St. Anicetus became Pope ca. 155 A.D. He actively opposed the Gnostic heresy and Marcionism. It was in his pontificate that a dispute arose between the Church of the West and the East regarding the liturgical date for Easter. St. Polycarp, a disciple of St. John, and who also became bishop of Smyrna, got involved in this dispute. This is one of the disputes between the churches of the West and the churches of the East that extended to the next centuries (died ca. 166 A.D.).
St. Elias was an aged priest of Cordova, in Spain. It was St. Eulogius who gives an eyewitness account of the story of St. Elias. According to Eulogius, Elias was executed for the faith together with two young men whom Elias was instructing in the faith - St. Isidore and St. Paul (died ca. 856 A.D.).
Blessed Mary Ann of Jesus Navarro dedicated her life to God under the spiritual direction of the Mercedarians. She was noted for her holy life because of her devotion to the Eucharist, and her works of mercy towards the poor. In 1614 A.D., she made her profession as a member of the Third Order of Mercy. Up to this date, her body remains incorrupt and has been miraculously preserved in Madrid, Spain (died ca. 1624 A.D.).
Blessed Clare of Pisa was betrothed at an early age. In the home of her future husband's parents, she assisted the poor and the sick within the neighborhood. When Clare's husband died during an epidemic, she refused a second marriage and decided to become a religious. She joined the Poor Clares and took the religious name, Clare (her real name was Theodora Gambacorti). Because of disputes in the family, she found herself instead in a Dominican convent. Eventually, since she wanted to live a spirit of reform, her father built a new convent for her, where she and her companions followed a stricter observance of the Dominican rule (died ca. 1419 A.D.).
St. Benedict Joseph Labre was rejected entrance by three different religious orders. So he decided to be a pilgrim in imitation of Christ, who had "nowhere to lay his head". Benedict visited all the major shrines of western Europe and spent his last years in Rome. He is the patron saint of wandering people and the homeless (died ca. 1783 A.D.).
St. Mappalicus was a resident of Carthage (now in present-day Tunisia). He was tortured and died a martyr for the Christian faith under the reign of Emperor Decius. Decius decreed that all persons must sacrifice to Rome's pagan gods. Mappalicus and seventeen other Christians refused to obey this decree. They were all put to death by various means at the same place and time (died ca. 250 A.D.).
St. Innocent of Tortona was arrested for being a Christian, but was able to escape to Rome. In Rome, he became a deacon and soon appointed bishop of Tortona in 322 A.D. St. Innocent was active in preaching the faith and in building churches during the twenty-eight years of his episcopate (died ca. 350 A.D.).
St. Donnan was an Irish disciple of St. Columba. Together with fifty-two companions, Donnan founded a monastery on the island of Eigg, Inner Hebrides. When bandits raided their monastery, they were all killed just after St. Donnan had finished saying the Mass on Easter (died ca. 618 A.D.).
St. Robert of Chaise-Dieu was ordained and became a canon at St. Julian's Church at Brioude. He spent several years in the monastery of Cluny when St. Odilo was abbot, and then went on a pilgrimage to Rome. When he returned, he became a hermit near Brioude. A knight named Stephen and other followers joined Robert. St. Robert then organized the community which grew to three hundred monks (died ca. 1067 A.D.).
St. Stephen Harding originally lived with a group of hermits near Molesmes. In 1094 A.D., together with others, Stephen obtained permission to leave Molesmes so that they can found the monastery at Citeaux. Stephen was subprior at the time, Alberic was prior, while Robert was abbot. Eventually, Stephen became abbot of Citeaux. After some time, because of a series of unfortunate events, the young community at Citeaux was in crisis. But in 1112 A.D., Bernard (St. Bernard of Clairvaux) entered the Citeaux monastery with a group of his relatives. From then on, St. Stephen Harding drew up the rule for the Cistercian Order (died ca. 1134 A.D.).
