ALDRIC (ALDERICUS, AUDRY), after spending his childhood in the court of Charlemagne, St. Aldric left at the age of twenty-one to commenced studies for the priesthood. Following ordination, he was chaplain in the court of Louis the Pious, King of the Franks (r. 814–840) for nine years. St. Aldric was consecrated fourteenth Bishop of Le Mans in 832 and was known as an excellent administrator and pastor of great personal sanctity. Following the death of Louis, St. Aldric supported Charles the Bald as successor, resulting in St. Aldric exile from Le Mans. Though he was soon reinstated by Pope Gregory IV. St. Aldric also served as Papal legate to King Pepin of Aquitaine and participated in the Council of Paris and Council of Tours. St. Aldric reposed in 856.

ANASTASIUS, fifty-fifth Archbishop of Sens in Burgundy from 967 until his repose in 976. St. Anastasius was a great champion of the Abbey of Saint-Pierre-le-Vif, in whose church his relics are enshrined.

Icon of St. Brannoc of Braunton

BRANNOC of BRAUNTON, A sixth century saint, legends concerning him vary and are unreliable. However, it seems that he served for a time as tutor to the children of King St. Brychan of Brycheiniog (6th April), and accompanied the king on a pilgrimage to venerate the tombs of the Apostles, possibly stopping in Brittany on his return for several years. Returning to Britain, he founded a monastery at Braunton, near Barnstaple in Devon, where his relics are said to rest beneath the church altar.

CRISPIN (I & II), there are two St. Crispins associated with the See of Pavia in Lombardy. The first, was a third century Bishop of Pavia for 35 years, he reposed circa 250, and there is no further information on him extant. The second was Bishop of Pavia during the fifth century His episcopacy coincided with Pope St. Leo the Great’s (10th November) papacy, and St. Crispin (II) was a signatory of the acts of the Council of Milan (451) at which the bishops of northern Italy endorsed the acclaimed Epistola Dogmatica of Pope St. Leo the Great (10th November) against Nestorianism and Eutychianism. St. Crispin (II) reposed 465.

CRONAN BEG, (Seventh Century), a Bishop of Ændrum, Co. Down, Ireland, St. Cronan Beg is mentioned in connexion with the Paschal Controversy in 640. There is no further information extant.

ÉMILION (ÉMILIAN, EMILIANUS) of COMBES, a monk at Saujon near Saintes, where his wonderworking drew large numbers of pilgrims. Seeking solitude, St. Emilion fled to the forest of Combes near the present-day village of Saint-Émilion where he spent the rest of his days as a hermit. St. Emilion reposed in 767. St. Emilion is the namesake of the Bordeaux wine appellation d'origine contrôlée Saint-Émilion, and the Cour Saint-Émilion station of the Paris Metro.

KENTIGERNA (CAINTIGERN), St. Kentigerna was the daughter of Kelly, Prince of Leinster, Ireland. Upon the death of her husband, she left Ireland and moved to Inchebroida Island in Loch Lomond, Scotland, where, along with her brother St. Cóemgen (13th October) and her son St. Fáelán (Fillan) of Cluain Móescna (9th January), she lived as an anchoress until her repose 733. A church remains dedicated to her to this day.

REINOLD (RAINALD, REYNOLD), a possible descendant of Charlemagne, St. Reinhold received monastic tonsure at the Abbey of St. Pantaleon in Cologne and was given the obedience of supervising construction at the abbey. In 960 he was beaten to death by stonemasons working at the abbey and his body was thrown into a pool of water neat the Rhine River. It is said his body was later discovered through divine revelation.

TILLO (THILLO, THIELMAN, THÉAU, TILLOINE, TILLON, TILMAN), a native of Saxony who was kidnaped, enslaved, and then brought to the Low Countries. St. Eligius of Noyon (1st December) ransomed St. Tillo who then enter the Abbey of Saint-Pierre-Saint-Paul de Solignac where he received monastic tonsure and was ordained to the priesthood. St. Tillo then worked to enlighten the areas around Kortrijk and Tournai in present-day Belgium. Towards the end of his life, St. Tillo retired to live as a hermit at Solignac. He reposed 702.

VALENTINE, an abbot who became a missionary bishop in Rhaetia (roughly the area of the borders of present-day Italy, Austria, and Switzerland). Later in life St. Valentine retired to spend the rest of his days as a hermit at Mais in the Austrian Tyrol where he reposed circa 470.

WITTIKUND, a pagan Westphalian duke who converted to Christianity following a vision. With Charlemagne as his sponsor, St. Wittikund received the sacrament of Baptism in 785. He reposed circa 804 at Enger in present-day Germany.

FABIAN, a layman who happened to be in Rome, and in the crowd of onlookers, on the day a successor to Pope St. Anterus was being selected. St. Fabian was chosen to be the twentieth Pope of Rome by acclimation when a dove alighted upon his head and the assembled clergy and laity took this as a sign from the Holy Spirit. St. Fabian served the See of Rome from his selection in 236 until his martyrdom in 250. St. Fabian has been credited with sending St. Denis of Paris (9th October) to Gaul, and with being the first martyr of the Decian Persecution.

FECHIN, a native of Co. Sligo in Connaught and the founder of several monasteries in that region; St. Fechin is principally remembered for founding the monastery at Fore (Fobar), Co. Westmeath. Ecclefechan and St. Vigean’s near Arbroath in Scotland also perpetuate his memory. He is said to have lived a life of extraordinary penance, spending his nights reciting the entire Psalter. St. Fechin reposed circa 665.

MAURUS, a nephew of Pope John IX, St. Maurus was priested and then received monastic tonsure at Classe in Ravenna, where in 926 he was elected Abbot. In 934, St. Maurus was consecrated Bishop of Cesena. As Bishop, St. Maurus had built a small cell on Spaziano Hill in which his relics were buried upon his repose in 946. Around sixty-five years later construction was commenced on the Abbey of Santa Maria del Monte at the location of St. Maurus’ cell.

Icon of St. Sebastian the Martyr

MOLAGGA (LAICIN), though there are several Saints of the same name (most Irish hagiographers count at least twelve), and it is often difficult to disentangle their Lives, it is believed this St. Molagga was a disciple of St. David of Wales (1st March). Returning to his native Ireland, he founded a monastery at what is now Fermoy (Irish: Mainistir Fhear Maí, meaning “monastery of the Men of the Plain”) Co. Cork. He was distinguished for his exceptional learning and piety as well as his Christian charity. St. Molagga seems to have survived the Great Pestilence of 664, reposing circa 655, and is greatly venerated in the South of Ireland.

SEBASTIAN, an officer in the imperial army, captain of the Praetorian guard, a favourite of the Emperor Diocletian (r. 284–304), and a secret Christian. During the Diocletianic Persecution, St. Sebastian visited imprisoned Christians, and is reputed to have converted soldiers, a governor, and healed the wife of a fellow guard by making the sign of the Cross over her. Soon his identity as a Christian was no longer secret, and his status and favour with Diocletian proved no help. St. Sebastian was arrested, tied to a tree, and shot full of arrows by soldiers who used him for target practice. He miraculously survived, but was ordered beaten to death by Diocletian, circa 288.