Roman Martyrology 2004

Saint Aloysius Gonzaga, Jesuit religious

Memorial of Saint Aloysius Gonzaga, religious, who, born of a lineage of princes and known to all for his purity, left the ancestral principality to his brother, joined the Society of Jesus at Rome, but, physically worn out by the assistance he gave to the plague victims, went to meet his death while still young.

Saint Méen, abbot

At Ghé in Brittany, France, Saint Méen, abbot, who, originally from Wales, retired to a forest in the interior of Brittany where he founded a monastery.

Saint Leufroy, founder and abbot of the monastery of Saint-Croix near Evreux

In the territory of Évreux in Neustria, in France, Saint Leufroy, abbot, founder of the monastery of La Croix, which he ruled for about forty-eight years.

Saint Raoul, bishop of Bourges

At Bourges in Aquitaine, now in France, Saint Raoul, bishop, who, full of concern for the priestly life, together with the priests of the Church entrusted to him, took care to bring together in a collection sentences of the holy Fathers and of the canons for pastoral use.

Saint Ramón, bishop of Roda-Barbastro

At Huesca in Aragon, Saint Ramón, who, as canon regular and then bishop of Roda and Barbastro, never wanted to fight militarily the enemies of the Christian faith and for this was expelled from his see for three years.

Blessed Tommaso da Orvieto, Servite religious

At Orvieto in Umbria, Blessed Tommaso da Orvieto, religious of the Order of the Servants of Mary.

Saint John Rigby, martyr of England

At London in England, Saint John Rigby, martyr, who, arrested and sentenced to death under Queen Elizabeth I for reconciling with the Catholic Church, was hanged in Southwark and disembowelled while still alive.

Blessed Jacques-Morelle Dupas, priest and martyr of France

On a prison ship anchored in front of Rochefort in France, Blessed Jacques-Morelle Dupas, priest and martyr, who, severe with himself and meek with others, sentenced to prison for having exercised his ministry as parish priest in the territory of Poitiers during the French revolution, died of starvation.

Saint José Isabel Flores Varela, priest and martyr of Mexico

In the territory of Zapotlanejo in Mexico, Saint José Isabel Flores Varela, priest and martyr at the time of the great persecution.

Saint Pauline, bishop of Nola

Saint Pauline, bishop, who, having received baptism at Bordeaux and left the office of consul, from being very noble and very rich became poor and humble for Christ, and, moving to Nola in Campania at the tomb of Saint Felix, priest, to closely follow his example of life, he led an ascetic life with his wife and companions; after becoming a bishop, distinguished by culture and holiness, he helped pilgrims and lovingly helped the poor.

Saints John Fisher, bishop of Rochester, and Thomas More, martyrs of England

Saints John Fisher, bishop, and Thomas More, martyrs, who, having opposed King Henry VIII in the controversy over his divorce and the primacy of the Roman Pontiff, were imprisoned in the Tower of London in England. John Fisher, bishop of Rochester, a man distinguished by culture and dignity of life, was beheaded on this day by order of the king himself in front of the prison; Thomas More, father of family of upright life and great chancellor, for his fidelity to the Catholic Church joined the venerable prelate in martyrdom on July 6.

Saint Titus Flavius Clemens, martyr at Rome

At Rome, commemoration of Saint Titus Flavius Clemens, martyr, who was killed by the emperor Domitian, of whom he had been a colleague in the consulate, on charges of atheism, but in reality for his faith in Christ.

Saint Alban, martyr in England

At Verulam, later called Saint Albans, in England, Saint Alban, martyr, who, as it is said, not yet baptised, gave himself up in place of a passing priest whom he had welcomed into his home and by whom he had been instructed in Christian faith by exchanging the garment with him; for this reason, after suffering beatings and other atrocious tortures, he finally died beheaded.

