The Martyrology of the Sacred Order of Friars Preachers
AUGUST
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 31 The First Day of August
At Rome, on the Esquiline Hill, the Dedication of the Church of St. Peter in Chains. A totum duplex feast.
At Antioch, the suffering of the seven holy brothers, the Machabees, with their mother, who suffered under King Antiochus Epiphanes. Their relics were taken to Rome and buried in the aforesaid Church of St. Peter in Chains. A memory.
At Vercelli, the birthday of St. Eusebius, bishop and martyr. For his confession of the Catholic faith, he was sent into exile by the Emperor Constantius to Scythopolis in Palestine, and from there to Cappadocia. He afterward returned to his Church and suffered martyrdom at the hands of the persecuting Arians. His memory is more especially honored on December 15, on which day he was ordained bishop. His feast is kept on December 16.
At Nocera de'Pagani in Campania (Italy), the birthday of St. Alphonsus Maria Liguori, founder of the Congregation of our most Holy Redeemer, bishop of Sant' Agata dei Goti, and confessor. He was noted for his zeal for souls, his writings and his example. The Sovereign Pontiff, Gregory XVI, canonized him, and Pius IX declared him to be a Doctor of the Universal Church. His festival, however, is observed on August 2.
At Rome, on the Via Latina, the holy martyrs Bonus, priest, Faustus and Maurus, with nine others, who are spoken of in the Acts of Pope St. Stephen.
Likewise at Rome, the suffering of the holy virgins Faith, Hope, and Charity, the children of St. Sophia. They obtained the crown of martyrdom under the Emperor Hadrian.
At Philadelphia in Arabia, the holy martyrs Cyril, Aquila, Peter, Domitian, Rufus, and Menander, crowned on the same day.
At Perge in Pamphylia, the holy martyrs Leontius, Attius, Alexander, and six other peasants, who were beheaded under the governor Flavian in Diocletian's persecution.
At Gerona in Spain, the birthday of St. Felix, martyr. After various kinds of tortures, he was ordered by Dacian to be mangled until he rendered up his unconquered spirit to Christ.
In the territory of Paris, St. Justin, martyr.
At Vienne in Gaul, St. Verus, bishop.
At Winchester in England, St. Ethelwold, bishop.
In the country of Lisieux in Gaul, St. Nemesius, confessor. +
The Second Day of August
St. Alphonsus Maria Liguori, founder of the Congregation of our Most Holy Redeemer, bishop of Sant' Agata dei Goti, confessor and Doctor of the Church, who died in the Lord on August 1. A duplex feast.
At Rome, in the cemetery of St. Callistus, the birthday of St. Stephen I, pope and martyr. In the persecution of Valerian, he was celebrating Mass when the soldiers arrived to arrest him. He remained at the altar, intrepid and unmoved, and finished the Sacred Mysteries he had begun. He was beheaded while he was sitting on his throne. A memory.
At Nicaca in Bithynia, the suffering of St. Theodota and her three sons. Nicetius the consul of Bithynia, seeing that Evodius the eldest confidently confessed Christ, ordered him to be beaten with clubs; then he commanded that the mother and all her sons should be burned alive.
In Africa, St. Rutilius, martyr. To escape persecution, he often fled from one place to another and sometimes even bought himself out of danger. He was unexpectedly arrested and brought to the governor. He was subjected to many tortures and finally, being delivered to the flames, he received the crown of an admirable martyrdom.
At Padua, St. Maximus, bishop of that city, who, famed for his miracles, died a blessed death.
The Third Day of August
At Lucera (in Italy), Blessed Augustine, bishop and confessor, of the Order of our Father St. Dominic. He was distinguished by his humility, patience, and kindness toward the poor. By his prayer, preaching and the sanctity of his life, he completely reformed the diocese of Lucera which had been infected with the errors of the Saracens. A semi-duplex feast.
At Jerusalem, the finding of the relics of Blessed Stephen the Protomartyr, and SS. Gamaliel, Nicodemus and Abibo. Their location was divinely revealed to the priest Lucian, in the time of the Emperor Honorius. A memory.
At Philippi in Macedonia, St. Lydia, a sellcr of dyed cloth. In the Acts of the Apostles, St. Luke related that when St. Paul the apostle preached in that place, she was the first of all (his listeners) to believe in the Gospel. (1)
At Naples in Campania, St. Aspren, bishop, who was cured of an infirmity by St. Peter the Apostle. After his baptism, he was ordained bishop of that city.
At Constantinople, the birthday of St. Hermellus, martyr.
In India, near the Persian border, the suffering of certain holy monks and other Christians. King Abenner, persecuting the Church of God, commanded them to be punished with various tortures and slain.
At Autun, the death of St. Euphronius, bishop and confessor.
At Anagni, St. Peter, bishop. Renowned first for his monastic observance, and afterward for vigilance over his flock, he died in the Lord.
At Beroea in Syria, the holy women Marana and Cyra. +
The Fourth Day of August
At Bologna, our most holy Father St. Dominic, confessor and founder of the Order of Friars Preachers. He was most illustrious, being distinguished by nobility of birth, sanctity and learning. Until death he proserved without stain his virginity and by the singular grace of his merits he raised three persons from the dead. By his preaching he curbed heresies and established many persons in a religious and godly manner of life. On August 6, his soul soared to heaven, there to receive a reward commensurate with his extraordinary works. His feast, however, is celebrated on this day, by an ordinance of Pope Paul IV. A totum duplex feast of the first class with a solemn octave.
At Thessalonica, the birthday of St. Aristarchus, disciple and inseparable companion of St. Paul the Apostle. The latter wrote to the Corinthians: "Aristarchus my fellow-prisoner salutes you." (2) He was ordained Bishop of Thessalonica by the same Apostle and, after long trials under Nero, died and was crowned by Christ.
At Rome, St. Perpetua, who was baptized by St. Peter the Apostle. She converted her son Nazarius and her husband Africanus to the Christian faith and buried the bodies of a great number of martyrs. At length, rich in merit, she went to the Lord.
Likewise at Rome on the Via Latina, the suffering of Blessed Tertuilinus, priest and martyr. At the time of the Emperor Valerian he suffered a cruel beating with clubs, the burning of his sides with fire, the breaking of his jaw, stretching on the rack, and the severing of his tendons. He completed his martyrdom by being beheaded.
At Constantinople, St. Eleutherius, martyr. Of senatorial rank, he was slain with the sword, in the persecution of Maximian, for the faith of Christ.
In Persia, the holy martyrs Ia and her companions, who, together with nine thousand Christian captives, suffered martyrdom under King Sapor after enduring various punishments.
At Verona, St. Agabius, bishop and confessor.
At Tours in Gaul, St. Euphronius, bishop.
At Cologne, the commemoration of St. Portase, martyr. In company with his brother Gervase, he suffered at Milan on June 19. +
The Fifth Day of August
At Rome, on the Esquiline Hill, the Dedication of the Basilica of Our Lady of the Snows. A totum duplex feast.
