WOMEN SAINTS AND MARTYRS AUGUST 29-SEPT.4
August 29
St. Sabina. Sabina was converted to Christianity by her Syrian servant Serapia. During the persecution of Emperor Hadrian, Serapia suffered martyrdom for her Christian Faith. It is believed that St. Sabina was murdered for the Faith about a month later. The reknowned basilica on the Aventine in Rome is dedicated to and named after her. Some sources hold that Sabina herself had it constructed in the third or fourth century. In an age when our Faith is ridiculed as being outmoded, we take heart in the lives of so many martyrs, like St. Sabina, who gave their lives under terrible conditions to defend and sustain their Faith. This confers on us a strong desire to persevere in God's love.
St. Basilla. A holy virgin who was martyred at Smyma or at Sirmium, now Mitrovica, in former Yugoslavia.
St. Candida. A martyr of the Ostian Way, Rome. Candida's remains are enshrined in St. Praxedes church, and were blessed by Pope St. Pasehal I in the ninth century. She was one of a group of martyrs slain on the Ostian Way outside the gates of Rome.
August 30
St. Rose of Lima, Virgin. Patron of Latin America and Philippines, born at Lima, Peru 20 April, 1586; died there 30 August, 1617 A.D. This South American Saint's real name was Isabel, but she was such a beautiful baby that she was called Rose, and that name remained. As she grew older, she became more and more beautiful, and one day, her mother put a wreath of flowers on her head to show off her loveliness to friends. But Rose had no desire to be admired, for her heart had been given to Jesus. So she put a long pin into that wreath and it pierced her so deeply, that she had a hard time getting the wreath off afterward. Another time she became afraid that her beauty might be a temptation to someone, since people could not take their eyes off her. Therefore, she rubbed her face with pepper until it was all red and blistered. St. Rose worked hard to support her poor parents and she humbly obeyed them, except when they tried to get her to marry. That she would not do. Her love of Jesus was so great that when she talked about Him, her face glowed and her eyes sparkled.
Rose had many temptations from the devil, and there were also many times when she had to suffer a feeling of terrible loneliness and sadness, for God seemed far away. Yet she cheerfully offered all these troubles to Him. In fact, in her last long, painful sickness, this heroic young woman use to pray: "Lord, increase my sufferings, and with them increase Your love in my heart." Many miracles followed her death. She was beatified by Clement IX, in 1667, and canonized in 1671 by Clement X, the first American to be so honoured. Her feast is celebrated 30 August. She is represented wearing a crown of roses.
St. Gaudentia. A virgin martyr of Rome. She was reportedly martyred with three companions.
August 31
St.Rufina with Theodotus and Ammia, 270 A.D. Martyrs who were slain in Cappadocia during the reign of Emperor Aurelian (270-275). Known exclusively through the Acts of St. Mamas, Theodotus and Rufina were reputedly the parents of St. Mamas, and Ammia his foster mother.
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September 1
St. Beatrice da Silva Meneses, 1490 A.D. Beatrice was born in Ceuta, Portugal, in 1424. She was the daughter of the Count of Viana, and the sister of St. Amedeus of Portugal. In Portugal, Beatrice is known as Brites. Raised in the household of Princess Isabel, Beatrice went to Spain with her when Isabel married John II of Castile. Eventually, she tired of court life and entered the Cistercian convent at Toledo. In 1484, Beatrice founded the Congregation of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The group’s first house was the castle of Galliana, a gift from Queen Isabel. Beatrice died at Toledo on September 1, 1490 and was canonized by Pope Paul VI in 1976. In his own wisdom, God calls each individual to a particular vocation. The life of St. Beatrice reminds us of how important it is for us to be always open to God's designs in our regard, and to pray that his will be done.
St. Agia, sixth century. Widow, also called Aja and Aye. She is reported as being the sainted mother of St. Lupus of Sens.
St. Anna the Prophetess. Widow and seeress, described in St. Luke's Gospel.
St. Verena, 3rd century, Hermitess. Originally from Egypt, she was supposedly a relative of St. Victor the Theban Legion. She went to Rhaetia (modern Switzerland) to find him. She settled there at a site called Solothurn, but spent her remaining days as a hermite in a cave near Zurich.
September 2
St. Ingrid of Sweden. Ingrid was born in Skänninge, Sweden, in the 13th century. Ingrid lived under the spiritual direction of Peter of Dacia, a Dominican priest. She was the first Dominican nun in Sweden and in 1281 she founded the first Dominican cloister there, called St. Martin's in Skänninge. She died in 1282 surrounded by an aura of sanctity. Miracles obtained through her intercession followed and led to a popular cult of this saint. In 1405, a canonization process was begun and the Swedish Bishops introduced her cause at the Council of Constance. An inquest was held in Sweden in 1416-1417 and the results were inconclusive. In 1497, the cause was reactivated and in 1507 her relics were solemnly translated, and a Mass and Office were composed but formal canonization seems never to have occurred. During the Reformation, her cult came to an end and her convent and relics were destroyed.