Saints Julius and Aaron, martyrs in England

At Caerleon in Wales, Saints Julius and Aaron, martyrs, who suffered the Passion after Saint Alban during the persecution of Emperor Diocletian; at that time in the same place many Christians, tortured with tortures of various kinds and cruelly torn apart, after their fight, reached the joys of the heavenly city.

Saint Eusebius, bishop of Samosata

At Dülük in Syria, now in Türkiye, Saint Eusebius, bishop of Samosata, who, at the time of the Arian emperor Constantius, dressed as a soldier, visited the Churches of God incognito to strengthen them in the Catholic faith; subsequently, under the empire of Valens, he was relegated to Thrace, but, when peace returned to the Church, he was recalled from exile at the time of the emperor Theodosius; finally, while he was again visiting the Churches, he died a martyr struck on the head by a tile thrown at him from above by an Aryan woman.

Saint Niceta, bishop of Remesiana

Commemoration of Saint Niceta, bishop of Remesiana in Dacia, in present-day Serbia, whom Saint Paulinus of Nola celebrates in one of his poems for having taught the Gospel to the barbarians making them like sheep led into a fold of peace and because those who were once a an uneducated and thieving population had now learned to make Christ resound in a Roman heart.

Blessed Innocent V, Dominican, pope

At Rome in the Lateran, Blessed Innocent V, pope, who, of the Order of Preachers, taught sacred theology in Paris and, reluctantly obtaining the episcopal see of Lyons, directed here together with Saint Bonaventure an Ecumenical Council for the unity between the Latins and the separated Greeks; elevated finally to the chair of Peter, he exercised the role of pontiff only for a short time, shown to the Church of Rome rather than given.

Holy martyrs of Nicomedia

Commemoration of many holy martyrs of Nicomedia, who, having taken refuge in the mountains and caves at the time of Emperor Diocletian, suffered martyrdom with a serene spirit for their faith in Christ.

Saint Etheldreda, abbess of Ely

In the monastery of Ely in eastern England, Saint Etheldreda, abbess: daughter of the king and herself queen of Northumbria, she refused marriage twice, received the nun’s veil from the saint prelate Wilfrid in the monastery she founded and, having become a mother of many virgins, ruled by her example and her advice.

Saint Bilius, bishop of Vannes and martyr

At Vannes in Brittany, Saint Bilius, bishop and martyr, who is said to have been killed by the Normans during the devastation of the city.

Saint Lanfranco, bishop of Pavia

At Pavia, Saint Lanfranco, bishop, who, as a man of peace, suffered much to promote reconciliation and concord at the city.

Saint Walhère d’Onhaye, priest and martyr

At Onhaye in Hainault, in present-day Belgium, Saint Walhère, priest, who is said to have been killed with an oar, while crossing the Meuse, by a priest nephew whose customs he had blamed.

Saint Marie d’Oignies

At Oignies also in Hainault, in the territory of present-day France, Saint Marie d’Oignies, who, rich in mystical gifts, with the consent of her husband, lived in a cell and then founded and regulated the so-called Institute of the Beguines.

Blessed Pietro Giacomo da Pesaro, Augustinian priest

In the hermitage of Valmanente in the Marches, Blessed Pietro Giacomo da Pesaro, priest of the Order of the Hermits of Saint Augustine.

Saint Thomas Garnet, Jesuit priest and martyr of England

At London in England, Saint Thomas Garnet, priest of the Society of Jesus and martyr, who, ordained in the English College of Valladolid and then returned to England, after being arrested twice, mounted the gallows of Tyburn under King James I.

Saint Giuseppe Cafasso, priest

At Turin, Saint Giuseppe Cafasso, priest, who devoted himself to the spiritual and cultural formation of future priests and to reconciling poor prisoners and those sentenced to death to God.

Blessed Maria Raffaella Cimatti, virgin of the Sisters of Mercy for the Sick

At Alatri in Lazio, Blessed Maria Raffaella Cimatti, virgin, of the Sisters of Mercy for the Infirm, who led a humble and hidden life, working with cordial charity and constant attention especially for the sick and the poor.