At Châlons-sur-Marne in Gaul, St. Memmius, a Roman citizen. He was consecrated bishop of that city by St. Peter the Apostle and converted to the Gospel the people assigned to his care.
At Rome, the suffering of twenty-three holy martyrs who, in the persecution of Diocletian, were beheaded on the old Via Salaria, and buried in the same place at Cucumer Hill.
At Ascoli in Piceno, St. Emidius, bishop and martyr. He was ordained bishop by Pope St. Marcellus, and sent there to preach the Gospel. He received the crown of martyrdom under the Emperor Diocletian for confessing Christ.
At Antioch, St. Eusignius, soldier. He was in his one hundred and tenth year when he rebuked Julian the Apostate for having given up the faith of Constantine the Great under whom he had fought. He charged Julian with having deserted the faith of his fathers. For this the Emperor ordered him to be beheaded.
Likewise the holy martyrs Cantidius, Cantidian, and Sobel, all Egyptians.
At Augsburg, the birthday of St. Afra, martyr. She was converted from paganism to Christ by the teaching of St. Narcissus, bishop. After being baptized with all her household, she was burned alive for confessing Christ. Seven days afterwards, her mother Hilaria and three handmaids were also crowned by enduring the same kind of suffering.
At Autun, Blessed Cassian, bishop.
At Teano in Campania (Italy), St. Paris, bishop.
In England, King St. Oswald, whose deeds St. Bede the Venerable commemorates.
On the same day, St. Nonna, mother of SS. Gregory Nazianzen, Caesarius, and Gorgonia.
The Sixth Day of August
On Mount Thabor, the Transfiguration of our Lord Jesus Christ. A totum duplex feast of the second class.
At Rome, on the Appian Way, in the cemetery of Callistus, the birthday of Blessed Sixtus II, pope and martyr. He was put to the sword in the persecution of Valerian, and received the crown of martyrdom.
Likewise at Rome, SS. Felicissimus and Agapitus, martyrs, deacons of the same St. Sixtus, and the subdeacons Januarius, Magnus, Vincent and Stephen. All were beheaded together with Sixtus and buried in the cemetery of Praetextatus. Blessed Quartus suffered also with them, as St. Cyprian declares. A memory.
At Bologna, the birthday of St. Dominic, confessor and founder of the Order of Friars Preachers. He was a man of great renown for holiness and learning. Until death he preserved without stain his virginity, and by the singular grace of his merits raised three dead men to life. By his preaching he curbed heresies, and established many persons in a religious and godly manner of life. He died on this day, but his festival, by an ordinance of Pope Paul IV, is celebrated on August 4.
At Burgos in Spain, in the Benedictine monastery of St. Peter of Cardegna, the suffering of two hundred monks and their abbot Stephen. They were slain by the Saracens for the faith, and buried there in the cloister by the Christians.
At Alcalá de Henares in Spain, the holy martyrs Justus and Pastor, brothers. The two boys were still learning the elements in school, when they threw aside their books and of their own accord hurried to gain martyrdom. Soon they were seized by the governor Dacian and beaten with clubs. As they firmly exhorted each other to constancy, they were taken outside the city by the executioner and strangled.
At Rome, St. Hormisdas, pope and confessor.
At Amida in Mesopotamia, St. James, hermit, renowned for miracles.
The Seventh Day of August
At Naples in Campania, St. Cajetan of Thienna, confessor, founder of the Clerks Regular. With remarkable confidence in God, he enjoined on his followers the primitive manner of life of the Apostles. Renowned for miracles, Pope Clement X enrolled him among the saints. A duplex feast.
At Arezzo in Tuscany, the birthday of St. Donatus, bishop and martyr. Among his other miraculous deeds, Pope St. Gregory narrates, he restored by his prayer a holy chalice broken by the heathens. In the persecution of Julian the Apostate, he was arrested by the imperial officer Quadratianus and, as he refused to offer sacrifice to idols, he gained martyrdom, being put to the sword. There suffered also with him blessed Hilarinus, a monk, whose memory is kept on July 16, when his body was taken to Ostia. A memory.
At Rome, the holy martyrs Peter and Julian, with eighteen others.
At Milan, St. Faustus, soldier, who after many trials obtained the palm of martyrdom under Aurelius Commodus.
At Como (in Italy), the suffering of the holy martyrs Carpophorus, Exanthus, Cassius, Severinus, Secundus, and Licinius, who were beheaded for confessing Christ.
At Nisibis in Mesopotamia, St. Dometius, a Persian monk, who with two disciples was stoned to death at the time of Julian the Apostate.
At Rouen, St. Victricius, bishop. While still a soldier, under the same Julian, he cast away his military insignia for the sake of Christ. He was subjected by his tribune to many tortures, and condemned to death, but the executioner sent to slay him was stricken with blindness and, his chains being loosed, he escaped. Afterwards he was made a bishop, and by the preaching of the Gospel led the unconquered tribes of the Morini and the Nervi to believe in Christ. He died a peaceful death.
At Châlons-sur-Marne in Gaul, St. Donatian, bishop.
At Messina in Sicily, St. Albert, a confessor of the Carmelite Order, noted for miracles. +
The Eighth Day of August
At Peñafiel in Spain, Blessed Joan de Aza, mother of the most Blessed Patriarch Dominic. Admirable for her virtue and beloved of God for her piety, she died at Calaruega in the love of the Lord. A duplex feast.
The holy martyrs Cyriacus, deacon, Largus, and Smaragdus, with twenty others, who suffered on March 16. Their bodies were buried on the Via Salaria by a priest named John, and on this day Pope St. Marcellus removed them to the garden of Lucina, on the Via Ostiensis. Afterward, they were brought into the city, and buried in the deaconry of St. Mary's in Via Latina. A memory.
At Anazarbus in Cilicia, St. Marinus, an old man. At the time of the Emperor Diocletian and the governor Lysias, he was flogged, then suspended (from a beam) and mangled. He was at last cast to the beasts, and died.
Likewise the holy martyrs Eleutherius and Leonides, who completed martyrdom by fire.
In Persia, St. Hormisdas, martyr, in the reign of King Sapor.
At Cyzicus in the Hellespont, St. Aemilian, bishop. At the hands of the Emperor Leo, he suffered much for his defending the veneration of holy images. His life was ended in exile.
In Crete, St. Myron, bishop, famed for miracles.
At Vienne in Gaul, St. Severus, priest and confessor. He undertook a wearisome journey from India in order to preach the Gospel, and coming to Vienne, he converted a huge multitude of heathens to the faith of Christ by his preaching and miracles. +
The Ninth Day of August
The Vigil of St. Laurence, martyr.
At Florence (in Italy), Blessed John of Salerno, confessor, of our Order. He received the religious habit from the holy Patriarch Dominic and emulated his virtues. Sent to propagate our Order in Etruria, he labored greatly for the faith at Florence, especially by his preaching against the heretical Patarines. A semi-duplex feast.
