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Boston Catholic Journal - Critical Catholic Commentary in the Twilight of Reason


 

Roman Martyrology, Complete, in English

2004 Roman Martyrology IN ENGLISH,

 Complete
 

Semen est sanguis Christianorum (The blood of Christians is the seed of the Church) Tertullian, Apologeticum, 50

 

An English Translation from the Latin

By Geoffrey K. Mondello
Editor, Boston Catholic Journal
 

_______________________________________________________
 

May

 

2004 Roman Martyrology by Month

(beginning with January on June 12, 2025 and to be completed)
 

January February March April May June
July August September October November December

 


 

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  

 

May 1st

 

This Day, the First Day of May

 

Saint Joseph the Worker, who, a craftsman of Nazareth, supported the needs of Mary and Jesus by his labor, and introduced the Son of God to the labors of men. Therefore, on the day when work is commemorated in many parts of the world, Christian workers venerate him as an example and protector.

 

2.  Commemoration of Saint Jeremiah, prophet, who, in the time of Joachim and Zedekiah, kings of Judah, warning of the destruction of the Holy City and the deportation of the people, suffered many persecutions, for which reason the Church has regarded him as a figure of the suffering Christ. Moreover, he foretold the new and eternal Covenant to be completed in Christ Jesus himself, by which God the Father would write His law in the innermost heart of the sons of Israel, so that He would be their God and they would be His people.

 

3.  In the district of Viviers in Gaul, Saint Andeolus, martyr.

 

4.  In southern Spain, the commemoration of Saints Torquatus, bishop of Acci, and six other bishops, who held sees in different cities, namely Ctesiphon of Vergi, Secundus of Abula, Indaletius of Urci, Caecilius of Illiberis, Hesychius of Carteia, and Euphrasius of Iliturgi.

 

5.  At Auxerre in Gaul, Saint Amator, bishop, who strove to uproot the superstitions of the pagans in his city and established the veneration of the holy martyrs.

 

6.  At Auch in Aquitaine, Saint Orientius, bishop, who tried to root out the customs of the pagans in his city and to establish peace between the Romans and the king of the Visigoths at Toulouse.

 

7.  In Brittany, Saint Brioc, bishop and abbot, who, born in Wales, founded a monastery on the Armorican coast, to which a bishop’s see was afterward assigned.

 

8.  At Agaunum in Raetia, the deposition of Saint Sigismund, who, king of the Burgundians, converted from the Arian heresy to the Catholic faith, and there, before the tombs of the martyrs, established a continuous choir of psalm-singers; through penance, tears, and fasting he atoned for a crime he had committed, and in the district of Orléans, having been thrown into a well by his enemies, met death.

 

9.  On the island of Brittany, Saint Marculf, hermit, later monk and abbot of the monastery of Nantus.

 

10.  At Elwy in Wales, Saint Asaph, abbot and bishop, of the see later designated by his name.

 

11.  At Vence in the Province of Gaul, Saint Arigius, bishop, known for patience in adversities, zeal against simoniacs, and charity toward the Roman monks sent into England.

 

12.  In the district of Montauban in Narbonese Gaul, the passing of Saint Theodard, bishop of Narbonne, who restored his cathedral church and flourished with zeal for discipline. Affected by illness, he retired to a monastery, where he gave back his soul to God.

 

13.  At Fossombrone in Picenum of Italy, blessed Aldebrandus, bishop, distinguished for austerity of life and apostolic spirit.

 

14.  At Arouca in Lusitania, blessed Mafalda, virgin, daughter of King Sancho I, who, after rejecting an invalid marriage, became a nun and introduced Cistercian reform into her monastery.

 

15.  At Montaione in Etruria, blessed Vivaldus of San Gimignano, hermit of the Third Order of Saint Francis, outstanding for austerity of life, patience, and charity in caring for the sick.

 

16.  At Castrovall in Istria, blessed Julian Cesarello, priest of the Order of Friars Minor, who wandered through villages and streets, sowing the word of God and striving to calm civic factions.

 

17.  At Forlì in Emilia, Saint Peregrine Laziosi, religious of the Servite Order, who, from his devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, excelled in piety toward Jesus her Son and in care for the poor.

 

18.  At Mont-Célien in the district of Beauvais in Gaul, blessed Petronilla, virgin, first abbess of the Poor Clare monastery of that place.

 

19.  At Rome, the birth into heaven of Saint Pius V, pope, whose memory is commemorated on the day before this.

 

20.  At the fortress of Sơn Tây in Tonkin, Saint Augustine Schoeffler, priest of the Paris Society of Foreign Missions and martyr, who, after three years spent in ministry, was cast into prison and, at the field called “Five Acres,” by order of the emperor Tu Đức, received by beheading the grace of martyrdom, which he had daily asked of God.

 

21.  Near the city of Nam Định also in Tonkin, Saint John Louis Bonnard, priest of the same Society and martyr, who, condemned to death because he had baptized twenty-five children, was beheaded and obtained the crown of martyrdom.

 

22.  At Milan in Italy, Saint Richard (Herminio Filippo) Pampuri, who first freely practiced the art of medicine in the world, then entered the Order of Saint John of God, and after about two years peacefully fell asleep in the Lord.

 

23.  In the city of Vladimir in Russia, blessed Clement Sheptytsky, priest and martyr, who, prior of the Studite monastery of the town of Univ, during a time of government hostile to God, persevering in the faith, was deemed worthy to dwell in the heavenly courts.

 

 


 

May 2nd

 

This Day, the Second Day of May

 

Memorial of Saint Athanasius, bishop and Doctor of the Church, most illustrious in holiness and doctrine, who at Alexandria in Egypt vigorously defended the orthodox faith from the time of Constantine up to the emperor Valens, and, having endured many plots from the Arians and having been driven into exile multiple times, at last returned to the Church entrusted to him, and after many struggles and many crowns of patience, in the forty-sixth year of his priesthood, rested in the peace of Christ.

 

2.  At Attaleia in Pamphylia, the holy martyrs Hesperus and Zoe, spouses, and their sons Cyriacus and Theodulus, who, as is told, under the emperor Hadrian, since they were slaves of a certain pagan man, all were first beaten and severely tortured by command of that same master, because of their free profession of the Christian faith, and then, thrown into a burning furnace, handed over their souls to God.

 

3.  At Seville in Baetica of the province of Spain, Saint Felix, deacon and martyr.

 

4.  The commemoration of the holy martyrs Vindemialis, bishop of Capsa in Numidia, and Longinus of Pamaria in Mauretania, who, contending against the Arians in the Council of Carthage, were ordered by Hunneric, king of the Vandals, to be beheaded.

 

5.  At Luxeuil in Burgundy, Saint Waldebert, abbot.

 

6.  In the district of Saint Gall in the region of the Helvetians, Saint Wiborada, virgin and martyr, who, enclosed in a cell near the church of Saint Magnus, advised the people, and for her faith and religious vow suffered death when the Hungarians broke in.

 

7.  At Linköping in Sweden, blessed Nicholas Hermansson, bishop, who, strict with himself, devoted himself wholly to his Church and to the poor, and received with honor the relics of Saint Bridget.

 

8.  At Florence in Etruria, Saint Antoninus, bishop, who, after dedicating himself to the reform of the Order of Preachers, devoted himself to vigilant pastoral care, distinguished for holiness, order, and usefulness of doctrine.

 

9.  At Clonmel in Ireland, blessed William Tirry, priest of the Order of the Friars of Saint Augustine and martyr under the rule of Oliver Cromwell, because he preserved fidelity to the Roman Church.

 

10.  In the city of Vĩnh Long in Cochinchina, Saint Joseph Nguyễn Văn Lưu, martyr, who, a farmer and catechist, offered himself voluntarily in place of the priest Peter Lưu, who was sought by the soldiers, and died in chains under the emperor Tự Đức.

 

11.  In the city of Aranjuez in the region of New Castile in Spain, Saint Joseph Mary Rubio Peralta, priest of the Society of Jesus, who excelled in hearing penitents, in preaching spiritual exercises, and in visiting the poor of the Madrid region.

 

12.  In the death camp of Oświęcim or Auschwitz near Kraków in Poland, blessed Bolesław Strzelecki, priest and martyr, who, while war was raging, was imprisoned because of the faith, and there, through torments, attained the glorious crown.

 

 


 

May 3rd

 

This Day, the Third Day of May

 

Feast of Saints Philip and James, Apostles. Of these, Philip, born at Bethsaida like Peter and Andrew, became a disciple of John the Baptist and was called by the Lord to follow Him; but James, the son of Alphaeus, was considered among the Latins to be the same as the “brother of the Lord,” surnamed “the Just”. He was the first to govern the Church of Jerusalem and, when the controversy about circumcision arose, he sided with the opinion of Peter, so that the old yoke might not be imposed upon the disciples from the Gentiles; he soon crowned his apostleship with martyrdom.

 

2.  At Antinoë in the Thebaid, the holy martyrs Timothy and Maura.

 

3.  On the Via Nomentana, at the seventh milestone from the city of Rome, the holy martyrs Eventius, Alexander, and Theodulus.

 

4.  At Narni in Umbria, Saint Juvenal, who is venerated as the first bishop of that see.

 

5. At Kildare in Ireland, Saint Conleth, bishop, who was the companion of Saint Brigid in the spiritual care of her monastery and of others subject to it, and he held much influence with the local prelates.

 

6.  At Argos in Greece, Saint Peter, bishop, who devoted himself with the utmost charity to the poor and slaves, and earnestly assisted in settling disputes for the good of the faith.

 

7.  In the monastery of Heverlee in Flanders, the passing of Saint Ansfrid, bishop of Utrecht, who, afflicted with blindness, retired there.

 

8.  At Kiev in Russia, Saint Theodosius, abbot, who founded what is called the Caves Lavra and is said to have been the institutor of coenobitic life there.

 

9.  At Vercelli in the Subalpine region, blessed Emilia Bicchieri, virgin of the Order of Preachers, who, although she was prioress multiple times, very joyfully dedicated herself among her sisters to the most humble duties of the house.

 

10.  At Casimir in Poland, blessed Stanislaus, priest and canon regular, who, moved by pastoral charity, was a diligent minister of the word of God, a master in spiritual matters, and much sought-after in hearing confessions.

 

11.  At Susa in the Subalpine region of Italy, blessed Edward Joseph Rosaz, bishop, who for twenty-five years exercised apostolic care over the people entrusted to him, especially the poor, and founded the Congregation of Sisters of the Third Order of Saint Francis.

