Commemoration of Saints (March 22)

Solemnities, Feasts, Obligatory and Optional Memorials, and Traditional Dates of Commemoration

• Paul of Narbonne and Companions
• Basil of Ancyra, martyr
• Deogratias, bishop
• Benvenuto of Osimo, bishop
• Nicholas of Flue
• Nicholas Owen, martyr [1]

Today, March 22, the Catholic Church commemorates a group of missionaries, 2 martyrs, 2 bishops, and 1 hermit.

St. Paul of Narbonne (d. ca. 290 A.D.) was with a group of missionaries (7 bishops) that were sent to Gaul from Rome to preach the gospel. He founded several churches and was closely associated with Narbonne [2]. Very little sources are extant to determine the life and work of St. Paul of Narbonne. One source says that he was martyred together with St. Denis but he survived to establish the church at Narbonne and became its first bishop. St. Paul of Narbonne may have died of natural causes [3].

Saints in the Byzantine Calendar [March 22]

• St. Basil, Priest-Martyr, Presbyter of the Church in Ancyra
• Venerable Isaak, Monk [2]

St. Basil of Ancyra (d. ca. 362 A.D.) should not be confused with St. Basil the Great of Caesarea, Cappadocia, in Asia Minor. Although both lived and worked in the same century, in locations in Asia Minor, and fought against Arianism, St. Basil of Ancyra was a hieromartyr and priest, while St. Basil the Great was a bishop and a doctor of the Church.

St. Basil of Ancyra fought well against Arianism. He encouraged his followers to cling firmly to the orthodox tenets of the Christian faith. Because of this St. Basil was deposed from his priestly rank by a local Arian council. However, a Council of 230 bishops in Palestine reinstated him. St. Basil of Ancyra was also under Bishop Marcellus. He defended Bishop Marcellus when the bishop was deposed by the Arians. As a result, he was tortured and then executed during the reign of Julian the Apostate [2][4].

St. Basil of Ancyra is both commemorated this day, March 22, in the calendar of the Catholic Church and in the Byzantine Calendar.

References: Books, Websites & AI Search Results

• [1] Pocket Catholic Dictionary, John A. Hardon
• [2] Dictionary of Saints, John J. Delaney
• [3] Paul of Narbonne, En.Wikipedia.org
• [4] AI Overview for search query St. Basil, Priest-Martyr, Presbyter of the Church in Ancyra, Google.com, March 22, 2025

Commemoration of Saints (March 21)

Solemnities, Feasts, Obligatory and Optional Memorials, and Traditional Dates of Commemoration

• Serapion, bishop
• Enda, abbot [1]

St. Serapion (d. ca. 370 A.D.) became head of the catechetical school in Alexandria. He also became a hermit in the desert where he became friends with St. Anthony of Egypt. From his place in the desert, he was called to be bishop of Thumis, Lower Egypt.

He accomplished these significant works:

• he actively supported St. Athanasius in the fight against Arianism
• he attended the Council of Sardis in 347 A.D.
• aside from Arianism, he also fought against the Manichaeans
• he wrote a treatise against Manichaeanism and also on the Psalms
• he wrote the Eucholocium, a Sacramentary

St. Serapion may have died in exile because of his fight against Arianism and his support of St. Athanasius in their opposition to that heresy [2].

Saints in the Byzantine Calendar [March 21]

• Jacob, Bishop and Confessor [2]

There are little sources online on St. Jacob, Bishop and Confessor. A search on Microsoft Bing for the search query "Venerable Jacob the Confessor (James the Confessor), Bishop, of the Studion" has a link which shows websites and images referring to St. Jacob the Confessor: Oca.org, Byzantinela.com, En.Wikipedia.org, Orthodoxtimes.com [3]

References: Books, Websites & AI Search Results

• [1] Pocket Catholic Dictionary, John A. Hardon
• [2] Dictionary of Saints, John J. Delaney
• [3] Search results for search query "Venerable Jacob the Confessor...", Microsoft Bing.com, March 21, 2025

Commemoration of Saints (March 20)

Solemnities, Feasts, Obligatory and Optional Memorials, and Traditional Dates of Commemoration

• Photina and Companions, martyrs
• Martin of Braga, bishop
• Cuthbert, bishop
• Herbert, priest
• Wulfram, bishop
• The Martyrs of Mar Saba [1]

Today the Catholic Church commemorates 2 groups of martyrs, 3 bishops, and 1 priest.

There are two Saints mentioned in this roster that lived in the same era and also worked together: St. Cuthbert and St. Herbert. Venerable Bede, a well-known writer and doctor of the Church, wrote that St. Cuthbert was a Briton (other sources say he may have been a Scot or even Irish).

St. Cuthbert (d. ca. 687 A.D.) became a monk at Melrose Abbey. He did missionary work and was transferred to become prior of Lindisfarne. Before he was made bishop of the see in Lindisfarne, he received permission to live as a hermit in an island near Bamborough.

Living as a hermit on an island may have been the time when he also worked with St. Herbert (d. ca. 687). Herbert, who became Cuthbert's disciple, was a priest and lived on an island in Lake Derwentwater, England. This island was thereafter named St. Herbert's Island in his honor.

In about the year 685 A.D., St. Cuthbert was busy in administering the see of Lindisfarne and cared for the sick that decimated the population of his diocese. He did this in the last two years of his life before his death in ca. 687 A.D. St. Cuthbert was known for working numerous miracles of healing and for having the gift of prophecy [2].

More on the lives of the Saints commemorated on March 20

Saints in the Byzantine Calendar [March 20]

• Martyrs of the Monastery of St. Sabbas [2]

References: Books, Websites & AI Search Results

• [1] Pocket Catholic Dictionary, John A. Hardon
• [2] Dictionary of Saints, John J. Delaney