Dr. John (Ellsworth) Hutchison-Hall

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

            

Orthodox Saints of the Pre-Schism See of Rome

ABBO (ABBON) of FLEURY, St. Abbo entered the Abbey of St. Benedict on the Loire (abbaye de Saint-Benoît-sur-Loire — Fleury Abbey) as a child for education and following its completion received monastic tonsure there. He went on to study at Paris and Reims (north-eastern France). In 985 he was invited by St. Oswald of Worcester (28th February) to take charge of the monastery school of Ramsey Abbey (Huntingdonshire (now part of Cambridgeshire), England), whilst also assisting St. Oswald in the restoration of monasticism in England. St. Abbo spent two years at Ramsey during which time he wrote the Passio S. Eadmundi. Returning to Fleury in 987, St. Abbo was elected Abbot the following year. Not merely one of the most influential theologians of his day, St. Abbo was a true polymath, producing significant works on grammar, computus, logic, mathematics, and astronomy. He was a supporter of the Cluniac Reforms, as well as a passionate defender of both Papal authority and of the freedom of the monasteries from interference both temporal and episcopal. St. Abbo was killed in 1004 whilst attempting to quell a riot caused by reforms, he instituted at the dependency priory of La Reole in Gascony (south-western France), and was immediately venerated as a martyr.

ARCADIUS of SALAMANCA, PASCHASIUS of SALAMANCA, PROBUS of SALAMANCA, EUTYCHIAN of SALAMANCA, and PAULILLUS of SALAMANCA, Martyrs of Salamanca, protomartyrs of the Vandal persecution in Africa in 437. These saints were Spaniards who were exiled to Africa by the Arian Gaiseric, King of the Vandals (r. 428–477). St. Paulillus, the younger brother of SS. Paschasius and Eutychian was only a child and spared death, though he was flogged and sold into slavery, hence is counted amongst the martyrs as well.

BRICE (BRITIUS, BRIXIUS) of TOURS, an orphan raised by St. Martin of Tours (11th November) whom he later ordained to the priesthood. St. Brice was a vain and overly ambitious cleric, who, more than once, was accused of licentious behaviour. Though chosen to succeed St. Martin as Bishop, the faithful of the diocese would not have it and St. Brice was driven into exile. Whilst in exile he repented, reformed his ways, and was cleared of wrongdoing by official ecclesiastical investigators. With the news of his change preceding him, St. Brice returned to Tours, and having witnessed his conversion first-hand, his flock immediately proclaimed St. Brice a saint upon his repose in 444.

CAILLIN of FERNS, (Seventh Century), a disciple of St. Áedan of Ferns (31st January) in Ireland. According to tradition St. Caillin once turned a group of unbelieving Druids into stone.

CHILLIEN (KILIAN) of AUBIGNY, (Seventh Century), an Irish relative of St. Fiacrius (30th August). Returning from a pilgrimage to Rome, St. Chillien stopped to spend time with St. Fiacrius, and was then commissioned by St. Faro of Meaux (28th October) to evangelise in Artois (northern France). His mission was very fruitful, and he even founded a monastery at Aubigny-en-Artois, where his relics were later enshrined. According to some, St. Chillien was a bishop, though the extant records are inconclusive. He is also said to have been offered the papacy, though he declined in humility. If true, this would make him the only Irishman to whom the Bishopric of Rome has been offered.

COLUMBA of CORNWALL (the VIRGIN), (Sixth Century), known to us through the dedication of two parishes in Cornwall (south-western England) and a manuscript dating from the reign of Elizabeth I (r. 1558–1063) which is said to be based upon local tradition. According to the manuscript, St. Columba was the daughter of pagan King Lodan and Queen Manigild (probably of Lothian, Scotland), and St. Columba became a Christian when the Holy Ghost appeared to her in the form of a dove. When her parents betrothed her to a pagan prince, St. Columba refused to marry him resulting in her parents having her imprisoned. An angel intervened and helped St. Columba escape and take a ship to Cornwall. Unfortunately, the prince pursued her, through Cornwall and captured her at Ruthvoes 3.2km / 2mi south of St. Columb Major. There St. Columba was decapitated by the prince and a spring gushed forth along the path of her fallen blood. Church of England priest, hagiographer, and all-round scholar Sabine Baring Baring-Gould (†1924) was of the opinion this saint was actually St. Columba of Tyrdaglas (12th December) who was a male disciple of St. Finian of Clonard (12th December) and later Abbot of Tyrdaglas in Munster (south-western Ireland). However, there is no evidence to support his theory. St. Columba is the patron of the Churches of St. Columb Major, and St. Columb Minor in Cornwall where her feast is kept on 11th and 15th November, respectively.

DALMATIUS, an early (possibly third) Bishop of Rodez in southern Gaul (France). Though subjected to relentless persecution by the Arian Amalaric, King of the Visigoths (r. 511–531), St. Dalmatius shepherded that See from 524 until his repose in 580.

DEVINICUS (DENICK, TEAVNECK), (Sixth Century), a native of northern Scotland who in his old age joined SS. Columba of Iona and Machar of Aberdeen (12th November) in their missionary work. He is believed to have been a bishop and is remembered for his evangelisation of Caithness (northern Scotland).

EUGENIUS (the YOUNGER or II) of TOLEDO, a monk at Abbey of Santa Engracia in Zaragoza in present-day Aragon, Spain, who, in 646, was consecrated thirty-first Bishop of Toledo (central Spain), succeeding Eugenius I. St. Eugenius was a signatory of the Acts of the fifth Council of Toledoin 636. In addition to being a man of great piety and learning, both spiritual and temporal, St. Eugenius was also an accomplished poet and musician. St. Eugenius reposed in 657.

GREDIFAEL of WALES, (Seventh Century), a native of either Brittany or Wales, who accompanied St. Paternus of Wales (15th April) to Wales. St. Gredifael is said to have been Abbot of Whitland in Carmarthenshire, south-west Wales, and is also the patron saint and founder of St. Gredifael's Church, Penmynydd, in Anglesey, Wales.

MAXELLENDIS, a native of Caudry, near Cambrai (northern France). St. Maxellendis was betrothed by her parents to a local nobleman. Desiring to enter monastic life, St. Maxellendis refused to marry, and was stabbed to death by her betrothed, circa 670.

MITRIUS (MITRE, METRE, MERRE), a Greek slave in Aix-en-Provence (southern France), St. Mitrius was subjected to almost constant and savage abuse for being a Christian by his pagan master and fellow-slaves. Soon after his master's death in 314 St. Mitrius was beheaded.

QUINTIAN of RODEZ, a priest in Carthage (a present-day suburb of Tunis, Tunisia) who fled the Arian-Vandal persecution there, settling in southern Gaul (France), and in 487 he was consecrated Bishop of Rodez (southern France). Later exiled by the Arian Visigoths, St. Quintian settled in Auvergne (south-central France) where he succeeded St. Euphrasius (14th January) as Bishop of Clermont (central France). St. Quintian reposed circa 527.

VALENTINE of RAVENNA, SOLUTOR of RAVENNA, and VICTOR of RAVENNA, Martyrs of Ravenna, three Christians martyred at Ravenna (northern Italy) during the Diocletianic Persecution (303–313).

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.