 

12.  In the city of Sherbrooke in the region of Quebec in Canada, blessed Marie Léonie (Alodie) Paradis, virgin, who founded the Congregation of the Little Sisters of the Holy Family, devoted to assisting priests in their ministry and communal life.

 


 

May 4th

 

This Day, the Fourth Day of May

 

1.  At Cirta in Numidia, the commemoration of the holy martyrs Agapius and Secundinus, bishops, who, after a long exile in the aforesaid city, in the persecution of the emperor Valerian, at which time especially the rage of the pagans was furiously testing the faith of the just—were made glorious martyrs through their illustrious priesthood. With them suffered, in their company, Saint Emilianus, a soldier, Tertulla and Antonia, consecrated virgins, and a certain woman with her twin children.

 

 2.  At Nicaea in Bithynia, Saint Antonina, martyr, who, having been savagely tortured and afflicted with various torments, hung for three days, and imprisoned for two years, and was at last burned in flames in confession of the Lord by order of the governor Priscillianus.
 

3.  At Lauriacum in Noricum Ripense, Saint Florian, martyr, who, under the emperor Diocletian, by order of the governor Aquilinus, with a stone tied to his neck, was thrown from a bridge into the river Anisus.

 

4.  At Phænon in Palestine, the passion of the holy martyrs Silvanus, bishop of Gaza, and thirty-nine companions condemned to the mines, who, in the same persecution, by order of Maximinus Daza Caesar, were beheaded and crowned with martyrdom.
 

5.  At Warsaw in Poland, blessed Ladislaus of Gielniów, priest of the Order of Friars Minor, who preached the Lord’s Passion with outstanding zeal and celebrated it with devout hymns.

 

6.  At London in England, the holy priest martyrs John Houghton, Robert Lawrence, and Augustine Webster, priors of the Charterhouses of London, Beauvale, and Axholme, respectively, and Richard Reynolds, of the Order of Saint Bridget, who, since they had fearlessly professed the faith of the fathers, were dragged to execution and dismembered at Tyburn under King Henry VIII. With them also was blessed John Haile, priest, pastor of the place Isleworth near the city, who was hanged on the same gallows.
 

7.  At Trier in Germany, blessed John Martin Moye, priest of the Paris Society of Foreign Missions, who in Lorraine founded the Sisters of Providence and, in China, a community of teaching virgins, and, although driven from his homeland during the disturbances of the French Revolution, always showed himself burning with zeal for souls.


 


 

May 5th

 

This Day, the Fifth Day of May

 

1.  At Auxerre in Lugdunese Gaul, Saint Jovinian, lector and martyr.

 

2.  At Alexandria in Egypt, Saint Euthymius, deacon and martyr.

 

3.  The commemoration of Saint Maximus, bishop of Jerusalem, who, under Maximinus Daza Caesar, after having one eye gouged out and one foot burned with a red-hot iron, was condemned to the mines; and afterward, permitted to go free from there and appointed over the Church of Jerusalem, he at length rested in peace, outstanding in the glory of confession.

 

4.  At Trier in Belgic Gaul, Saint Britto, bishop, who defended his flock from the errors of Priscillian, but together with Saints Ambrose of Milan and Martin of Tours, vainly tried to resist the fury of those who demanded the death of Priscillian and his followers.

 

5.  At Arles in Provence, Saint Hilary, bishop, who, unwillingly promoted from the Lérins hermitage to the episcopate, labored with his own hands, wore a single tunic in both summer and winter, and traveled on foot, displaying to all his love of poverty. Given to prayer, fasting, and vigils, and tirelessly devoted to the ministry of the word, he showed God’s mercy to sinners, received orphans, and sent immediately for the redemption of captives all the silver that the basilica of the city possessed.

 

6.  At Vienne in Lugdunese Gaul, Saint Nicetius, bishop.

 

7.  At Milan in Liguria, Saint Geruntius, bishop.

 

8.  At Marcian in Belgic Gaul, Saint Maurontus, abbot and deacon, who was a disciple of Saint Amand.

 

9.  At Limoges in Aquitaine, Saint Sacerdos, who, first a monk and abbot, then a bishop, at last chose to live the monastic life again.

 

10.  At Hildesheim in Saxony, Germany, Saint Godehard, bishop, who, first abbot of the monastery of Niederaltaich, visited and restored other monasteries, and then, succeeding Saint Bernward on the episcopal seat, promoted the good of his Church, established regular discipline for the clergy, and opened schools.

 

11.  In Calabria, Saint Leo, hermit, who, devoted to contemplation and works for the poor, died in the monastery of Africo near Reggio Calabria, founded by himself.

 

12.  At Vendoeuvres near Tours in Gaul, Saint Avertinus, deacon, who, having followed Saint Thomas Becket into exile, after his martyrdom returned to Vendoeuvres and led a hermit’s life.

 

13.  At Licata in Sicily, Saint Angelus, priest of the Carmelite Order and martyr.

 

14.  At Recanati in Picenum, Italy, blessed Benvenutus Mareni, religious of the Order of Friars Minor.

 

15.  At Naples in Campania, blessed Nunzio Sulprizio, who, an orphan afflicted with bone disease in his leg and wasted in body, bore all things with a calm and cheerful spirit, assisted everyone, greatly consoled those who shared in suffering, and in every way relieved the misery of the poor.

 

16.  At Somasca near Bergamo in Italy, blessed Catherine Cittadini, virgin, who, orphaned of her parents from early childhood, as a humble and wise teacher greatly provided for the education of poor girls and for Christian doctrine, and for this reason founded the Institute of the Ursuline Sisters of Somasca.

 

17.  At Dresden in Germany, blessed Gregory Frąckowiak, religious of the Society of the Divine Word and martyr, who, imprisoned during the time of war, died for Christ by a blow from an axe.

 

 


 

May 6th

 

This Day, the Sixth Day of May

 

1.  The commemoration of Saint Lucius the Cyrenian, who is listed in the Acts of the Apostles among the prophets and teachers of the Church which was at Antioch.

 

2.  At Lambaesis in Numidia, the holy martyrs Marian, lector, and James, deacon, the former of whom had long before overcome the attacks of the Decian persecution in the confession of Christ; he was again arrested with his dearest colleague, and both, after cruel tortures and strengthened by divine grace, were finally put to death by the sword with many others.

 

3.  At Milan in Liguria, Saint Venerius, bishop, who was a disciple and deacon of Saint Ambrose. He sent clerics to assist the bishops of Africa and gave aid to Saint John Chrysostom in exile.

 

4.  At Rome, Saint Benedicta, virgin, who, being a religious, as narrated by Pope Gregory the Great, rested in God on the thirtieth day after the death of Saint Galla, whom she especially loved above all others, just as she had asked.

 

5.  At Lindisfarne in Northumbria, Saint Eadbert, bishop, who succeeded Saint Cuthbert and shone with knowledge of the Scriptures, observance of heavenly precepts, and especially with generosity in almsgiving.

 

6.  At Barcelona in Spain, Saint Peter Nolasco, priest, who, together with Saint Raymond of Peñafort and James I, king of Aragon, is believed to have founded the Order of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mercy for the redemption of captives, zealously expending effort and care in establishing peace during the time of the power of unbelievers and in delivering Christians from the yoke of slavery.

 

7.  At Montepulciano in Etruria, blessed Bartholomew Pucci-Franceschi, priest of the Order of Friars Minor, who, leaving behind wife, children, and wealth for the love of God, became a poor one of Christ.

 

8.  At London in England, the blessed Edward Jones and Anthony Middleton, priests and martyrs, who under Queen Elizabeth I, because of their priesthood, were hanged on pitchforks at the doors of the houses where they were living and dismembered with iron.

 

9.  In Quebec, Province of Canada, blessed Francis de Montmorency-Laval, bishop, who established the episcopal see there and for nearly fifty years devoted all his energy to strengthening and increasing the Church in the vast region of North America, even as far as the Gulf of Mexico.

 

10.  At Cairo in Egypt, blessed Mary Catherine Troiani, virgin of the Third Order of Saint Francis, who, having been sent from Italy to Egypt, there founded a new community of Franciscan Missionary Sisters.

 

11.  At Rome, blessed Anna Rosa Gattorno, religious, who, being a mother of a family, after becoming a widow, devoted herself entirely to the Lord and to her neighbor, and founded the Daughters of Saint Anne, Mother of Mary Immaculate, striving with great effort on behalf of the sick, the infirm, and helpless children, in whose faces she contemplated Christ the poor.

 

12.  Near Munich in Bavaria, Germany, the blessed Henry Kaczorowski and Casimir Gostyński, priests and martyrs, who, having been forcibly taken from Poland by persecutors of human dignity in a military manner, gave their lives for the faith of Christ in the Dachau detention camps, poisoned by deadly gas.

 

 


 

May 7th

 

This Day, the Seventh Day of May

 

1.  At Rome, the commemoration of Saint Domitilla, martyr, who, the daughter of the sister of the consul Flavius Clemens, having been accused in the persecution of the emperor Domitian of denying foreign gods, was deported along with others to the island of Pontia on account of the testimony of Christ, and there endured a long martyrdom.

 

2.  At Nicomedia in Bithynia, the holy martyrs Flavius and four companions.

 

3.  At Le Mans in Gaul, Saint Cenericus, deacon, who, a monk, after visiting the tombs of Saints Martin of Tours and Julian of Le Mans, spent his life in solitude and austerity.

 

4.  At Beverley in Northumbria, the passing of Saint John, bishop first of Hexham and then of York, who joined pastoral care with solitary prayer and, having laid aside his office, spent the rest of his life as a monk in the monastery which he had founded there.

 

5.  In the monastery of Niedernburg in Bavaria, blessed Gisella, who, married to Saint Stephen, king of Hungary, aided her husband in spreading the faith and, after his death, stripped of all possessions and exiled from the kingdom, withdrew into this monastery, over which she later presided as abbess.

 

6.  At Kyiv in Russia, Saint Anthony, hermit, who pursued the monastic life that he had learned on Mount Athos in the monastery called the Kyivan Cave Lavra.

 

7.  At Cremona in Lombardy, blessed Albert of Bergamo, a farmer, who patiently endured the reproaches of his wife because of his excessive generosity toward the poor and, having left his fields behind, lived as a poor man and a brother of the Penitents of Saint Dominic.

 

8.  At Rome, blessed Rose Venerini, virgin of Viterbo, who, with the Pious Teachers, opened the first schools in Italy for the instruction of girls.

 

9.  At Genoa in Italy, Saint Augustine Roscelli, priest, who founded the Congregation of the Sisters of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary for the education of girls

 

 


 

May 8th

 

This Day, the Eighth Day of May

 

1.  At Milan in Liguria, the commemoration of Saint Victor, martyr, who, Moorish by race, while a soldier in the imperial army, when compelled by Maximian to sacrifice to idols; laid down his arms, and having been led to Laudem Pompeiam, bent his neck and fell by the sword.

