Dr. John (Ellsworth) Hutchison-Hall

Eastern Orthodox Christian theologian, historian, philosopher, and cultural commentator.

            

Orthodox Saints of the Pre-Schism See of Rome

COOEY (COWEY, CU'MHAIGHE), there is no documentary record of St. Cooey’s existence. Local tradition claims that he lived as a hermit near the end of the Ards Peninsula in Co. Down, Ulster in the late seventh to early eighth century He is said to have performed long nightly vigils in the forest near present-day Portaferry, and there are three holy wells near where his church is believed to have stood. Some believe that St. Cooey, shortly before his repose (circa 731), was made Abbot of the great Movilla (Magh Bile) Abbey, further north on the peninsula.

EDWEN of NORTHUMBRIA, (Seventh Century), according to Welsh tradition, St. Edwen was either a—possibly illegitimate—daughter, or a niece of St. Eadwine (12th October), King of Northumbria (r. 616–633) , however, definitive evidence extant to support this theory does not exist. St. Edwen is the patron saint of Llanedwin near the Menai Strait, in Anglesey, north Wales, where the parish church of St. Edwen is dedicated to her.

EFFLAM of BRITTANY, a native of Britain who went to Brittany (north-western France) where he founded a monastery and served as its first abbot. St. Efflam reposed circa 700.

EMILIAN of FAENZA, a native of Ireland and said to have been a bishop, though no See is ever specified. Whilst returning from a pilgrimage to venerate the tombs of the Apostles in Rome, St. Emilian stopped at Faenza (north-eastern Italy) where he reposed, seemingly of natural causes. Nothing further seems to be known of his life. St. Emilian's relics are enshrined in the Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle (Cattedrale di San Pietro Apostolo) in Faenza.

ERLAFRID of HIRSCHAU, Count of Calw, on the north of the Black Forest in the present-day German state of Baden-Württemberg. St. Erlafrid founded the Abbey of SS. Peter and Paul (Kloster Hirsau) at Calw in the present-day German state of Baden-Württemberg at the suggestion of his son Noting, who at the time was Bishop of Vercelli in northern Italy. Most sources state St. Erlafrid, at some point received monastic tonsure at the Abbey, and later served as its Abbot.

FELIX of FONDI, (Sixth Century), a monk at a monastery (most likely the Abbey of San Magno) in Fondi in Lazia (present-day Italy). St. Felix was a contemporary of St. Gregory the Dialogist (3rd September), who held St. Felix in great esteem and even called him a Saint. Nothing further is known of St. Felix's life.

FELIX of GENOA, an early fifth century Bishop of Genoa (north-west Italy) and spiritual father of St. Syrus of Genoa (29th June).

FELIX of THYNISSA, (Date Uncertain), a martyr in one of the early persecutions at Thynissa, near Hippo (present-day Annaba, Algeria). St. Felix unswervingly proclaimed his faith in Christ when brought before a judge, who then sentenced St. Felix to be beheaded. However, the following morning the saint was found dead in his cell. No further information is extant.

ILLTYD (ILLTUD), though one of Wales’ most celebrated saints, little is known of St. Illtud’s life. He founded a great monastery which grew to become the town of Llantwit Major (Llanilltud Fawr) in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales. This monastery, and its school of Cor Tewdws, produced many great saints, including SS. David of Wales (1st March), Samson of Dol (28th July), and Paul Aurelian (12th March). St. Illtyd reposed circa 505. Many churches in Wales are dedicated to him, including St. Illtud’s Church, Llantwit Major, which stands on what is believed to have been the site of his monastery.

LEONARD of NOBLAC, a Frankish noble in the court of Clovis I, King of the Franks, (r. 481–511) who was converted by St. Remigius of Rheims (1st October). As St. Leonard's desire to grow ever closer to God kept increasing St. Remigius recommended that he consider monastic life. He entered the Abbey of Saint-Mesmin (Abbaye Saint-Mesmin de Micy), at Micy near Orléans (north-central France), and later lived as a hermit in the forest where the present-day village of Saint-Léonard-de-Noblat (west-central France) is located. St. Leonard is believed to have reposed circa 559.

LEONIANUS, a layman from Pannonia who was abducted and brought to Gaul as a slave. Upon gaining his freedom, St. Leonianus lived as a hermit near Autun in Burgundy (east-central France). Later he entered the Abbey of St. Symphorian (abbaye Saint-Symphorien d'Autun) at Autun where he received monastic tonsure, reposing circa 570.

SEVERUS, a Bishop of Barcelona (north-eastern Spain) who was martyred in 633 by having nails driven into his temple at the hand of Arian Visigoths.

STEPHEN of APT (ÉTIENNE D'AGDE, STEPHANUS D'AGDE), born in Agde (southern France), St. Stephen was consecrated Bishop of Apt (south-eastern France) in 1010 at the age of 35. While Bishop, St. Stephen had the cathedral—dedicated to SS. Peter, Mary, and Castor—rebuilt, consecrating it in August 1038. St. Stephen reposed in 1046 and was buried in his cathedral.

WINNOC of WORMHOUT, a Welshman who apparently fled to Brittany to escape the Saxon Invaders. He received monastic tonsure at the Abbey of St. Peter / abbaye Saint-Pierre (later the Abbey of St. Bertin / abbaye Saint-Bertin de Saint-Omer) in Sithiu (present-day Saint-Omer, France). Later St. Winnoc was sent to establish a dependency of Sithiu at Wormhout in Flanders (present-day Nord Department of France), serving as its first Abbot. St. Winnoc and his monks worked to enlightening the area around their monastery. St. Winnoc is believed to have reposed at the beginning of the eighth century.

Prior to the Schism the Patriarchate of Rome was Orthodox, and fully in communion with the Orthodox Church. As Saint John of Shanghai and San Francisco +1966 said “The West was Orthodox for a thousand years, and her venerable Liturgy is far older than any of her heresies”.

Details of British Saints excerpted from Orthodox Saints of the British Isles.
Details of continental saints from these sources.

In many cases there are several spelling versions of the names of saints from the British Isles. I use the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography version as the primary version with the more prevalent version in parenthesis e.g. Ceadda (Chad) of Lichfield.