Dr. John (Ellsworth) Hutchison-Hall

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

            

Orthodox Saints of the Pre-Schism See of Rome

CALOCERUS and PARTHENIUS of ROME, two brothers, possibly eunuchs, in the palace of Tryphonia, wife of the Emperor Decius (r. 249–251). During the Decian Persecution, the daughter of Roman consul was placed in their charge. In 250, SS. Calocerus and Parthenius were charged by Decius with embezzlement of their ward’s funds, as well as the crime of being Christians. When brought before the court, SS. Calocerus and Parthenius disregarded the accusation of financial impropriety but did offer a defence of Christianity. The court ruled their apology was equivalent to an admission of being Christians, and they were sentenced to death. SS. Calocerus and Parthenius were tortured and then beheaded.

CYRIL of TRIER, the fifteenth Bishop of Trier (south-western Germany), from circa 455 until his repose circa 457. The relics of St. Cyril were interred in the Church of St. Matthias in Trier.

DUNSTAN of CANTERBURY, our father among the saints Dunstan of Canterbury was born to a wealthy and noble family in Wessex and educated at Glastonbury. When he was about twenty-five years old, he received monastic tonsure, and was ordained to the priesthood by his uncle, St. Ælfheah the Elder (12th March), Bishop of Winchester. He lived for a while as a hermit at Glastonbury, but in 943 was made Abbot of Glastonbury by Edmund I, King of England (r. 939–946). As Abbot, St. Dunstan renewed monastic discipline and under his leadership the abbey was rebuilt and prospered. Glastonbury became a centre of learning, while at the same time St. Dunstan helped revitalise several other nearby monasteries. In addition, St. Dunstan was a proficient goldsmith and metal-worker.

Orthodox Icon of English Saint, St. Dunstan of Canterbury 306x380

Icon of St. Dunstan of Canterbury

Following the murder of King Edmund in 946, St. Dunstan was appointed advisor to the new King, Eadred (r. 946–955), and St. Dunstan undertook a reformation of all the monasteries in the kingdom. Forced into exile by King Eadred’s successor, Eadwig (r. 955–959), for chastising his scandalous lifestyle, St. Dunstan spent time at the monastery of Mont Blandin near Ghent in Flanders (Belgium). King Eadwig’s rule was short-lived, and St. Dunstan was soon recalled by his successor King St. Edgar the Peaceful (r. 957–975) (8th July). Upon his return St. Oda the Good (2nd June), who was Archbishop of Canterbury at the time, consecrated St. Dunstan a bishop and appointed him to the See of Worcester. About a year later, when the See of London became vacant, this too was conferred on him. Then, in 960, King St. Edgar named St. Dunstan Archbishop to the vacant See of Canterbury. As Archbishop of Canterbury, St. Dunstan became a close advisor of King St. Edgar and gained such influence that he became virtual ruler of the kingdom. He introduced reforms in the life of the realm, both within the Church and in the State. The high point of St. Dunstan’s work and statesmanship was the coronation in Bath of King St. Edgar in 973 by himself and the Archbishop of York. The coronation service created by St. Dunstan became the basis for British coronation service in use to this day.

Two years later King St. Edgar reposed and was succeeded by his son King St. Edward the Martyr (r. 975–978) (18th March), whom St. Dunstan crowned in Winchester. Following St. Edward’s martyrdom, St. Dunstan performed his last act of state, crowning Æthelred II (the Unready), King of England (r. 979–1016), whom he rebuked for his involvement in St. Edward’s martyrdom. St. Dunstan foretold the coming misfortunes that were to befall the kingdom.

St. Dunstan retired to Canterbury, where he spent the remainder of his life active with his Archiepiscopal duties. He reposed in Canterbury in 988 and was buried in his cathedral there. His relics were translated to a tomb near the high altar of the new cathedral after the fire in 1074.

Troparion of St. Dunstan — Tone VIII

By thee, O Dunstan, hath the whole land of England been wondrously adorned,

for thou didst labour unceasingly to restore all the monastic houses

laid waste by the heathen,

to people them again with zealous monks and nuns,

and to provide them with strict rules of pious order wherewith to govern their lives.

Wherefore, the Church of Christ doth ever praise thine all-honourable name, O holy bishop.

HADULF of ST. VAAST, simultaneously an Abbot of the Abbey of St. Vaast (abbaye de Saint-Vaast) in Arras, in present-day Pas-de-Calais, France and Bishop of Arras-Cambrai. St. Hadulf reposed circa 728.

PUDENS of ROME, (First Century), a Roman senator baptised by the Apostles, whose home was initially a refuge for the Apostles, and then one of the first churches in Rome. The father of St. Pudentiana (vide infra), he may very well be the Pudens mentioned by the Apostle Paul (29th June) in II Tim. 4:21.

PUDENTIANA (POTENTIANA) of ROME, (Second Century), daughter of St. Pudens (vide supra), and sister of St. Praxedes (21st July). She and her sister devoted their lives and wealth to providing proper burial for martyrs, and care of the poor. While there is a popular tradition that St. Pudentiana was martyred at the age of sixteen, there is no information extant that confirms this.

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.