 

2.  At Byzantium, Saint Acacius, soldier, martyr.

 

3.  At Auxerre in Lugdunensian Gaul, Saint Helladius, bishop.

 

4.  At Mount Scetis in Egypt, Saint Arsenius, who is said to have been a deacon of the Roman Church; in the time of Emperor Theodosius, he withdrew into solitude, and there, perfected in all virtues, gave his spirit back to God.

 

5.  In the territory of Châlons in Gaul, Saint Gibrian, priest, a pilgrim for Christ from Ireland through Gaul.

 

6.  At Bourges in Aquitaine, Saint Desideratus, bishop, who, formerly keeper of the royal seal, endowed this Church with relics of martyrs.

 

7.  At Salonne in the region of Saintes in Aquitaine, Saint Martin, priest and abbot.

 

8.  At Rome near Saint Peter’s, Saint Boniface, pope, the Fourth, who obtained the Pantheon temple from Emperor Phocas and converted it into a church, dedicating it to God in honor of the Blessed Mary and all the martyrs, and was greatly meritorious in monastic discipline.

 

9.  In the same place, Saint Benedict, pope, the Second, friend of poverty, humble, gentle, distinguished for patience and almsgiving.

 

10.  At Verona in Venetia, Saint Metronius, hermit, who is said to have led a harsh and penitential life.

 

11.  At Roermond on the Meuse in Austrasian Brabant, Saint Wiro, who, along with his companions Plechelm and Otger, is believed to have labored in the evangelization of that region.

 

12.  At Saludecio in Picenum, Italy, blessed Amatus Ronconi, distinguished for his zeal for hospitality and care for pilgrims.

 

13.  In the monastery of Saint Mary della Serra, likewise in Picenum, blessed Angelus of Massaccio, priest of the Camaldolese Order and martyr, a zealous defender of Sunday observance.

 

14.  At Randazzo in Sicily, blessed Aloysius Rabata, priest of the Carmelite Order, most faithful in the observance of the Rule and shining in charity toward enemies.

 

15.  In the Province of Quebec in Canada, blessed Mary Catherine of Saint Augustine (Catherine Simon de Longpré), virgin of the Hospitaller Sisters of Mercy of the Order of Saint Augustine, who, devoted to the care of the sick, excelled in lifting them to hope and consoling them.

 

16.  In the district of Hegne in the Province of Baden, Germany, blessed Ulrica (Francisca) Nisch, virgin, of the Sisters of Charity of the Holy Cross, who showed herself an indefatigable handmaid of the Lord in the most humble tasks, especially in the service of kitchen assistant.

 

17.  In the extermination camp of Oswiecim, or Auschwitz, near Krakow in Poland, blessed Anthony Bajewski, priest of the Order of Conventual Friars Minor and martyr, who, while war was raging, in prison suffered terrible tortures for the faith and reached the glory of the Lord.

 

 


 

May 9th

 

This Day, the Ninth Day of May

 

1.  Commemoration of Saint Isaiah, prophet, who, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, was sent to reveal to an unfaithful and sinful people the Lord as faithful and savior, for the fulfillment of the promise sworn by God to David. He is said to have died a martyr among the Jews under King Manasseh.

 

2.  Commemoration of Saint Hermas, whom blessed Paul the Apostle mentions in the Epistle to the Romans.

 

3.  In the Thebaid, Saint Pachomius, abbot, who, still a pagan, was struck by the witness of Christian charity toward soldiers confined in the same quarters; converted to the Christian life, he received the monastic habit from the anchorite Palemon, and after seven years, by divine instruction, built many monasteries to receive brothers and wrote a famous Rule of monks.

 

4.  In Persia, the holy martyrs, three hundred and ten.

 

5.  At Vienne in Lugdunensian Gaul, Saint Dionysius, bishop.

 

6.  At Cagli on the Via Flaminia in Picenum of Italy, the passing of Saint Gerontius, bishop of Ficulensis, who, returning from a Synod held in Rome, is said to have been wickedly slain there.

 

7.  At Vendôme on the Loire River in Gaul, Saint Beatus, priest, who lived a hermit’s life.

 

8.  In the Camaldolese monastery of Fonte Avellana in the borders of Umbria, blessed Fortis Gabrielli, hermit.

 

9.  Near the town of Monticchiello in Etruria, blessed Benincasa of Montepulciano, religious of the Order of the Servants of Mary, who withdrew to a cave on Mount Amiata in the territory of Siena and there led a penitential life.

 

10.  At London in England, blessed Thomas Pickering, martyr, monk of the Order of Saint Benedict, who, a man of sincere simplicity and most innocent life, falsely accused of conspiracy against King Charles the Second, went with calm spirit to the gallows at Tyburn for Christ.

 

11.  In the city of Nam Định in Tonkin, Saint Joseph Đỗ Quang Hiến, priest of the Order of Preachers and martyr, who, cast into prison, began to convert pagans to Christ and strengthen Christians in the faith, until by decree of Emperor Thiệu Trị he was beheaded.

 

12.  At Munich in Bavaria, Germany, blessed Mary Theresa of Jesus (Caroline) Gerhardinger, virgin, who most providently founded the Congregation of the Poor School Sisters of Our Lady.

 

13.  Within the detention camp of Dachau near Munich in Bavaria, Germany, blessed Stephen Grelewski, priest and martyr, who, when his fatherland Poland had been seized militarily during the war, was worn down in prison by cruel tortures from the persecutors of the Church and received the glorious crown.

 

 


 

May 10th

 

This Day, the Tenth Day of May

 

1.  Commemoration of Saint Job, a man of admirable patience in the land of Hus.

 

2.  At Myra in Lycia, Saint Dioscorides, martyr.

 

3.  At Leontini in Sicily, Saints Alphius, Philadelphius, and Cyrinus, martyrs.

 

4.  At Rome on the Latin Way, Saint Gordian, martyr, who was buried in the crypt in which already long before the relics of Saint Epimachus, martyr, were venerated.

 

5.  In the same place, commemoration of Saints Quartus and Quintus, martyrs.

 

6.  In Ireland, Saint Comgall, abbot, who founded the famous monastery of Bangor and was a wise father and prudent leader of a great band of monks.

 

7.  At Taranto in Apulia, Saint Cataldus, bishop and pilgrim, who is believed to have come from Scotland.

 

8.  Near Bourges in Aquitaine, Saint Solangia, virgin, who is said to have undergone martyrdom for preserving her chastity.

 

9.  At Pont-Sainte-Maxence near Paris in Gaul, Saint William, priest, who, English by nationality, as a parish priest was distinguished by zeal for souls and devotion to piety.

 

10.  At Padua in Venetia, blessed Beatrice of Este, virgin, who founded the monastery of Gemmola in the Euganean hills and, although for a brief span of life, pursued as a nun the arduous path of holiness.

 

11.  At Siena in Etruria, the passing of blessed Nicholas Albergati, bishop of Bologna, who, having entered the Carthusian Order as a young man and having been ordained bishop, greatly benefited the Church by pastoral zeal and apostolic legations.

 

12.  At Montilla in the region of Baetica in Spain, Saint John of Ávila, priest, who traveled throughout the whole region of Baetica preaching Christ, and, unjustly suspected of heresy, was thrown into prison, where he wrote the principal part of his spiritual doctrine.

 

13.  At Zagreb in Croatia, blessed John Merz, who, devoted to the study and teaching of human letters, offered to young people a shining example of a master of Christ, rooted in faith and active in the advancement of the lay faithful in society.

 

14.  At Cremona in Italy, blessed Henry Rebuschini, priest of the Order of Clerics Regular Ministers of the Infirm, who served the sick in hospitals with simplicity.

 

 


 

May 11th

 

This Day, the Eleventh Day of May

 

1.  In Byzacena, Saint Maiulus, a martyr of Hadrumetum, who was condemned to the beasts.

 

2.  On the Via Salaria, at the twenty-second milestone from the City, Saint Anthimus, martyr.

 

3.  At Byzantium, Saint Mocius, priest and martyr.

 

4.  At Vienne in Lugdunensian Gaul, Saint Mamertus, bishop, who, because of impending disaster, established in this city the solemn three-day Litanies before the Ascension of the Lord.

 

5.  At Varennes in the district of Langres, also in Gaul, Saint Gangulphus.

 

6.  At Souvigny in Burgundy, the passing of Saint Maiolus, abbot of Cluny, who, firm in faith, certain in hope, and filled with double charity, renewed many monasteries through Gaul and Italy.

 

7.  In the monastery of Sturpenne in the district of Limoges of Gaul, Saint Walter, priest, who, rector of the canons, having been instructed in the service of God from childhood, shone by gentleness toward the brothers and charity toward the poor.

 

8.  At Verucchio in Flaminia, blessed Gregory Celli, priest of the Order of Hermits of Saint Augustine, who, cast out from the monastery by his brothers, is said to have died among the Friars Minor on Mount Carnerio.

 

9.  At York in England, the blessed martyrs John Rochester and James Walworth, priests and monks of the London Charterhouse, who, under King Henry the Eighth, because of their fidelity preserved toward the Church, were suspended in chains from the city walls until death.

 

10.  At Naples in Campania, Saint Francis de Geronimo, priest of the Society of Jesus, who for a long time devoted himself to popular missions and to the pastoral care of the neglected.

 

11.  At Cagliari in Sardinia, Saint Ignatius of Laconi, religious of the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin, who tirelessly begged alms through the streets and taverns of the city and ports in order to relieve the miseries of the poor.

 

12.  At Saigon in Cochinchina, Saint Matthew Lê Văn Gẫm, martyr, who, when he had brought missionaries arriving from Europe into the region by boat, was seized and, after spending a year in prison, was beheaded by decree of Emperor Thiệu Trị.

 

 


 

May 12th

 

This Day, the Twelfth Day of May

 

Saints Nereus and Achilleus, martyrs, who, as Pope Saint Damasus relates, had enlisted in the military and, overcome by fear, were prepared to obey the impious commands of the magistrate; but, having been converted to the true God, casting away their shields, military insignia, and weapons, they abandoned the camp, and, having confessed Christ, rejoiced in His triumph. On this day, their bodies were laid in Rome in the cemetery of Domitilla on the Via Ardeatina.
 

Saint Pancras, martyr, who, though still a youth, is said likewise to have died in Rome on the Via Aurelia at the second milestone for the faith of Christ; at whose tomb Pope Saint Symmachus built a celebrated basilica, and Pope Gregory the Great took care to have the people gathered there frequently, so that from it they might receive a witness of true Christian love. His burial is commemorated on this day.
 
