Dr. John (Ellsworth) Hutchison-Hall

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

            

Home » Orthodox Saints of the Pre-Schism See of Rome 4th September (NS) — 22nd August (OS) 2023


Orthodox Saints of the Pre-Schism
See of Rome
4th September (NS) — 22nd August (OS) 2023

by | 4th September 2023 | Orthodox Western Saints

22nd August (OS)

ANDREW of FIESOLE, an Irishman who, along with his sister St. Brigid of Fiesole (1st February), studied under St. Donatus of Fiesole (22nd October). St. Andrew accompanied St. Donatus to Tuscany (central Italy), and when the later was appointed Bishop of Fiesole in Tuscany, he ordained St. Andrew to the deaconate. St. Andrew served as St. Donatus’ Archdeacon, restored the church of San Martino di Mensola and founded a monastery there as well. St. Andrew reposed shortly after St. Donatus, circa 880.

ANTONINUS of ROME, a public executioner in Rome, who proclaimed himself a Christian after having a vision of angels. As a result of his conversion St. Antoninus was beheaded in 186.

ARNULF of EYNESBURY, (Eighth or Ninth Century), There is no reliable historical information on the life of St. Arnulf, and his existence may be entirely apocryphal. One legend states that he was a hermit near present-day St. Neots, Cambridgeshire, England. Another possibility is that the existence of St. Arnulf is nothing more than a legend which grew up around a French tradition that the relics of St. Arnulf of Metz (18th July) were translated to England.

EPICTETUS, FELIX, MAPRILIS. MARTIAL, SATURNINUS, of OSTIA, often referred to as the "Pilgrim Martyrs or Martyrs of Ostia", they were a group of Christians on a pilgrimage to Rome, who were martyred at either Porto or Ostia near Rome, circa 300 either on the way to, on their return from, Rome.

ETHELGITHA of NORTHUMBRIA, St. Ethelgitha was an abbess of a convent in Northumbria, England who reposed circa 720. Nothing further is known of her life.

FABRICIAN and PHILIBERT of TOLEDO, (Date Unknown), said to have been martyrs in Toledo, Spain, however, there is no information on their lives extent.

GUNIFORT, (Date Unknown),a native of either Scotland or Ireland, St. Gunifort, his brother, and two of his sisters, left the British Isles, on a pilgrimage to Pavia in Lombardy (northern Italy). The sisters were martyred in Germany, his brother at Como (northern Italy), St. Gunifort, though injured, escaped Como, and reached Pavia, where he succumbed to his wounds. Though the exact year of his martyrdom is unknown, it has been conjectured it took place during the reign of Emperor Maximian (r. 286–305).

HIPPOLYTUS of PORTO, there are many contradictory versions of the life of St. Hippolytus. That which is enjoys the greatest acceptance amongst scholars is St. Hippolytus was born in Arabia; was a disciple of St. Irenaeus of Lyons (28th June), or more likely, Clement of Alexandria; that upon coming to Rome he was consecrated Bishop of Porto (part of Metropolitan Rome); and that he was martyred by drowning during the reign of Emperor Severus Alexander (r. 222–235).

MAURUS and COMPANIONS, St. Maurus and a group of forty-nine of fellow Christians, whose names are no longer know, were martyred for the faith at Reims (north-eastern France). Whilst traditionally their martyrdom has been said to have taken place during the reign of Emperor Valerian (r. 253–260), there is a contemporary school of thought which places their martyrdom during the reign of Emperor Diocletian (r. 284–305).

SIGFRID of WEARMOUTH, a disciple of St. Benedict Biscop (12th January) at the Abbey of St. Peter in Wearmouth (Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, England). St. Sigfrid succeeded St. Eosterwine (7th March) as Abbot of Wearmouth. St. Sigfrid reposed in 688, and in time, his relics were enshrined with those of SS. Benedict Biscop and Eosterwine in the Abbey church.

SYMPHORIAN (SYMPHORIANUS) of AUTUN, (Third Century), a Christian in Autun, Burgundy (France), martyred for refusing to worship an idol.

TIMOTHY of ROME, (Date Unknown), a martyr in Rome of whom little definitive is known. The general consensus is that after protracted imprisonment and brutal scourging, St. Timothy was beheaded, near where the Papal Basilica of St. Paul's outside the Walls (Basilica Papale San Paolo fuori le Mura) in Rome now stands.

Get your copy of Orthodox Saints of the British Isles today.

Available at Amazon or your favourite e-bookstore.

4th September (NS)

BONIFACE I, forty-second Pope of Rome from 28th December 418 until his repose 4th September 422. There is little in the way of reliable information on his life prior to his election. According to the Liber Pontificalis St. Boniface was a Roman and the son of a priest by the name of Jocundus. He is thought to have been ordained by Pope St. Damasus I (11th December) and may have served in the early fifth century as representative of Pope St. Innocent I (28th July) at Constantinople.

CALETRICUS of CHARTRES, the successor circa 557 of St. Leobinus of Chartres (15th September) as Bishop of Chartres (north-central France). St. Caletricus reposed circa 580, and nothing else certain is known of his life.

CANDIDA the ELDER, an elderly woman in Naples who embraced Christ after being miraculously healed by the Apostle Peter (29th June). She later brought St. Aspren of Naples (3rd August) to Christ, and later St. Aspren became the first Bishop of Naples (southern Italy). St. Candida reposed circa 78.

IDA of HERZFELD, a young widow who founded Herzfeld Abbey in Westphalia (north-western Germany), devoting the rest of her life to good works. St. Ida reposed circa 825.

MARCELLUS (MARCEAU) of CHÂLON-SUR-SAÔNE, a priest in Lyons (east-central France), who was arrested in the persecution of Christians during the reign of Emperor Marcus Aurelius (r.161–180). St. Marcellus escaped from prison, and continued to preach the Gospel. Unfortunately, he was arrested again, and tortured before he was buried up to his waist on the banks of the Saône (eastern France) and left to die. St. Marcellus survived for three days before he reposed circa 178.

MARCELLUS of TREVES, (Date Unknown), little to nothing reliable is known about this saint. However, both Tongres (Belgium) and Treves (present-day Trier in south-western Germany). have claimed him as having served as one of their early bishops.

RHUDDLAD, (Seventh Century ?), St. Rhuddlad is the patron saint of Llanrhyddlad (Welsh: Llan-Rhûddlad) in Anglesey, Wales. There is no further information on her life extant.

SALVINUS of VERDUN, there is no information on this saint extant, beyond that he was the successor of St. Maurus of Verdun (8th November) as the third Bishop of Verdun (north-eastern France) and reposed circa 420.

SULPICIUS (SULPICE) of BAYEUX, twenty-first Bishop of Bayeux (north-western France) from circa 838 until he was martyred circa 843 by Vikings in Livry, Normandy (northern France).

ULTÁN MOCCU CHONCHOBAIR (ULTAN of ARDBRACCAN), St. Ultán was the Abbot-Bishop of Ardbraccan, Co. Meath, Ireland. Although no contemporary Lives have survived, the Annals of Ulster record the year of his repose as 657, and extensive mention of him is made in the Félire Óengusso (Martyrology of Ængus). He is remembered for his care of the poor, and especially his work on behalf of destitute and orphaned children.

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.