Orthodox Saints of the Pre-Schism See of Rome
16th April
ELIAS, an Irishman who was made Abbot of the Celtic Abbey of St. Martin the Great (abtei Groß St. Martin) in Cologne in present-day North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany (circa 1020), and later the Archbishop of Cologne appointed him Abbot of the Abbey of St. Pantaleon, also in Cologne, as well. St. Elias reposed in 1042.
ENCRATIA (ENCRATIS, ENCRATIDE, ENGRACIA) of ZARAGOZA, a maiden who fled marriage in her native Portugal to live as a monastic in Zaragoza in present-day Aragon, Spain. There she was subjected to severe torture, most likely during the Diocletianic Persecution (303–313), though she survived her torture, St. Encraia is still counted amongst the martyrs. However, her name is absent from the lists of the martyrs of Zaragoza of that era.
FRUCTUOSUS of BRAGA, a prince of the Visigoth royal family, who upon the death of his parents, sold his assets, giving most to the poor. With the balance of his funds, St. Fructuosus built several monasteries, serving as abbot of one. However, he felt his duties were drawing him away from God, so left to live as a hermit. His reputation for holiness led to him attracting many disciples, and being ordered by his bishop to accept consecration as the Bishop of Dumium near Braga, Portugal, and roughly two years later elevation to Archbishop of Braga. St. Fructuosus reposed in 665.
HERVEUS (HERVÉ) of TOURS, a monk at the Abbey of Marmoutier (abbaye de Marmoutier) in Tours (France), and though a member of the community, St. Herveus lived as a hermit. He reposed in 1021.
LAMBERT of ZARAGOZA, there are two St. Lamberts of Zaragoza (in present-day Aragon, Spain) commemorated on this day. The first who managed to survive the Diocletianic Persecution (303–313), only to be martyred by pagans in 306. The second St. Lambert was a servant martyred by his Muslim master circa 900.
PATERNUS (PAIR) of AVRANCHES, this Saint Paternus’ life is somewhat entangled with those of 15th April, especially St. Paternus / Padarn. Today’s St. Paternus, is said to have been the son of a son of a civil servant in Poitiers (western France), received monastic tonsure at an abbey in Poitou (present-day Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France), and after he had matured in the spiritual life, he settled near Coutances in Normandy (France) where he lived as a hermit. Later a monastery was built there and dedicated to him. It is believed St. Paternus was the founder of several monasteries, and abbot of one of them. At the age of seventy, he was consecrated Bishop of Avranches in Normandy, serving that See for thirteen years, until his repose which has been variously recorded as circa 550, 563, 568, and 574. As his birth is thought to have been circa 482, he was consecrated bishop at the age of seventy, which would have been circa 552, and served for thirteen years as bishop, it is reasonable to date his repose as being circa 565.
THE EIGHTEEN MARTYRS of ZARAGOZA: APODEMUS, CAECILIAN, CAIUS, CREMENTIUS, ENGRATIA, EVENTIUS, FELIX, FRONTO, GAIUS, JULIA, LAMBERT, LUPERCUS, MARTIAL, OPTATUS, PRIMITIVUS, PUBLIUS, QUINTILIAN, FOUR NAMED SATURNIUS, SUCCESUS, and URBAN, a group of eighteen martyrs at Zaragoza in present-day Aragon, Spain during the Diocletianic Persecution (303–313).
TURIBIUS of ASTORGA, an early Bishop of Astorga in north-western Hispania (present-day Spain). St. Turibius was known for his zealous opposition to Priscillianism, and his ardent support of Pope St. Leo the Great (10th November) battles against the various heresies that beset the Church. St. Turibius reposed circa 460.
VAISE (VASIUS, VAIZE), a wealthy Christian in Saintes in present-day south-western France. St. Vaise was imprisoned and later beheaded, circa 500, by his family for distributing his wealth to the poor.
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.