The Martyrology of the Sacred Order of Friars Preachers
JUNE
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 The First Day of June
At Rome, St. Juventius, martyr.
At Autun, SS. Reverian, bishop, and Paul, priest, with ten others, who were crowned with martyrdom under the Emperor Aurelian.
At Caesarea in Palestine, St. Pamphilus, priest and martyr, a man of admirable holiness, learning, and bounty to the poor. In the persecution of Galerius Maximian, under the governor Urban, Pamphilus was tortured and cast into prison because of his Christian religion. Under Firmilian, he was again subjected to torture, and in company with others suffered martyrdom. At that time, there suffered also Valens, deacon, Paul, and nine others, but their remembrance is kept on other days.
In Cappadocia, St. Thespesius, martyr. Under the Emperor Alexander and the prefect Simplicius, he was tortured and then beheaded.
In Egypt, the holy martyrs Isychrion, an army general, and five other soldiers. They were slain for their faith by different kinds of death in the reign of the Emperor Diocletian.
Likewise, St. Firmus, martyr. In the persecution of Maximian, he was subjected to a most vicious scourging, struck with stones, and at last beheaded.
At Perugia, the holy martyrs Felinus and Gratinian, soldiers. They were subjected to various tortures under Decius, and obtained by a glorious death the palm of martyrdom.
At Bologna, St. Proculus, martyr, who suffered under the Emperor Maximian.
At Amelia in Umbria, St. Secundus, martyr who, at the time of Diocletian, was cast into the Tiber, and so suffered martyrdom.
At Tifernum in Umbria, St. Crescentia, a Roman soldier, crowned with martyrdom under the same Emperor.
In the monastery of Laurence in Gaul, St. Carassius, abbot.
In the monastery of Onia at Burgos in Spain, St. Eneco, a Benedictine abbot, noted for holiness and the glory of miracles.
At Montefalco in Umbria, St. Fortunatus, priest, famed for virtue and miracles.
At Treves, St. Simeon, monk, who was numbered among the saints by Pope Benedict IX.
The Second Day of June
At Sandomir, the suffering of forty-nine martyrs of the Order of Preachers. They were warned by these selfsame words (miraculously) inserted in the martyrology the day before, and while they were in the church singing to the Mother of God, the infidels put them all to death at the same time. A semi-duplex feast.
At Rome, the birthday of the holy martyrs, Marcellinus, priest, and Peter, exorcist. At the time of Diocletian, the judge Serenus cast them into prison where they converted many to the faith. After suffering from the cruel chains and many other torments, they were beheaded at a place called the Black Forest. Later, the place was renamed the White Forest in honor of the saints. Their bodies were buried in a crypt near St. Tiburtius. Pope St. Damasus afterward adorned their sepulchre with verses. A memory.
In Campania, St. Erasmus, bishop and martyr. In the reign of the Emperor Diocletian, he was first scourged with leaded whips, and then severely beaten with clubs. Though molten resin, sulphur, lead, pitch, wax, and oil were poured over him, he remained uninjured. Then, at Formia under Maximian, he was again subjected to various inhuman tortures, but God preserved him for the strengthening of others. At last., the Lord called him and, famed for his martyrdom, he met a holy death. His body was later transferred to Gaeta.
At Lyons in Gaul, the holy martyrs Pothinus, bishop, Sanctus, deacon, Vetius Epagathus, Maturus, Ponticus, Biblis, Attalus, Alexander, and Blandina, with many others. Their mi hty and repeated contests are confirmed by a letter written from the Church of Lyons to the Churches of Asia and Phrygia, in the reign of Marcus Aurelius Antoninus and Lucius Verus. Among these martyrs was St. Blandina, who though weaker because of her sex, more feeble in body, and less spirited because of her servile state, underwent more prolonged and sharper trials. However, her courage did not fall, and when her throat was cut, she followed (to Heaven) the other martyrs whom she had encouraged to victory.
On the island of Proconnesus in the Sea of Marmora, St. Nicephorus, Bishop of Constantinople. He was a most zealous fighter for the traditions of the Fathers and constantly opposed Leo the Armenian, the Iconoclast emperor, in regard to the veneration of the sacred images. On this account he was exiled by him and, after a long martyrdom of fourteen years, departed to the Lord.
At Rome, St. Eugenius I, pope and confessor.
At Trani in Apulia, St. Nicholas Peregrinus, confessor, whose miracles were recited in a Roman Council over which Pope St. Urban II presided.
The Third Day of June
In the province of Fukien, in a city of the Chinese Empire, five blessed martyrs of the Order of Preachers: Peter Sanz, Bishop of Mauricastro and Vicar Apostolic of Fukien, Francis Serrano, Bishop-elect of Ilipasa, John Alcobar, Joachim Royo, and Francis Diaz. They undertook extraordinary labors to propagate and protect the faith. After prolonged imprisonment and countless horrible tortures, Blessed Peter was beheaded; the rest were suffocated or strangled. Thus all gained the palm of triumph. A duplex feast.
At Arezzo in Tuscany, the holy martyrs Pergentinus and Laurentinus, brothers. In the persecution of Decius, under the governor Tiburtius, although the brothers were yet boys, they endured fearful torments and performed great miracles. They were slain by the sword.
At Constantinople, the holy martyrs Lucillian and four boys: Claudius, Hypatius, Paul, and Dionysius. Lucillian had been a pagan priest before becoming a Christian. After they had undergone various torments by order of the governor Silvanus, they were thrust into a furnace, but a shower of rain put out the fire and they all came forth uninjured. Finally, Lucillian was crucified while the boys were beheaded.
At Cordoba in Spain, Blessed Isaac, monk, who was slain with the sword for the faith of Christ.
At Constantuilople, St. Paula, virgin and martyr. While gathering up the blood of the martyrs Lucillian and his companions, she was arrested, beaten with rods, and cast into the fire. As she came forth uninjured, she was beheaded in the same place where St. Lucillian had been crucified.