At Rome, St. Romanus, soldier and martyr. Moved by the confession of faith of St. Laurence, he begged to be baptized by him, and was forthwith seized, beaten with clubs, and at last beheaded.
In Tuscany, the birthday of the holy martyrs Secundian, Marcellian, and Verian. In the time of Decius, by order of Promotus the proconsul, they were first scourged, then stretched on the rack, and torn with iron hooks. Then fire was applied to their sides. They merited the triumphal palm of martyrdom by being beheaded.
At Verona, the holy martyrs Firmus and Rusticus. At the time of the Emperor Maximian, under the judge Anolinus, they refused to sacrifice to idols and remained firm in confessing Christ. After they had endured many other tortures, they were beaten with clubs and beheaded.
In Africa, the commemoration of many holy martyrs. In the persecution of Valerian they were cast into the fire, and with Numidicus encouraging them obtained the palm of martyrdom. But Numidicus himself, although he was cast into the pyre with the others and then overwhelmed with stones, was dug out by his daughter who found he was still alive. He recovered, and afterward by reason of his virtues merited to be chosen for the office of the priesthood in the Church of Carthage by St. Cyprian.
At Constantinople, the holy martyrs Julian, Mardan, and eight others. Because they had set up an image of the Saviour at the Bronze Gate (of the city), all of them underwent many tortures by command of the Emperor Leo and then were slain by the sword.
At Châlons-sur-Marne in Gaul, St. Domitian, bishop and confessor. +
The Tenth Day of August
At Rome on the Via Tiburtina, the birthday of St. Laurence, archdeacon. In the persecution of Valerian, he endured the many tortures of the prison and beatings with clubs and leaded whips. Red-hot metal plates were applied to his body. At last, he was roasted on a gridiron and thus completed his martyrdom. His body was buried in the cemetery of Cyriaca in the Veranus field by St. Hippolytus and the priest Justin. A totum duplex feast of the second class.
In Spain, the apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mercy, foundress of the Order for the Redemption of Captives established in her name. Her festival is observed on September 24.
At Rome, the suffering of one hundred and sixty-five soldiers, martyrs, under Aurelian the Emperor.
At Alexandria, the commemoration of the holy martyrs who in the persecution of Valerian, under Emilian the governor, were long tormented with various and exquisite tortures; they obtained the crown of martyrdom by different kinds of death.
At Bergamo, St. Asteria, virgin and martyr, in the persecution of the Emperors Diocletian and Maximian.
At Carthage, the holy virgins and martyrs Bassa, Paula, and Agathonica.
At Rome, St. Deusdedit, confessor. What he had earned during the week by the labor of his hands, he gave on Saturday to the poor.
The Eleventh Day of August
The Octave day of our holy Father Dominic. A solemn octave.
At Rome, between the two laurel trees, the birthday of St. Tiburtius, martyr. In the persecution of Diocletian, under Fabian the judge, he was made to walk with bare feet on burning coals. As he confessed Christ all the more firmly, he was led to the third milestone from the city and killed by the sword. A memory.
Likewise at Rome, St. Susanna, virgin. She was born of a noble family, and was the niece of Pope St. Caius. She obtained the palm of martyrdom in the time of Diocletian by being beheaded.
At Assisi in Umbria, the birthday of St. Clare, virgin. She was the first of the Poor Ladies of the Order of Friars Minor. Renowned for her life and miracles, she was canonized by Pope Alexander IV. Her festivals however, is kept on August 12.
At Comana in Pontus, St. Alexander, bishop, surnamed the Charcoalburner. (3) A learned philosopher, he became proficient in the eminent science of Christian humility, and was raised up by St. Gregory the Wonderworker to the throne of that Church. He was illustrious not only for his preaching, but also for his martyrdom by fire.
On the same day, the suffering of St. Rufinus, Bishop of the Marsi, (4) and his companions, under the Emperor Maximin.
At Evreux in Gaul, St. Taurinus, bishop. He was ordained bishop of that city by Pope St. Clement, and spread abroad the Christian faith by his preaching of the Gospel. After sustaining many labors in that work, he died in the Lord, noteworthy for glorious miracles.
At Cambrai in Gaul, St. Gaugericus, bishop and confessor.
In the province of Valeria (in Italy), St. Equitius, abbot, whose holiness is approved by the testimony of Pope St. Gregory.
At Todi in Umbria (Italy), St. Digna, virgin.
The Twelfth Day of August
(At Assisi), St. Clare, virgin, the first of the Poor Ladies of the Order of Friars Minor. She was called to the everlasting nuptials of the Lamb on August 11. A duplex feast.
On the same day, the holy martyrs Porcarius, Abbot of the monastery of Lerins, and five hundred monks. They were slain for the Catholic faith by the heathens, and so were crowned with martyrdom.
At Catania in Sicily, the birthday of St. Euplius, deacon. In the reign of the Emperors Diocletian and Maximian, he was tortured for a long time for confessing the Lord, and at last obtained the palm of martyrdom by the sword.
At Augsburg, St. Hilaria. Because of her faith in Christ, she was keeping a vigil at the grave of her daughter St. Afra. On that very spot, the persecutors burned her to death. With her there were martyred her maids, Digna, Euprepia, and Eunomia. Also on the same day and in the same city, there suffered Quiriacus, Largius, Crescentian, Nimmia, and Juliana, with twenty others.
In Syria, the holy martyrs Macarius and Julian.
At Nicomedia, the holy martyrs Count Anicetus and his brother Photinus, with many others, in the reign of the Emperor Diocletian.
At Faleria in Tuscany, the suffering of St. Gracilian and the virgin St. Felicissima. For their confessing the faith, their faces were pounded with rocks. Then they were slain by the sword and so obtained the palm of martyrdom they desired.
At Milan, the death of St. Eusebius, bishop and confessor.
At Brescia, St. Herculanus, bishop. +
The Thirteenth Day of August
At Rome, Blessed Hippolytus, martyr. So glorious was his confession of faith, in the reign of the Emperor Valerian, that after the usual torments had been inflicted, his feet were tied to the necks of wild horses. Then he was cruelly dragged through briars and brambles until he died, his whole body having been torn to shreds. On the same day, Blessed Concordia, his nurse also suffered. Flogged with lead-tipped whips, she died ahead of him. Also nineteen others of his household were beheaded outside the Tiburtine Gate. All were buried with Hippolytus in the Veranian field. A feast of three lessons.
At Imola (in Italy), the birthday of St. Cassian, martyr. Because he refused to worship idols, the persecutor summoned those pupils to whom he had become hateful while teaching them, and gave them permission to kill St. Cassian. Although their hands were weak, the agony of the martyrdom was all the greater, being so long drawn out.
At Todi in Umbria, St. Cassian, bishop and martyr, under the Emperor Diocletian.
At Burgos in Spain, SS. Centolla and Helen, martyrs.
