Saint of the day .

[S.ilvio]

I know a few lads who are namesakes of St. Dermot...

 

[Colin]

Saint of the day: 11th January

Saint Theodosius

Abbot. Born at Cappadocia in 423, St Theodosius went on pilgrimage to Jerusalem as a young man, with dreams of becoming a hermit. For a time he lived in a monastery. Then he settled in the desert alone. But his teacher, an elderly monk called Longinus, noticed that he had other gifts and advised him to lead a more public life.

In 479, near Bethlehem, Theodosius established what was to become the largest and most well organised of the Judaean monasteries, with several hundred monks. He built a church for each of the language groups and three hospitals. One cared for the elderly, one was for the mentally ill and one was for people physically sick. In this large community, Greeks, Armenians. Persians and Arabs all worked and prayed happily together. No one was ever turned away without a meal and good hospitality, no matter how little the monks had to eat for themselves.

The Patriarch of Jerusalem appointed St Sabas head of all the hermits while St Theodosius was responsible for those living in community (hence the title Cenobiarch).

Theodosius was a staunch opponent of the Monophysism which lead to him being removed from office by the Emperor Anastasius. He was about 105 years old when he died. His monastery has been refounded, but is now surrounded by suburban houses.

Saint Theodosius , pray for us , that inspired by your example , we may be hospitable to all.

 

[Colin]

{ From ICN }
Saint of the day: 12th January

Saint Ailred of Rievaulx

Abbot and writer. St Ailred was the son of a priest, born in Hexham in 1110. After being educated at Durham he joined the household of David I, king of Scotland as a steward. In 1134 he joined the newly-founded abbey at Rievaulx. In spite of delicate health, he followed the austere Cistercian regime and became so respected in the community that he was sent to Rome as an envoy in 1142, over the disputed election of William of York. Later he became master of novices and in 1143 he became abbot of Revesby in Lincolnshire. Four years later he was recalled to be abbot of Rievaulx.

He was much loved as an abbot and under his rule the community thrived, with 500 lay brothers and 150 choir monks, making it the largest in England.

Ailred was known for his sensitivity and gentle holiness, with a strong emphasis on charity. It was said that he humanised the strict Cistercian monasticism. He had many friends and became a figure of national importance through his writing and preaching. Among his work is a treatise on friendship, lives of the saints of Hexham and sermons on Isaiah.

He died at Rievaulx in 1067 and, though never formally canonised, has been revered ever since. The Cistercians approved of his cult in 1476.


Saint Ailred of Rievaulx , teach us the ways of gentle holiness .

 

[Colin]

Saint of the day: 13th January

[FONT=verdana, geneva]St Mungo[/FONT]

[FONT=verdana, geneva][FONT=verdana, geneva]St Mungo, also known as St Kentigern, was the first bishop of the Strathclyde Britons. By tradition, he was the son of a British princess Teneu was the daughter of the king, Lleuddun , who ruled in the Haddington region of what is now Scotland, probably the Kingdom of Gododdin in the Old North. She became pregnant after being raped by Owain mab Urien according to a British Library manuscript. Her furious father had her thrown from the heights of Traprain Law. Surviving, she was then abandoned in a coracle in which she drifted across the River Forth to Culross in Fife. There Mungo was born. [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=verdana, geneva]Mungo was brought up by Saint Serf who was ministering to the Picts in that area. It was Serf who gave him his popular pet-name. At the age of twenty-five, Mungo began his missionary labours on the Clyde, on the site of modern Glasgow. Christianity had been introduced to the region by Saint Ninian and his followers welcomed the saint and procured his consecration by an Irish bishop. He built his church across the water from an extinct volcano, next to the Molendinar Burn, where the present medieval cathedral now stands. For some thirteen years, he laboured in the district, living a most austere life in a small cell and making many converts by his holy example and his preaching.[/FONT]
[FONT=verdana, geneva]A strong anti-Christian movement in Strathclyde, headed by a certain King Morken, compelled Mungo to leave the district, and he retired to Wales, via Cumbria, staying for a time with Saint David at St David's, and afterwards moving on to Gwynedd where he founded a cathedral at Llanelwy (St Asaph in English). While there, he undertook a pilgrimage to Rome. However, the new King of Strathclyde, Riderch Hael, invited Mungo to return to his kingdom. He decided to go and appointed Saint Asaph/Asaff as Bishop of Llanelwy in his place.[/FONT]
[FONT=verdana, geneva]For some years, Mungo fixed his Episcopal seat at Hoddom in Dumfriesshire, evangelising thence the district of Galloway. He eventually returned to Glasgow where a large community grew up around him, becoming known as Clas-gu (meaning the 'dear family'). It was nearby, in Kilmacolm, that he was visited by Saint Columba, who was at that time labouring in Strathtay. The two saints embraced, held long converse, and exchanged their pastoral staves. In old age, Mungo became very weak. He is said to have died in his bath, on Sunday 13 January.[/FONT]
[FONT=verdana, geneva]also: Saint Hilary of Poitiers[/FONT]

