Dr. John (Ellsworth) Hutchison-Hall

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

            

Orthodox Saints of the Pre-Schism See of Rome

ARBOGAST of STRASBOURG, an anchorite in Alsace (north-eastern France) who had a reputation for holiness. St. Dagobert II, King of Austrasia (France) (r. 675–679) (23rd December) appointed St. Arbogast to the Bishopric of Strasbourg (north-eastern France) circa 630. Though he would have preferred to have remained in his cave, St. Arbogast, was beloved by his flock, who venerated him even before his repose. Amongst the miracles attributed to St. Arbogast while still alive is bringing King St. Dagobert’s son back to live after he was killed in a hunting accident. St. Arbogast reposed circa 678, and at his own request was buried in the part of the cemetery set apart for the burial of criminals. A church was soon built over his tomb.

CLAUDIUS, JUSTUS, JUCUNDINUS, and COMPANIONS of TROYES, a group of at least eight, and possibly as many as twenty-three, martyrs who suffered with St. Julia (vide infra) in Troyes. All were beheaded for their faith in Christ in 273. Their relics were enshrined in the Abbey of Notre-Dame de Jouarre near Meaux.

CONSTANTINE of MONTE CASSINO, a disciple of St. Benedict (11th July) at Monte Cassino. St. Constantine became Abbot of Monte Cassino upon the repose of St. Benedict in 547. There is no further information on his life. St. Constantine reposed circa 560.

JOHN and BENIGNUS of MOYENMOUTIER, twin brothers who were disciples of St. Hidulf of Moyenmoutier (11th July) and monks at his Abbey at Moyenmoutier in the Vosges mountains in eastern France. SS. John and Benignus reposed in 707.

JULIA of TROYES, a Christian native of Troyes (north-central France) who was taken as a spoil of war by the army of Emperor Aurelian (r. 270–275) after his victory over Tetricus I in 274. St. Julia was then given to St. Claudius (vide supra), an officer of Aurelian’s army. St. Julia brought St. Claudius to Christ and he joined her in martyrdom not long after, circa 272.

PRAXEDES of ROME, (Second Century) the daughter of the Roman senator St. Pudens of Rome (19th May) and sister of St. Pudentiana of Rome (19th May). She is said to have been a zealous follower of Christ, and to have given her wealth to the care of the poor. The Basilica of Saint Praxedes (Basilica di Santa Prassede all’Esquillino / Santa Prassede) in Rome is named after her.

VICTOR, ALEXANDER, FELICIAN, and LONGINUS, Christian officers of the Roman Imperial Army who were posted in Marseilles and were martyred there circa 290.

WASTRADA, the mother of St. Gregory of Utrecht (25th August). Towards the end of her life she received monastic tonsure and spent the rest of her days at Susteren Abbey in present-day Echt-Susteren south-eastern Netherlands. St. Wastrada reposed circa 760, and was buried at Susteren Abbey.

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.