At Constantinople, St. Maximus, abbot, famous for his learning and zeal for Catholic truth. He fought strenuously against the Monothelites, and for that reason his hands and tongue were cut off by the heretical Emperor Constans. He was exiled to the Chersonese, and died there, celebrated for his glorious profession of faith. At that time, two of his disciples, both named Anastasius, and many others, also suffered various tortures and bitter exile.
At Tritzlar in Germany, St. Wigbert, priest and confessor.
At Rome the birthday of St. John Berchmans, a scholastic of the Society of Jesus, confessor. He was noted for his innocence of life and careful observance of religious discipline. He was canonized by the Sovereign Pontiff, Leo XIII.
At Poitiers in Gaul, St. Radegund, queen, whose life was resplendent with miracles and virtues.
The Fourteenth Day of August
The Vigil of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
At Rome, the birthday of Blessed Eusebius, priest and confessor. He was imprisoned in a small room of his house by the Arian Emperor Constantius, for defending the Catholic faith. Persevering continually in prayer, he remained there (a prisoner) for seven months until he died. Two priests, Gregory and Orosius, took his body and buried it in the cemetery of Callistus on the Appian Way. A memory.
At Apamea in Syria, St. Marcellus, bishop and martyr. He broke to pieces a shrine of Jupiter and was slain by the outraged heathens.
At Todi in Umbria, St. Callistus, bishop and martyr,
In Illyria, St. Ursicius, martyr. After many and various torments was slain with the sword for Christ's name, under Maximian the Emperor and Aristides the governor.
In Africa, St. Demetrius, martyr.
On the island of Aegina, St. Athanasia, widow, famous for her observance of the monastic life and for the grace of miracles.
The Fifteenth Day of August
The Assumption of the Most Holy Virgin Mary, Mother of God. A totum duplex feast of the first class with a solemn octave.
At Cracow in Poland, the birthday of St. Hyacinth, confessor, of the Order of Preachers, whom the Sovereign Pontiff Clement VIII canonized. His feast is kept on August 17,
At Albareale in Hungary, St. Stephen, King of Hungary. He was adorned with divine virtues, and was the first to convert the Hungarians to the faith of Christ. He was received into heaven by the Virgin Mother of God on the very day of her Assumption. His feast is kept, by an ordinance of Pope Innocent XI, on September 2, on which day the strongly-fortified city of Buda, by the aid of the holy King, was recaptured by the Christian army.
At Rome, on the Appian Way, St. Tarsicius, acolyte. The heathens detected him bearing the Sacrament of the Body of Christ, and asked what it was that he carried. But he deemed it an unworthy thing to cast pearls before swine, and was therefore attacked by them for a long time with clubs and stones, until he died. When his body was searched, the sacrilegious assailants could find nothing of Christ's Sacrament in his hands or among his clothing. The Christians gathered up the body of the martyr, and buried it with honor in the cemetery of Callistus.
At Tagaste in Africa, St. Alipius, bishop. He had formerly been a disciple of St. Augustine, and afterwards his fellow-convert. He was also his colleague in the pastoral office, his zealous fellow-worker in his contest against the heretics, and lastly his associate in heavenly glory.
At Soissons in Gaul, St. Arnulf, bishop and confessor.
At Rome, the holy Polish confessor St. Stanislaus Kostka, a novice of the Society of Jesus. He was made perfect in a short time, and is everywhere renowned for his angelic innocence of life. He was numbered among the saints by the Sovereign Pontiff, Benedict XIII.
The Sixteenth Day of August
St. Joachim, father of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God. His birthday is noted on March 20. A totum duplex feast of the second class.
At Rome, St. Titus, deacon, who, when the city was occupied by the Goths, distributed his wealth to the poor, and was commanded by a heathen tribune to be slain.
At Nicaea in Bithynia, St. Diomede, physician, who, in the persecution of Diocletian was slain with the sword for the faith of Christ, and so fulfilled his martyrdom.
In Palestine, thirty-three holy martyrs.
At Ferentino in the Hernican mountains, St. Ambrose the centurion. He was tortured in various ways in the persecution of Diocletian. When he passed through the fire unhurt, he was finally drowned and thus reached eternal rest.
At Milan, the death of St. Simplician, bishop, made famous by the testimony of SS. Ambrose and Augustine.
At Auxerre (in Gaul), St. Eleutherius, bishop.
At Nicomedia, St. Arsacius, confessor. In the persecution of Licinius, he forsook the life of a soldier and lived as a solitary. He was adorned with so many virtues that he is said to have cast out demons and by prayer to have slain a huge snake. At last, after foretelling the future destruction of the city, he died while at prayer.
At Montpellier in Gaul, the death of St. Roch, confessor. He freed many towns of Italy from the plague by the sign of the cross. His body was later taken to Venice, and buried with great honor in the church consecrated under his name.
At Rome, St. Serena, once the wife of the Emperor Diocletian.
The Seventeenth Day of August
The Octave of St. Laurence, martyr. A memory.
At Cracow in Poland, St. Hyacinth, confessor, of the Order of Preachers. Having received the religious habit from the hands of our Father St. Dominic, he excelled in learning and in a life of admirable innocence. He was celebrated for the glory of his miracles, especially for walking dryshod across wide rivers. Thought deserving of sweet converse with the holy Mother of God, distinguished for his spotless life, and filled with the gifts of the Holy Ghost, he died at an advanced age. He was called to his eternal reward on the very feastday of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. He was canonized by Pope Clement VIII. A totum duplex feast of the second class.
At Carthage in Africa, the holy martyrs Liberatus, abbot, Boniface, a deacon, Servus and Rusticus, subdeacons, Rogatus and Septimus, monks, and the boy Maximus. In the Vandal persecution under King Hunneric, they were subjected to various unheard-of tortures for confessing the Catholic faith and defending one baptism. Last of all, they were nailed to the planks with which they were to be burned. Although the fire was kindled again and again, every time it was miraculously extinguished. By the command of the King, they then were slain by being beaten with the handles of oars until their brains were dashed out. Thus, crowned by the Lord, they fulfilled the remarkable course of their trial.
In Achaia, St. Myron, priest and martyr, who was beheaded at Cyzicus after many tortures, at the time of the Emperor Decius and the governor Antipater.
At Caesarea in Cappadocia, the birthday of St. Mamas, martyr, the son of SS. Theodotus and Rufina, martyrs. Under the governor Alexander, at the command of Aurelian, he suffered a prolonged martyrdom from childhood to old age, and at length happily completed it. The holy fathers Basil and Gregory Nazianzen celebrated him with great praise.
At Nicomedia, the holy martyrs Strato, Philip, and Eutychian. They were condemned to the beasts, but, remaining unhurt, their martyrdom was finished by fire.