[FONT=verdana, geneva] Bishop of Poitiers. Born in 315, to wealthy pagan parents, Hilary became an orator, married and had a daughter, Afra.[/FONT]

[FONT=verdana, geneva] After a long process of study, he became a Christian in 350 and devoted the rest of his life to the Church. In 353 he was chosen as bishop. St Hilary was an outspoken champion of orthodoxy against the Arian heresy. He took part in the Synod of Bitterae in 356 and the council of Selucia in 359. He was exiled to Phrygia under the Emperor Constantius from 356-360. In 364 he successfully refuted the arguments of the Arian Bishop of Milan Auxentius.[/FONT]

[FONT=verdana, geneva] St Hilary was described by his contemporaries as gentle, courteous and friendly. His principle writings are De Trinitate - a treatise against the Arian beliefs, De Synodis, and Commentaries on the Psalms and St Matthew's Gospel.[/FONT]

[FONT=verdana, geneva] His feast begins the terms for some law courts and universities. Three churches are dedicated to him in England. He was named a Doctor of the Church by Pius IX in 1851[/FONT]

 

[Colin]

{ From ICN }
Saint of the day: 14th January

Saint Sava of Serbia

St Sava was the first archbishop of the autocephalous Serbian church. Born in Tirnovo, Bulgaria, in 1173, the third son of prince Stephen Nemanya (who achieved independence for the Serbs from Byzantium), he became a monk on Mount Athos in 1191. His father abdicated in favour of another son, also called Stephen, and join Sava on Mt Athos. Together they founded a monastery there called Khilandari, which became a centre for Serbian religious and cultural life. It still exists to this day as one of the 17 'ruling monasteries' on Athos.

In 1206 Sava returned to Serbia with his father's relics. He evangelised the country, which was still half pagan, and built many churches and monasteries. In 1230 Sava went on pilgrimage to Jerusalem and founded the monastery of St John there.

Always a monk at heart St Sava had left Mount Athos in order to serve his people, but from time to time he would retire to an inaccessible hermitage near Studenitsa.

St Sava was very important in the development of Serbian literature. He wrote a Life and Office of his father, two rules for his monastery and a number of translations of classic religious works into the Serb language.

St Sava died at Tirnovo in 1236. His shrine was destroyed by Turkish invaders in 1594 but his cult continued to spread and he remains one of the most important saints in the country.

He is remembered on this day by both Orthodox and Latin and Greek Catholics in Serbia and Croatia.

May all Christians in Serbia and Croatia be inspired by Saint Sava of Serbia to seek closer unity in obedience to their one Lord and Saviour .

 

[Colin]

{ From ICN }

Saint of the Day: 15th January

[FONT=Verdana, helvetica, arial]Saint Ita[/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana, helvetica, arial]Irish Nun. This 4th century sister is one of the most famous woman saints of Ireland. She was born near Waterford and called Deirdre. She founded a convent in in Killeedy, Limerick, where she lived for the rest of her life. Like many of the early Irish saints she was known for her life of prayer and fasting. In much of her prayer life she focussed on the indwelling of the Holy Trinity. An Irish lullaby to the infant Jesus is attributed to her. She is often called 'the foster mother of the Saints of Ireland'. [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, helvetica, arial]St Brendan is supposed to have asked her what three things God especially loved. She answered: "True faith in God; a pure heart with a simple spirit inspired by charity."[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, helvetica, arial]Saint Ita taught many children and with her sisters, cared for the sick and elderly. She also spent much time in prayer and was much in demand for advice and help. Many churches in Ireland are dedicated to her. She is mentioned in a poem by Alcuin.[/FONT]


[FONT=Verdana, helvetica, arial]Saint Ita , inspired by your example , may our prayer life be focussed on the indwelling of the Trinity , God abiding in each of us .[/FONT]

 

[Colin]

{ From ICN }
Saint of the day: 16th January

Saint Henry of Coquet Island

Coquet Island, England




Henry was a 12th century Dane who decided to become a hermit abroad rather than go in to an arranged marriage that made him unhappy. The prior of Tynemouth allowed him to settle on Coquet Island which had once had a community of monks during the time of Bede. It was also the place where Cuthbert used to meet Elfleda, abbess of Whitby.