At Carthage, St. Cecilius, priest, who converted St. Cyprian to the faith of Christ.
In the territory of Orleans, St. Liphard, priest and confessor.
At Anagni, St. Olive, virgin.
At Paris, St. Clotilde, queen, by whose prayers her husband Clovis, King of the Franks, received the faith of Christ.
The Fourth Day of June
At Agnone in the Abruzzi, the confessor St. Francis, of the noble Caracciolo family of Naples. He was founder of the Congregation of Minor Clerks Regular. He burned with a wondrous love for God and his neighbor and with a most ardent zeal for the propagation of the cult of the Holy Eucharist. He was inscribed in the canon of the saints by the Sovereign Pontiff, Pius VII. The body of the saint was removed to Naples where it is religiously venerated. A duplex feast.
At Rome, the holy martyrs Aretius and Dacian.
At Sisak in Illyria, St. Quirinus, bishop. Under the governor Galerius, as Prudentius writes, he was cast for his faith into a river with a millstone tied to his neck. But the stone floated, and he exhorted the surrounding Christians at great length that they should not be terrified at his torture nor shaken in the faith. That he might attain the glory of martyrdom, he obtained from God by his prayers that he might be drowned.
At Milan, St. Clateus, Bishop of Brescia and martyr. By order of the, prefect of that city, in the reign of the Emperor Nero, he was arrested and, because he would not renounce Christ, he was severely scourged and beheaded.
In Hungary, the holy martyrs Rutilus and his companions.
At Tivoli, St. Quirinus, martyr.
At Arras in Gaul, St. Saturnina, virgin and martyr.
At Constantinople, St. Metrophanes, a famous bishop and confessor.
At Milevi in Numidia, St. Optatus, bishop, noteworthy for learning and holiness. The holy Fathers of the Church, Augustine and Fulgentius, sang his praises.
At Verona, St. Alexander, bishop.
The Fifth Day of June
At Venice, Blessed James Salomoni of the Order of Preachers. Desiring to imitate in all things the example of our Father St. Dominic, he unceasingly cultivated virginity, humility, and charity toward God and his neighbor. God endowed him with the gift of prophecy and made him renowned for his power of working miracles. His feast was first sanctioned by several popes for Forli and Venice; then Gregory XV extended it to the whole Order of Preachers.A semi-duplex feast.
In Friesland, St. Boniface, Bishop of Mainz and martyr. He came from England to Rome, and was sent by Pope Gregory II into Germany to preach the faith of Christ to those nations. He brought a great multitude of them, particularly of the Frisians, under the yoke of the Christian religion, and merited to be called the Apostle of the Germans. Finally, he
was slain by the sword in Friesland, at the hands of enraged heathens; he suffered martyrdom together with Eoban his fellow-bishop, and certain other servants of God.
At Tyre, in Phoenicia, St. Dorotheus, priest, who suffered much under Diocletian, but survived until the time of Julian. During the latter's reign, Dorothcus, now one hundred and seven years old, dignified his venerable old age with martyrdom.
In Egypt, the birthday of the holy martyrs Marcian, Nicanor, Apollonius, and others, who completed an illustrious martyrdom in the persecution of Galerius Maximian.
At Perugia, the holy martyrs Florentius, Julian, Cyriacus, Marcellinus, and Faustinus, who were beheaded in the persecution of Decius.
At Cordoba in Spain, Blessed Sancho, a young man. Although this youth had been brought up at the royal court, he did not hesitate during a Moslem persecution to undergo martyrdom for the Christian faith.
At Caesarea in Palestine, the suffering of SS. Zenais, Cyria, Valeria, and Marcia, who through many torments joyfully attained martyrdom.
The Sixth Day of June
At Magdeburg, St. Norbert, bishop of that city, confessor, and founder of the Premonstratensian Order. A duplex feast.
At Caesarea in Palestine, the birthday of blessed Philip, who was one of the first seven deacons (of the Church of Jerusalem).(1) He was renowned for miracles and prodigies. He converted Samaria to the faith of Christ, baptized the eunuch of Candace, Queen of the Ethiopians, and then died at Caesarea. Near him lie buried three of his daughters, virgins and prophetesses; a fourth daughter, who was endowed with the gifts of the Holy Ghost to a high degree, died at Ephesus.
At Rome, St. Artemius, with his wife Candida and his daughter Paulina. Artemius, at the preaching and miracles of St. Peter the Exorcist, believed in Christ, and was baptized with all his household by St. Marcellinus, priest. At the command of the governor Serenus, he was flogged with leaden-tipped whips and then slain by the sword. His wife and daughter were driven into a crypt which was then filled with stones and rubble.
In the country of Bologna, St. Alexander, martyr and Bishop of Fiesole. He was on his way back from the town of Pavia, where he had claimed, in the presence of the King of the Lombards, the goods of his church against those who had usurped them, when he was seized by these same usurpers, who cast him into the Rhine river and drowned him.
At Tarsus in Cilicia, twenty holy martyrs. In the reign of Diocletian and Maximian, under Simplicius the judge, they glorified God in their bodies by various torments.
At Noyon in Gaul, the holy martyrs Amantius, Alexander, and their companions.
At Milan, the death of St. Eustorgius II, bishop and confessor.
At Verona, the Bishop St. John.
At Besanpn in Gaul, St. Claudius, bishop.
The Seventh Day of June
At Constantinople, the birthday of St. Paul, bishop of that city. He was often driven from his see by the Arians on account of his Catholic faith; he was restored to it by St. Julius I, the Roman Pontiff. Finally, he was exiled by the Arian Emperor Constantius to Cucusus, a little town in Cappadocia, and there passed to Heaven, being cruelly strangled as a result of the plots of the Arians. His body was transferred to Constantinople with great honor in the reign of Theodosius.