At Ptolemais in Palestine, the suffering of the holy martyrs Paul and his sister Juliana, virgin. In the reign of the Emperor Aurelian, they were both punished with various cruel tortures and finally beheaded for their constancy in confessing the name of Christ. At Rome, St. Eusebius, pope. At Teramo (in Italy), St. Anastasius, bishop and confessor. At Montefalco in Umbria, the virgin St. Clare, nun of the Order of Hermits of St. Augustine. On her heart, which the faithful honor with great devotion, were renewed the mysteries of the Lord's passion. The Sovereign Pontiff, Leo XIII solemnly inscribed her in the list of the holy virgins.
The Eighteenth Day of August
At Savigliano in Piedmont, Blessed Aimo Taparelli confessor, of our Order. He was outstanding by the holiness of his life, his leaming, and his prolonged and extraordinary labors for the preservation of the Catholic faith. He was taken to Heaven on the Feast of the Assumption of the Mother of God, for whom he had an extraordinary devotion. A semi-duplex feast.
At Palestrina (in Italy), St. Agapitus, martyr. He was only fifteen years old but already fervent in the love of God when he was arrested by order of the Emperor Aurelian. He was savagely flogged with raw sinews. Later, under the governor Antiochus, he underwent more grievous sufferings. Then, by command of the Emperor, he was thrown to the lions. When these did not harm him, he was put to the sword and thus gained his crown. A memory.
At Rome, blessed John and Crispus, priests. In the persecution of Diocletian, they dutifully buried the bodies of many saints. Later, they themselves shared with them the merit of martyrdom and thus procured for themselves the joys of life eternal.
Also at Rome, the holy martyrs Hermas, Serapion, and Polyaenus, who were dragged through narrow, rocky, and rough places until they rendered up their souls to God.
In Illyria, the holy martyrs Florus and Laurus, stone-cutters. When their masters Proculus and Maximus had met their deaths by martyrdom under the governor Lician, they themselves were, after many sufferings, drowned in a deep well.
At Myra in Lycia, the holy martyrs Leo and Juliana.
At Metz in Gaul, St. Firminus, bishop and confessor.
At Rome, on the Via Lavicana, St. Helcn, the mother of that religious emperor, Constantine the Great. He was the first to show to other princes an excellent example of the manner in which the Church should be protected and multiplied.
The Nineteenth Day of August
At Vercelli (in Italy), the holy virgin Emily Bicchieti, a nun of our Order, who, living in prayer, was inflamed with the desire of experiencing the sufferings of Christ. A semi-duplex feast.
At Rome, St. Julius, senator and martyr. He was given over to the judge Vitellius, who cast him into prison. At the command of the Emperor Commodus, he was beaten with clubs until he died. His body is buried in the cemetery of Calepodius on the Via Aurelia.
At Anagni, St. Magnus, bishop and martyr, who was slain in the persecution of Decius.
In Cilicia, the birthday of the tribune St. Andrew, and his fellowsoldiers. When a victory had been obtained by divine power over the Persians, Andrew and his companions were converted to the faith of Christ. In the reign of the Emperor Maximian, having been accused of being Christians, they were slain in a pass of Mount Taurus by the army of the governor Seleucus.
In Palestine, St. Timothy, martyr. In the persecution of Diocletian, under the governor Urban, Timothy was burned alive after he had endured many tortures. Thecla and Agapius suffered at the same place. The former was exposed to the beasts and, torn by their teeth, passed to her heavenly Spouse; but Agapius, after suffering many tortures, was reserved for greater trials. (5)
At Rome, St. Sixtus III, pope and confessor.
In Provence, at the village of Brignoles, the death of St. Louis, Bishop of Toulouse, of the Order of Friars Minor. He was a man renowned for holiness of life and for his miracles. His body was taken to Marseilles and honorably buried in the Church of the Friars Minor; afterward it was taken to Valencia in Spain and enshrined in the cathedral.
Near Sisteron in Gaul, Blessed Donatus, priest and confessor. From his earliest years he was wondrously endowed with God's grace, and led for many years the life of a hermit. He went to Heaven renowned for glorious miracles.
In the neighborhood of Bourges, St. Marianus, confessor. St. Gregory, Bishop of Tours, highly praised his virtues and miracles.
At Mantua, St. Rufinus, confessor.
The Twentieth Day of August
In the country of Langres, the death of St. Bernard, first Abbot of Clairvaux, glorious in his life, teaching and miracles. The Sovereign Pontiff, Pius VIII, declared and confirmed that he was a Doctor of the Universal Church. A duplex feast.
At Monte Senario in Etruria, the birthday of St. Manettus, confessor, one of the seven founders of the Order of the Servants of the Blessed Virgin Mary. He died as he was repeating a hymn to her. His feast, with that of his companions, is kept on February 12.
In Judea, St. Samuel the Prophet, whose holy relics (as St. Jerome writes), Arcadius the Emperor transferred to Constantinople, and buried near Septimum.
On the island of Cyprus, St. Lucius, a senator. He was converted to the faith of Christ by seeing the constancy of Theodore, Bishop of Cyrene, in his martyrdom. He also led to the faith Dignian the governor, with whom he went to Cyprus, where he saw other Christians crowned for confessing the Lord. He willingly offered himself and merited the same crown of martyrdom by beheading.
In Thrace, thirty-seven holy martyrs who, under the governor Apellian, were cast into a burning furnace for the Christian faith, after their hands and feet had been cut off.
In the same place, the holy martyrs, Severus and Memnon the centurion, who obtained their martyrdom by a similar death, and went as victors to heaven.
At Cordoba in Spain, the holy martyrs Leovigild and Christopher, monks. They were cast into prison for their defense of the Christian faith during the persecution of the Arabs. After their necks were broken, they were burned alive and thus obtained the crown of martyrdom.
On the island of Her (off the coast of Poitou), St. Philibert, abbot.
At Rome, Blessed Porphyry, who was a man of God. He taught the martyr St. Agapitus the faith and doctrine of Christ.
In the village of Chinon in Gaul, St. Maximus, confessor, a disciple of the Blessed Bishop Martin.
The Twenty-first Day of August
St. Jane Frances Fremiot de Chantal, foundress of the Order of the Nuns of the Visitation of St. Mary, whose birthday is mentioned on December 13. A duplex feast.
At Rome, in the Veranus field, St. Cyriaca, widow and martyr. In the persecution of Valerian, she bestowed all her goods and her time in ministering to the saints. Then she freely gave her life also, undergoing martyrdom for the sake of Christ.
In the country of Gevaudan (in Gaul), St. Privatus, bishop and martyr, who suffered in the persecution of Valerian and Gallienus.
At Salona in Dalmatia, St. Anastasius, a law officer. Seeing Blessed Agapitus enduring his torments with constancy, he was converted to the faith. He was slain at the command of Aurelian the Emperor for confessing Christ's name, and passed to the Lord a martyr.
In Sardinia, the birthday of the holy martyrs Luxorius, Cisellus, and Camerinus, who were slain with the sword, under Delphius the govcrnor, in the persecution of Diocletian.
On the same day, the holy martyrs Bonosus and Maximian.