The Nativity of Saint John the Baptist

Solemnity of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist, precursor of the Lord: already in the womb of his mother, filled with the Holy Spirit, he exulted with joy at the coming of human salvation; his very birth was a prophecy of Christ the Lord; so much grace shone in him that the Lord himself said about him that none of those born of women were greater than John the Baptist.

Saints John and Festus, martyrs

At Rome on Via Salaria antica, Saints John and Festus, martyrs.

Saint Simplice, bishop of Autun

At Autun in Gallia Lugdunensis, now in France, Saint Simplice, who, from a noble and pious family, lived in absolute chastity in the company of his most virtuous wife and was later elected to the episcopate.

Saints Agoard, Agilbert and companions, martyrs

At the village of Créteil in the territory of Paris, passion of Saints Agoard and Agilbert and many others, martyrs.

Saint Rumoldus, hermit and martyr

At Malines in Brabant, in present-day Belgium, Saint Rumoldus, venerated as a hermit and martyr.

Saint Théodulphe, bishop abbot of Lobbes

At Lobbes in Austrasia now in Belgium, Saint Théodulphe, bishop and abbot.

Saint Gohard, bishop of Nantes and martyr

At Nantes in Brittany, Saint Gohard, bishop and martyr, who, while celebrating a solemn Mass with the people in the cathedral, died together with many faithful pierced by the arrows of the impious Normans while singing “Sursum corda”.

Saint Theodgar of Vestervig, priest

At Vestervig in Denmark, Saint Theodgar of Vestervig, priest, who was a missionary in this region, where he built the first church in wood.

Saint Iosephus Yuan Zaide, priest and martyr of China

In the province of Sichuan in China, Saint Iosephus Yuan Zaide, priest and martyr, strangled in hatred of the Christian faith.

Saint María Guadalupe García Zavala, founder of the Handmaids of Saint Margaret Mary and of the Poor

At Guadalajara in Mexico, Saint María Guadalupe García Zavala, virgin, who actively participated in the foundation of the Congregation of the Handmaids of Saint Margaret Mary and the Poor and carried out works of charity among the poor and the sick with commitment.

Saint Maximus, first bishop of Turin

At Turin, Saint Maximus, the first bishop of this see, who with his fatherly word called crowds of pagans to the faith of Christ and led them with heavenly doctrine to the prize of salvation.

Saint Prosper d’Aquitaine

Commemoration of Saint Prosper d’Aquitaine, who, versed in philosophy and letters, led a virtuous and temperate life with his wife and, having become a monk in Marseilles, strenuously defended against the Pelagians the doctrine of Saint Augustine on the grace of God and the gift of perseverance, carrying out the task of chancellor of Pope Saint Leo the Great also at Rome.

Saint Prospero, bishop of Reggio Emilia

At Reggio Emilia, Saint Prospero, bishop.

Saint Tigre, virgin

At Maurienne in Gaul, now in France, Saint Tigre, virgin, who promoted the cult of Saint John the Precursor in this place with great zeal.

Saint Moluag, bishop

At Rosemarkie in Scotland, Saint Moluag, bishop.

Saint Orosia de Jaca, virgin and martyr of Spain

At Jaca in Northern Spain, Saint Orosia de Jaca, virgin and martyr.

Saint Adelbert, deacon and abbot

At Egmond in Friesland, in the present-day Netherlands, Saint Adelbert, deacon and abbot, who helped Saint Willibrord in evangelisation.

Saint Salomon, king of Brittany, martyr

In Brittany, Saint Salomon, martyr, who, for the time he ruled as king, established episcopal sees, enlarged monasteries, and preserved justice; he then left the kingdom, was blinded and killed in church by his opponents.

Saint Guglielmo, founder and abbot of Montevergine

At Goleto near Nusco in Campania, Saint Guglielmo, abbot, who, as a pilgrim from the city of Vercelli, made himself poor for love of Christ, founded the monastery of Montevergine at the invitation of Saint John of Matera, where he welcomed with him companions whom he instructed in his profound spiritual doctrine, and opened many other monasteries of both monks and nuns in the regions of southern Italy.