At Cordoba in Spain, the holy martyr monks, Peter, priest, Wallabonsus, deacon, Sabinianus, Wistremund, Habentius, and Jeremias. Because of their Christian faith, their throats were cut in the Arab persecution.
At Hermopolis in Egypt, St. Licarion, martyr. He was mangled, beaten with red-hot iron bars and subjected to other inhuman cruelties. Finally, he was put to the sword.
In England, St. Robert, abbot, of the Cistercian Order. +
The Eighth Day of June
At Aix in Gaul, St. Maximin, who was the first bishop of that city, and was believed to have been a disciple of the Lord.
On the same day, St. Calliopa, martyr. For her faith, she received the palm of martyrdom. She was mutilated, her flesh was burned, and then she was rolled on sherds. Finally, she gained the palm of martyrdom by being beheaded.
At York in England, St. William, bishop and confessor. Among other miracles that were manifested at his tomb was the raising of three men from the dead. He was placed on the roll of the saints by Honorius III.
At Soissons in Gaul, the birthday of St. Medard, Bishop of Noyon whose life and death were approved by glorious miracles. A memory.
At Rouen, St. Gildard, bishop, twin brother of the same St. Medard. Not only was he born on the same day, but he was consecrated bishop on the same day, and on the same day was withdrawn from this life, so that together they entered Heaven.
At Sens, St. Heraclius, bishop.
At Metz in Gaul, St. Clodulph, bishop.
In Piceno (in Italy), St. Severinus, Bishop of San Severino.
In Sardinia, St. Sallustian, confessor.
At Camerino, St. Victorinus, confessor, who was the brother of the aforesaid St. Severinus, Bishop of San Severino.
The Ninth Day of June
At Bologna in Acmilia (Italy), Blessed Diana d'Andalo, virgin, of the Order of Preachers. While yet living in the world, she made, in the presence of St. Dominic, a vow of virginity, and also one of entering the religious life. After his death, she courageously overcame the determined opposition of her relatives and founded, in the same city, the monastery of St. Agnes. Here she lived a most holy life for thirteen years, ind after her death was noted for her miracles.
Likewise at Bologna, the Blessed Cecilia and Amata, virgins, of the Order of Preachers. They received the habit from St. Dominic himself and made their profession to him in the monastery of St. Sixtus at Rome. Later they were sent by Pope Honorius III to Bologna that they might be companions to Blessed Diana in the monastery of St. Agnes and assist her in carrying out the correct and holy practices of religious life. In: death, they rest in glory with her in the same tomb.A semi-duplex least.
At Nomento in the Sabine Hills, the birthday of the holy martyrs Primus and Felician, brothers, in the reign of the Emperors Diocletian and Maximian. These glorious martyrs passed a long life in the service of the Lord. After enduring severe tortures, sometimes alike for them both, at other times different, they at length completed the course of their happy warfare, for they were beheaded by Promotus, governor of Nomento. The bodies of these martyrs were afterward removed to Rome and honorably buried in the church of St. Stephen the Protomartyr on the Coelian Hill. A memory.
At Agen in Gaul, the suffering of St. Vincent, deacon and martyr. He was most cruelly beaten for the faith of Christ and then beheaded.
At Antioch, St. Pelagia, virgin and martyr, whom SS. Ambrose and John Chrysostom highly praised.
At Syracuse in Sicily, St. Maximian, bishop, whom Pope St. Gregory often mentions.
At Andria in Apulia, St. Richard, who was the first bishop of that city, and was famous for miracles.
On the isle of Iona, Scotland, St. Columba, priest and abbot.
At Edessa in Syria, St. Julian, monk, whose famous deeds the deacon St. Ephrem has described.
The Tenth Day of June
At Buda (in Hungary), the birthday of Blessed John Dominic, Archbishop of Ragusa and cardinal of the Holy Roman Church. He labored greatly to abolish schism and he illumined the Church of God by the sanctity of his morals.A semi-duplex feast.
St. Margaret, widow, Queen of Scotland, who died on November 16.
At Rome on the Via Salaria, the suffering of Blessed Getulius, a man of prominence and learning. He and his wife Symphorosa were the parents of seven brothers, all of them martyrs. Martyred with him were his companions Caerealis, Amantius, and Primitivus. At the command of the Emperor Hadrian, the consul Licinius had them stretched upon the ground and flogged; they were then thrown into prison. Later, they were cast into the flames, but, as they suffered no harm from the fire, they were beaten over the head with clubs, thus completing their martyrdom. Symphorosa, the wife of Getulius, took their bodies and gave them honorable burial in a sandpit on her farm.
Likewise at Rome, on the Via Aurelia, the birthday of SS. Basilides, Tripos, Mandal, and twenty other martyrs, under the Emperor Aurelian and Plato, prefect of the city.
At Naples in Campania, St. Maximus, bishop and martyr. For his strenuous confession of the Nicene faith, he was punished by the Emperor Constantius by being sent into exile. He died there, exhausted by his hardships.
At Prusiada in Bithynia, St. Timothy, bishop and martyr. Under Julian the Apostate, and by his orders, Timothy was beheaded because he refused to deny Christ.
At Cologne, St. Maurinus, abbot and martyr.
At Nicomedia, St. Zacharias, martyr.
In Spain, the holy martyrs Crispulus and Restitutus.
In Africa, the holy martyrs Aresius, Rogatus, and fifteen others.
At Petra in Africa, St. Asterius, bishop. He suffered greatly for the Catholic faith at the hands of the Arians, and was sent into exile in Africa by the Emperor Constantius. He was finally restored to his church, and died a glorious confessor.
At Auxerre, St. Censurius, bishop.