3.  At Axiopolis in Moesia, Saint Cyril, who, together with six companions, fulfilled martyrdom.
 
4.  At Salamis in Cyprus, Saint Epiphanius, bishop, who, outstanding in manifold learning and in the knowledge of sacred letters, was also remarkable for the holiness of life, zeal for the Catholic faith, generosity toward the poor, and the power of miracles.
 
5.  At Agyrion in Sicily, Saint Philip, priest, originally from Thrace.
 
6.  At Trier in the Rhenish region of Austrasia, Saint Moduald, bishop, who built or enriched churches and monasteries, established several communities of virgins, and was buried beside his sister Severa.

 

7.  In the monastery of Marchiennes in the district of Cambrai in Austrasia, Saint Rictrudis, abbess, who, after the violent death of her husband Adalbold, at the counsel of Saint Amand, received the sacred veil and governed her community of holy women most rightly.

 

8.   At Constantinople, Saint Germanus, bishop, notable for his doctrine and virtues, who with great boldness reproved Emperor Leo the Isaurian when he issued an edict against sacred Images.

 

9.   In Castile in Spain, in a place later marked by his name, Saint Dominic, called “of the Calzada,” priest, who for the benefit of pilgrims of Saint James to Compostela built bridges and paved roads, and most devoutly aided their needs also by building cells and a hospice there.

 

10.   At Bologna in Emilia, blessed Imelda Lambertini, virgin, who, having been received from her earliest age as a nun in the Order of Preachers, while still a young girl, suddenly gave up her spirit after a wondrous reception of the Eucharist.

 

11.  At Aveiro in Lusitania, blessed Joanna, virgin, who, daughter of King Afonso V, having repeatedly refused marriage, chose rather to serve in the Order of Preachers, and became a refuge for the poor, orphans, and widows.

 

 


 

May 13th

 

This Day, the Thirteenth Day of May

 

Blessed Virgin Mary of Fatima in Lusitania [Portugal], the contemplation of whose most merciful motherhood in the order of grace, at the place Aljustrel, urgently solicitous about the adversities of men, stirs up the Christian faithful in crowds to prayer for sinners and to the inward conversion of hearts.

 

2.   At Maastricht on the Meuse in Belgic Gaul, the natal day heavenly birthday of Saint Servatius, bishop of Tongeren, who in several councils debating the nature of Christ fought for the Nicene orthodox faith.

 

3.  At Poitiers in Aquitaine, Saint Agnes, abbess, who, consecrated by the blessing of Saint Germanus of Paris, governed the monastery of the Holy Cross with great devotion.

 

4.  In the place Goriano Sicoli in Abruzzo, blessed Gemma, virgin, who, enclosed in a very small cell next to the church, lived such that she could see only the altar.

 

5.  At Como in Lombardy, blessed Magdalene Albrici, abbess of the Order of Saint Augustine, who greatly stirred up the fervor of the Sisters.

 

6.  At Le-Puy in the district of Poitiers in Gaul, Saint Andrew Hubert Fournet, priest, who, being a parish priest during the French upheaval, although proscribed, strengthened the faithful in the faith; then, when peace had been restored to the Church, together with Saint Elizabeth Bichier des Ages, he founded the Institute of the Daughters of the Cross.

 

 


 

May 14th

 

This Day, the Fourteenth Day of May

 

Feast of Saint Matthias, Apostle, who followed the Lord Jesus from the baptism of John until the day on which Christ was taken up into Heaven; therefore, after the Ascension of the Lord, he was chosen by the Apostles in place of Judas the traitor, so that, numbered among the Twelve, he might become a witness of the Resurrection.

 

2.  In Asia, Saint Maximus, martyr, who, in the persecution of the emperor Decius, is said to have rendered his spirit to God after being struck with stones.

 

3.  At Cimiez in Provence, Saint Pontius, martyr.

 

4.  In Syria, the holy martyrs Victor and Corona, who suffered together.

 

5.  On the island of Chios, Saint Isidore, martyr, who is said to have been thrown into a well.

 

6.  At Aquileia in Venetia, the holy martyrs Felix and Fortunatus, who adorned their city with glorious martyrdom.

 

7.  On the island of Sardinia, the commemoration of Saints Justa and Heredina, martyrs.

 

8.  At Clermont in Aquitaine, Saint Aprunculus, bishop, who, having been expelled from the see of Langres by Gundebald, king of the Burgundians, was, upon arriving at Clermont, appointed over their Church.

 

9.  In the same place, Saint Gallus, bishop, a humble and gentle man, who was the uncle of Saint Gregory of Tours.

 

10.  At Lismore in Ireland, Saint Carthage, bishop and abbot.

 

11.  In the monastery of Fontenelle in Neustria, Saint Erembert, formerly bishop of Toulouse, who spent his life under the monastic rule.

 

12.  At Scallabis in Lusitania, blessed Giles of Vaozela, priest, who, while teaching the art of medicine in Paris, abandoned a dissolute way of life, and, entering the Order of Preachers, repelled all temptations with tears, prayer, and acts of self-denial.

 

13.  In the town of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods near Indianapolis in the United States of America, blessed Théodore (Anne-Thérèse) Guérin, virgin of the Congregation of the Sisters of Providence, who, born in France, despite great hardships, always trusting in divine providence, devoted herself with mercy to the fledgling community of that place.

 

14.  In the village of Bétharram near Pau at the foot of the Pyrenees in France, Saint Michael Garicoïts, priest, who founded the Society of Priests of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

 

15.  At Nizza Monferrato in the Subalpine region of Italy, Saint Maria Domenica Mazzarello, who, together with Saint John Bosco, founded the Institute of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians for the education of poor girls, outstanding for her humility, prudence, and charity.

 

 


 

May 15th

 

This Day, the FifteenthDay of May

 

1.  At Lampsacus in the Hellespont, the passion of the holy martyrs Peter, Andrew, Paul, and Dionysia.

 

2.  At Clermont in Aquitaine, the holy martyrs Cassius and Victorinus, who are said to have suffered under Chrocus, leader of the Alamanni.

 

3.  In Sardinia, Saint Simplicius, priest.

 

4.  At Larissa in Thessaly, Saint Achilles, surnamed the Thaumaturge, bishop, who was present at the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea, and with apostolic zeal, marked by all the virtues, evangelized pagan peoples.

 

5.  At Autun in Lugdunensian Gaul, Saint Reticius, bishop, of whom Saint Augustine remembered as a prelate of great authority in the Church, and Saint Jerome praised as an outstanding interpreter of Sacred Scripture.

 

6.  In Ethiopia, Saint Caleb, also called Elesbaan, king, who, to avenge the martyrs of Najran, defeated the enemies of Christ and, in the time of the emperor Justinus, is said to have sent his crown to Jerusalem and, fulfilling a vow, lived the monastic life and departed to the Lord.

 

7.  At Septempeda in Picenum, Italy, Saint Severinus, bishop, from whom the city later took its name.

 

8.  At Bingen in Austrasia, on the River Rhine near Mainz, Saint Rupert, who, being a duke, as a youth went to the thresholds of the Apostles, and upon returning to his domain, built many churches, and, being only nineteen years old, fell asleep in the Lord.

 

9.  At Córdoba in Vandalic Spain, the commemoration of Saint Witesindus, martyr, who, out of fear of the Moors, abandoned the Christian faith, but when he soon refused to practice their religion publicly, he was put to death out of hatred for the Christian faith.

 

10.  At Madrid in Castile, Spain, Saint Isidore, farmer, who, together with blessed Maria de la Cabeza his wife, working diligently and reaping patiently the fruits more of heaven than of earth, became a most pious model for Christian farmers.

 

11.  At Aix-en-Provence, blessed Andrew Abellon, priest of the Order of Preachers, who restored regular discipline in monasteries, which he governed with long-suffering and gentle methods.

 

 


 

May 16th

 

This Day, the Sixteenth Day of May

 

1.  At Uzali in Africa, the commemoration of the holy martyrs Felix and Gennadius.

 

2.  At Osimo in Picenum, Italy, the holy martyrs Florentius and Diocletian.

 

3.  In Persia, the holy martyrs Abda and Ebedjesu, bishops, who were killed with thirty-eight companions under King Sapor II.

 

4.  In the village of Bouhy in the territory of Autun in Gaul, Saint Peregrinus, martyr, who is venerated as the first bishop of that city.

 

5.  Commemoration of Saint Possidius, bishop of Calama in Numidia, who, a disciple and faithful friend of Saint Augustine, was present at his death and wrote his illustrious life.

 

6.  At Troyes in Lugdunensian Gaul, Saint Fidolus, priest, who is said to have been taken captive when King Theodoric ravaged Auvergne, but was redeemed by Saint Aventinus, abbot, and instructed in the service of God, and is said to have succeeded him.

 

7.  In Ireland, Saint Brendan, abbot of Clonfert, a zealous promoter of monastic life, about whom the famous and legendary voyage is told.

 

6.  At Amiens in Neustria, Saint Honoratus, bishop.

 

9.  In Britain, Saint Carantoc, bishop and abbot of Cardigan.

 

10.  In Palestine, the passion of the forty-four holy monks, who were dismembered by invading Saracens in the laura of Saint Sabas, during the reign of the emperor Heraclius.

 

11.  At Toulouse in Aquitaine, Saint Germerius, bishop, who strove to increase the cult of Saint Saturninus and to visit the people committed to him.

 

12.  At Gubbio in Umbria, Saint Ubaldo, bishop, who worked to restore the common life of the clergy.

 

13.  At Fermo in Picenum, Italy, Saint Adam, abbot of the monastery of Saint Sabinus.

 

14.  At Bordeaux in Gascony, blessed Simon Stock, priest, who, first a hermit in England, then entered the Order of Carmelites, which he wonderfully governed and was celebrated for his singular devotion to the Virgin Mary.

 

15.  At Janów near Pinsk on the river Pripet, in the borders of Poland, Saint Andrew Bobola, priest of the Society of Jesus and martyr, who strove vigorously for the unity of Christians, until, having been seized by soldiers, he gladly gave the supreme testimony of faith by his blood.

 

16.  Near Munich in Bavaria, Germany, blessed Michael Woźniak, priest and martyr, who, from Poland—reduced under a regime hostile to human dignity and religion—was brought to the concentration camp at Dachau and, through torments, passed to heavenly glory.

 

17.  In the city of Drohobych in Ukraine, blessed Vitalis Vladimir Bajrak, priest of the Order of Saint Josaphat and martyr, who before the persecutors of religion bore eternal fruit through the struggle of faith.