Blessed Jean d’Espagne, Carthusian monk

In the Charterhouse of Le Réposoir in Burgundy, in present-day France, Blessed Jean d’Espagne, monk, who wrote the statutes for the nuns of the Carthusian Order.

Blessed Dorothea of Montau, widow

At Marienwerder in Polish Prussia, Blessed Dorothea of Montau, who, as a widow, lived secluded in a cell built next to the cathedral, giving herself tirelessly to a life of continuous prayer and penance.

Blessed Saint-Monique Lhuilier, virgin and martyr of France

At Laval in France, Blessed Saint-Monique Lhuilier, virgin and martyr, who, received among the Hospitallers of Mercy during the French Revolution, strenuously faithful to the Church in her religious vows, died beheaded.

Saints Domingo Henares de Zafra Cubero, Dominican bishop, and Phanxicô Ðỗ Văn Chiểu, martyrs of Vietnam

At the city of Nam Dinh in Tonkin, now Vietnam, Saints Domingo Henares de Zafra Cubero, bishop of the Order of Preachers, and Phanxicô Ðỗ Văn Chiểu, martyrs, of whom the former propagated the Christian faith for forty-nine years, the latter, as a catechist, worked assiduously with him: both were beheaded together for Christ under Emperor Minh Mang.

Saints John and Paul, martyrs

At Rome, commemoration of Saints John and Paul, to whose names the basilica on Celian Hill is dedicated along the slope of Scaurus in the property of Senator Pammachio.

Saint Vigilius, bishop of Trent and martyr

At Trent, Saint Vigilius, bishop, who, having received from Saint Ambrose of Milan the insignia of his mandate and pastoral instruction, worked to consolidate the work of evangelisation in his territory and thoroughly eradicate the residues of idolatry; it is then handed down that he suffered martyrdom for faith in Christ, struck to death by rough pagans.

Saint Deodato, bishop of Nola

At Nola in Campania, Saint Deodato, bishop, who succeeded Saint Paulinus.

Saint Maixent, abbot

In the territory of Poitiers in Aquitaine, in present-day France, Saint Maixent, abbot, famous for his virtues.

Saint David the Dendrite, hermit

At Thessalonica in Greece, Saint David the Dendrite, hermit, who spent about eighty years locked up in a small cell outside the city walls.

Saints Sauve, bishop of Valence, and his disciples, martyrs

Near Valencienne in Austrasia, in the territory of present-day France, Saints Sauve, bishop, and his disciple, who came from the territory of Auvergne to this region and suffered martyrdom under the local tyrant Vinegard.

Saint Pelayo, martyr at Cordoba

At Cordoba in Andalusia, Spain, Saint Pelayo, martyr, who, at the age of thirteen, for having kept faith in Christ and chastity against the lewd flattery of the king of the Moors Abd al-Rahman III, by order of this man, was torn to pieces with iron pincers, thus completing his glorious martyrdom.

Saint Rodolfo, bishop of Gubbio

At Gubbio in Umbria, Saint Rodolfo, bishop, who worked in preaching and generously distributed to the poor everything he could subtract from the expenses associated with his person.

Saint Anthelme, bishop of Belley

At Belley in Burgundy, in present-day France, Saint Anthelme, bishop, who, as a monk, rebuilt the building of the Grande Certosa destroyed by an abundant snowfall; later becoming prior, he convened the General Chapter and, elevated to the episcopal see, shone in the work of correcting the customs of clerics and nobles carried out with tireless commitment and intrepid steadfastness.

Blessed Raymond Petiniaud de Jourgnac, priest and martyr of France

On a cargo ship anchored at the port of Rochefort in France, Blessed Raymond Petiniaud de Jourgnac, priest and martyr, who, as archdeacon of Limoges, during the French Revolution because of his priesthood was kept in inhuman conditions in prison, where he carried out his own martyrdom, corroded by sores and lice.