The Eleventh Day of June
At Salamina in Cyprus, the birthday of St. Barnabas the Apostle. A Cyprian by birth, he was ordained with Paul as an Apostle of the Gentiles, and with him he travelled through many regions, exercising the office that had been imposed on him to preach the Gospel. Afterward he went to Cyprus, and there adorned his apostolate with a glorious martyrdom. In the reign of the Emperor Zeno, his body was found through his, own revelation, together with a codex of the Gospel of St. Matthew, written by his own hand. A totum duplex feast.
At Salamanca in Spain, the birthday of St. John of Sahagun, confessor, of the Order of Hermits of St. Augustine. He was renowned for his zeal for the faith, holiness of life, and miracles. His festival is, however, celebrated on the day following.
At Aquileia, the suffering of SS. Felix and Fortunatus, brothers, who were tortured on the rack in the persecution of Diocletian and Maximian.. Lighted torches were applied to their sides, but by the power of God they were extinguished. Then boiling oil was poured into their bodies through the intestines. Since they persisted in confessing Christ, they were at last beheaded.
At Bremen, the birthday of St. Rembert, Bishop of Hamburg and Bremen.
At Treviso, St. Parisius, a citizen of Bologna, confessor and monk of the Camaldolese Order.
At Rome, the transferal of the body of St. Gregory Nazianzen, bishop, confessor, and Doctor of the Church. His holy body had formerly been brought to Rome from Constantinople, and long kept there in the Church of the Mother of God, in the Campus Martius. Pope Gregory XIII transferred it with great honor to a chapel magnificently adorned by him, in the Basilica of St. Peter, and on the day following buried it with due honor beneath the altar. +
The Twelfth Day of June
At Saluzzo in Piedmont, the birthday of Blessed Stephen Bandelli confessor, of our Order. He was renowned for personal holiness, learning, preaching the Word of God, and for miracles. A semi-duplex feast.
St. John of Sahagun, confessor, of the Order of Hermits of St. Augustine, who passed away on June 11.
At Rome, on the Via Aurelia, the birthday of the holy martyrs Basilides, Cyrinus, Nabor, and Nazarius, soldiers. Because they confessed the name of Christ, they were cast into prison in the persecution of Diocletian and Maximian, under the prefect Aurelius. After their bodies had been torn to ribbons by the scorpions (2) (of the executioners), they were beheaded. A memory.
At Nicaea in Bithynia, St. Antonina, martyr. Priscillian, the governor in the same persecution, commanded her to be beaten with clubs, stretched on the rack, her sides to be mangled and burned with fire. At length he ordered her to be slain with the sword.
At Rome, in the Vatican Basilica, Pope St. Leo III. His eyes and his tongue were torn out by wicked men, but God wonderfully restored them.
In Thrace, St. Olympius, bishop, who was driven from his see by the Arians, and died a confessor.
In Cilicia, St. Amphion, bishop, who was an excellent confessor in the time of Galerius Maximian.
In Egypt, St. Onuphrius, hermit. For sixty years he lived a religious life in the vast desert, and, famous for great virtues and merits, passed into heaven. His outstanding deeds were recorded by the Abbot Paphnutius.
The Thirteenth Day of June
At Padua, St. Anthony, a Portuguese priest, of the Order of Friars Minor, confessor and Doctor of the Church. He was illustrious for his life, miracles, and preaching. Pope Gregory IX placed him in the fist of the saints less than one year after his death. A duplex feast.
At Rome, on the Via Ardeatina, the birthday of St. Felicula, virgin, and martyr. Since she refused either to wed Flaccus or to offer sacrifice to idols, she was handed over to a certain judge. When he saw that she was firm in confessing Christ, he starved her in a dark prison, and then had her tortured on the rack for so long a time that she died. Her body was taken down and cast into a sewer. St. Nicomedes, a priest, recovered the body and buried it on the Via Ardeatina.
Among the Pelignians, (3) St. Peregrinus, bishop and martyr. Because of his Catholic faith, he was cast into the river Aterno by the Lombards.
At Cordoba in Spain, St. Fandilas, priest and monk, who underwent martyrdom for Christ's faith in the Moslem persecution by being beheaded.
In Africa, the holy martyrs Fortunatus and Lucian.
At Byblos in Phoenicia, St. Aquilina, virgin and martyr. In the time of, the Emperor Diocletian and the judge Volusianus, this twelve-year old girl, because of her faith, was buffeted and whipped. Red-hot awls were thrust into her. Finally, she consecrated her virginity by martyrdom, being killed with a sword.
In Cyprus, St. Triphyllius, bishop.
The Fourteenth Day of June
St. Basil the Great, confessor and Doctor of the Church. He died on January 1, but his festival is observed today, since he was ordained Bishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia on this day. A duplex feast.
At Samaria in Palestine, St. Eliseus the Prophet, at whose sepulchre, as St. Jerome writes, devils are affrighted; Abdias the Prophet is also buried there.
At Syracuse in Sicily, St. Marcian, bishop, who was ordained bishop by the Apostle St. Peter, and after preaching the Gospel was slain by the Jews.
At Cordoba in Spain, the holy martyrs Anastasius, priest, Felix, monk, and Digna, virgin.
At Soissons in Gaul, St. Valcrius and Rufinus, martyrs, in the persecution of Diocletian. After many torments they were ordered by the governor Rictiovarus to be beheaded.
At Constantinople, St. Methodius, bishop.
At Vienne in Gaul, St. Acthcrius, bishop.
At Rodez in Gaul, St. Quinctianus, bishop.
The Fifteenth Day of June
Near the river Sele in Lucania (Italy), the birthday of the holy martyrs Vitus, Modestus, and Crescentia. They were brought there from Sicily at the time of the Emperor Diocletian. They were placed in a cauldron of boiling lead, exposed to beasts, and tortured on the rack, but by the power of God they died victorious at the end of a glorious test. A feast of three lessons.
At Silistria in Bulgaria, St. Hesychius, soldier. At the time of Maximus, he was arrested together with Blessed Julius, and he was crowned with martyrdom after him.