St. Maxima, 304 A.D. Martyred slave of Rome and a companion of St. Ansanus. She was martyred by being beaten to death in the persecution conducted by Emperor Diocletian.
September 3
St. Phoebe, 1st century. Phoebe was a deaconess of the Church at Cenchreae, the port of Corinth. She was recommended to the Christian congregation at Rome by St. Paul, who praised her for her assistance to him and to many others. She may have brought Paul's epistle to the Romans to Rome with her.
St. Euphemia, 1st century. Martyr with Dorothy, Thecla, and Erasma at Aquileia, Italy. They are revered in Venice and Ravenna.
St. Hereswitha, 690 A.D. Benedictine princess of Northumbria, England, sister of St. Hilda and mother of Sts. Sexburga, Withburga, and Ethelburga. A widow, Hereswitha spent the last years of her life as Benedictine in Chelles, France.
September 4
St. Rosalia, 1160 A.D. Rosalia, daughter of Sinibald, Lord of Roses and Quisquina, was a descendant of the great Charlemagne. She was born at Palermo in Sicily. In her youth, her heart turned from earthly vanities to God. She left her home and took up her abode in a cave, on the walls of which she wrote these words: "I, Rosalia, daughter of Sinibald, Lord of Roses and Quisquina, have taken the resolution to live in this cave for the love of my Lord, Jesus Christ." She remained there entirely hidden from the world. She practiced great mortifications and lived in constant communion with God. Afterward she transferred her abode to Mount Pellegrino; about three miles from Palermo, in order to triumph entirely over the instincts of flesh and blood, in sight of her paternal home. She is said to have appeared after death and to have revealed that she spent several years in a little excavation near the grotto. She died alone, in 1160, ending her strange and wonderful life unknown to the world. Her body was discovered several centuries later, in 1625, during the pontificate of Pope Urban VIII.
St. Candida the Elder, 78 A.D. An elderly woman of, Naples, Italy, cured of an illness by St. Peter. She was baptized by the Apostle and became an ardent Christian, converting St. Aspren, who became the first bishop of Naples.
St. Hermione, 117 A.D. Martyr of Ephesus. She was the daughter of Philip the Deacon. Hermione is called a prophetess in the Acts of the Apostles.
St. Rhuddlad, 7th century. Welsh virgin, patroness of Llanrhyddlad in Anglesey, Wales.
St. Monessa, 456 A.D. Virgin, convert of St. Patrick in Ireland. Reportedly the daughter of an Irish chieftain, Monessa died in the instant that she was baptized.
St. Sabina. Sabina was converted to Christianity by her Syrian servant Serapia. During the persecution of Emperor Hadrian, Serapia suffered martyrdom for her Christian Faith. It is believed that St. Sabina was murdered for the Faith about a month later. The reknowned basilica on the Aventine in Rome is dedicated to and named after her. Some sources hold that Sabina herself had it constructed in the third or fourth century. In an age when our Faith is ridiculed as being outmoded, we take heart in the lives of so many martyrs, like St. Sabina, who gave their lives under terrible conditions to defend and sustain their Faith. This confers on us a strong desire to persevere in God's love.
St. Basilla. A holy virgin who was martyred at Smyma or at Sirmium, now Mitrovica, in former Yugoslavia.
St. Candida. A martyr of the Ostian Way, Rome. Candida's remains are enshrined in St. Praxedes church, and were blessed by Pope St. Pasehal I in the ninth century. She was one of a group of martyrs slain on the Ostian Way outside the gates of Rome.
August 30
St. Rose of Lima, Virgin. Patron of Latin America and Philippines, born at Lima, Peru 20 April, 1586; died there 30 August, 1617 A.D. This South American Saint's real name was Isabel, but she was such a beautiful baby that she was called Rose, and that name remained. As she grew older, she became more and more beautiful, and one day, her mother put a wreath of flowers on her head to show off her loveliness to friends. But Rose had no desire to be admired, for her heart had been given to Jesus. So she put a long pin into that wreath and it pierced her so deeply, that she had a hard time getting the wreath off afterward. Another time she became afraid that her beauty might be a temptation to someone, since people could not take their eyes off her. Therefore, she rubbed her face with pepper until it was all red and blistered. St. Rose worked hard to support her poor parents and she humbly obeyed them, except when they tried to get her to marry. That she would not do. Her love of Jesus was so great that when she talked about Him, her face glowed and her eyes sparkled.
Rose had many temptations from the devil, and there were also many times when she had to suffer a feeling of terrible loneliness and sadness, for God seemed far away. Yet she cheerfully offered all these troubles to Him. In fact, in her last long, painful sickness, this heroic young woman use to pray: "Lord, increase my sufferings, and with them increase Your love in my heart." Many miracles followed her death. She was beatified by Clement IX, in 1667, and canonized in 1671 by Clement X, the first American to be so honoured. Her feast is celebrated 30 August. She is represented wearing a crown of roses.