Blesseds Marie-Madeleine Fontaine, Marie-Françoise Lanel, Thérèse-Madeleine Fantou and Jeanne Gérard, virgins of the Daughters of Charity, martyrs of France

At Cambrai in France, Blesseds Marie-Madeleine Fontaine, Marie-Françoise Lanel, Thérèse-Madeleine Fantou and Jeanne Gérard, virgins and martyrs, who, as Daughters of Charity, during the French Revolution were condemned to death out of hatred for the Church and led to execution crowned with the Rosary in mockery.

Blessed Andrea Giacinto Longhin, Capuchin, archbishop-bishop of Treviso

At Treviso, Blessed Andrea Giacinto Longhin, bishop, who in wartime assisted with every means to the needs of refugees and prisoners and in the difficulties of his time defended with extraordinary promptness the rights of workers, peasants and all the weak in society.

Saint Iosephus Ma Taishun, martyr of China

In the territory of Qianshengzhuang near the city of Liushuitao in the province of Hebei in China, Saint Iosephus Ma Taishun, martyr, who, as a doctor and catechist, although in the persecution unleashed by the Boxer sect the other members of his family had renounced the faith, preferred to bear Christ with his blood.

Saint José María Robles Hurtado, priest, founder of the Hermanas del Corazón de Jesús Sacramentado, martyr of Mexico

Near Guadalajara in the state of Jalisco in Mexico, Saint José María Robles Hurtado, priest and martyr, who, during the persecution against the Church during the Mexican revolution, died hanging from a tree.

Blesseds Mykola Konrad, priest, and Volodymyr Ivanovych Pryima, martyrs of Ukraine

In the forest of Birok near the city of Stradch in the territory of Lviv in Ukraine, Blesseds Mykola Konrad, priest, and Volodymyr Ivanovych Pryima, who, under an atheist regime, bore witness to hope in the resurrection of Christ with a fearless death.

Blessed Andrii Ischak, priest and martyr of Ukraine

At the village of Sykhiv, also in the territory of Lviv, Blessed Andrii Ischak, priest and martyr, who was shot for his faith in Christ in the same period.

Saint Josemaría Escrivá de Balaguer, priest, founder of Opus Dei

At Rome, Saint Josemaría Escrivá de Balaguer, priest, founder of Opus Dei and of the Priestly Society of the Holy Cross.

Saint Cyril, bishop of Alexandria of Egypt and doctor of the Church

Saint Cyril, bishop and doctor of the Church: elected to the see of Alexandria in Egypt, moved by a singular concern for the integrity of the Catholic faith, he upheld the dogmas of the unity and uniqueness of the person in Christ and of divine motherhood of the Virgin Mary in the Council of Ephesus.

Saint Gundenis, martyr

At Carthage, in present-day Tunisia, Saint Gundenis, martyr, who, by order of the proconsul Rufinus, tortured four different times on the easel and with the torture of her nails, was then thrown into a sordid prison for a long time and finally pierced with the sword.

Saint Zoilo, martyr at Cordoba

At Cordoba in Andalusia, Spain, Saint Zoilo, martyr.

Saint Sampson the Hospitable, priest

At Constantinople, Saint Sampson the Hospitable, priest, who was a refuge for the poor and is said to have set up a hospital at the invitation of the Emperor Justinian, whom he had cured of an illness.

Saint Jean de Chinon, priest

In the castle of Chinon in the territory of Tours in France, Saint Jean, priest, who, of British origin, wanted to escape the gaze of men for the love of God and lived in prayer in a small cell built in front of the town church.

Saint Arialdo, deacon and martyr

At Milan, Saint Arialdo, deacon and martyr, who vigorously fought the insane customs of the simoniac and depraved clergy and for his concern for the house of God, was killed by two clerics amid atrocious sufferings.

