Dr. John (Ellsworth) Hutchison-Hall

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

            

Home » Orthodox Saints of the Pre-Schism See of Rome 2nd December (NS) — 19th November (OS) 2023


Orthodox Saints of the Pre-Schism
See of Rome
2nd December (NS) — 19th November (OS) 2023

by | 2nd December 2023 | Orthodox Western Saints

19th November (OS)

ÆBBA, also known as Domna Ebba (Lady Ebba, shortened to Domneva), was a Kentish princess and mother of SS. Mildred of Thanet (13th July), Milburgh (23rd February), and Mildgytha (17th January). Following the death of her husband St. Ermenburgh founded the Abbey of Minster in Thanet, in present-day Minster, Kent, England. The date of St. Ermenburgh’s repose is uncertain, but generally believed to be circa 700.

ATTO, Abbot of Tordino near Teramo in Abruzzo which had been founded by monks from Monte Cassino. St. Atto reposed circa 1010.

CRISPIN, a fourth century Bishop of Ecija in Andalusia who was beheaded in the persecutions under Maximian Herculeus. St. Crispin has a special office in the Mozarabic Breviary and Missal.

JAMES of SASSEAU, a native of Constantinople and career army officer, who after many various postings finally ended up in Gaul where he retired. St. James then entered religious life. He was ordained to the priesthood at Clermont, received monastic tonsure at Bourges, and ended his days as a hermit in Sasseau. St. James reposed circa 865.

MAXIMUS, according to the Roman Martyrology, St. Maximus was martyred at Rome during the reign of the Emperor Valerian (r. 253–260). It is possible he was a priest. Nothing further is known of his life.

MEDANA, (Eighth Century), an Irish holy virgin who settled in Galloway in Scotland. Nothing further is known of her life.

SEVERINUS, EXUPERIUS, and FELICIAN, martyred in 170 at Vienne (south-eastern France) during the reign of the Emperor Marcus Aurelius (r. 161–180).

TUTO (TOTTO), the founder in 764 of Ottobeuren Abbey in Ottobeuren Bavaria (southern Germany). St. Tuto reposed in 815.

Great Christmas Gift Ideas.


2nd December (NS)

BIBIANA (VIBIANA, VIVIAN), (Date Unknown), aside from her name, nothing certain is known about St. Bibiana. A later legend which connects her with the martyrdom of SS. John and Paul of Rome (26th June), though popular, has no basis in fact.

CHROMATIUS, the second Archbishop of Aquileia (north-eastern present-day Italy) from 388 until his repose in 407. At the Synod of Aquileia St. Chromatius advocated for a strong condemnation of Arianism. St. Chromatius was also friends with SS. John Chrysostom (13th November), Ambrose of Milan (7th November), and Jerome (30th September).

EUSEBIUS, MARCELLUS, HIPPOLYTUS, MAXIMUS, ADRIA, PAULINA, NEON, MARY MARTANA, and AURELIA, a group of martyrs during the reign of the Emperor Valerian (r. 253–260), who were tortured and then killed. Eusebius, a priest, Marcellus, his deacon, Neon and Mary, lay people, were beheaded; Adria and Hippolytus were scourged to death; Paulina tortured to death; Maximus was drowned in the Tiber.

EVASIUS, an early, perhaps first, Bishop of Brescia in Lombardy. No further information is extant.

LUPUS of VERONA, (Date Unknown), a Bishop of Verona of whom nothing further is known.

PONTIAN and COMPANIONS, St. Pontian, along with four others whose names are no longer known, was martyred during the Valerian Persecution (257–260), circa 259.

SECURUS, SEVERUS, JANUARIUS, and VICTORINUS, martyred by the Arian Vandals in North Africa circa 450.

SILVERIUS, the son of Pope St. Hormisdas (6th August). He was a subdeacon when elected Bishop of Rome. He was hated by the Empress Theodora for objecting to the Monophysite Bishop Anthimus and condemned for high treason. He was finally exiled to an island off Naples where he was left to die and perhaps martyred, circa 537.

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.