Commemoration of Saints (March 9)

Solemnities, Feasts, Obligatory and Optional Memorials, and Traditional Dates of Commemoration

• Frances of Rome, religious
• Pacian, bishop
• Gregory of Nyssa, bishop
• Bosa, bishop
• Catherine of Bologna, virgin
• Dominic Savio [1]

The feast of St. Frances of Rome is commemorated today as an Optional Memorial.

St. Frances of Rome (1384-1440 A.D.) was married and also worked to minister to the poor of Rome. When her husband's mother died, she was required to assume the duties of the household of her husband. Despite this responsibility, Frances continued with her work with the poor, even helping those who suffered from a plague in the early 1400s A.D., and also with those who suffered in another pestilence which struck Rome around 1413 A.D. It is from these works with the poor that Frances was able to form a society of women, one without vows and living in the world. The members of the society pledged their lives to God and to the service of the poor. They became known as the Oblates of Tor de' Speechi. St. Frances of Rome died in the spring of 1440 A.D. She was canonized in the year 1608 A.D. [2] [3].

St. Gregory of Nyssa (ca. 330-395 A.D.) was the brother of St. Basil the Great. He was named bishop of Nyssa in 372 A.D. St. Gregory was active in 381 A.D. in the General Council of Constantinople, which fought against Arianism. He accomplished a lot of written works:

• numerous theological treatises, such as
• his Catechetical Discourse
• treatises against Eunomius and Apollinaris
• a book on virginity
• commentaries on Scripture [4]

In the Catholic Church, he is commemorated on this day, March 9, but in the East, in the Byzantine Calendar, he is commemorated every 10th of January.

Saints in the Byzantine Calendar [March 9]

• Sts. Forty Martyrs at Sebaste in Armenia [2]

The Forty Martyrs of Sebaste were Roman soldiers who were forced to stand naked on a frozen lake because they refused to abandon their Christian faith. They died from exposure to the cold. Sebaste, now in modern-day Turkey, was part of Lesser Armenia in the year 320 A.D. - the traditional date of the 40 Martyrs death [5].

References: Books, Websites & AI Search Results

• [1] Pocket Catholic Dictionary, John A. Hardon
• [2] Saints for Our Time, by Ed Ransom
• [3] Lives of the Saints, Richard P. McBrien
• [4] Dictionary of Saints, John J. Delaney
• [5] AI Overview for the search query "forty martyrs of sebaste in armenia", Google.com

Commemoration of Saints (March 8)

Solemnities, Feasts, Obligatory and Optional Memorials, and Traditional Dates of Commemoration

• John of God, religious
• Pontius, deacon
• Philemon & Apollonius, martyrs
• Senan, bishop
• Felix of Dunwich, bishop
• Julian of Toledo, bishop
• Humphrey, bishop
• Duthac, bishop
• Veremund, abbot
• Stephen of Obazine, abbot [1]

Today, March 8, the Catholic Church commemorates:

• 1 founder of a religious order
• 2 martyrs
• 1 deacon
• 5 bishops
• 2 abbots

Foremost among the Saints commemorated today is St. John of God (ca. 1495-1550 A.D.). His feast is celebrated as an Optional Memorial.

John began as a soldier in the wars between Spain and France, and in the wars against the Turks in Hungary. Afterwards he became a shepherd in Seville, Spain, and served also as an overseer of slaves in Morocco.

John's conversion began when he heard a sermon by St. John of Avila. This sermon filled him with such remorse that he went berserk and wildly repented of his ways. Due to his behaviour and manner of repentance, he was sent into an insane asylum. John of Avila helped him by suggesting that he apply his strength to help others rather than imposing harsh penances on himself.

In 1539 A.D., after his release from the asylum, John of God devoted himself to help the sick and the poor. He opened a house to care for them and begged for alms to supply the basic needs of the house. Soon the virtues he exemplified in his apostolic work impressed the wealthy of Grenada that they clamoured to support his efforts. This work of St. John of God was the beginning of what would be the Order of the Brothers Hospitallers, also known as the Brothers of St. John of God. The religious Order spread throughout the world, St. John of God was canonized in 1690 A.D., and made patron of booksellers, heart ailments, hospitals, nurses, printers, and the sick [2].

Saints in the Byzantine Calendar [March 8]

• Theophylact, Bishop of Nicomedia

References: Books, Websites & AI Search Results

• [1] Pocket Catholic Dictionary, John A. Hardon
• [2] Saints for Our Time, by Ed Ransom

Commemoration of Saints (March 7)

Solemnities, Feasts, Obligatory and Optional Memorials, and Traditional Dates of Commemoration

• Perpetua & Felicity, martyrs (Obligatory Memorial)
• Paul the Simple
• Drausius, bishop
• Esterwine, abbot
• Ardo
• Theophylact, bishop [1]

Foremost among the Saints commemorated on this day are the martyrs Perpetua & Felicity. Both are recognized at the level of the universal Church and are thus commemorated as an Obligatory Memorial.

Sts. Perpetua & Felicity were North African Christians who were sentenced to die in the arena in 203 A.D. This was the time of the persecution of Christians under Septimus Severus. It was a time when the anti-Christian sentiment was heard as "Christians to the lions!"

The story of Perpetua and Felicity's martyrdom is well told in many sources. But in view of brevity, a short description will be given here. Just after giving birth to a son, Perpetua was arrested together with other catechumens. Her husband and her slave Felicity, who gave birth to a girl, were also arrested with her. On the day of the games in the Roman colosseum, as they were led into the arena, the men were attacked by the leopards and bears; the women on the other hand were attacked by a heifer. Perpetua did not die instantly. Instead, when a gladiator wanted to make her death certain, Perpetua herself guided the sword towards her.

If by chance you happen to find a CD entitled "Passion of the Saints" by Discovery Channel, the story of Perpetua and Felicity is featured in standard documentary style. Both the names of Sts. Perpetua and Felicity are in the Canon of the Roman Mass and in the General Roman Calendar [2].

Saints in the Byzantine Calendar [March 7]

• Sts. Priest-Martyrs at Chersonia: Basil, Ephrem, Capito, Eugene, Everius, Missionary Bishops
• Venerable Paul the Simple in Egypt, a Solitary

Sts. Basil, Ephrem or Ephraim, Capito or Caption, Eugene, Everius and other companions (Elpidius, Agathodorus, Aetherius) are hieromartyrs who evangelized the region in the North Black Sea, from the Danube to the Dniper River, including the Crimea in what is now modern-day Ukraine. Learn more at Byzantinela.com [3]

St. Paul the Simple (d. ca. 339 A.D.) is commemorated today, March 7, in both the Catholic Church and in the Byzantine Calendar. He was 60 years old when he left his unfaithful wife and sought St. Anthony of Egypt in the desert. At first St. Anthony did not want to accept him because of his advanced age. When Anthony was impressed by Paul's persistence, he took him in, but put him under a test in an attempt to discourage him. However, when Paul showed humility, eagerness and obedience, St. Anthony was convinced and gave a cell to him. From that moment, St. Paul the Simple performed miracles of healing, revealed his power to read men's minds, and impressed St. Anthony that he referred to Paul as the ideal of what a monk ought to be. Paul was named "the Simple" because of his childlike innocence [4].

References: Books, Websites & AI Search Results

• [1] Pocket Catholic Dictionary, John A. Hardon
• [2] Lives of the Saints, Richard P. McBrien
• [3] March 7 The Holy Martyrs and Bishops of Cherson, https://byzantinela.com/mar-07-2023/
• [4] Dictionary of Saints, John J. Delaney