St. Gaudentia. A virgin martyr of Rome. She was reportedly martyred with three companions.
August 31
St.Rufina with Theodotus and Ammia, 270 A.D. Martyrs who were slain in Cappadocia during the reign of Emperor Aurelian (270-275). Known exclusively through the Acts of St. Mamas, Theodotus and Rufina were reputedly the parents of St. Mamas, and Ammia his foster mother.
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September 1
St. Beatrice da Silva Meneses, 1490 A.D. Beatrice was born in Ceuta, Portugal, in 1424. She was the daughter of the Count of Viana, and the sister of St. Amedeus of Portugal. In Portugal, Beatrice is known as Brites. Raised in the household of Princess Isabel, Beatrice went to Spain with her when Isabel married John II of Castile. Eventually, she tired of court life and entered the Cistercian convent at Toledo. In 1484, Beatrice founded the Congregation of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The group’s first house was the castle of Galliana, a gift from Queen Isabel. Beatrice died at Toledo on September 1, 1490 and was canonized by Pope Paul VI in 1976. In his own wisdom, God calls each individual to a particular vocation. The life of St. Beatrice reminds us of how important it is for us to be always open to God's designs in our regard, and to pray that his will be done.
St. Agia, sixth century. Widow, also called Aja and Aye. She is reported as being the sainted mother of St. Lupus of Sens.
St. Anna the Prophetess. Widow and seeress, described in St. Luke's Gospel.
St. Verena, 3rd century, Hermitess. Originally from Egypt, she was supposedly a relative of St. Victor the Theban Legion. She went to Rhaetia (modern Switzerland) to find him. She settled there at a site called Solothurn, but spent her remaining days as a hermite in a cave near Zurich.
September 2
St. Ingrid of Sweden. Ingrid was born in Skänninge, Sweden, in the 13th century. Ingrid lived under the spiritual direction of Peter of Dacia, a Dominican priest. She was the first Dominican nun in Sweden and in 1281 she founded the first Dominican cloister there, called St. Martin's in Skänninge. She died in 1282 surrounded by an aura of sanctity. Miracles obtained through her intercession followed and led to a popular cult of this saint. In 1405, a canonization process was begun and the Swedish Bishops introduced her cause at the Council of Constance. An inquest was held in Sweden in 1416-1417 and the results were inconclusive. In 1497, the cause was reactivated and in 1507 her relics were solemnly translated, and a Mass and Office were composed but formal canonization seems never to have occurred. During the Reformation, her cult came to an end and her convent and relics were destroyed.
St. Maxima, 304 A.D. Martyred slave of Rome and a companion of St. Ansanus. She was martyred by being beaten to death in the persecution conducted by Emperor Diocletian.
September 3
St. Phoebe, 1st century. Phoebe was a deaconess of the Church at Cenchreae, the port of Corinth. She was recommended to the Christian congregation at Rome by St. Paul, who praised her for her assistance to him and to many others. She may have brought Paul's epistle to the Romans to Rome with her.
St. Euphemia, 1st century. Martyr with Dorothy, Thecla, and Erasma at Aquileia, Italy. They are revered in Venice and Ravenna.
St. Hereswitha, 690 A.D. Benedictine princess of Northumbria, England, sister of St. Hilda and mother of Sts. Sexburga, Withburga, and Ethelburga. A widow, Hereswitha spent the last years of her life as Benedictine in Chelles, France.
September 4
St. Rosalia, 1160 A.D. Rosalia, daughter of Sinibald, Lord of Roses and Quisquina, was a descendant of the great Charlemagne. She was born at Palermo in Sicily. In her youth, her heart turned from earthly vanities to God. She left her home and took up her abode in a cave, on the walls of which she wrote these words: "I, Rosalia, daughter of Sinibald, Lord of Roses and Quisquina, have taken the resolution to live in this cave for the love of my Lord, Jesus Christ." She remained there entirely hidden from the world. She practiced great mortifications and lived in constant communion with God. Afterward she transferred her abode to Mount Pellegrino; about three miles from Palermo, in order to triumph entirely over the instincts of flesh and blood, in sight of her paternal home. She is said to have appeared after death and to have revealed that she spent several years in a little excavation near the grotto. She died alone, in 1160, ending her strange and wonderful life unknown to the world. Her body was discovered several centuries later, in 1625, during the pontificate of Pope Urban VIII.
St. Candida the Elder, 78 A.D. An elderly woman of, Naples, Italy, cured of an illness by St. Peter. She was baptized by the Apostle and became an ardent Christian, converting St. Aspren, who became the first bishop of Naples.
St. Hermione, 117 A.D. Martyr of Ephesus. She was the daughter of Philip the Deacon. Hermione is called a prophetess in the Acts of the Apostles.
St. Rhuddlad, 7th century. Welsh virgin, patroness of Llanrhyddlad in Anglesey, Wales.
St. Monessa, 456 A.D. Virgin, convert of St. Patrick in Ireland. Reportedly the daughter of an Irish chieftain, Monessa died in the instant that she was baptized.
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