Dr. John (Ellsworth) Hutchison-Hall

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

            

Home » Orthodox Saints of the Pre-Schism See of Rome 20th April (NS) — 7th April (OS) 2023


Orthodox Saints of the Pre-Schism
See of Rome
20th April (NS) — 7th April (OS) 2023

by | 20th April 2023 | Orthodox Western Saints

7th April (OS)

BRYNACH (BEMACH, BEMACUS) of CARN-ENGYLE, an Irishman, St. Brynach settled in Wales where he built a cell and church at a place now called Carn-Inglyi (Mountain of Angels), which overhangs Newport, Pembrokeshire, Wales. In addition, several churches in Pembrokeshire dedicated to him. There is little further information extant on this saint, though it seems likely that he reposed in the first half of the fifth century. Some sources state he is the same saint as St. Brannoc of Braughton (7th January), but there is no reliable information to support this assertion.

EPIPHANIUS the MARTYR, DONATUS of NORTH AFRICA, RUFINUS the MARTYR, and COMPANIONS, (Date Uncertain), Epiphanius was a bishop of an unknown See in North Africa. Various martyrologies list him as having been martyred along with thirteen (or fifteen) members of his flock. Nothing further is known of these martyrs.

FINIAN (FINAN, FINNIAN) of KINNITTY, (Sixth Century), a native of Munster, Ireland, St. Finian was said to have been given the gifts of prophecy and miraculous powers as a child. He became a disciple of St. Brendan the Voyager (16th May), at whose direction, St. Finian founded a monastery at Kinnitty (Irish: Cionn Eitigh), Co. Offaly, Ireland.

GIBARDUS of LUXEUIL, an Abbot of the the Abbey of SS. Peter and Paul of Luxeuil (abbaye Saint-Pierre et Saint-Paul de Luxeuil) in Luxeuil, France. St. Gibardus and his monks fled the Abbey in the hopes of evading the invading Huns, however, the Huns captured the monks and subsequently martyred them, circa 888.

Orthodox Christian Icon of British Saints, SS. Gwrnerth and Llywelyn

Icon of SS. Gwrnerth and Llywelyn

GORAN (WORANUS), (Sixth Century), a friend of St. Petroc (4th June) who appears to have lived at Bodmin, Cornwall, England. There are several churches in Cornwall dedicated to him. No further information on this saint is extant.

HEGESIPPUS of JERUSALEM, a Jewish convert to Christianity, born in Jerusalem, St. Hegesippus spent twenty years of his life in Rome studying the early Church. The first to trace the Apostolic Succession of the Bishops of Rome, he is considered the father of ecclesiastical history. Though little of his work is survived to the present, it formed the backbone of Eusebius’ research for his Ecclesiastical History, and was recommended by St. Jerome (30th September). St. Hegesippus returned to Jerusalem for his final years and reposed there, most likely circa 180.

LLEWELLYN (LLYWELYN) and GWRNERTH, these two monks lived at Welshpool and later at Bardsey in Wales at some point in the sixth century Nothing further is known of their lives.

SATURNINUS of VERONA, a fourth century Bishop of Verona in the Veneto region of Italy. Nothing further is known about this saint.

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20th April (NS)

CÆDWALLA (CEADWALLA) of WESSEX, a pagan King of Wessex (r. 685–688), who was brought to Christ by St. Wilfrid of York (12th October) who convinced him to repent for his notorious violence, and ruthless treatment of those he conquered. In 688 St. Caedwalla abdicated his throne, and went to Rome. There on Holy Saturday 689 he was baptised by Pope St. Sergius (8th September), and given the name Peter. St. Cædwalla reposed 10 days after his baptism still in Rome and wearing his white baptismal robe, and thus was numbered amongst the Saints. He is buried in a crypt in Saint Peter’s Basilica.

HARDUIN of FONTENELLE, a monk at the Abbey of St. Peter / abbaye Saint-Pierre (later the Abbey of St. Wandrille / abbaye Saint-Wandrille) in Fontenelle, Normandy (north-western France) who spent his later years as a hermit, devoting his time to copying the works of the Fathers. St. Harduin reposed in 811.

HUGH of ANZY-LE-DUC, after finishing his education at the Abbey of St. Savin (abbaye de Saint-Savin-sur-Gartempe), in the present-day town of Saint-Savin-sur-Gartempe, in Poitou, France, St. Hugh received monastic tonsure. He assisted several other monasteries with reviving their monastic life, and later assisted St. Berno of Cluny (13th January) in founding the Abbey of SS. Peter and Paul of Cluny (abbaye Saint-Pierre et Saint-Paul de Cluny — Cluny Abbey) at Cluny in Aquitaine (south-western France). St. Hugh reposed at Anzy-le-Duc, Burgundy (east-central France) circa 930.

MARCELLINUS, VINCENT, and DOMNINUS (DOMNIN), natives of North Africa who travelled to Gaul where they preached in the Dauphiné, in present-day south-eastern France. St. Marcellinus was consecrated first Bishop of Embrun by St. Eusebius of Vercelli (2nd August) circa 354, he reposed in 374. SS. Vincent and Domininus went on to evangelise the area of Digne-les-Bains in the French Alps and are credited with bringing to Christ the bulk of the population in that region. St. Domininus served as the first Bishop of Digne. After St. Domininus reposed in 380 St. Vincent was made the second bishop of that See, serving until his repose in 394.

MARCIAN of AUXERRE, a wonderworking monk at the Abbey of SS. Cosmas and Damian / abbaye de saint Cosme et saint Damien (later the Abbey of St. Marianus / Abbaye Saint-Marien d'Auxerre) in Auxerre in Burgundy (east-central France). There he was given the obedience of keeping the Abbey’s cattle. The date of the repose of St. Marcian is listed as taking place somewhere between 466 and 477.

SULPICIUS and SERVILIAN, martyrs in Rome circa 117 who were beheaded during the reign of the Emperor Trajan (r. 98–117). According to tradition they were converted to the Faith through the prayers of St. Flavia Domitilla (12th May).

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.