Blessed Benvenuto da Gubbio, Franciscan religious

At Corneto near Bovino in Puglia, Blessed Benvenuto da Gubbio, religious of the Order of Minors, who in humble service to the sick conformed to the life of the poor Christ.

Saint Tôma Toán, catechist and martyr of Vietnam

At the city of Nam Dinh in Tonkin, now Vietnam, Saint Tôma Toán, martyr, who, as catechist and head of the Trung Linh mission, suffered for Christ unheard-of and cruel tortures in prison, where he died of hunger and thirst under the emperor Minh Mang.

Saint Marguerite Bays, virgin

In the territory of Friborg in Switzerland, Saint Marguerite Bays, virgin, who, practising the trade of a seamstress in her family, worked with all of herself for the many needs of her neighbour without ever neglecting prayer.

Blessed Louise-Thérèse de Montaignac de Chauvance, virgin, founder of the Oblates of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

At Moulins in France, Blessed Louise-Thérèse de Montaignac de Chauvance, virgin, who founded the Pious Union of the Oblates of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Saint Irenaeus, bishop of Lyons, martyr and doctor of the Church

Memorial of Saint Irenaeus, bishop and doctor of the Church, who, as Saint Jerome attests, was, as a child, a disciple of Saint Polycarp of Smyrna and faithfully guarded the memory of the apostolic age; becoming a priest of the clergy of Lyons, he succeeded the bishop Saint Pothin and it is said that, like him, he was crowned by glorious martyrdom. He disputed much about the apostolic tradition and published a famous work against heresies in defence of the Catholic faith.

Saints Plutarch, Serenus, Heraclides, Heron, Serenus, Rhais, Potamiana and Marcella, martyrs of Alexandria of Egypt

At Alexandria of Egypt, the holy martyrs Plutarch, Serenus, Heraclides the catechumen, Heron the neophyte, and another Serenus, Rhais the catechumen, Potamiana, and Marcella, her mother, who were all distinguished disciples of Origen and, under the emperor Septimius Severus, confessed Christ dying, some slain with the sword, others sent to the stake; among them shone, in particular, the virgin Potamiena, who first supported innumerable trials in defence of her virginity and, finally, after having suffered exceptional tortures for her faith, she was burned together with her mother at the stake.

Saint Paul I, pope

At Rome, Saint Paul I, pope, who, as a meek and merciful man, wandered around the cells of the poor sick at night in silence, serving them food; as a defender of the right faith, he wrote to the emperors Constantine and Leo, asking for the sacred images to be returned to their original veneration; as a devout cultivator of the saints, he transferred the bodies of the martyrs amidst hymns and canticles from ruined cemeteries to basilicas and monasteries within the city and supervised their cult.

Saint Argimiro, martyr

At Cordoba in Andalusia, Spain, Saint Argimiro, martyr, who, as a monk of advanced age, during the persecution of the Moors, under the reign of Mohammed II, received from the judge the order to deny Christ and, remaining firm in confessing his faith, was placed alive on the easel and pierced with the sword.

Saint Heimerad, priest and hermit

At Burghasungen in Hesse, Germany, Saint Heimerad, priest and hermit, who, driven out of the cloister and exposed to the mockery and ridicule of many, wandered far and wide for Christ.

Saint John Southworth, priest and martyr of England

At London in England, Saint John Southworth, priest and martyr, who, exercising his priesthood in England, suffered several times in prison and exile; finally sentenced to death under the rule of Oliver Cromwell, as he stared at the snare prepared for him at Tyburn, he proclaimed that the gallows was to him like the cross of Christ.

Saint Vincenza Gerosa, virgin, founder of the Sisters of Charity of Lovere

At Lovere in Lombardy, Saint Vincenza Gerosa, virgin, who founded the Institute of the Sisters of Charity together with Saint Bartolomea Capitanio.