 

 


 

May 17th

 

This Day, the Seventeenth Day of May

 

1.  At Alexandria in Egypt, Saint Adrian, martyr.

 

2.  At Rome, on the Old Salarian Way in the cemetery of Basilla, Saint Victor, martyr.

 

3.  At Nivedunum on the Danube in Scythia, the holy martyrs Heraclius and Paul.

 

4.  In Proconsular Africa, the commemoration of Saint Restituta, virgin and martyr.

 

5.  At Vercelli in Liguria, the translation of Saint Aemilian, bishop.

 

6.  At Villarreal near Valencia in Spain, Saint Paschal Baylón, religious of the Order of Friars Minor, who, always showing himself diligent and kind to all, venerated with constant and ardent love the mystery of the Most Holy Eucharist.

 

7.  In the city of Guiyang in the Guizhou Province of China, Saint Peter Liu Wenyuan, martyr, who, as a catechist, was strangled for the name of Christ.

 

8.  At Casoria near Naples in Campania, Italy, blessed Julia Salzano, virgin, who, for the teaching of Christian doctrine and the spread of devotion to the Eucharist, founded the Congregation of the Catechist Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

 

9.  In the town of Orgosolo on the island of Sardinia in Italy, blessed Antonia Mesina, virgin and martyr, who, at sixteen years of age, devoted to the works of the Church, defended her chastity unto death.

 

10.  In the detention camp of the city of Oserlag near Irkutsk in Russia, blessed John Ziatyk, priest of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer and martyr, who, in a time of persecution against the faith, merited to recline at the heavenly banquet of the just.

 

 


 

May 18th

 

This Day, the Eighteenth Day of May

 

Saint John I, pope and martyr, who, having been sent by King Theodoric the Arian to Emperor Justin at Constantinople, was the first of the Roman Pontiffs to offer the paschal sacrifice in that Church; on his return, unworthily received by the same Theodoric and thrown into prison, he died at Ravenna in Flaminia as a victim for the Lord Christ.

 

2.  At Salona in Dalmatia, Saint Felix, martyr in the persecution of the emperor Diocletian.

 

3.  In Egypt, Saint Dioscorus, martyr, who, the son of a lector, after many and various tortures, completed his martyrdom by beheading.

 

4.  At Alexandria also in Egypt, the holy martyrs Potamon, Ortasius, Serapion, priests, and companions.

 

5.  At Ancyra in Galatia, the holy martyrs Theodotus and Thecusa, his aunt, Alexandra, Claudia, Phaine, Euphrasia, Matrona, and Julitta, virgins, who were first prostituted by the governor, then, with stones tied to their necks, were drowned in a marsh.

 

6.  In the district of Aargau among the Swiss, blessed Burchard, priest, who, parish priest of the village of Beinwil, diligently cared with pastoral zeal for the flock entrusted to him.

 

7.  At Uppsala in Sweden, Saint Eric IX, king and martyr, who in his kingdom labored wisely to govern the people and defend the rights of women, and sent Saint Henry, bishop, into Finland to spread the faith of Christ; finally, while he was assisting at the celebration of Mass, he was attacked and fell under the swords of his enemies.

 

8.  At Toulouse on the Garonne in Gaul, blessed William, priest of the Order of Hermits of Saint Augustine.

 

9.  At Rome, Saint Felix of Cantalice, religious of the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin, of admirable austerity and simplicity, who, having exercised the office of collecting alms for forty years, sowed peace and charity around himself.

 

10.  At Maria Dom in Germany, blessed Blandina (Maria Magdalena) Merten, virgin of the Order of Saint Ursula, who combined the care of the human and Christian formation of girls and young women with a contemplative life.

 

11.  In the detention camp of Dachau near Munich in Bavaria, Germany, blessed Stanislaus Kubski, priest and martyr, who, in time of war, gave up his spirit for Christ in a death chamber filled with poisonous vapor.

 

12.  In the place called Hartheim near Linz in Austria, blessed Martin Oprządek, priest of the Order of Friars Minor and martyr, who, Polish by nationality, at the same time and in the same manner attained the heavenly kingdom.

 

 


 

May 19th

 

This Day, the Nineteenth  Day of May

 

1.  At Rome, in the Cemetery of Callistus on the Appian Way, Saint Urban I, pope, who, after the martyrdom of Saint Callistus, governed the Roman Church faithfully for eight years.

 

2.  In the same place, the holy martyrs Parthenius and Calogerus, who, under the emperor Diocletian, bore glorious witness to Christ.

 

3.  At Arras in Neustria, Saint Hadulphus, bishop of Arras and also of Cambrai.

 

4.  At Canterbury in England, Saint Dunstan, bishop, who, first abbot of Glastonbury, restored and spread monastic life, and, seated as bishop of Worcester, then London, and finally Canterbury, labored for the promotion of the Regular Concord of monks and nuns.

 

5.  At Florence in Etruria, blessed Humiliana, of the Third Order of Saint Francis, who, though harshly treated by her husband, was admirable for her patience and gentleness, and after becoming a widow, gave herself entirely to prayer and works of charity.

 

6.  At Castro Fumorense near Alatrium in Latium, the heavenly birth of Saint Peter Celestine, who, while living the eremitic life in Abruzzo, became renowned for sanctity and miracles; when an old man, he was elected Roman Pontiff with the name Celestine V, but in the same year abdicated the office and preferred to return to solitude.

 

7.  In a castle near Treguier in Brittany in Gaul, Saint Ivo, priest, who maintained justice without respect of persons, fostered harmony, defended the causes of orphans, widows, and the poor for the love of Christ, and received the wretched into his home.

 

8.  At Siena in Etruria, blessed Augustine, surnamed Novellus, priest of the Order of Hermits of Saint Augustine, a devotee of true humility and lover of religious observance.

 

9.  At Granada in Spain, the blessed martyrs John of Cetina, priest, and Peter of Dueñas, religious, of the Order of Friars Minor Conventual, who were killed by order of the king of the Moors because of their confession of the faith of Christ.

 

10.  At Suzuta in Japan, blessed John of Saint Dominic Martínez, priest of the Order of Preachers and martyr, who died in prison for Christ.

 

11.  At London in England, blessed Peter Wright, priest and martyr, who, professing the faith of the Catholic Church, was admitted into the Society of Jesus and promoted to holy orders; in the time of the Republic, he was led to the gallows at Tyburn because of his priesthood.

 

12.  At Ficeli in Etruria, Saint Theophilus of Curia, priest of the Order of Friars Minor, who greatly spread the sacred retreats of the Friars, showing great devotion to the Lord’s Passion and to the Virgin Mary.

 

13.  At Rome, Saint Crispin of Viterbo, religious of the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin, who, while hurrying through mountain villages to beg alms, taught country folk the rudiments of the faith.

 

14.  At sea off Rochefort in France, blessed John Baptist Xavier (John Louis) Loir, priest of the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin and martyr, who, during the French Revolution, was detained for the priesthood on a prison ship near eighty years of age, and was found dead on his knees.

 

15.  At Cartagena in New Granada  in Colombia, blessed Mary Bernard (Verena) Butler, virgin, of Swiss origin, who founded the Congregation of Franciscan Missionary Sisters of Mary Help of Christians.

 

16.  Near Munich in Bavaria, Germany, in the Dachau detention camp, blessed Joseph Czempiel, priest and martyr, who, Polish by nationality, during the war perished united to the sacrifice of Christ by the torment of deadly gas.

 

 


 

May 20th

 

This Day, the Twentieth Day of May

 

Saint Bernardine of Siena, priest of the Order of Friars Minor, who by word and example evangelized the people through the towns and cities of Italy, and spread devotion to the most holy name of Jesus, tirelessly continuing the office of preaching with great fruit for souls until his final day at L’Aquila in Abruzzo, Italy.

 

2.  Commemoration of Saint Lydia of Thyatira, a seller of purple, who, at Philippi in Macedonia, was the first of all to believe the Gospel while Saint Paul the Apostle was preaching.

 

3.  At Ostia on the Tiber, Saint Aurore, martyr.

 

4.  At Nîmes in Narbonese Gaul, Saint Baudelius, martyr.

 

5.  At Aegeae in Cilicia, Saint Thalalaius, martyr.

 

6.  At Cagliari in Sardinia, Saint Lucifer, bishop, who, an intrepid defender of the Nicene faith, suffered many things from the emperor Constantius and was sent into exile, whence, having returned to his see, he died as a confessor of Christ.

 

7.  At Toulouse in Narbonese Gaul, Saint Hilary, bishop, who built a small wooden basilica over the tomb of Saint Saturninus, his predecessor.

 

8.  At Bourges in Aquitaine, Saint Austregisilus, bishop, who showed himself especially among the poor, orphans, the sick, and those condemned to death as a minister of charity.

 

9.  At Brescia in Lombardy, Saint Anastasius, bishop.

 

10.  Likewise at Pavia in Lombardy, Saint Theodore, bishop, who, while war raged between the Franks and the Lombards, suffered exile.

 

11.  At Castagneto in Etruria, blessed Guido de Gherardesca, hermit.

 

12.  At Perugia in Umbria, blessed Columba (Angela), virgin of the Penitents of Saint Dominic, who labored for the promotion of peace in a city divided by factions.

 

13.  At Seoul in Korea, Saint Protasius Chong Kuk-ho, martyr, who, having previously abandoned the Christian faith, embraced it again and professed it in prison even unto death amid tortures.

 

14.  In the village of Botticino Sera near Brescia in Italy, blessed Archangel Tadini, priest, who devoted his care to the rights and dignity of workers and founded the Congregation of the Worker Sisters of the Holy House of Nazareth, especially concerned with social justice.

 

15.  At Milan in Lombardy, Italy, blessed Aloysius Talamoni, priest, who, cultivating his vocation as an educator of youth, exercised his ministry with the utmost care and effective engagement in the social struggles of his time and brought forth the Congregation of the Sisters of Mercy of Saint Gerard.

 

 


 

May 21st

 

This Day, the Twenty-first Day of May

 

Saints Christopher Magallanes, priest, and companions, martyrs,1 who in various parts of Mexico, persecuted out of hatred for the Christian name and the Catholic Church and having confessed Christ the King, obtained the crown of martyrdom.

 

2.  In Mauretania, Saint Timothy, deacon and martyr.

 

3.  At Caesarea in Cappadocia, Saint Polyeuctus, martyr.

 

4.  Commemoration of the holy martyrs of both sexes, whom George, the Arian bishop, during the sacred days of Pentecost in Alexandria in Egypt, under the emperor Constantius, ordered to be most cruelly killed or to be sent into exile.