At Zephyrium in Cilicia, St. Dulas, martyr. Under the governor, Maximus, he was scourged with rods because of his faith in Christ, placed upon a gridiron, and scalded with boiling oil. After suffering other tortures, as a victor he received the palm of martyrdom.
At Cordoba in Spain, St. Benildis, martyr.
At Sibapolis in Mesopotamia, the holy virgins and martyrs Lybe and Leonis, sisters, and Eutropia, a girl twelve years of age. By various tortures, they gained the crown of martyrdom.
At Valenciennes in Gaul, the death of St. Landclin, abbot.
In Auvergne in Gaul, St. Abraham, confessor, illustrious for holiness, and miracles.
At Pibrac in the diocese of Toulouse, St. Germaine Cousin, virgin. She was a shepherdess who lived in humility and poverty. After enduring patiently numerous trials, she went to her heavenly Spouse. After her death she became famed for many miracles, and was enrolled by the Sovereign Pontiff, Pius IX, among the number of holy virgins.
The Sixteenth Day of June
At Mainz, the suffering of SS. Aureus, Justina his sister, and other martyrs. While they were in church at Mass, they were slain by the Huns, who were then devastating Germany.
At Besançon in Gaul, the holy martyrs Ferreolus, priest, and Ferrutio, deacon. They were sent by Bishop St. Irenaeus to preach the Word of God. Afterward, under Claudius the judge, they were tortured with various punishments and died by the sword.
At Tarsus in Cilicia, the holy martyrs Quiricus and his mother Julitta, in the reign of the Emperor Diocletian. Quiricus, a boy of three years, seeing his mother being horribly flogged with thongs in the presence of the governor Alexander, cried with inconsolable grief. For this reason, he was hurled down the steps of the tribunal and killed. Julitta, after an inhuman beating and other severe tortures, completed the course of her martyrdom by being beheaded. A memory.
At Amathus in Cyprus, St. Tycon, bishop, at the time of the younger Theodosius.
At Lyons in Gaul, the death of Blessed Aurelian, Bishop of Arles.
At Nantes in Brittany, St. Similian, bishop and confessor.
At Meissen in Germany, St. Benno, bishop.
In Brabant, in the convent of Aywiercs, St. Lutgard, virgin. +
The Seventeenth Day of June
At Rome, the birthday of two hundred and sixty-two holy martyrs.
They were slain for the faith in the persecution of Diocletian, and were buried on the old Via Salaria. at Cucumer Hill.
At Besançon in Gaul, St. Antidius, bishop and martyr, who was slain by the Vandals for his faith in Christ.
At Apollonia in Macedonia, the holy Athenian martyrs Isaurus, deacon, Innocent, Felix, Jeremias, and Peregrinus. They were tortured in various, ways by the tribune Tripontius, and were then beheaded.
At Terracina in Campania, St. Montanus, soldier. In the reign of the Emperor Hadrian and the governor Leontius, he received the crown of martyrdom after having endured many tortures.
At Venafro in Campania, the holy martyrs Nicander and Marcian, who were beheaded in the persecution of Maximian.
At Chalcedon, the holy martyrs Manuel, Sabel, and Ismael. They were sent to Julian the Apostate by the King of Persia as legates to obtain peace. The emperor himself ordered them to worship the idols. When they firmly refused, he had them put to the sword.
At Amelia in Umbria, St. Hymerius, bishop, whose body was transferred to Cremona in Insubria.
Near Bourges, St. Gundulph, bishop.
At Orleans in Gaul, St. Avitus, priest and confessor.
In Phrygia, St. Hypatius, confessor.
Likewise, St. Bessarion, hermit.
At Pisa in Tuscany, St. Rainerius, confessor.
The Eighteenth Day of June
At Edessa in Mesopotamia, St. Ephrem, deacon of the church of Edessa, and confessor. He labored much for the Christian faith and was outstanding both for his doctrine and his holiness. He died during the time Valens was emperor and was declared a Doctor of the Universal Church by Pope Benedict XV. A duplex feast.
At Rome, on the Via Ardeatina, the birthday of the holy martyrs Mark and Marcellian, brothers. During Diocletian's persecution, at the command of the judge Fabian, they were bound to a stake and sharp spikes were driven through their feet. As the brothers would not cease praising Christ, their sides were pierced with spears and they passed with the glory of martyrdom to heavenly kingdoms. A memory.
At Malaga in Spain, the holy martyrs Cyriacus and Paula, virgin Stoned to death, they gave back their souls to God.
At Tripoli in Phoenicia, St. Leontius, soldier. Under the governor Hadrian, he obtained the crown of martyrdom through savage tortures, together with Hypatius, a tribune, and Theodulus, whom he had converted to Christ.
On the same day, St. Aetherius, martyr. In the persecution of Diocletian, after he had endured fire and other tortures, he was put to the sword.
At Alexandria, the suffering of St. Marina, virgin.
At Bordeaux, St. Amandus, bishop and confessor.
At Sciacca in Sicily, St. Calogcrus, hermit, whose holiness shone forth brightly in liberating those possessed by devils.
At Schönau in Germany, St. Elizabeth, virgin, famous for the observance of the monastic life.
The Nineteenth Day of June
At Milan, the holy brothers Gervase and Portase. The judge Astasius ordered Gervase to be flogged to death with whips tipped with lead, while his brother was condemned to be beaten with clubs and beheaded. Guided by a vision, St. Ambrose found their bodies as incorrupt as if they had just been killed; they were still covered with blood. During the transferal of the bodies (to a new tomb) a blind man touched the bier and received his sight, and many persons who were possessed by demons were delivered. A feast of three lessons.
At Florence, St. Juliana Falconieri, virgin, who founded the Sisters of the Order of the Servants of Mary. Clement XII, the Sovereign Pontiff, placed her name in the list of the saints.
