Memorial of Saints (January 16)

Feasts, Obligatory and Optional Memorials of Saints

St. Marcellus I succeeded St. Marcellinus to the papacy in 308 A.D. As Pope, Marcellus reorganized the Church in Rome and settled the lapsi controversy by issuing a papal decree. This decree caused widespread civil disorders. It was due to this unrest that led Emperor Maxentius to send Marcellus into exile (died ca. 309 A.D.).

St. Priscilla is the wife of the Christian martyr Mancius Glabrio. She is traditionally known to be the mother of St. Pudens. But what she is more known for is her home on the Via Salaria in Rome, which was used by St. Peter the Apostle as his headquarters for leading the Christians. St. Priscilla's home has a catacomb underneath it (died ca. 98 A.D.).

St. Honoratus is the founder of the monastery in Lérins, off the coast of southern France. In honor of this saint, the island is now called Saint-Honorat. St. Honoratus was named archbishop of Arles in 426 A.D. The monastery he founded produced southern France's leading bishops and writers - one of whom was St. Vincent of Lérins. St. Honoratus is the patron saint of bakers (died ca. 429 A.D.).

St. Fursey was an Irishman who left his home to build a monastery at Killursa. Twelve years later, he went with his brothers Sts. Foillan and Ultan, to settle in England, where they built a monastery on land donated by Sigebert. After several years in this monastery, St. Fursey went on to Gaul (now in France) and built a monastery at Lagny (died ca. 648 A.D.).

St. Henry of Cocket was from Denmark, and since his youth wanted to live a religious life. He travelled to England and built a hermitage on the island of Cocket, off the coast of northeastern England (known at that time as Northumberland). Henry lived as a hermit until his death in ca. 1127 A.D.

St. Berard and his Franciscan companions (Sts. Peter, Odo, Accursio, and Adjutus) were the Franciscan order's first martyrs. St. Francis of Assisi sent St. Berard and his four companions to a mission among the Muslims in southern Spain and Morocco. Despite warnings from the local Muslim sultan at the time, they continued to preach zealously Christ and the gospel. All five Franciscans were martyred for Christ on January 16, 1220 A.D.

More on the life of St. Honoratus and the influence of the Five Franciscan Martyrs

In ca. 405 A.D., St. Honoratus (d. ca. 429 A.D.) founded a monastery of the early Church which was to be of influence to others. This is located in an island off the southern coast of Gaul (now France) opposite modern-day Cannes. That island is now called Saint-Honorat. This monastery produced southern Gaul's bishops and writers, including St. Vincent of Lerins, who gave the Church an enduring criterion of tradition, namely, quod ubique, quod semper, quod ab omnibus (Latin for "what [has been believed] everywhere, always, and by all"). St. Vincent Lerins was a priest and monk and one of the Latin Church Fathers.

St. Anthony of Padua was inspired by the five Franciscan martyrs, Sts. Berard, Peter, Odo, Accursio, and Adjutus, who were sent by St. Francis himself as missionaries to the Muslims in Seville and Morocco. When the relics of these five Franciscan friars, who were martyred in Morocco, were brought to Portugal, it deeply impacted Anthony. He was so moved by their courageous witness for Christ that he fervently desired to follow in their footsteps.

Saints in the Byzantine Calendar [January 16]

• Veneration of the venerable Chains of St. Peter

Memorial of Saints (January 15)

Feasts, Obligatory and Optional Memorials of Saints

• Paul the First Hermit, confessor
• Maur, abbot, and Placid
• Macarius the Elder
• Isidore of Alexandria
• John Calybites
• Ita of Killeedy, virgin and abbess
• Bonet or Bonitus, bishop
• Ceowulf

St. Paul the Hermit (ca. 233-342 A.D.), also known as Paul of Thebes, is traditionally regarded as the first hermit in Christian history. He fled to the desert during a period of persecution (probably during the reign of Emperor Decius) and lived there to well more than one hundred years old. He is one of the centenerian-saints featured in this Blog.