At Fundi in Latium, St. Paternus, martyr. He had come from Alexandria to Rome to visit the tombs of the Apostles. Departing thence to Fundi, he was seized by the tribune for burying the bodies of the martyrs and died in chains.
At Edessa in Syria, the holy martyrs Bassa and her three sons, Theogonius, Agapius, and Fidelis. In Maximian's persecution, their holy mother encouraged them and sent them before herself with their crowns of martyrdom. She herself was beheaded and joyfully followed them to the victory.
At Verona, St. Euprepius, bishop and confessor.
Likewise, St. Quadratus, bishop.
In Auvergne in Gaul, St. Sidonius, bishop, noteworthy for learning and holiness.
At Siena in Tuscany, Blessed Bernard Ptolomei, abbot, founder of the Congregation of Olivetans.
The Twenty-second Day of August
The Octave of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. A solemn octave.
The Feast of the Immaculate Heart of the same Blessed Virgin Mary. A totum duplex feast of the second class.
At Rome, on the Via Ostia, the birthday of St. Timothy, martyr. He was arrested by Tarquin, prefect of the city, and suffered a long imprisonment because he refused to sacrifice to idols. He was scourged on ree occasions and, after passing through the most painful tortures, was at last beheaded.
At Autun, St. Symphorian, martyr. In the reign of the Emperor Aurelian, he refused to offer sacrifice to idols; (for this) he was first beaten and then imprisoned. He at last completed his martyrdom by being beheaded. A memory.
At Portus Romanus, St. Hippolytus, bishop, a man of great renown for his learning. Under the Emperor Alexander, for his noble confession of the faith, his hands and feet were tied and he was thrown into a deep pit full of water, thus receiving the palm of martyrdom. His body was buried by the Christians at the same place.
At Todi in Umbria, the birthday of the Florentine St. Philip Benizi, confessor. He was a zealous promoter of the Order of the Servants of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and was a man of great humility. The Sovereign Pontiff, Clement X, added his name to the list of the saints. His festival, however, is observed on August 23.
At Rome, St. Antoninus, martyr. He loudly declared himself to be a Christian, and was condemned by the judge Vitellius to capital punishment. He was buried on the Via Aurelia by Rufinus, a priest.
At Tarsus in Cilicia, the commemoration of the holy martyrs Athanasius, bishop, Anthusa, a noble lady whom he had baptized, and also her two servants Charisius and Neophytus. All of them suffered in the reign of the Emperor Valerian.
At Portus Romanus, the holy martyrs Martial, Saturninus, Epictetus, Maprilis, and Felix, with their companions.
At Nicomedia, the suffering of the holy martyrs Agathonicus, Zoticus, and their companions, under the Emperor Aurelian and the governor Eutholmius.
At Rheims in Gaul, the holy martyrs Maurus and his companions.
In Spain, the holy martyrs Fabrician and Philibert.
At Pavia (in Italy), St. Gunifort, martyr.
The Twenty-third Day of August
The Vigil of St. Bartholomew the Apostle.
At Mevania in Umbria, the birthday of the Blessed James, confessor, of the Order of Preachers. He put an end to the rebirth of the heresy of the Nicolaites in Umbria and he was renowned for many miracles. A semiduplex feast.
(At Todi), St. Philip Benizi, confessor, promoter of the Order of the Servants of Blessed Virgin Mary. He departed to the Lord on August 22.
At Ostia, the holy martyrs Quiriacus, bishop, Maximus, priest, Archclaus, deacon, and their companions, who suffered in the time of Alexander, under Ulpian the prefect.
At Antioch, the birthday of the holy martyrs Restitutus, Donatus, Valerian, and Fructuosa, with twelve others, who were crowned with the most noble honor of confessing the faith.
At Aegaea in Cilicia, the holy martyrs Claudius, Asterius, and Neon, brothers. They were accused of being Christians by their stepmother. At the time of the Emperor Diocletian and the governor Lysias, they were nailed to a cross, after severe tortures, and triumphed as victors with Christ. After them suffered Donvina and Theonilla.
At Rheims in Gaul, the birthday of SS. Timothy and Apollinaris, who, having completed their martyrdom there, merited a heavenly kingdom.
At Lyons in Gaul, the holy martyrs Minervus and Eleazar, with his eight sons.
Likewise, Luppus, martyr. Though he was a slave, he was endowed with the liberty of Christ, and was deemed worthy to the crown of martyrdom.
At Jerusalem, St. Zachaeus, bishop, who ruled the Church of Jerusalem; he was the fourth bishop (of that Church) after St. James the Apostle.
At Alexandria, St. Theonas, bishop and confessor.
At Utica in Africa, Blessed Victor' bishop.
At Autun (in Gaul), St. Flavian, bishop.
The Twenty-fourth Day of August
St. Bartholomew the Apostle, who preached the Gospel of Christ in India; he then went into Greater Armenia. When he had converted many people there to the faith, he was flayed alive by the barbarians, and by command of King Astyages he fulfilled his martyrdom by being beheaded. His holy body was taken first to the Isle of Lipari, then to Benevento, and lastly to Rome, to the island in the Tiber, where it is honored with pious veneration by the faithful. A totum duplex feast of the second class.
At Lima in Peru, the birthday of St. Rose of St. Mary, virgin, of the Third Order of St. Dominic. Her festival is observed on August 30.
At Nepi (in Italy), St. Ptolemy, bishop, disciple of St. Peter the Apostle, by whom he was sent into Tuscany to preach the Gospel. He died at Nepi, a glorious martyr for Christ.
On the same day, St. Eutychius, who was a disciple of St. John the Evangelist. For his preaching the Gospel in many countries, he endured imprisonment, scourging, and fire, but finally died a peaceful death.
At Nepi, St. Romanus, bishop of that city. He was both a disciple of St. Ptolemy and a companion in his suffering.
At Carthage, three hundred holy martyrs, at the time of Valerian and Gallienus. The governor ordered to be prepared -- among other tortures -- a crater of burning lime, and also, in his presence, some coals and incense (for offering sacrifice). Then he said to these magnanimous Christians: "Choose one of these two things: either offer incense on these coals to Jupiter, or be plunged into the lime." The Christians, armed by their faith and proclaiming their belief that Christ is the Son of God, were moved by a sudden impulse and cast themselves into the fiery mass. They were soon burned to ashes in the smoking lime. Hence, this white-robed army of blesseds merited to be called the White Mass (Massa Candida). (6)
In Isauria, St. Tation, martyr, who received a crown of martyrdom, being slain with the sword in the persecution of Diocletian, under the governor Urban.
Likewise, St. George Limniota, monk, who reproved the wicked Emperor Leo for breaking the holy images and burning the relics of the saints. At the latter's command, his hands were cut off and his head burned; he thus went as a martyr to the Lord.
At Ostia, on the Tiber, St. Aurea, virgin and martyr, who was drowned in the sea with a stone tied to her neck. Blessed Nonnus buried her body when it was washed up on the shore.
At Rouen, St. Ouen, bishop and confessor.