Henry lived a very simple life, earning his keep by looking after a garden. A party of Danes came to visit him one day to persuade him to return home. They said there were many places for hermits to live in Denmark. But after a night of prayer, Henry decided to stay where he was.

As the years passed he developed a reputation for great holiness. Many people came to him for advice. He had special gifts of prophesy, telekinesis, and could read the secrets of people's hearts. He once reproved a man who denied his wife sex during Lent.

Henry was known for his cheerfulness. When he became ill, he carried on alone, until one day he rang his bell for help. When the monks arrived, he was already dead, holding the bellrope in one hand and a candle in the other. In spite of great resistance from the islanders, the monks of Tynemouth took his body back to their monastery and buried him in the sanctuary, near their patron Oswin.

Saint Henry of Coquet Island , inspired by your example , may we be open to the charismatic gifts of the Holy Spirit .

And may we be cheerful .

 

[Colin]

{ From ICN }
Saint of the day: 17th January

Saint Anthony of Egypt

Abbot. St Anthony was born in 251 in Upper Egypt. When he was 20, his parents died, leaving him a large estate. After much prayer Antony decided to sell his possessions and give the money to the poor. His younger sister joined a community of religious women while Anthony went to live in a deserted fort in complete solitude from 286 to 306. During this time he is said to have withstood many temptations. At the end of this time he gathered a group of disciples around him. He visited Alexandria to encourage the Christians there who were being persecuted by Maximinus. In 355 he went to Alexandria to refute the Arians. His surviving letters include one to the Emperor Constantine and several to different monasteries. Anthony was said to be a miracle worker and converted many people to Christianity.

Jerome's account of Paul the first hermit describe a meeting with Anthony in the desert shortly before Paul's death, at which a raven dropped a loaf of bread. Afterwards lions dug a grave for Paul and Anthony buried him in a cloak given by Athanasius.

Anthony is said to have died at the age of 105 and asked to be buried in a place known to none. But in 561 his remains were moved to Alexandria. Translations were later claimed by Constantinople and La Motte, where the Order of Hospitallers of St Anthony was formed. This became a pilgrimage centre for those who suffered from ergotism (St Anthony's Fire)

The hospitallers wore black robes and rang bells to attract alms. The bells were later hung around the necks of animals to prevent disease. By special privilege the order's pigs were allowed to roam the streets freely wearing bells. The emblem of pigs and bells later became part of St Anthony's iconography.

The earliest known representation of St Anthony is the Ruthwell Cross, made in 750 and eight Irish crosses made before 1100. His Illustrated Life survives in Valetta and Florence. The temptations of Anthony have been portrayed by many artists including Bosch and Grunwald. He is depicted in stained glass in Chartres.

St Anthony was immensely popular in the Middle Ages. Regarded as a patriarch of monks and a healer of both men and animals, he left his trace on the English language through the word 'tantony' which means the smallest of a peal of bells and the smallest of a litter of pigs. His Legend in English verses is depicted on the stalls at Carlisle Cathedral

On this day when many commemorate Saint Anthony of Egypt my thoughts go to the troubled country of Egypt and its people .

 

[Colin]

{ From ICN }
Saint of the day: 18th January

Saint Prisca

Martyr. Not a great deal is known about this early Roman saint, but a 4th century church on the Aventine hill is named after her. Legends sometimes identify her as the same Priscilla named in the Acts of the Apostles as the wife of Aquila.

She is sometimes represented by two lions, who are said to have refused to attack her at the Coliseum in Rome.

Saint Prisca , martyred in Rome , may Pope Francis , Bishop of Rome , be shielded from his enemies .

 

[isleof]

The remembrance of believers in God. Amen.

 

[S.ilvio]

Thank you Colin. Your dedication to this thread and giving us this information on these wonderful, blessed people is to be greatly admired...

 

[Colin]

Thank you Colin. Your dedication to this thread and giving us this information on these wonderful, blessed people is to be greatly admired...

Thanks , brother .

I am learning so much about saints I had never heard of .

 

[Colin]

{ From ICN }
Saint of the day: 19th January

Saint Wulfstan

Benedictine monk and bishop of Worcester. St Wulfstan was born of Anglo Saxon parents in 1108 at Itchington in Warwickshire. Educated at the abbeys of Evesham and Peterborough, he excelled in piety and sport.

