Saints Who Lived to 100 Years or More (Part One)

Getting to Know the Centenarian Saints (Series 1 of 4)

Introduction
This series on the Centenarian-Saints will gather information from a book of Saints by Jesuit author John Delaney, S.J. Although for certain there are more centenarian-saints aside from the 22 surveyed in this article Series, this sample gives ideas how these saints used the gift of longevity, to inspire others to greater faith in Christ, and give glory to God's name in the history of the Church. In this batch of 22 saints, 2 were able to live to the age of 120 years.

A brief biographical sketch of each centenarian-saint
Before listing down the first batch of centenarian-saints, this article will describe them briefly: through the years and eras they have lived; through the various states of life they have gone through before their death; and through the administrative roles and ministries some of them served in the Church. Since exact birthdates and dates of death cannot be obtained (especially in the earlier centuries), the authenticity of their long life as Catholic historical tradition attests is worth believing.

First batch of the list of 22 centenarian-saints

• Blessed Aimo Taparelli: (1395-1495), Dominican, chaplain to the Duke of Savoy, inquisitor general for Lombardy and Liguria
• St. Alferius: (930-1050), monk at Cluny, hermit near Salerno, founded Benedictine abbey of La Cava
• St. Amicus: (925-1045), priest, hermit, Benedictine monk
• St. Antony of Egypt: (251-356), hermit, founder of Eastern Christian monasticism, fought against the Arian heresy
• St. Artaldus: (1101-1206), Carthusian monk, founder of another Carthusian charterhouse, bishop of Belley
• St. Basil the Younger: (852-952), hermit, famed for his miracles and holiness
• Blessed Christopher: (1172-1272), parish priest, Franciscan friar, fought the Albigensian heresy, established Franciscan house in Cahors

Summary
From this first batch of centenarian-saints, two were in active life, while five were contemplatives. The two who lived to 120 years of age were both contemplatives, and both schooled in the teachings of St. Benedict and his monastic rule.

Memorial of Saints (December 5)

St. Sabas had a hard life as a youth. So, he ran away to a monastery near his birth place. When his family wanted him back home, he chose to remain in the monastery. He then became a hermit under the guidance of St. Euthymius. As a hermit, he attracted a number of followers, and thus organized them into a laura - (hermit huts in circular form around a chapel). St. Sabas is considered one of the founders of Eastern monasticism. His monastery is one of the four oldest inhabited monasteries in the world (died ca. 532 A.D.).

Blessed Philip Rinaldi was ordained as a Salesian priest of Don Bosco in 1882 A.D. He developed the Salesian Family, now known as the Don Bosco Volunteers. In 1922 A.D., he was in charge of formation and the promotion of devotion to St. John Bosco (died ca. 1931 A.D.).

St. Crispina was a wealthy African mother of several children. She was arrested during the persecution of Christians during the reign of Diocletian. When she was ordered to sacrifice to pagan gods, and refused to do so, she was beheaded (died ca. 304 A.D.).

St. Nicetius of Trier became a monk at Limoges. He then became its abbot until he was named bishop to the episcopate of Trier. As bishop of Trier, St. Nicetius restored clerical discipline, rebuilt the cathedral, and founded a school for clerics (died ca. 566 A.D.).

St. Birinus was consecrated bishop in Genoa, Italy, and went to Britain as a missionary. He evangelized the West Saxons and was successful in this mission. Because of many conversions he produced in his missionary work, St. Birinus came to be known as "the Apostle of Wessex" (died ca. 650 A.D.).

St. Sigiramnus was engaged to be married, but broke this engagement to become a monk at St. Martin's in Tours, France. After the death of his father, who was bishop of Tours, he gave away his inheritance to the poor. He then joined an Irish bishop, and soon founded monasteries at Meobecca and Longoretum. He is known for his charity to the poor (died ca. 655 A.D.).

St. John Almond was ordained in Rome in 1598 A.D. He was sent as a missionary to England in 1602 A.D. and served the English Catholics for about a decade. In 1612 A.D., when he refused to take the Oath of Supremacy, he was hanged, drawn, and quartered at Tyburn (died ca. 1612 A.D.).

Memorial of Saints (December 4)

St. John Damascene was a financial officer of the city before he entered the monastery of Mar Saba, near Jerusalem. John was known for his encyclopedic knowledge and theological method, both of which inspired St. Thomas of Aquinas, the Dominican. John was not only gifted in writing, but also had talent in music. His more important contribution to the Church of his time was his defense of the veneration of sacred images against the iconoclasts (died ca. 749 A.D.).

St. Barbara is a saint honored in the Church's ancient tradition. Martyred in ca. 303 A.D., under Emperor Maximian, devotion to her became more popular in the later Middle Ages, especially in France. She is one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers - a group of saints who were popular in the fourteenth century and in the countries of Germany, Hungary and Sweden. St. Barbara is the patron saint of those in danger of sudden death by lightning. Tradition tells us that this came about because her father was struck dead by lightning when he killed Barbara for her Christian faith (died ca. 4th century A.D.).

St. Maruthas was bishop of Maiferkat, Mesopotamia (near the Persian border). Maruthas was able to find favor with the king of Persia and received permission to restore a Church organization and to build many churches in Persia. St. Maruthas is considered the father of the Syrian Church. He compiled a record of Christians martyred in Persia during the reign of King Sapor. He also brought so many martyrs' relics to Maiferkat that it was renamed Martyropolis (died ca. 415 A.D.).

St. Anno studied at the cathedral school of Bamberg and became one of Henry III's chaplains. In 1056 A.D., Anno was appointed archbishop of Cologne and Henry III's chancellor. St. Anno was constantly involved in the murky politics of his era. But even with these involvements, he was also able to establish monasteries, reformed existing ones, and was given to charitable acts with the poor. He spent the last years of his life doing penance at the monastery he founded at Siegburg (died ca. 1075 A.D.).

St. Osmund served as chancellor and was named bishop of Salisbury in 1078 A.D. Osmund drew up new liturgical books regulating the Mass, the Divine Office, and the administration of the Sacraments. These regulations were followed until the next century and widely adapted in England, Ireland and Wales. Osmund also gathered together an extensive collection of manuscripts for the cathedral library. He was also an expert copyist, a skilled binder of books, and an author on the life of St. Aldhelm (died ca. 1099 A.D.).

St. Bernard of Parma joined the Vallombrosans. In time, he was elected general of this Order. In 1097 A.D., he was made cardinal by Pope Urban II. In 1106 A.D., he was appointed bishop of Parma. When Maginulf became an antipope, Maginulf's followers drove Bernard into exile. Bernard was twice driven into exile: the first in 1104 A.D., and the second in 1127 A.D. He was however able to return to his see in Parma where he spent his last years (died ca. 1133 A.D.).