 

5.  At Dariórigum in Brittany, commemoration of Saint Paternus, bishop, who is said to have been ordained bishop on this day by Saint Perpetuus of Tours in a provincial council assembled there.

 

6.  Near Nice in Provence, Saint Hospicius, recluse, a man of wondrous abstinence, who foretold the coming of the Lombards.

 

7.  At Évora in Portugal, Saint Mantius, martyr.

 

8.  At Vienne in Burgundy of Gaul, Saint Theobald, bishop, who for forty-four years made that see illustrious, distinguished by charity and piety.

 

9.  Abo in Finland, Saint Hemming, bishop, who, enflamed with pastoral zeal, restored the discipline of that Church by synodal order, encouraged the studies of the clergy, adorned divine worship, and promoted peace among peoples.

 

10.  At sea off the coast of Gaul, near Rochefort, blessed John Mopinot, Brother of the Christian Schools and martyr, who, during the time of the French Revolution, was detained in a filthy prison ship because of his religious state, where he died afflicted with disease.

 

11.  At Marseille in Provence of Gaul, Saint Charles Eugène de Mazenod, bishop, who, in order that the poor might be evangelized, raised up the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate, and for nearly twenty-five years made the Church illustrious by his virtues, works, sermons, and writings.

 

 


 

May 22nd

 

This Day, the Twenty-second Day of May

 

Saint Rita, religious, who, married to a violent husband, patiently endured his cruelty and reconciled him to God; then, having been bereft of husband and sons, she entered the monastery of the Order of Saint Augustine at Cascia in Umbria, offering to all a sublime example of patience and compunction.

 

2.  In Africa, Saints Castus and Aemilius, martyrs, who completed their passion through fire.  These, as Saint Cyprian writes, having been defeated in the first encounter, the Lord made victors in the second battle, so that they who had yielded to the flames before might become stronger through the flames.

 

3.  At Comana in Pontus, of Saint Basiliscus, bishop and martyr.

 

4.  On the island of Corsica, the commemoration of Saint Julia, virgin and martyr.

 

5.  In the region of Aire-sur-l’Adour in Aquitaine, Saint Quiteria, virgin.

 

6.  At Angoulême likewise in Aquitaine, Saint Ausonius, who is held to be the first bishop of that city.

 

7.  At Limoges likewise in Aquitaine, Saint Lupus, bishop, who confirmed the foundation of the monastery of Solignac.

 

8.  At Parma in Emilia, of Saint John, abbot, who, by the admonitions of Saint Maiolus of Cluny, established many things in his monastery to promote monastic observance.

 

9.  At Pistoia in Etruria, of Saint Atto, bishop, who, while abbot in the Order of Vallombrosa, was afterward placed over the Church of Pistoia.

 

10.  At Florence likewise in Etruria, blessed Humilitas (Rosanna), who, with the consent of her husband, lived enclosed for twelve years; then, at the request of the bishop, she built a monastery of the Order of Vallombrosa, over which she presided as abbess.

 

11.  At London in England, blessed John Forest, priest of the Order of Friars Minor and martyr, who, under King Henry VIII, for defending the unity of the Catholic Church, together with sacred wooden images, was burned alive on the pyre in Smithfield and completed his martyrdom.

 

12.  In the city of Kori in Japan, blessed Peter of the Assumption, of the Order of Friars Minor, and John Baptist Machado, priests and martyrs, who, having carried out their ministry in secret, were beheaded in hatred of the Christian faith.

 

13.  Also, at Omura in Japan, blessed Matthias of Arima, martyr, who, being a catechist, because he refused to betray a missionary, was tortured with torments unto death.

 

14.  In Annam, Saint Michael Hồ Đình Hy, martyr, who, a mandarin, companion of the emperor and catechist, was denounced for being a Christian and, after dreadful tortures, was put to death by beheading.

 

15.  In the city of An-Xá in Tonkin, Saint Dominic Ngôn, martyr, who, a father of a family and a farmer, was ordered by soldiers to trample the cross; instead, he fell down before it and adored it, and when he had fearlessly professed himself a Christian before the judge, he was immediately beheaded.

 

16.  At Lucca in Etruria of Italy, blessed Mary Dominic Brun Barbantini, religious, who founded the Congregation of the Sisters Ministers to the Sick of Saint Camillus.

 

 


 

May 23rd

 

This Day, the Twenty-third Day of May

 

1.  At Carthage, the martyrdom of Saints Lucius, Montanus, Julian, Victoricus, Victor, and Donatian, who, for the religion and faith which they had learned under the teaching of Saint Cyprian, fulfilled martyrdom under the emperor Valerian.

 

2 Commemoration of the holy martyrs, who in Cappadocia, during the persecution of the emperor Maximian, were killed by having their legs broken.

 

3.  Likewise, commemoration of the holy martyrs, who at the same time in Mesopotamia, hung by the feet with their heads downward, were suffocated by smoke and consumed by slow fire.

 

4.  At Naples in Campania, Saint Ephebus, bishop, who presided most holily over the people of God and ministered faithfully.

 

5.  At Langres in Gaul of Lugdunum, the passion of Saint Desiderius, bishop, who, as it is told, when he saw his people being harassed by the Vandals, approached their king to plead on their behalf; but being immediately ordered to be slain, he offered himself willingly for the sheep entrusted to him.

 

6.  In the district of Norcia in Umbria, the commemoration of Saint Eutychius, abbot, who, as narrated by Saint Gregory the Great, first lived the solitary life with Saint Florentius and took care to lead many to God by exhortation, and afterward governed a nearby monastery in a holy manner.

 

7.  Also near Norcia, Saint Speus, abbot, who for forty years endured blindness with wondrous patience.

 

8.  At Subiaco in Latium, commemoration of Saint Honoratus, abbot, who was in charge of the cell that had formerly belonged to Saint Benedict.

 

9.  At Nice in Provence, Saint Syagrius, bishop, who built a monastery near the tomb of Saint Pontius.

 

10.  At Synnada in Phrygia, Saint Michael, bishop, who, a man of peace, promoted peace and harmony between Greeks and Latins, but having been exiled for the veneration of sacred Images, died far from his homeland.

 

11.  At Gembloux in the district of Liège in Lotharingia, the burial of Saint Guibert, monk, who, laying aside the belt of military service and taking up the discipline of monastic life, built a monastery on his ancestral land, while he himself lived the monastic life at Gorze in Lotharingia.

 

12.  At Rome, Saint John Baptist de Rossi, priest, who received the miserable and most abject persons and imbued them with sacred doctrine.

 

13.  In the town of Witowo in Poland, blessed Joseph Kurzawa and Vincent Matuszewski, priests and martyrs, who, when their homeland had been subjected to foreign power, were killed by persecutors of the Church.

 

 


 

May 24th

 

This Day, the Twenty-fourth Day of May

 

1.  Commemoration of Saint Manaen, who, foster-brother of Herod the tetrarch, was a teacher and prophet in the Church which was at Antioch, and existed under the grace of the New Testament.

 

2.  Likewise, the commemoration of Blessed Joanna, wife of Chuza, the steward of Herod, who, with other women, used to minister to Jesus and the Apostles from her means, and on the day of the Lord’s Resurrection found the stone rolled away from the tomb and announced it to the disciples.

 

3.  At Lystra in Lycaonia, Saint Zoellus, martyr.

 

4.  At Tergeste in Histria, Saint Servulus, martyr.

 

5.  At Nantes in Gaul of Lyon, the holy brothers Donatian and Rogatian, martyrs, of whom, as is told, one had received baptism, the other was a catechumen; but in the final contest Donatian, kissing his brother, prayed to God that he who had not been able to be washed in the sacred bath might merit to be cleansed in a flood of blood.

 

6.  Commemoration of the thirty-eight holy martyrs, who at Philippopolis in Thrace, in the times of Diocletian and Maximian, are said to have been beheaded.

 

7.  In the monastery of Lérins in Provence, Saint Vincent, priest and monk, very distinguished in Christian doctrine and holiness of life and earnestly devoted to the progress of the faith of souls.

 

8.  On the Admirable Mountain in Syria, Saint Simeon the Younger Stylite, priest and anchorite, who lived upon a column in conversation with Christ, composing various treatises on ascetic matters and endowed with great charisms.

 

9.  At Piacenza in Emilia, blessed Philip, priest of the Order of Hermits of Saint Augustine, who, in order to pursue more sharply the chastisement of the flesh, used to wear an iron chain-mail shirt.

 

10.  In Morocco, blessed John of Prado, priest of the Order of Friars Minor and martyr, who was sent to Africa to provide spiritual help to Christians reduced to slavery in the kingdoms of unbelievers; but having been apprehended, he boldly confessed the faith of Christ before the tyrant Mulay al-Walid, and by his order consummated martyrdom through fire.

 

11.  At Seoul in Korea, the holy martyrs Augustine Yi Kwang-hŏn, in whose house the Sacred Scriptures were read, Agatha Kim A-gi, a matron, who received baptism in prison, and seven companions, who all together were beheaded for the Christian name.

 

12.  In the city of Saint Hyacinth in Canada, blessed Louis Zephirin Moreau, bishop, who in various kinds of pastoral works always earnestly advised himself to feel ardently with the Church.

 

 


 

May 25th

 

This Day, the Twenty-fifth Day of May

 

Saint Bede the Venerable, priest and Doctor of the Church, who, a servant of Christ from the eighth year of his age, spent the whole of his life at Jarrow in Northumbria of England in the same monastery, devoted all his effort to meditating on and explaining the Scriptures, and amid the observance of regular discipline and the daily care of singing in church, always found it sweet either to learn or to teach or to write.

Saint Gregory VII, pope, who, formerly called Hildebrand, led a monastic life and assisted the popes of his time in the reform of the Church through many legations; having been raised to the chair of Peter, he vigorously and with great authority vindicated the freedom of the Church from the power of princes and staunchly defended the sanctity of the priesthood; for this reason, forced to leave Rome, he died in exile at Salerno in Campania.

Saint Mary Magdalene de’ Pazzi, virgin of the Carmelite Order, who at Florence in Etruria led a hidden life in Christ of prayer and self-denial, praying earnestly for the reform of the Church, and, marked with many gifts from God, guided her sisters excellently toward perfection.

 

4.  At Atella in Campania, Saint Canio, bishop and martyr.

 

5.  At Milan in Liguria, commemoration of Saint Dionysius, bishop, who, exiled to Armenia by the Arian emperor Constantius for the Catholic faith, there breathed forth his life under the more proximate title of martyr.

