Dr. John (Ellsworth) Hutchison-Hall

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

            

Orthodox Saints of the Pre-Schism See of Rome

BENIGNO (BÉNIGNE) of MALCESINE, (Late Eighth, Early Ninth Century), a little known hermit in Malcesine near Verona Italy. His cultus has been limited to the Malcesine area of which he shares the patronage of along with St. Charus (vide infra).

CHARUS (CARO) of MALCESINE, (Late Eighth, Early Ninth Century), St. Charus was a fellow hermit with St. Benigno (vide supra) in Malcesine of which he is co-patron saint along with St. Benigno. Nothing further that is verifiable is known, as their lives have been based exclusively on handed down tradition and pious legend.

GOTHALM, a monk at Melk, on the Danube in Lower Austria about 77 km (48 mi) west of Vienna, of whom little is known. He reposed in 1020 of natural causes, and unspecified miracles are said to have occurred at his tomb.

HYACINTH, (Date unknown), according to the Roman Martyrology, St. Hyacinth was martyred at some point during the reign of Emperor Trajan (r. 98–117). Whilst there is no doubt as to St. Hyacinth’s existence, the pre-eminent hagiographic scholars of the Société des Bollandistes (the Bollandists) have declared his Acts to be entirely unreliable.

PARASCEVA (VENERANDA) of ROME, whilst there are several variations, most of the Orthodox Churches (vide Patriarchate of Moscow, and Orthodox Church in America calendars) commemorate St. Parasceva today (26th July). However, she is more commonly commemorated as St. Veneranda on (14th November) (vide Roman Martyrology, the Monks of Ramsgate’s Book of the Saints, and others). To see her hagiographic entry go to 14th November.

PASTOR of ROME, a priest, and according to some sources the brother of Pope St. Pius I (11th July), who is remembered for his work with SS. Pudens of Rome (19th May), Praxedes of Rome (21st July), and Pudentiana of Rome (19th May) to enlighten pagans in Rome. St. Pastor reposed circa 160.

SIMEON of PADOLIRONE, an Armenian monk who, after living for a while in the Holy Land as a hermit, travelled across Italy, France, and Spain as a pilgrim, and becoming known as a wonderworker. Returning through northern Italy he settled at Padolirone Abbey in Mantua, mid-way between Milan and Padua (north-west Italy). St. Simeon reposed 1016, his tomb was the site of many miracles which led to him being declared a saint not long after his repose.

SYMPHSONIUS the SLAVE, OLYMPIUS the TRIBUNE, EXUPERIA the MARTYR, and THEODULUS the MARTYR, St. Symphronius, the slave of St. Nemesius a Deacon (25th August) along with St. Olympius, his wife St. Exuperia and their son St. Theodulud were all burned to death in 257 for their faith during the Valerian Persecution. Pope St. Stephen (2nd August), who had baptised all, or some of them, in the Catacombs, was martyred shortly afterwards.

VALENS of VERONA, the Bishop of Verona (northern Italy) from 524 until his repose 531. No further information on his life is extant.

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.