After he was ordained priest he was offered a richly endowed church but refused it. Instead he became a Benedictine monk at Worcester cathedral priory. He soon became master of the boys, cantor and sacristan. In 1050 he was made prior and set about reorganising the community. He was known for his gifts as a preacher and counsellor.

In 1062 the Pope gave special permission for him to become bishop of Worcester. St Wulfstan is considered one of the best examples of combining effectively the tasks of monastic superior and diocesan bishop. He is the first bishop known to have made systematic visits throughout his diocese. He encouraged lay lords to build chapels on their land and insisted on the use of stone rather than wooden altars. He rebuilt the cathedral, and took his full share of daily services.

During his office Worcester became one of the most important centres of literature and culture. St Wulfstan was known for his kindness and generosity to the poor.

One of his important achievement was the abolition of the trade in slaves from Bristol to Viking Ireland, through persistently preaching in the subject.

When William the Conqueror invaded in 1066, he submitted to Norman rule.

He died in 1195, at the age of 87, a venerable survivor of a past age. After his death, his cult began to grow almost immediately with cures reported at his tomb. He was made a saint in 1203.

Saint Wulfstan , may we learn from your example .

 

[Colin]

{ From ICN }
Saint of the day: 20th January

Saint Sebastian

Martyr. Patron of soldiers, archers, in time of plague. St Sebastian died during the persecution of the Emperor Diocletian. He was buried on the Appian Way close to the basilica which was named after him.

Little is known about him, but according to legend, he was a soldier from Gaul who enlisted in the Roman army in 283. He was soon made a captain in the Pretorian guard and visited the Christian martyrs Mark and Marcellian in prison. When the Emperor Diocletian learnt that Sebastian was also a Christian, he ordered him to be shot to death with arrows. He recovered from this ordeal but the Emperor then had him beaten to death with clubs.

The earliest images of St Sebastian are in mosaics at Ravenna, and at St Peter in Chains in Rome (7th century). He is also depicted in St Saba's church in Rome (8th century). Most of these depict him as an elderly bearded man. The more familiar image of him tied to a tree and shot with arrows became very popular with artists during the Renaissance.


Saint Sebastian , may your courage inspire us .


Today is also the feast day of Blessed Cyprian Tansi.

Cyprian Tansi had three names. Iwene was the name given by his father at his birth in 1903, Michael was his baptismal name, and Cyprian his monastic name. Born into a pagan family, he was sent to a Catholic school where at the age of eight he was baptised.

On completing his education he became a teacher, and in 1925 entered the seminary. As a catechist, Michael saw to it that no child died without Baptism when he was there. Pagan and Christian alike came to him to settle their disputes. In 1937 he was ordained priest. He was an admirable pastor. There were no bounds to his zeal, his self-giving, his generosity and his good humour.

Sister Magdalen, an Irish Holy Rosary Sister, gave him a copy of Dom Marmion's Christ the Ideal of the Monk. This book sowed the seeds of a monastic vocation, which lead him to join Mount Saint Bernard Abbey in England, where he was known as Fr Cyprian. The remaining thirteen years of his life were passed unnoticed by those who knew him only as a monk. It was said of him that he was "almost overpoweringly humble," and yet was habitually cheerful with an impish sense of humour. One of his brethren described him as "just an ordinary monk, monking about." Yet Cyprian had total faith in the value of the contemplative life, believing that in his monastery he was able to contribute even more to the mission in his beloved Iboland and to the world at large.

He died unexpectedly 20 January 1964 aged 60, and was buried at Mount Saint Bernard. However, his old parishioners in his native Iboland pressed his cause. In September 1986 his remains were exhumed and brought back to Nigeria to be re-interred at Onitsha Cathedral, there to become a centre of devotion for the local people.

Pope John Paul II travelled to Oba, Nigeria, where on 22 March 1988 he beatified Blessed Cyprian Tansi in the presence of two million people.

Cyprian was a man of tiny stature and so he appears in this Window, with his impish smile, dressed in his Cistercian cowl, with his beloved Iboland huts and hills in the background. A companion said of him that as a young teacher "he would talk with Our Lady as a child talks to his mother". As pastor he was deeply committed to promoting the Legion of Mary and the Children of Mary, and strongly recommended the Rosary at Mount Saint Bernard it was noted that: "his love of the Lady Chapel speaks for itself."