Saints Lucia Wang Cheng, Maria Fan Kun, Maria Chi Yu and Maria Zheng Xu, martyrs of China

At the village of Wanglajia near Dongguangxian in Hebei province in China, the holy martyrs Lucia Wang Cheng, Maria Fan Kun, Maria Chi Yu and Maria Zheng Xu, who, raised in an orphanage, were stabbed with a sword while still young during the persecution of Boxer, while, holding hands, advanced happily as a meeting at the wedding.

Saint Maria Du Zhaoshi, martyr of China

At Jieshuiwang near the city of Shenxian in the same province, Saint Maria Du Zhaoshi, martyr, who, as mother of a priest, gave up her flight so as not to betray the faith of Christ and serenely subjected her head to the axe of her enemies.

Blesseds Severian Baranyk and Yakym Sen’kiv’skyi, Basilian priests of Saint Josaphat, martyrs of Ukraine

At the city of Drohobych in Ukraine, Blesseds Severian Baranyk and Yakym Sen’kiv’skyi, priests of the Order of Saint Josaphat and martyrs, who, in times of persecution against the faith, by their martyrdom became participants in Christ’s victory.

Saints Peter and Paul, apostles

Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul the Apostles. Simon, son of Jonah and brother of Andrew, first among the disciples professed that Jesus was the Christ, Son of the living God, by whom Peter was called. Paul, Apostle of the Gentiles, preached the crucified Christ to the Jews and the Greeks. In faith and love of Jesus Christ both proclaimed the Gospel at the city of Rome and died as martyrs under the emperor Nero: the first, as tradition says, crucified upside down and buried in the Vatican near Via Trionfale, the second pierced with a sword and buried on Via Ostiense. On this day the whole world celebrates their triumph with equal honour and veneration.

Saint Siro, bishop of Genoa

At Genoa, Saint Siro, who is venerated as a bishop.

Saint Cassio, bishop of Narni

At Narni in Umbria, Saint Cassio, bishop, who, as Pope Saint Gregory the Great relates, offered God the sacrifice of reconciliation every day by pouring out his tears and giving all he had in alms; finally, on the day when the solemnity of the Apostles is celebrated, for which he used to go to Rome every year, after celebrating Mass in his city and distributing the body of Christ to all, he returned to the Lord.

Saint Hemma, widow

At Gurk in Carinthia, in present-day Austria, Saint Hemma, who, as a countess, lived as a widow for forty years and generously distributed many possessions to the poor and to the Church.

Blessed Ramon Llull, Franciscan tertiary and martyr in Palma

In the arm of the sea facing the island of Majorca, Blessed Ramon Llull, religious of the Third Order of Saint Francis and martyr, who, as a man of great culture and enlightened doctrine, to spread the Gospel of Christ established with the Saracens a fraternal dialogue.

Saints Paulus Wu Anju, Ioannes Baptista Wu Mantang and Paulus Wu Wanshu, martyrs of China

In the territory of Xiaolüyi near Shenxian in the Hebei province in China, the holy martyrs Paulus Wu Anju, Ioannes Baptista Wu Mantang, his son, and Paulus Wu Wanshu, his nephew, who, in the persecution of the Boxers, for having confessed to being Christians, deserved to reach all together the crown of martyrdom.

Saints Maria Du Tianshi and Magdalena Du Fengju, martyrs of China

In the territory of Dujiadun also near Shenxian, the holy martyrs Maria Du Tianshi and Magdalena Du Fengju, her daughter, who in the same persecution extricated from a reed bed in which they had hidden, died for their faith in Christ, the second thrown still alive into the tomb.

The First Martyrs of the Church of Rome

The First Martyrs of the Holy Church of Rome, who, accused of the fire of the city, were cruelly killed by order of the emperor Nero with different tortures: some, in fact, were exposed to dogs covered by animal skins and were torn apart; others were crucified and still others burned at stake, so that, when daylight failed, they could be used as night lamps. All these were disciples of the Apostles and first fruits of the martyrs that the Church of Rome presented to the Lord.

