• Martyr Abo the Perfumer, of Tbilisi, Georgia
• Venerable Gregory of Ochrid
• Learn more

St. Isidore the Hieromartyr was a priest in Derpto, Estonia. There was a treaty between Moscow and Livonia that obligated protection for the Orthodox believers in Yuriev, Estonia (now present-day Derpto). The Livonian knights, who were German Catholics, broke the treaty and forced the Orthodox believers to become Roman Catholics. St. Isidore bravely stood his ground in defense of Orthodoxy. When St. Isidore and 72 of his parishioners went to bless the waters of the River Omovzha (or Emaiyga, now Emajogi) for the Feast of Theophany, they were arrested. St. Isidore and his 72 parishioners refused to renounce Christ or the Orthodox Faith. Enraged by this, the authorities had them thrown into prison.

The bishops and the judges demanded that they convert to Catholicism. When they still refused to do so, they were dragged back to the river and pushed through the hole in the ice that they had cut to bless the water. So they all suffered and died for Christ, Who bestowed on them crowns of unfading glory. During the spring floods, the incorrupt bodies of the holy martyrs, including the fully-vested body of the hieromartyr Isidore, were found by Russian merchants journeying along the river bank. They buried the saints around the church of Saint Nicholas. Although people began to venerate these saints shortly after their death, they were not officially glorified by the Church until 1897 A.D.

Memorial of Saints (January 7)

Feasts, Obligatory and Optional Memorials of Saints

• Raymond of Penafort, priest
• Lucian of Antioch, martyr
• Valentine, bishop
• Tillo
• Aldric, bishop
• Reinold
• Canute Lavard
• Kentigerna, widow

St. Raymond of Penafort (1175-1275 A.D.) was born into a noble family. His 100 years of life had the opportunity to accomplish many things. Given an excellent education, he taught philosophy in Barcelona by the age of twenty. Ten years later, he earned a doctorate in both canon and civil law.

In 1222 A.D., he entered the Dominican order. St. Raymond became noted for his preaching and for converting heretics, Jews, and Moors, as well as reforming Christians who have fallen-away because of their slavery to the Moors. One office Raymond was called to be responsible for was to be Pope Gregory IX's confessor. In 1235 A.D., the pope named Raymond as Archbishop of Tarragona - a position St. Raymond did not want. In 1238 A.D., he was elected master general of the Dominican order. He resigned at the age of sixty-five but did not retire as he resumed his work of preaching and converting and establishing friaries in Spain and North Africa. St. Raymond of Penafort died on January 6, 1275 A.D. and was canonized in 1601 A.D.

St. Raymond of Penafort is one of the Saints who lived to 100 years, Learn more

Saints in the Byzantine Calendar [January 7]

• Synaxis of St. John, the glorious Prophet

The Greek and Russian Orthodox Churches celebrate a feast in honor of John the Baptist on this day, January 7.