In the monastery of Val di Castro in Piceno (Italy), the birthday of St. Romuald, a native of Ravenna, hermit, and founder of the Camaldolese monks. He reformed the lax discipline of the hermits of Italy, and spread his reform abroad to a marvellous degree. His festival is observed on February 7, on which day his sacred relics were transferred to Fabriano.
At Arezzo in Tuscany (Italy), the holy martyrs Gaudentius, bishop, and Culmatius, deacon. They were slain in the time of Valentinian by the fury of the heathens.
On the same day, St. Boniface, bishop and martyr. He was a disciple of St. Romuald. He was sent into Russia by the Roman Pontiff, Gregory V, to preach the Gospel, and, after passing unhurt through fire, baptized both the king and his people. He was slain by the enraged brother of the king, and thus obtained the crown of martyrdom he desired.
At Ravenna, St. Ursicinus, martyr. Under the judge Paulinus, he remained immovable in the confession of the Lord despite many tortures. He completed his martyrdom by being beheaded.
At Sozopolis in Bulgaria, St. Zosimus, martyr. In the persecution of Trajan under the governor Domitian, he was subjected to inhuman tortures, after which his head was cut off; thus he went to the Lord as a victor.
The Twentieth Day of June
At Mantua (in Italy), Blessed Osanna, virgin, of the Third Order of our Father St. Dominic. When only seven years old, she consecrated her virgmity to God and preserved it unsullied until death by fasting, wearing hairshirts, scourgings, and other bodily penances.A semi-duplex feast.
On the island of Palmaria, the birthday of St. Silverius, pope and martyr. He refused to restore the heretical Bishop Anthimus, who had been deposed by his predecessor Agapitus. At the instigation of the wicked Empress Theodora, he was driven into exile by Belisarius and, exhausted by many hardships, died for the Catholic faith.
At Rome, the death of St. Novatus. He was the son of St. Pudens, and the brother of the holy priest Timothy as well as of the holy virgins Pudentiana and Praxedis. All were instructed in the faith by the Apostles (Peter and Paul). Their house was turned into a church and was called the "Title of the Shepherd." (4)
At Tomis in Pontus, the holy martyrs Paul and Cyriacus.
At Petra in Palestine, St. Macarius, bishop. He suffered much at the hands of the Arians and, being exiled to Africa, died in the Lord.
At Seville in Spain, the virgin St. Florentina, sister of the two bishops, SS. Leander and Isidore.
The Twenty-first Day of June
At Rome, St. Aloysius Gonzaga, cleric and confessor of the Society of Jesus. He was renowned for his contempt of a princely rank and for his innocence of life.
Likewise at Rome, St. Demetria, virgin. She was the daughter of the martyrs Flavian and Dafrosa, and the sister of St. Bibiana, virgin and martyr. St. Demetria herself was crowned with martyrdom in the reign of Julian the Apostate.
On the same day, St. Eusebius, Bishop of Samosata (in Syria). In the reign of the Arian Emperor Constantius, he went about among the churches of God, disguised in a military uniform, to strengthen the people in the Catholic faith. Afterward, under Valens, he was exiled to Thrace. But when peace returned to the Church in the time of Theodosius, he was recalled from exile and again visited the churches. A tile, cast down upon him from a height by an Arian woman, fractured his skull so that he died a martyr.
At Iconium in Lycaonia, St. Terence, bishop and martyr.
At Syracuse in Sicily, the birthday of the holy martyrs Rufinus and Martia.
In Africa, the holy martyrs Cyriacus and Apollinaris.
At Mainz, St. Alban, martyr, who after long labors and hard struggles for the faith was made worthy of the crown of life.
At Pavia (in Italy), St. Urciscenus, bishop and confessor.
At Tongres (in Brabant), St. Martin, bishop.
Near Evreaux (in Gaul), St. Leutfrid, abbot.
The Twenty-second Day of June
At Rome, Blessed Innocent V, pope. Previously he had been known as Friar Peter of Tarantaise, of the Order of Preachers. He excelled in both learning and sanctity. He was made Archbishop of Lyons and later Cardinal Bishop of Ostia; finally, he was elected pope. He labored with suave prudence to protect the liberty of the Church and to promote concord among Christians. His fame was spread by many miracles both in life and after death.A duplex feast.
At Nola, in Campania (Italy), the birthday of Blessed Paulinus, bishop and confessor. Though a man of wealth and nobility, he became poor and humble for our Lord. What was more, he even gave himself up into slavery to redeem a widow's son, whom the Vandals had taken captive into Africa after the devastation of Campania. He was renowned, not only for learning and for extreme holiness of life, but also for his power against demons. SS. Ambrose, Jerome, Augustine, and Pope Gregory set forth his praise in their writings. His body was transferred to Benevento, and from there to Rome, but it was restored to Nola by command of the Sovereign Pontiff, Pius X.
At Mount Ararat, the suffering of ten thousand holy martyrs who were crucified.
At Old Verulam in Britain, St. Alban, martyr. In the reign of Diocletian, he received a cleric into his house as a guest and was instructed by him in the faith; he changed clothes with his guest and gave himself up in his place. For this reason he was scourged, grievously tortured, and then beheaded. In his company there suffered also one of the soldiers, who was converted to Christ while he was leading St. Alban to death; the soldier was slain by the sword, being found worthy to be baptized in his own blood. St. Bede the Venerable has left an account of the noble contest endured for God by St. Alban and his companion.
At Samaria in Palestine, one thousand four hundred and eighty holy martyrs who were slain for Christ by Chosroes, King of the Persians.
On the same day, St. Nicetas, Bishop of Remesiana, renowned for learning and holy conversation.
At Naples in Campania, St. John, bishop, whom blessed Paulinus, Bishop of Nola, called to heaven.
In the monastery of Cluny in Gaul, the death of St. Consortia, virgin.
