Dr. John (Ellsworth) Hutchison-Hall

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

            

Orthodox Saints of the Pre-Schism See of Rome

AGOFREDUS of LA-CROIX, a brother of St. Leutfrid of La-Croix (vide infra), and monk at the Abbey of the Cross of St. Ouen (abbaye La Croix Saint-Ouen) in the present-day town of Lacroix-Saint-Ouen, in northern France, where St. Leutfrid was Abbot. St. Agofredus was known throughout Normandy for his holiness of life. He reposed in 738.

ALBAN, a Greek priest from Naxos exiled by the Arians, St. Alban ended up in Mainz (Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany) where he evangelised the locals, and continued his preaching against Arianism. St. Alban was martyred at Mainz by invading Vandals circa 400.

CORBMAC, (Sixth Century), St. Corbmac was a disciple of St. Columba Iona (9th June) who made him Abbot of Durrow in Co. Offaly, Ireland. Nothing further is known about his life.

CYRIACUS and APOLLINARIS of AFRICA, (Date Unknown), these two saints are listed in the martyrologies as having been martyred in North Africa. However, no information on their lives is extant.

DEMETRIA of ROME, commonly believed to have been the daughter of SS. Flavian of Acquapendente (22nd December) and Dafrosa of Acquapendente (4th January), and sister of St. Bibiana (2nd December). According to tradition, during the persecutions under Emperor Julian the Apostate (r. 361–363) St. Demetria was arrested in 363 and tried for being a Christian. Upon conviction and sentencing to death, St. Demetria dropped dead in front of the judge. As with SS. Flavian, Dafrosa, and Bibiana, there is a great deal of doubt surrounding the details of St. Demetria’s martyrdom as well.

DOMINIC of COMACCHIO, a monk at the Abbey of Pomposa (abbazia di Pomposa) in Comacchio about 67 km (41 miles) south of Venice. St. Dominic reposed circa 820.

ENGELMUND, an English monk and fellow-worker with St. Willibrord of Echternach (7th November) in evangelising Friesland (northern Netherlands). St. Engelmund reposed in Haarlem circa 739, and his relics are enshrined at Utrecht.

LEUTFRID (LEUFROY) of LA-CROIX, founding Abbot of the Abbey of the Cross of St. Ouen (abbaye La Croix Saint-Ouen) in the present-day town of Lacroix-Saint-Ouen, in northern France. St. Leutfrid served as Abbot until his repose in 738. The Abbey was later renamed La Croix Saint-Leufroy in his honour.

MAINE (MEVENUS, MEWAN, MÉEN) of BRETAGNE, a native of either Cornwall or Wales, who accompanied St. Samson of Dol (28th July) to Brittany (northern France) where he founded the Abbey of Saint John of Gaël (abbaye Saint-Jean-de-Gaël) in present-day Saint-Méen-le-Grand, Brittany. St. Maine reposed in 617, and his abbey was later named Saint-Méen.

MARTIN of TONGRES, believed to have been a hermit whose sanctity and wonderworking led the people of Tongres in the present-day Belgian province of Limberg, to compel St. Martin to become their bishop. St. Martin is generally counted as the seventh bishop of that See, and is venerated as the Apostle of Hesbaye district of Limberg. He reposed circa 350.

RALPH of BOURGES, a member of Frankish royalty, St. Ralph in 822 renounced his temporal status and honours to receive monastic tonsure. He was consecrated Archbishop of Bourges in 840, during the next twenty-six years, St. Ralph dedicated himself to founding monasteries and care of his flock. The energy with which he approached these tasks seemed endless. St. Ralph reposed in 866.

RUFINUS and MARTIA of SYRACUSE, (Date Unknown), early martyrs in Syracuse in Sicily. No further information on them is extant.

URCISCENUS of PAVIA, consecrated Bishop of Pavia in Lombardy (northern Italy) circa 183, St. Urciscenus led his Diocese through thirty-three years of persecution and tumultuousness. He reposed circa 216.

WOLFRID of HOHENTWIEL, the founder of St. George's Abbey (Kloster Sankt Georgen) on Hohentwiel Mountain, in present-day Baden-Württemberg, Germany. St. Wolfrid reposed circa 990.

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.