St. Macarius the Elder or Macarius the Great (ca. 300-390 A.D.) was born in Upper Egypt and became a cattle-herder in his youth. He became a hermit and practiced the greatest austerities. He was accused of assaulting a woman but proved his innocence and became a hero for his patience and humility during that trying ordeal. To escape the adulation, he retired to the desert of Skete, was ordained, and was much sought after for his spiritual wisdom. He lived in Skete for sixty years more and died there. Learn more

Saints in the Byzantine Calendar [January 15]

• Paul of Thebes and John the "Tent-dweller"

The feast of St. Paul the Hermit or Paul of Thebes, is commemorated in both the Roman Catholic Church and in the Byzantine Calendar on this day, January 15. He is celebrated in the East through the Russian and Greek Orthodox Churches and the Coptic and Armenian rites.

January 15 in the history of Christianity

January 15 is the day of birth of American civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929-1968 A.D.). The Episcopal Church in the United States of America commemorate Dr. King's day of assassination on April 4.

Memorial of Saints (January 14)

Feasts, Obligatory and Optional Memorials of Saints

• Felix Nola, confessor
• Macrina the Elder, widow
• Barbasymas and Companions, martyrs
• Datius, bishop
• Kentigern or Mungo, bishop
• Sava, bishop
• Odoric of Pordenone, friar

St. Felix of Nola (d. ca. 260 A.D.) was the son of Hermias, a Roman soldier who had an estate at Nola near Naples, Italy. On the death of his father Hermias, Felix distributed his inheritance to the poor and was ordained by Bishop Maximus of Nola. During the persecution of Christians by Decius, St. Maximus fled to the desert and Felix, being the bishop's assistant, was arrested in his stead and imprisoned. An angel was said to have released Felix from prison and directed him to his ailing bishop, Maximus. As an opportunity presented itself, Felix brought bishop Maximus back to Nola.

Decius died in 251 A.D. but Felix continued to be hidden until the persecution completely ended. When bishop Maximus passed away, the people naturally and unanimously selected Felix as their bishop. However, Felix declined the honor in favor of Quintus, a priest who is senior to Felix.

St. Felix of Nola decided to live on a small piece of land and shared what he had with the poor. His tomb soon became famous for the miracles that happened to people who visited his tomb. St. Paulinus, who became a bishop of Nola a century later in 410 A.D., wrote all that is known today of St. Felix of Nola.

Saints in the Byzantine Calendar [January 14]

• Fathers of Sinai and Raitha

The Holy fathers slain at Sinai and Raithu are saints venerated together on January 14 by the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Greek Catholic Churches. There were two occasions when the monks and hermits were murdered by the barbarians. The first occasion took place in the 4th century A.D., when 40 fathers were killed at Mt. Sinai, and 39 were slain at Raithu on the same day. The attack at Raithu is attributed to the tribe called the Blemmyes, from parts of Arabia.

The names of the fathers were:

• Isaiah,
• Sabbas,
• Moses and his disciple Moses,
• Jeremiah,
• Paul,
• Adam,
• Sergius,
• Domnus,
• Proclus,
• Hypatius,
• Isaac,
• Macarius,
• Mark,
• Benjamin,
• Eusebius,
• Elias,
• and others

The second occasion was the killing of the martyrs of Raithu about the middle of the 5th century A.D.

Sinai and Raithu are both located in the Sinai Peninsula of Egypt. Raithu is now known as El Tor, which is the capital of the South Sinai Governorate. The Raithu desert is situated around El Tor, between Saint Catherine and the Red Sea. It is part of the Archdiocese of Mount Sinai and Raithu of the Eastern Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem.

It is to be noted that the attack came from barbarians and other tribes. Although unverifiable, the attacks may not have been religious in nature as Islam came into being only in the 7th century A.D.

Citation from Wikipedia.org