At Rome, the transferal of the relics of St. Flavius Clemens, a man of consular rank and martyr. He was the brother of St. Plautilla and the uncle of St. Flavia Domitilla, virgin and martyr. He was slain for the faith by the Emperor Domitian, with whom he had been consul. His body was found in the basilica of Pope St. Clement, and buried there again with solemn honors.
The Twenty-third Day of June
The Vigil of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist.
At Rome, a holy priest named John. At the time of Julian the Apostate, he was beheaded before the idol of the sun-god on the old Via Salaria. His body was buried at the Council of the Martyrs (5) by the priest St. Concordius.
Likewise at Rome St. Agrippina, virgin and martyr. She completed her martyrdom under the Emperor Valerian. Her body was removed to Sicily and buried at Mineo where it gained renown through many miracles.
At Sutri in Tuscany, St. Felix, priest. By the command of the prefect Tuscius, his face was pounded with a rock until he died.
At Nicomedia, the commemoration of many holy martyrs, who hid in mountains and caves in the time of Diocletian, but willingly underwent martyrdom for the name of Christ.
At Philadelphia in Arabia, the holy martyrs Zeno and Zenas, his slave. The latter kissed the chains of his master, and begged that he would think him worthy to be his associate in his tortures. He was arrested by the soldiers and, together with his master, received the crown of martyrdom.
In Britain, in the monastery of Ely, St. Audrey, queen and virgin. Renowned for holiness and miracles, she departed for Heaven. Her body after eleven years was found incorrupt.
The Twenty-fourth Day of June
The Nativity of St. John Baptist, the Precursor of the Lord, the son of Zachary and Elizabeth. He was filled with the Holy Ghost while yet in the womb of his mother. A totum duplex feast of the first class with a simple octave.
At Rome, the commemoration of many holy martyrs who were falsely charged by the Emperor Nero with the burning of the city. They were sentenced to be slain by various kinds of cruel deaths. Some were covered with the skins of wild beasts and cast to the dogs to be torn, others were crucified, others were set aside to be burned and when night fell were used as torches. All these were disciples of the Apostles, and the first martyrs whom the Holy Roman Church, that fruitful field of martyrs, sent to their Lord before the Apostles themselves died.
Also at Rome, the holy martyrs Faustus and twcnty-three others.
At Mechlin in Brabant, the suffering of St. Rumbold, Bishop of Dublin and martyr. He was the son of a Scottish king.
At Satalis in Armenia, the seven holy brothers, martyrs: Orentius, Hcros, Pharnacius, Firminus, Firmus, Cyriacus, and Longinus, all soldiers. The Emperor Maximian expelled them from the army for being Christians. They were separated, taken to different places, and martyred, after they had undergone great sufferings and hardships.
At Creteil near Paris, the suffering of the holy martyrs Agoard and Aglibert, together with many others of both sexes.
At Autun (in Gaul), the death of St. Simplicius, bishop and confessor.
At Lobbcs in Belgium, St. Theodulph, bishop.
The Twenty-fifth Day of June
At Guglietto, near Nusco (in Italy), St. William, confessor, founder of the Hermits of Monte Vergine.
At Beroca (in Syria), the birthday of St. Sosipater, who was a disciple of the Apostle St. Paul.
At Rome, St. Lucy, virgin and martyr, (put to death) with twenty-two other persons.
At Alexandria, St. Gallicanus, martyr. He was a man of consular rank who had received triumphal honors, and was dear to the Emperor Constantine. He was converted to the Christian faith by SS. John and Paul. After becoming a Christian, he went to Ostia with St. Hilarinus, and devoted himself to the relief of the poor and to the service of the sick. The report of this went abroad into all the world. Many came there from all parts to see a man who had once been a patrician and a consul now washing the feet of the poor, preparing their table, pouring water over their hands, ministering carefully to the sick, and performing other works of piety. He was afterward driven into exile by Julian the Apostate, and returned to Alexandria. There he was ordered by the judge Rautianus to offer sacrifice; when he refused to do so, he was put to the sword and became a martyr to Christ.
At Sibapolis in Mesopotamia, St. Febronia, virgin and martyr. In the persecution of Diocletian and while Lysimachus was governor, Febronia, for defending her faith and chastity, was first beaten with rods. She was then tortured on the rack, her body mangled with iron combs and burned with fire. Her teeth were knocked out, her feet were cut off and she was otherwise mutilated; finally, her head was cut off. Thus, adorned by
jewels of many sufferings, she left this world for her heavenly Spouse.
At Reggio, St. Prosper of Aquitaine, bishop of that city. He was famous for learning and piety, and strove mightily against the Pelagians in fence of the Catholic faith.
At Turin, the birthday of St. Maximus, bishop and confessor, for learning and holiness.
In Holland, St. Adalbert, confessor, who was a disciple of St. Willibrord. +
The Twenty-sixth Day of June
At Rome, on the Coelian Hill, the holy martyrs John and Paul brothers. The former was the steward, and the latter the major domo of the virgin Constantia, daughter of the Emperor Constantine. Under Julian the Apostate, both obtained the palm of martyrdom, dying by the sword. A duplex feast.
At Trent, St. Vigilius, bishop. While trying to uproot completely the last traces of idolatry, he was stoned to death by wild and barbarous men, and thus fulfilled his martyrdom.
At Valenciennes in Gaul, SS. Salvius, Bishop of AngouRme, and Superius, martyrs.
At Cordoba in Spain, the birthday of St. Pelagius, a young boy. At the command of Abd-er-Rahman, caliph of the Saracens, Pelagius, because of renowne his profession of faith, was torn limb from limb by iron pincers and thus gained his glorious martyrdom.
At Belley in Gaul, St. Anthelm, the prior of the Grande Chartreuse, who became bishop of that city.
In the country of Poitiers, St. Maxentius, priest and confessor, who was illustrious for miracles.
