Dr. John (Ellsworth) Hutchison-Hall

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

            

Orthodox Saints of the Pre-Schism See of Rome

ARNULF of METZ, a courtier and advisor to Théodebert II, King of Austrasia (r. 595–612). When the See of Metz (north-eastern France) became vacant, St. Arnulf was chosen by popular demand of both the clergy and laity to be their bishop. St. Arnulf served his flock for nine years, then resigned to spend what was left of his life as a hermit, living in a cave in the Vosges mountains (eastern France). St. Arnulf reposed circa 640.

EADBURH (EDBURGH, EDBURGA) of BICESTER, a daughter of the great pagan warrior Penda, King of Mercians (r. 626–655), St. Eadburh converted to Christianity in her youth and spent most of her life as nun. St. Eadburh reposed circa 650. Her relics were enshrined at Bicester (north-eastern Oxfordshire) in 1182, and translated to Flanders, Belgium in 1500. There is a shrine dedicated to her at Stanton Harcourt, Oxfordshire, England.

FREDERICK of UTRECHT, grandson of Redbad, King of the Frisians (r. c.680–719), St. Frederick was the ninth Bishop of Utrecht (central Netherlands), serving from 825 until his martyrdom in 838. While bishop, St. Frederick worked to regularise Church practice and reform the clergy of his See. He chastised those, especially amongst the nobility, who were given to incestuous relationships, also also reproved Empress Judith’s immoral and adulterous lifestyle. Another of St. Frederick's acts as bishop was sending a group led by St. Odulph of Utrecht (12th June) to evangelise the area of Walcheren. St. Frederick was murdered whilst in church on 18th July, 838. It is widely thought his murder was ordered by some of those he had condemned, most likely Empress Judith, though this is not known for certain.

GONERI of TRÉGUIER, a sixth century British hermit in Brittany (north-western France). His hermitage is said to have been near the town of Tréguier.

GUNDENIS of CARTHAGE, according to the Roman Martyrology, St. Gundenis was a young maiden in Carthage (a present-day suburb of Tunis, Tunisia) who, in 203, was subjected to extensive torture and finally beheaded for refusing to renounce Christ.

MARINA of OURENSE, (Date Unknown), a martyr in Ourense in present-day Spain of whom there is no further information extant.

MATERNUS of MILAN, chosen eighth Bishop of Milan (north-west Italy) by popular acclamation in 295, he is said to have been loved by Christian and pagan alike. St. Maternus was subjected to torture during the Diocletianic Persecution, yet not only survived, but provided comfort and encouragement to his flock as they too faced persecution and martyrdom. St. Maternus reposed of natural causes circa 307.

MINNBORINUS, an Irishman, most likely a member of the group of Christians which came from Ireland and Scotland to evangelise the area that is present-day Germany. St. Minnborinus served as Abbot of the Abbey of Great St. Martin (abtei Groß St. Martin) in Cologne from 974 until his repose in 986.

PHILASTRIUS of BRESCIA, Bishop of Brescia during the height of the Arian heresey. He preached extensively against the heresey and authored the still extant refutation of Arianism Diversarum Hereseon Liber. St. Philastrius reposed circa 387. His successor, St. Gaudentius of Brescia (25th October), preached a sermon on an anniversary of St. Philastrius’ repose in which he praised St. Philastrius as “patient, good to the poor, merciful and affable to all”.

RUFILLUS (RUFFILIUS) of FORLIMPOPOLI, the first Bishop of Forlimpopoli (north-eastern Italy). According to tradition he was sent to evangelise the region by Pope St. Silvester (31st December), St. Rufillus reposed in 382.

SYMPHOROSA of TIVOLI and COMPANIONS, the widow of the martyr St. Getulius of Tivoli (10th June). St. Symphorosa was martyred in the early second century at Tivoli (Lazio, central Italy), and is commemorated together with Crescens, Julian, Nemesius, Primitivus, Justin, Stracteus, and Eugene, also martyrs, who may very well have been her sons.

THANEY (TANEU, THENEVA, THENEW, THENOVA, DWYNWEN), (Seventh Century) St. Thaney is believed to have been the mother of St. Kentigern Mungo of Glasgow (13th January). There are many legends about her of questionable veracity, and most of what is known of her life is derived from hagiographies of her son. She is co-patron saint, along with her son, of Glasgow, Scotland; the Enoch in St. Enoch’s Square, Glasgow, is a corruption of her name (Saintteneu = Saintenoch); and the square stands on the site of a medieval chapel dedicated to her.

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.