 

6.  At Florence in Etruria, Saint Zenobius, bishop.

 

7.  In the monastery of Moutier-la-Celle near Troyes in Gaul, Saint Leo, abbot.

 

8.  In England, Saint Aldhelm, bishop, a man celebrated for learning and writings, formerly abbot of Malmesbury, and also the first bishop ordained at Sherborne among the West Saxons.

 

9.  At Peña Alba in Asturias of Spain, Saint Gennadius, who, having been made bishop of the same see after being abbot, was a counselor to kings, but, moved by the desire for the cloister, laid down the episcopal dignity to spend the remaining years of life as a monk and sometimes as a hermit.

 

10.  At Villa Magna near Florence in Etruria, the commemoration of blessed Gerard Mecatti, who, closely following in the footsteps of Saint Francis, distributed his goods to the poor and, having retired into the wilderness, devoted himself for the love of Christ to receiving pilgrims and helping the sick.

 

11.  At Monte Santo in Picenum, Italy, the passing of Saint Gerius, who, once a count of Lunata, led a solitary life and died on a holy pilgrimage.

 

12.  At Faenza in Flaminia, blessed James Philip (Andrew) Bertoni, priest of the Order of the Servants of Mary, distinguished for the gift of tears and great humility.

 

13.  In Tonkin, Saint Peter Đoàn Văn Vân, martyr, who, a catechist and parish caretaker at Bdu N9, in the time of Emperor Tự Đức confirmed the constancy of his faith with his blood as an octogenarian.

 

14.  At Paris in Gaul, Saint Madeleine Sophie Barat, virgin, who founded the Society of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and labored greatly for the Christian education of girls.

 

15.  At the place Munyonyo in Uganda, Saint Denis Ssebuggwawo, martyr, who, sixteen years old, when asked by King Mwanga whether he had taught two courtiers the rudiments of the Christian faith, affirmed it, and was pierced by a lance by the king himself.

 

16.  In the town of Catatlán in the territory of Guadalajara, Mexico, Saints Christopher Magallanes and Augustine Caloca, priests and martyrs, who, in the Mexican persecution, firmly trusting in Christ the King, attained the crown.

 

17.  In the detention camp of the town of Javas in Moldavia, blessed Nicholas Cehelskyj, priest and martyr, who, under a regime of persecution against religion, overcame the torments of his passion with the strength of faith.

 

 


 

May 26th

 

This Day, the Twenty-sixth Day of May

 

Memorial of Saint Philip Neri, priest, who, devoting care to saving young men from evil, founded the Oratory at Rome, in which spiritual readings, songs, and works of charity were practiced, and he stood out for his love of neighbor, evangelical simplicity, cheerful spirit, great zeal, and fervent service of God.

 

2.  Also at Rome, Saint Eleutherius, pope, to whom the renowned martyrs of Lyon, then detained in chains, wrote a noble letter concerning preserving peace in the Church.

 

3.  Likewise at Rome, in the cemetery of Priscilla on the Via Salaria Nova, Saint Simetrius, martyr.

 

4.  At Todi in Umbria, Saint Felicissima, martyr.

 

5.  In the territory of Auxerre in Gaul, the passion of Saint Priscus, martyr, with companions.

 

6.  At Canterbury in England, the deposition of Saint Augustine, bishop, whose memorial is celebrated tomorrow.

 

7.  In the territory of Lyon in Gaul, the passion of Saint Desiderius, bishop of Vienne, who, by Queen Brunhilda—whom he had reproved for incestuous marriage and other wicked deeds—was first driven into exile and then, at her order, overwhelmed with stones, was crowned with martyrdom.

 

8.  In the monastery of Saint Papoul in Gaul, Saint Berengarius, monk.

 

9.  At Vence in the province of Gaul, Saint Lambert, bishop, formerly monk of Lérins, who was provident toward the poor and a lover of poverty.

 

10.  At Siena in Etruria, blessed Francis Patrizi, priest of the Order of the Servants of Mary, who, with marvelous zeal for preaching, cared for the direction of souls, and the ministry of penance.

 

11.  At Pistoia likewise in Etruria, blessed Andrew Franchi, bishop, who, formerly of the Order of Preachers, after the Black Plague restored regular life in the convents of that region and in his own city approved penitential fraternities to foster peace and mercy.

 

12.  At Quito in Ecuador, Saint Mary Anne of Jesus of Paredes, virgin, who consecrated her life to Christ in the Third Order of Saint Francis and directed her strength toward helping poor natives and blacks.

 

13.  At the place Fuzhou in the province of Fujian in China, Saint Peter Sans i Jordà, bishop of the Order of Preachers and martyr, who, having been seized with other priests and led in chains over a long journey to the tribunal, at the place of execution bent his knees and, his prayer finished, gladly offered his neck to the sword.

 

14.  At Seoul in Korea, Saint Joseph Chang Song-jib, martyr, who, practicing the art of pharmacy, having become a Christian, was detained in chains and died under extreme torture.

 

15.  In the city of Đông Hới in Annam, the holy martyrs John Doan Trinh Hoan, priest, and Matthew Nguyễn Văn Phượng, who, a father of a family and catechist, gave lodging to his fellow martyr, and both together for the faith were tortured under the emperor Tự Đức and cruelly beheaded.

 

16.  At the place Numyanyo in Uganda, Saint Andrew Kaggwa, martyr, who, commander of the drummers of King Mwanga and his companion, having been only recently initiated into Christ, instructed pagans and catechumens in the doctrine of the Gospel, for which he was cruelly put to death.

 

17.  At the place Ttakajjunge, also in Uganda, Saint Pontian Ngondwe, martyr, who, a royal attendant, already under the coming persecution, received baptism and was soon cast into prison; while he was being led to the hill of execution, he was pierced through with a lance by the executioner.

 

 


 

May 27th

 

This Day, the Twenty-seventh Day of May

 

Saint Augustine, bishop of Canterbury in England, who, together with other monks sent by Saint Gregory the Great, pope, to preach the word of God to the English people, was kindly received by King Æthelbert of Kent. Imitating the apostolic life of the primitive Church, he converted the king himself and many others to the Christian faith and established several episcopal sees in that land. He died on the twenty-sixth day of May.

 

2.  At Dorostorum in Moesia, Saint Julius, martyr, who, in the time of persecution, being a veteran and military pensioner, was arrested by the officials and brought before the governor Maximus; in his presence, as he detested idols and most steadfastly confessed the name of Christ, he was punished with the sentence of death.

 

3.  On the Via Nomentana at the sixteenth milestone from the city of Rome, Saint Restitutus, martyr.

 

4.  At Orange in the province of Gaul, Saint Eutropius, bishop.

 

5.  At Würzburg in Franconia of Germany, Saint Bruno, bishop, who restored the cathedral church, reformed the clergy, and explained the Sacred Scriptures to the people.

 

6. In the monastery of Montsalvy near Aurillac in Aquitaine, Saint Gausbert, priest and hermit, through whose work that place, previously desolate, became a hospice for receiving pilgrims.

 

7.  At Dryburn near Durham in England, the blessed Edmund Duke, Richard Hill, John Hogg, and Richard Holiday, priests and martyrs, who, having returned to their homeland from the English College at Reims, were condemned to death solely for being priests under Queen Elizabeth I and were hanged on the gibbet.

 

8.  At Seoul in Korea, the holy martyrs Barbara Kim, widow, and Barbara Yi, virgin, fifteen years of age, who, detained together in prison for Christ, died of plague.

 

9.  At the place Nakiwubo in Uganda, Saint Athanasius Bazzekuketta, martyr, who, one of the young men of the royal household, recently baptized, as he was being led with the others to the place of execution for the faith of Christ, asked the executioners to kill him at once, and being struck with blows, completed his martyrdom.

 

10.  At the place Lubawo likewise in Uganda, Saint Gonzaga Gonza, martyr, who, one of the royal servants, while being led in chains to the pyre, was pierced with lances by the executioners.

 

 


 

May 28th

 

This Day, the Twenty-eighth Day of May

 

1.   At Corinth in Achaia, Saint Heliconis, martyr, who, in the time of the emperor Gordian, under the governor Perennius, then under his successor Justinus, afflicted with many torments, at last completed her martyrdom by beheading.

 

2.  At Chartres in Gaul of Lyon, Saint Caraunus, martyr.

 

3.   At Urgell in Hispania Tarraconensis, Saint Justus, bishop, who explained the Song of Songs allegorically and took part in the councils of Spain.
 

4.   At Paris in Gaul, Saint Germanus, bishop, who, first abbot of Saint Symphorian of Autun, having been called to the see of Paris, retained the manner of monastic life and carried out the fruitful care of souls.

 

5.  In the monastery of Gellone in Narbonese Gaul, Saint William, monk, who, more renowned than all at the emperor’s court, adhered with the affection of love to the truly saintly Benedict of Aniane, putting on the monastic habit with great uprightness of conduct.

 

6.  At Canterbury in England, blessed Lanfranc, bishop, who, a monk of Bec in Normandy, founded a celebrated school, and, concerning the truth of the body and blood of Christ in the sacrament, wrote against Berengarius; later raised to the see of Canterbury, he labored to reform Church discipline in England.

 

7.  At Pisa in Etruria, Saint Ubaldesca, virgin, who, from the sixteenth year of her age until her death, for fifty-five years, steadfastly carried out works of mercy in a hospice.

 

8.  At Castelnovo of Garfagnana likewise in Etruria, blessed Herculaneus of Piegale, priest of the Order of Friars Minor, who, an outstanding preacher, shone with austerity of life, prolonged abstinence, and the fame of miracles.

 

9.  At London in England, blessed Margaret Pole, mother of a family and martyr, who, countess of Salisbury and mother of Cardinal Reginald, under King Henry the Eighth, whose divorce she had disapproved, died in peace of Christ by beheading in the Tower.

 

10.  At Florence in Etruria, blessed Mary Bartholomea Bagnesi, virgin, a sister of the Penitents of Saint Dominic, who endured for nearly forty-five years many and most bitter sufferings.

 

11.  At London in England, the blessed Thomas Ford, John Shert, and Robert Johnson, priests and martyrs, who, falsely accused of conspiracy against Queen Elizabeth I and condemned to death, were hanged together at Tyburn.

 

12.   At the place Cho Quan in Cochinchina, Saint Paul Hạnh, martyr, who, having forgotten Christian morals, led a gang in the marketplace, but, when seized under the emperor Tự Đức, professed that he was a Christian and, moved neither by flattery nor scourging nor the lacerations of pincers, encountered a glorious martyrdom by decapitation.