At Thessalonica, St. David, hermit.
On the same day, St. Perseveranda, virgin.
The Twenty-seventh Day of June
In Galatia, St. Crescens, who was a disciple of St. Paul the Apostle. He made a journey through Gaul where, by his preaching, he converted many to the Christian faith. He then returned to the Galatians for whom he had specifically been made bishop, and to the end of his life he strengthened them in their religion. At last, in the time of Trajan, he obtained martyrdom.
At Cordoba in Spain, the holy martyrs Zoilus and nineteen others.
At Caesarea in Palestine, St. Anectus, martyr. In the persecution of Diocletian, under Urban the governor, he exhorted others to martyrdom and caused idols to fall down by his prayers. He was ordered to be scourged by ten soldiers; then his hands and feet were cut off, and being beheaded, he received the crown of martyrdom.
At Constantinople, St. Sampson, priest, who gave shelter to the poor.
In the village of Chinon in Gaul, St. John, priest and confessor.
At Oradea in Hungary, St. Ladislaus, king, who even to this day is glorious for miracles of great renown.
The Twenty-eighth Day of June
The Vigil of the holy Apostles Peter and Paul.
At Lyons in Gaul, St. Irenaeus, bishop and martyr. As St. Jerome writes, he was a disciple of St. Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna, and lived near the time of the Apostles. He fought much against the heretics both by word and writing. At length, in the persecution of Severus, he was crowned with a glorious martyrdom, together with almost all the Christians of his city. A duplex feast.
At Utrecht, St. Benignus, bishop and martyr.
At Alexandria, in the persecution of Severus, the holy martyrs Plutar, Serenus, Heraclides, a catechumen, Heron, a neophyte, a second Serenus, Rhais, a catechumen, Potamiana, and Marcella her mother. Of these the most famous was the virgin Potamiana. First, in defense of her virginity, she underwent great and innumerable sufferings; then in defense of her faith she endured exquisite and unheard-of pains. At last, together with her mother, she was burned alive.
On the same day, St. Papius, martyr. In the persecution of Diocletian, he was scourged with whips, and cast into a cauldron full of oil and blazing fat. After suffering other terrible torments, he was at last, crowned with martyrdom by beheading.
At Cordoba in Spain, St. Argymirus, monk and martyr, who, in the; Arab persecution, was stretched on the rack and then put to the sword for the faith.
At Rome, St. Paul I, pope and confessor.
The Twenty-ninth Day of June
At Rome, the birthday of the holy Apostles Peter and Paul, who suffered in the same year and on the same day, under the Emperor Nero.St. Peter was crucified in that city, with his head downward, and was buried in the Vatican near the Triumphal Way; there he is honored with the veneration of the whole world. St. Paul was slain with the sword, and buried with like honor on the Via Ostiensis. A totum duplex feast of the first class with a solemn octave.
In Cyprus, St. Mary, mother of John who was surnamed Mark. (6)
In Argenton in Gaul, St. Marcellus, martyr, who was beheaded for the faith together with Anastasius, soldier.
At Genoa, the birthday of St. Syrus, bishop.
At Narni (in Italy), St. Cassius, bishop of that city. Hardly any day of, his life passed, as St. Gregory relates, on which he did not offer up to the Omnipotent God the holy Sacrifice of Propitiation. (7) His life well accorded with the Sacrifice, for everything he possessed he had bestowed in alms. During the hour of the Holy Sacrifice he shed abundant tears. It was his custom to come to Rome every year for the Feast of the Apostles. It was on that feast day, after he had celebrated Solemn Mass and had given Communion and the Pax to all, that he departed for Heaven.
Near Sens (in Gaul), St. Benedicta, virgin.
The Thirtieth Day of June
The Commemoration of St. Paul the Apostle. A totum duplex feast.
At Rome, St. Lucina, a disciple of the Apostles. She disposed of her goods for the needs of the saints, visited the Christians in prison, and took care of the burial of the martyrs. She was buried in a tomb she herself had built near their graves.
Also at Rome, St. Emiliana, martyr.
On the same day, the holy martyrs Caius, priest, and Leo, subdeacon.
At Alexandria, the suffering of St. Basilides, under the Emperor Severus. As Basilides led the virgin St. Potamiana to her execution, he protected her from the offensive conduct of lewd men. He received from her the reward of his reverential action; three days later, she appeared to him and placed a crown on his forehead. Not only did she convert him to Christ, but later, as he underwent a short combat for Christ, by her prayers she made him a glorious martyr.
At Limoges in Aquitaine, St. Martial, bishop, with the two priests Alpinian and Austriclinian. Their lives shone brightly with miracles.
At Viviers (in Gaul), St. Ostian, priest and confessor.
At Salanigo, in the district of Vicenza (Italy), St. Theobald, priest and hermit. He had been Count of Champagne in Gaul. On account of his renowned holiness and miracles, Pope Alexander III inscribed him on the list of saints.
NOTES 2. The scorpion was an instrument of torture consisting of a number of equal lengths of chain; at the end of each length was an iron hook, or a ball of lead, or a piece of pointed iron. Scorpions were not often used on the martyrs as they brought on death too quickly.
3. See note April 28.
4. Before the Roman Church gained freedom of worship, the Christians referred to their houses of worship by the legal term "title," so as to invoke the protection granted by Roman law to private ownership.
In ancient documents there is some confusion regarding the "title" of this particular house; it is variously called titulus Pudentis, titulus Pudentianae, and titulus Pastoris. See Schuster, Liber Sacramentorum VIII, pp. 69-70.
5. By the phrase Martyrum Concilia, the martyrologist is referring to the ancient cemetery "ad septem palumbas" on the old Via Salaria.
6. "He came to the house of Mary the mother of John, who was surnamed Mark." Acts, 12:12.
7. Daily celebration of the Holy Sacrifice was not usual until modern times.
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