At Nevers in Gaul, St. Patrick, abbot.
The Twenty-fifth Day of August
At Carthage, St. Louis IX, King of France and confessor, illustrious for holiness of life and glorious miracles. His bones were later taken to Paris. A duplex feast.
At Rome, the birthday of St. Joseph Calasanctius, priest and confessor, noteworthy for his holy life and miracles. He founded the Order of Poor Clerks Regular of the Mother of God of the Christian Schools. His festival is observed on August 27.
Also at Rome, the holy martyrs Eusbius, Pontian, Vincent, and Peregrinus. Under the Emperor Commodus, they were first placed on the rack and stretched with ropes. Then they were beaten with clubs and their sides burnt with fire. Since they faithfully continued to the end to praise Christ, they were beaten with leaden-tipped whips until they died.
Also at Rome, the birthday of Blessed Nemesius, deacon, and the virgin Lucilla, his daughter. They were beheaded by command of the Emperor Valerian because they could not be turned from the faith of Christ. Their bodies were buried by Pope St. Stephen, and later interred in a more fitting tomb by St. Sixtus II on the Appian Way, on October 31. Gregory V removed them to the deaconry of Santa Maria Novella, together with SS. Symphronius, Olympius the tribune, Exuperia his wife, and his son Theodolus. The last three were converted by the help of Symphronius, baptized by the same Pope Stephen, and crowned with martyrdom. The bodies of these saints were found there in the pontificate of Gregory XIII, and more honorably laid to rest under the altar of the said church on December 8.
Likewise at Rome, St. Genesius, martyr. At first he had been an actor while he was still a gentile. He was mocking the Christian mysteries in the theatre in the presence of the Emperor Diocletian when, suddenly, inspired by God, he was converted to the faith and baptized. Forthwith by the Emperor's command he was cruelly beaten with clubs, then stretched upon the rack, tortured by the long-continued tearing of his flesh with hooks, and lastly burned with torches. But he continued in the faith of Christ, saying: "There is no King but Christ, and though I be slain a thousand times for Him, yet you cannot take Him from my life or from my heart." Finally, he merited the palm of martyrdom by being beheaded.
At Arles in Gaul, another blessed Genesius. By profession he was a notary. He refused to transcribe the impious edicts whereby the Christians were ordered to be punished and, casting away his books, publicly proclaimed himself a Christian. He was arrested and beheaded, and received the glory of martyrdom, being baptized in his own blood.
In Syria, St. Julian, martyr.
At Tarragona in Spain, St. Maginus, martyr.
At Talco in Spain, St. Geruntius, bishop, who preached the Gospel in that province in the time of the Apostles, and after many labors died in prison.
At Constantinople, St. Mennas, bishop.
At Utrecht, St. Gregory, bishop.
At Monte Falisco in Etruria, St. Thomas, Bishop of the Church of Hereford in England, and confessor.
At Naples in Campania, St. Patricia, virgin.
The Twenty-sixth Day of August
At Rome, St. Zephyrinus, pope and martyr, whose birthday falls on December 20.
At Cardona in Spain, the birthday of St. Raymond Nonnatus, cardinal and confessor, of the Order of our lady of Mercy for the Redemption of Captives. He was renowned for holiness of life and for miracles. His feast is kept on August 31.
At Rome, the holy martyrs Irenaeus and Abundius. During the persecution of Valerian, they had taken the body of St. Concordia from the sewer in which she had been cast. For doing this, they themselves were drowned in the same sewer. Their bodies were recovered by the priest Justin and buried in a crypt near St. Laurence.
At Ventimiglia, a city of Liguria, St. Secundus, martyr, a noteworthy man, and a commander of the Theban legion.
At Bergamo in Lombardy, St. Alexander, martyr, who was also a soldier of that legion. He confessed with great firmness the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and fulfilled his martyrdom by being beheaded.
Among the Marsians (in Central Italy), (7) SS. Simplicius and his sons
Constantius and Victorian. Under the Emperor Antoninus, they were first tortured in various ways; then, struck with an axe, they gained the crown of martyrdom.
At Nicomedia, the suffering of St. Hadrian, a son of the Emperor Probus. He had condemned the persecution inaugurated against the Christians by Licinius. For this, he was ordered by Licinius to be put to death. His uncle, Domitius, Bishop of Byzantium, buried his body in a suburb of the city called Argyropolis.
In Spain, St. Victor, martyr, who was slain by the Moors for the Christian faith, and thus given the crown of martyrdom.
At Capua, St. Rufinus, bishop and confessor.
At Pistoia in Tuscany, St. Felix, priest and confessor.
The Twenty-seventh Day of August
St. Joseph Calasanctius, priest and confessor. He founded the Order of Poor Clerks Regular of the Mother of God of the Christian Schools. He died in the Lord on August 25. A duplex feast.
At Potenza in Lucania, the suffering of SS. Arontius, Honoratus, Fortunatus, and Sabinian. They were the sons of SS. Boniface and Thecla, and were condemned to capital punishment by the judge Valerian in the reign of the Emperor Maximian. Their festival, together with that of the others of the twelve holy brethren, is observed on September 1.
At Bergamo, St. Narnus, who was baptized by Blessed Barnabas, and by him was ordained first bishop of that city.
At Capua, the birthday of St. Rufus, bishop and martyr. He was of patrician rank and was baptized, together with all his household, by Blessed Apollinaris, the disciple of St. Peter. A memory.
In the same city, the holy martyrs Rufus and Carpophorus, who suffered under Diocletian and Maximian.
At Tomis in Pontus, the holy martyrs Marcellinus the tribune, his wife Mannea, and their sons John, Serapion, and Peter.
At Lentini in Sicily, St. Euthaha, virgin. She was slain by the sword with her brother Scrmilian for being a Christian, and passed to her heavenly Spouse.
On the same day, the suffering of St. Anthusa the Younger, who, drowned in a well for the Christian faith, obtained martyrdom.
At Arles in Gaul, St. Caesarius, bishop, a man of wondrous holiness and piety.
At Autun, St. Syagrius, bishop and confessor. At Pavia (in Italy), St. John, bishop. At Lerida in Spain, St. Licerius, bishop. In the Thebaid, St. Poemon, hermit. Among the people of Sanseverino in Piceno, St. Margaret, widow. +
The Twenty-eighth Day of August
At Hippo in Africa, the birthday of St. Augustine, bishop, confessor, and eminent Doctor of the Church. He was converted to the Catholic faith and baptized through the zeal of Bishop St. Ambrose. He became a most stalwart defender of the faith against the Manichees and other heretics. After enduring many other labors for the Church of God, he passed to his reward in Heaven. Because (of the invasion) of the barbarians, his relics were taken from his own city first to Sardinia, and afterward by Luitprand, King of the Lombards, to Pavia, and honorably buried there. A totum duplex feast of the second class.
At Rome, the birthday of St. Hermes, an illustrious man. As may be read in the Acts of Blessed Pope Alexander, he was first delivered over to be kept in prison. Then, with many others, he was put to the sword, ending his martyrdom under the judge Aurelian.