 

13.  At Sachsenhausen in Germany, blessed Ladislaus Demski, martyr, who, Polish by nationality, defending the faith before the followers of doctrines that denied all human and Christian dignity, died, terribly tortured, in a detention camp

 

14.  In the city of Dzialdowo in Poland, blessed Anthony Julian Nowowiejski, bishop of Płock, who, in the same time, having been imprisoned by enemies in a detention camp, consumed by hunger and cruel torment, passed to the Lord,

 

 


 

May 29th

 

This Day, the Twenty-ninth Day of May

 

1.  At Antioch in Syria, Saint Hesychius the court official, martyr, who, in the persecution of the emperor Diocletian, when he heard the order that whoever would not sacrifice to idols must lay aside the military belt, immediately removed his belt; for this reason, with a great stone tied to his right hand, he was ordered to be thrown into the River Orontes.

 

2.  At Trier in Belgic Gaul, Saint Maximinus, bishop, who, a fearless defender of the integrity of the faith against the Arians, received Saint Athanasius of Alexandria and other exiled bishops with brotherly kindness, and, having been driven from his see by enemies, died in his native place of Poitiers.

 

3.  In the Anaunian valley in the Tridentine countryside, the holy martyrs Sisinnius, deacon, Martyrius, lector, and Alexander, doorkeeper, who, by nationality Cappadocians, having established a church, introduced songs of divine praise into the region and were killed by pagans offering lustral sacrifices.

 

4.  At Ravenna in Flaminia, Saint Exuperantius, bishop, who governed this Church prudently at the time when King Odoacer gained control of Italy and the city.

 

5.  At Milan in Liguria, Saint Senator, bishop, whom, while still a priest, Saint Leo the Great, pope, had sent as legate to Constantinople.

 

6.  At Mâcon in Burgundy, Saint Gerard, who, first a monk, then elected bishop, finally lived a solitary life in the forest.

 

7.   At Pisa in Etruria, Saint Bona, virgin, who devoutly made many pilgrimages to the Holy Land, to Rome, and to Compostela.

 

8.   At Avignonet near Toulouse in Gaul, the blessed William Arnaud and ten companions, who, united in the mission to resist the errors of the Cathars, were deceitfully captured on the night of the Ascension of the Lord and fell by the sword for the faith of Christ and obedience to the Roman Church, singing the Te Deum with one voice.

 

9.   At Pisa in Etruria, Blessed Gherardesca, widow, who spent her life in a cell near the Camaldolese monastery of Saint Savinus in praise and in the conversation of the Lord.

 

10.   At York in England, blessed Richard Thirkeld, priest and martyr, who, under Queen Elizabeth I, was condemned to death because he was a priest and had reconciled many to the Catholic Church, and was handed over to the torments of the gallows.

 

11.   At the place called Roma in Basutoland, South Africa, blessed Joseph Gerard, priest of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate, who first preached Christ tirelessly in the province of Natal and then especially to the Basotho people.

 

12.   At Rome, Saint Ursula (Julia) Ledóchowska, virgin, who founded the Institute of the Ursuline Sisters of the Agonizing Heart of Jesus, and undertook laborious journeys through Poland, Scandinavia, Finland, and Russia.

 

 


 

May 30th

 

This Day, the Thirtieth Day of May

 

1.  At Porto Torres in Sardinia, Saint Gabinus, martyr.

 

2.  At Caesarea in Cappadocia, the Saints Basil and Emmelia, who were the parents of the holy bishops Basil the Great, Gregory of Nyssa, and Peter of Sebaste, and of Saint Macrina the Virgin.  These holy spouses, during the time of the emperor Galerius Maximian, were made exiles and dwelt in the wildernesses of Pontus, and after the persecution, having left their children as heirs of their virtues, rested in peace.

 

3.  At Pavia in Lombardy, Saint Anastasius, bishop, who, having left the Arian heresy, firmly professed the Catholic faith.

 

4.  At Geel in Brabant of Austrasia, Saint Dymphna, virgin and martyr.

 

5.  At Furre in Brabant of Austrasia, the passing of Saint Robert, bishop of Tongeren and Maastricht on the Meuse, who, disciple and successor of Saint Lambert, applied himself with all effort to the preaching of the Gospel through Brabant and the Ardennes and there overcame pagan customs.

 

6.  At Seville in Spain, Saint Ferdinand III, who, king of Castile and León, was prudent in governing the kingdom, a cultivator of the arts and sciences, and zealous in spreading the faith.

 

7.  At Rouen in Normandy of Gaul, Saint Joan of Arc, virgin, called the Maid of Orléans, who, having fought bravely for her country, was at last handed over into the power of her enemies, condemned by an unjust judgment, and burned with fire.

 

8.  At London in England, Saint Luke Kirby, priest and martyr, who, in the persecution under Queen Elizabeth I, after many tortures was hanged on the triple gibbet at Tyburn.  With him suffered on the same gallows the blessed priests and martyrs William Filby, Lawrence Johnson, and also Thomas Cottam of the Society of Jesus.

 

9.  In the same place, thirty years later, the blessed William Scott, of the Order of Saint Benedict, and Richard Newport, priests and martyrs, of whom, because of the priesthood, under King James I, the former was strangled by the noose, the latter, still breathing, was torn with iron.

 

10.  At Kampala in Uganda, Saint Matthias Kalemba, surnamed Mulumba or the Strong, martyr, who, abandoning the Mohammedan worship, after baptism in Christ resigned his office as judge and zealously spread the Christian faith, for which reason he was subjected to tortures under King Mwanga and, deprived of all consolation, gave back his spirit to God.

 

11.  At Savona in Italy, the passing of Saint Joseph Marello, bishop of Acqui in the Subalpine region, who founded the Congregation of the Oblates of Saint Joseph, devoted to moral care and the Christian instruction of youth.

 

12.  In the detention camp of Buchenwald in the region of Thuringia, Germany, the passion of blessed Otto Neururer, priest and martyr, who, because he had dissuaded a young Catholic woman from simulating marriage with a supporter of the godless regime already joined in matrimony, was thrown into prison, where, although suffering all kinds of hardships, he secretly continued his ministry until, suspended by the feet with his head downward, he completed his martyrdom.

 

 


 

May 31st

 

This Day, the Thirty-first Day of May

 

Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, when she came to her relative Elizabeth, who was pregnant with a son in old age, and greeted her.  When the two future mothers joyfully met, the coming Redeemer sanctified his forerunner still in the womb, and Mary, responding to Elizabeth’s greeting and exulting in the Spirit, magnified the Lord with a canticle of praise.

 

2.  At Rome, in the cemetery of Domitilla on the Via Ardeatina, Saint Petronilla, virgin and martyr.

 

3.  At Comana in Pontus, Saint Hermias, soldier, martyr.

 

4.  At Aquileia in Venetia, the Saints Cantius, Cantianus, and Cantianilla, martyrs, who, having been apprehended by the persecutor while departing from the city by vehicle, were at length brought to punishment.

 

5.  At Toulouse in Narbonese Gaul, Saint Silvius, bishop, who began to adorn the tomb of Saint Saturninus with a basilica.

 

6.  At Forlì in Emilia, blessed James Salomoni, priest, who, as a youth, after his father had died and his mother had been received among the Cistercian nuns, distributed his goods to the poor and, embracing the Order of Preachers, shone forth there for forty-five years, endowed with remarkable charisms, as a friend to the poor and a man of peace.

 

7.  At Camerino in Picenum of Italy, blessed Baptista (Camilla) Varano, abbess of the monastery of the Poor Clares founded by her father, who experienced great tribulations as well as mystical consolations.

 

8.  At York in England, the blessed martyrs Robert Thorpe, priest, and Thomas Watkinson, who, under Queen Elizabeth I, were condemned to death, the former because he was a priest, the latter, a father of a family of advanced age, because he had often provided assistance to priests,  and together received the crown of martyrdom on the gibbet.

 

9.  At Paris in Gaul, blessed Nicholas Barre, priest, who, master of theology and a renowned guide of souls in the spirit of the Gospel, founded throughout France the Christian and Charity Schools, as well as the Sisters Teachers of the Infant Jesus, for the free education of the children of the people.

 

10.  At Erice in Sicily, blessed Felix (James) Amoroso, religious, who, after being refused for ten years, at last entered the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin, where he fulfilled the humblest duties with simplicity and innocence of heart.

 

11.  In the village of Bellegra in the Roman countryside, blessed Marian of Roccacasale (Dominic) Di Nicolantonio, religious of the Order of Friars Minor, who, fulfilling the office of doorkeeper, opened the door of the convent to the poor and pilgrims, whom he sustained in every way with the greatest charity.

 

12.  At Mityana in Uganda, Saint Noah Mawaggali, martyr, who, a royal servant, when persecution arose, fearlessly refused to flee, and of his own accord offered his chest to the soldiers’ spears, by which he was pierced and also suspended from a tree, until he gave up his spirit for Christ.

 

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1. Whose names are: the priests Romanus Adame, Rodericus Aguilar, Julius Alvarez, Aloysius Batis Sainz, Augustinus Caloca, Matthaeus Correa, Atilanus Cruz, Michael de la Mora, Peter Esqueda Ramirez, Margaritus Flores, Joseph Isabel Flores, David Galvan, Peter Maldonado, Jesus Mendez, Justinus Orona, Sabas Reyes, Joseph Maria Robles, Turibius Romo, Januarius Sanchez Delgadillo, Tranquillinus Ubiarco, and David Uribe; and Emmanuel Morales, Salvator Lara Puente, and David Roldan Lara, laymen.

2. Whose names are: the holy Damianus Nam Myong-hyog, catechist; Magdalena Kim O-bi, Barbara Han A-gi, Anna Pak A-gi, Agatha Yi So-sa, Lucia Pak Hui-sun, Peter Kwon Tu-gin.

3. Whose names are: the blessed Bernard of Roquefort, Garcia of Aure, Stephan of Saint-Thierry, Raymond Carbonier; Raymond of Cortisan, surnamed Escriban, canon; Bernard, Peter d’Arnaud, Fortanerius, and Ademarus, clerics; the prior of Avenionet, whose name is unknown.

 

 


 

Omnes sancti Mártyres, oráte pro nobis. (“All ye Holy Martyrs, pray for us,”
from the Litaniae Sanctorum, the Litany of the Saints)

 

2004 Roman Martyrology by Month (to be completed)

January February March April May June
July August September October November December

Scio opera tua ... quia modicum habes virtutem, et servasti verbum Meum, nec non negasti Nomen Meum


 

\Boston Catholic Journal

Copyright © 2025 Geoffrey K. Mondello, Boston Catholic Journal. All rights reserved.

 

 

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