In the bottom panel there are symbols of the three basic elements of monastic life: Opus Dei (liturgical life), Opus Manuum (manual labour), and Lectio Divina (God-centred reading). The African drum and vessels symbolise the Liturgy; for work, Cyprian at the book-sewing press; and for Lectio, the book, Christ the Ideal of the Monk.

Blessed Cyprian Tansi , teach us to have a sense of humour .

 

[Colin]

Saint of the day: 21st January

Saint Agnes

Virgin, martyr of Rome. St Agnes is one of the most famous of early Christian saints. Her death in 305 was recorded in the Deposito Martyrum just forty years later. Around that time a basilica was built over her grave in the Via Nomentana. Many early writers, including Ambrose, Jerome, Damasus and Prudentias praised her.

It seems she was a young girl who was killed because she refused to marry, having dedicated herself to Christ.

Because her name is similar to agnus, or lamb, her principal emblem is a lamb. Today in Rome, a special blessing ceremony is held for lambs that produce the wool from which the pallia for archbishops, are woven by the sisters of St Agnes.

There are hundreds of paintings, stained glass windows and church dedications to her across Europe. In England five ancient churches are named after her. The best surviving cycle of paintings is on a gold and enamel cup which once belonged to the Duke of Berry, then the Duke of Bedford and King Henry VI. It can be seen now in the British Museum.


Saint Agnes , may we be dedicated to Christ .

 

[Colin]

Saint of the day: 22nd January

Saint Vincent Pallotti

Priest and founder of the Society of the Catholic Apostolate. The son of a Roman grocer, St Vincent was ordained priest in 1817. He taught theology at Sapienza, but was much more interested in pastoral work and resigned to become confessor to several Roman colleges including the English, Scottish and Irish.

Although he was not encouraged by the clergy he developed a lay apostolate which anticipated the ideas of Vatican II. In 1835 he founded his Society from a group of clergy and laity who were committed to conversion and social justice. They set up schools and evening classes for workers.

St Vincent had the gift of prophesy and was sought out as a wise and kind confessor. He was also very generous and kept giving away his clothes to the poor. He died of pleurisy in 1850 when he was just 55.

His congregation has flourished in Italy, Brazil, Australia and America. It specialises in the care of immigrants and promoting ecumenical contacts with the Eastern Orthodox churches.

St Vincent was canonised in 1963.

Saint Vincent Pallotti , whose congregation fosters relationships with the Eastern Orthodox Churches , may we be inspired to promote the ecumenical movement , assisting all Christian traditions to grow closer in love , repect and understanding of each other .

 

[Colin]

Saint of the day: 23rd January

Venerable Mary Ward

Today marks the anniversary of the birth of of Mary Ward, whose cause for Beatification is underway at the Vatican. In December 2009, she reached the first stage on the way to sainthood and now has the title the Venerable Mary Ward.

Born in 1585, into a family of Yorkshire recusants, outlaw Catholics refusing to conform to the state religion, she was condemned to death in London for her work among underground Catholics. Mary fled to the continent with a group of companions in 1609, believing herself called to start a religious order for women modelled on the mobility and missionary focus of the Jesuits, while remaining independent from them. This contradicted the Council of Trent's insistence that religious women be strictly enclosed.

In a society and a church unprepared for such emancipation, she taught that 'there is no such difference between men and women, that women may not do great things'. Dubbed 'The English Ladies', Mary Ward and her sisters founded communities and schools across Europe. Mary walked over the Alps to Rome amid the Thirty Years War and outbreaks of plague, to present her new plan to the Pope. Her repeated attempts to persuade him failed, and the fledgling congregation was suppressed as a risk to the moral and intellectual fragility of women. Mary was imprisoned as a 'heretic, rebel and schismatic' in 1631. She died in York in 1645 during the English Civil War surrounded by her few remaining companions, who continued to live the dream of an unenclosed apostolic order for women.

It took nearly 300 years to gain final Papal approval of Mary Ward's plan. Two branches of the order now exist, living under the full constitutions of the Society of Jesus; the Congregation of Jesus and the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary, also known as Loreto sisters.

Venerable Mary Ward , inspired by your example , may those who are in the right , but are still opposed by Church authorities , persevere in their cause until the authorities be enlightened and the just thing be done .

 

[Colin]

Saint of the day: 24th January

Saint Francis of Sales

Bishop of Geneva. Patron saint of writers and journalists. St Francis was born in Savoy in 1567. A delicate child, he was educated at home first and then studied rhetoric, philosophy and theology at the University of Paris. In 1591 he became a Doctor of Law at Padua.