At Venosa in Apulia, the suffering of SS. Septiminus, Januarius, and Felix. In the reign of the Emperor Maximian, the judge Valerian ordered these sons of SS. Boniface and Thecla to be beheaded. Their festival, however, is observed with that of the others of the twelve holy brethren on September 1.
At Brioude in Auvergne, the suffering of St. Julian, martyr, who was a companion of the tribune Blessed Ferreolus. He served Christ in secret while leading the life of a soldier; in the persecution of Diocletian he was seized by soldiers and put to a barbarous death by having his throat cut.
At Constance in Germany, St. Pelagius, martyr, who, being beheaded, received the crown of martyrdom under the Emperor Numerian and the judge Evilasius.
At Salerno, the holy martyrs Fortunatus, Caius, and Anthes, who were beheaded under the Emperor Diocletian and the proconsul Leontius.
At Constantinople, St. Alexander, bishop, a glorious old man. (8) It was by the power of his prayer that the body of Arius, who had been condemned by the judgment of God, burst in the middle and his entrails gushed forth.
At Saintes in Gaul, St. Vivian, bishop and confessor.
Likewise, St. Moses, an Ethiopian. From being a notorious robber, he became a famous hermit, converted many others, and brought them with him to his monastery. +
The Twenty-ninth Day of August
The beheading of St. John the Baptist, whom Herod ordered to be beheaded on the Feast of the Passover. But his memory is solemnly kept on this day, when his venerated head was found for the second time. It was afterwards taken to Rome, and is preserved in the church of St. Silvester in the Campus Martius, with the great devotion of the faithful. A totum duplex feast.
At Rome, on the Aventine, the birthday of St. Sabina, martyr, who was put to the sword under the Emperor Hadrian and obtained a crown of martyrdom. A memory.
At Veliniano on the confines of Apulia, the suffering of SS. Vitalis, Sator, and Repositus. They were sons of SS. Boniface and Thecla, and were condemned to capital punishment by the judge Valerian in the reign of the Emperor Maximian. Their festival, with that of the others of the twelve holy brethren, is observed on September 1.
At Rome, St. Candida, virgin and martyr, whose body Pope St. Paschal I transferred to the church of St. Praxedes.
At Constantinople, the holy martyrs Hypatius, a bishop of Asia, and Andrew, priest. At the time of Leo the Isaurian, both these men, because they venerated the holy images, had their beards smeared with pitch and then set on fire. The skin was peeled off their heads and their throats were cut.
At Antioch, the birthday of the holy martyrs Nicaeas and Paul.
At Metz in Gaul, St. Adelf, bishop and confessor.
At Paris, the death of St. Mederic, priest.
At Perugia (in Italy), St. Euthymius, a Roman. With his wife and his son Crescentius, he fled to Perugia from the persecution of Diocletian. Later, he died there a peaceful death.
In England, St. Sebbe, King (of the East Saxons)
At Sirmium, the birthday of St. Basilla, virgin.
In the country of Troyes, St. Sabina, virgin, glorious for her virtues and miracles. +
The Thirtieth Day of August
At Lima in Peru, St. Rose, virgin, of the Third Order of our holy Father St. Dominic. The Roman Pontiff Clement IX called her "the first flower from the Western World." At the age of five she took the vow of virginity; later she was received by Christ in a miraculous way as His spouse. She added the most severe penances to a life of purest innocence and her fame spread because of her many miracles. She died on August 24. A totum duplex feast of the second class.
At Rome, on the Via Ostia, the suffering of Blessed Felix, priest, under the Emperors Diocletian and Maximian. After he had been tortured on the rack, and sentence had been pronounced, a certain Christian met him as he was being led to his execution. When the stranger openly confessed that he too was a Christian, he was then beheaded with St. Felix. As the Christians did not know his name, they called him Adauctus, (9) because he was added to St. Felix in attaining the crown. A memory.
Likewise at Rome, St. Gaudentia, virgin and martyr, with three other persons.
At Sufetula in Africa, sixty blessed martyrs, who were slain by the fury of the heathens.
At Bologna, St. Bononius, abbot.
At Rome, St. Pammachius, priest, who was noteworthy for learning and sanctity.
At Adrumetum in Africa, SS. Boniface and Thecla, who were the parents of twelve sons, all martyrs.
At Thessalonica, St. Fantinus, confessor. He suffered much at the hands of the Saracens, and was driven from the monastery in which he had lived in marvellous abstinence. After he had brought many to the way of salvation, he died at a good old age.
In the country of Meaux, St. Fiacre, confessor.
At Trebia in Latium, St. Peter, confessor. He was distinguished for many virtues and miracles. He died at Trebia and is held in great veneration there. +
The Thirty-first Day of August
St. Raymund Nonnatus, confessor and cardinal, of the Order of our Lady of Mercy for the Redemption of Captives. His birthday is commemorated on August 26. A duplex feast.
At Monte Senario, in Etruria, the birthday of St. Bonajuncta, confessor, one of the seven Founders of the Order of the Servants of the Blessed Virgin Mary. While he was preaching to the brethren about the Lord's Passion, he gave up his soul into the hands of the Lord. His festival with that of his companions is kept on February 12.
At Treves, the birthday of St. Paulinus, bishop. In the time of the At' heresy, he was exiled by the Arian Emperor Constantius on account of his Catholic faith. He was worn out by having to change constantly the place of his cxile until the day of his death, in regions far beyond the Christian lands. He finally received from the Lord the crown of such blessed suffering, and died in Phrygia.
At Transaco, among the Marsi of Lake Fucino, the birthday of the holy martyrs Caesidius, priest, and his companions, who were crowned with martyrdom in the persecution of Maximin.
Likewise, SS. Robustian and Mark, martyrs.
At Caesarea in Cappadocia, SS. Theodotus, Rufina, and Ammia. Theodotus and Rufina were the parents of the martyr St. Mamas to whom Rufina gave birth in prison and whom Ammia educated.
At Auxerre, St. Optatus, bishop and confessor.
In England, St. Aidan, Bishop of Lindisfarne. When St. Cuthbert, who is mentioned on March 20, was yet a shepherd-boy, he saw the soul of St. Aidan being borne up into Heaven. He forthwith left his flock and became a monk.
At Nosco (in Italy), St. Amatus, bishop.
At Athens, St. Aristides, a man most noble in faith and wisdom. He offered to the Emperor Hadrian a book on the Christian religion, which set forth the grounds for our teaching, and, in the presence of the emperor himself, he eloquently maintained that Jesus Christ alone is God.
NOTES 2. Philippians, 4:10.
3. Alexander gave away his wealth and became a charcoal-burncr in order to practise humility. Hence his nickname.
4. See note for March 14.
5. See his entry under November 20.
6. See note to St. Apollonia, February 9.
7. See note under March 14.
8. See note under February 26.
9. Adauctus -- an addition.
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