Memorial of Saints (October 28)

Feasts, Obligatory and Optional Memorials of Saints

• St. Simon, apostle
• St. Jude, apostle
• Anastasia and Cyril, martyrs;
• Fidelis of Como, martyr;
• Salvius or Saire;
• Faro, bishop

Simon (died 1st c. A.D.): called the "Canaanite" and also "the Zealot," an anti-Roman party; possibly preached in Egypt and Persia; mentioned in the Roman canon.

Jude, or Thaddeus ("Courageous") (died 1st c. A.D.): may have preached in Palestine and Persia; mentioned in the Roman Canon; patron of those in despair, or in hopeless situations (perhaps because of the similarity of his name with that of Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus and despaired.)

St. Faro (d. ca. 672 A.D.) was the brother of St. Chainoaldus and St. Burgundofara. He married. When he was thirty-five, he and his wife, by agreement, separated, and in time he became a monk at Meaux. He was ordained and about ca. 628 A.D., he was named bishop of Meaux. He was noted for his aid to the needy and for the many conversions he accomplished.

Memorial of Saints (October 27)

Feasts, Obligatory and Optional Memorials of Saints

• Frumentius, bishop;
• Otteran or Odhran, abbot

St. Frumentius (d. ca. 380 A.D.), his brother Aedesius and their teacher Meropius were able to survive being killed by natives when their ship stopped off at Ethiopia. They were taken to the King and made members of his court. Upon the death of the King, they were given back their freedom and helped the widowed Queen rule the country. They introduced Christianity and brought in traders from the West. When the King's sons came of age, Frumentius and Aedesius resigned their posts and Aedesius went back to Tyre where he was ordained. Frumentius on the other hand went to Alexandria to ask St. Athanasius to send a missionary to the country he had just left. St. Athanasius consecrated Frumentius bishop of the Ethiopians and sent him back. Back in Ethiopia, St. Frumentius made numerous converts including the two sons of the King.

Related blog post

• St. Athanasius of Alexandria, Archbishop who consecrated St. Frumentius, Learn more

30th Sunday of the Year (B)

(Edited) Reflections for 30th Sunday of the Year (B), October 28, 2012
Jeremiah 31:7-9
Psalm 126
Hebrews 5:1-6
Mark 10:46-52

To be posted and published soon.