Although he could have had a brilliant career in the world, he refused many opportunities because he wanted more than anything else to become a priest - much to his father's disappointment.

He eventually won his father's consent and was ordained in 1593. Francis soon became known as a distinguished preacher and for his service to the poor.

In 1593 he made the journey to Chablais to undertake the daunting task of converting the people from Calvinism. In spite of many dangers - there were attempts on his life and he travelled through wild parts of the country inhabited by wolves - he survived, and preached Catholic doctrine with great love and understanding, patience and gentleness. These were to be the main hallmarks of his life. One of his favourite sayings was that 'you can attract more flies with a spoonful of honey than with a whole jar of vinegar.'

St Francis became bishop of Geneva in 1602. He excelled in administrative work, preaching, teaching and spiritual direction. During these years he wrote The Treatise of the Love of God, followed by the Introduction to the Devout Life, which was aimed at lay people. This was instantly acclaimed as filling a long felt need and was translated into several languages.

One of his best friends was St Jane Francis de Chantal, who founded the Order of the Visitation.

St Frances was very important in the revival of French Catholicism in the 17th century, but his works have appealed to Christians for many generations all over the world.

St Francis died at Lyon in 1622. He was canonised in 1665, and made a Doctor of the Church in 1877.

Saint Francis of Sales , who said , " you can attract more flies with a spoonful of honey than with a whole jar of vinegar , " inspire all who preach the Gospel to be "spoonful of honey " preachers by word and deed .

 

[Colin]

Saint of the day: 25th January

Conversion of Saint Paul

Apostle of the Gentiles. This is one of the feast days celebrating the life of St Paul. Originally named Saul, he was born a Jew in Tarsus. He grew to hate Christians because he believed they were perverting the truth of his own faith.

Pail was present at the stoning of the first martyr, St Stephen. After the body was removed Saul ravaged the church and went from house to house dragging out Christians and taking them to prison.

He was so angry about the Christians he asked for permission from the High Priest in Jerusalem to seize the Christians of Damascus and bring them to Jerusalem for punishment. On the road to the city he was struck to the ground by a flash of light which blinded him. He heard a voice saying: "Saul Saul, why are you persecuting me?"

When he asked "Who are you Lord" the voice replied: "I am Jesus whom you are persecuting."

Jesus ordered him to continue on to Damascus and visit a Christian named Ananias. Saul found his way to the house. Ananias welcomed him and he learnt from the Christian community about their faith. As he received the truth about Christianity his sight returned. To symbolise his new life he took a new name: Paul, and began visiting the synagogues preaching that Jesus was the Son of God. There were threats against his life but his new Christian friends helped him escape by lowering him over the city walls in a basket at night.

From this time he began his mission of evangelisation. He travelled to Cyprus, Asia Minor and eastern Greece and then Ephesus, where he stayed a long time and wrote Corinthians I. From here he went to Macedonia and Achaia where he wrote Romans, before returning to Jerusalem. There he was attacked and beaten by a mob for preaching. Paul invoked his privileges as a Roman citizen and appealed to Caesar for a trial in Rome. On his voyage there he was shipwrecked on Malta and stayed there under house arrest for two years during which time he wrote his captivity Epistles.

According to tradition, St Paul was beheaded in Rome in AD 65 during the persecutions of Nero. He is said to have been martyred the same day as St Peter, on 29 June - which is another of his feast days.

St Paul was a tireless missionary and a powerful thinker. His writing is one of the major foundations of Christian theology.

May the conversion of Saint Paul remind us that daily we are in need of conversion .

 

[Colin]

Saint of the day: 26th January

Saint Paula

Widow. This early Christian saint came from the noblest of Roman families, the Scipios and Gracchis. She was happily married, but tragedy struck when she was only 32, when her husband and a daughter both died. After going through a long period of mourning, Paula found new purpose in life, when she met St Jerome. She became a Christian and devoted herself to caring for the poor and sick.

Later, with her daughter Eustochium and other companions, she went on pilgrimage to the Holy Land and Egypt, where they visited the hermits. Eventually they settled in Bethlehem under the direction of Jerome. Here she built a monastery for men, a convent for women an a guest house for pilgrims.

Paula stayed in Bethlehem for the rest of her life with her daughter and granddaughter. She died on this day in 404 and is said to be buried under the church of the Nativity.

Saint Paula , inspired by your example , may we care for the poor , sick and needy who come our way , for in serving them we meet our God .