Saint Basilides, martyr at Alexandria of Egypt

At Alexandria of Egypt, Saint Basilides, who, under Emperor Septimius Severus, having tried to protect the holy virgin Potamiena whom he was leading to execution from the insults of vulgar men, received the reward for this pitiful service of his: in fact converted to Christ by her prayers, after a brief fight, he became a glorious martyr.

Saint Martial, bishop of Limoges

At Limoges in Aquitaine in France, Saint Martial, bishop.

Saint Bertrand, bishop of Le Mans

At Le Mans in the territory of Neustria, also in France, Saint Bertrand, bishop, pastor of peace and attentive to the poor and monks.

Saint Erentrudis, first abbess of Nonnberg

At Salzburg in ancient Bavaria, now in Austria, Saint Erentrudis, first abbess of the Nonnberg monastery and granddaughter of Saint Rupert, whose preaching she supported with prayer and works.

Saint Teobaldo, priest and hermit

At Salanigo in the province of Vicenza, Saint Teobaldo, priest and hermit, who, born of the counts of Champagne in France, together with his friend Gualterio preferred pilgrimages for Christ, poverty and solitude to honours and riches.

Saint Ladislaus, king of Hungary

At Nitra on the river of the same name near the Carpathian mountains, in present-day Slovakia, transitus of Saint Ladislaus, who, as king of Hungary, during his reign re-established the Christian laws introduced by Saint Stephen, reforming customs and giving himself an example of virtue; he zealously worked to spread the Christian faith in Croatia, united with the kingdom of Hungary, establishing the episcopal see at Zagreb. He died while waging war against the Bohemians and his body was later placed at Oradea in Transylvania.

Saint Otto, bishop of Bamberg

At Bamberg in Franconia, in present-day Germany, Saint Otto, bishop, who devoted himself fervently to the evangelisation of Pomerania.

Saint Adolfo, bishop of Osnabrück

At Osnabrück in Saxony also in Germany, Saint Adolfo, bishop, who accepted the Cistercian customs in the monastery of Altencamp.

Blessed Philip Powel (Morgan), Benedictine priest, martyr of England

At London in England, Blessed Philip Powel (Morgan), priest of the Order of Saint Benedict and martyr, who, originally from Wales, arrested on a ship in the reign of Charles I because he sought to enter England as a priest, was led to the gallows at Tyburn.

Blessed Gennaro Maria Sarnelli, Redemptorist priest

At Naples, Blessed Gennaro Maria Sarnelli, priest of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, who actively worked to assist every category of needy.

Saint Vinh-Sơn Ðỗ Yến, Dominican priest and martyr of Vietnam

At the city of Hai Duong in Tonkin, now Vietnam, Saint Vinh-Sơn Ðỗ Yến, priest of the Order of Preachers and martyr, who died beheaded under Emperor Minh Mang in hatred of the Christian faith.

Saints Raimundus Li Quanzhen and Petrus Li Quanhui, martyrs of China

In the territory of Chendun near Jaohe in the province of Hebei in China, Saints Raimundus Li Quanzhen and Petrus Li Quanhui, martyrs, who, as brothers, during the persecution unleashed by the followers of the Boxer sect, gave an outstanding testimony for Christ: the first, in fact, conducted in a pagan temple, refused to worship false gods and thus died under the blows of beatings; the other was killed with no less cruelty.

Blessed Zynovii Kovalyk, Redemptorist priest, martyr of Ukraine

At Lviv in Ukraine, commemoration of Blessed Zynovii Kovalyk, priest of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer and martyr, who, under an atheist regime, on an unknown day of this month deserved to obtain the palm of martyrdom.

Blessed Vasyl’ Vsevolod Velychkovs’kyi, auxiliary bishop of Lviv, martyr

At Winnipeg in Manitoba, Canada, Blessed Vasyl’ Vsevolod Velychkovs’kyi, bishop of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church and martyr, who, for having exercised his ministry clandestinely among Catholic Christians of the Byzantine Rite, suffered much in his homeland from persecutors of the faith and died in exile, associated with the sacrifice of Christ.