Orthodox Saints of the Pre-Schism See of Rome
23rd February
BOISIL (BOSWELL), St. Boisil served as a Prior of Melrose Abbey, and later successor of Abbot St. Eata of Hexham (26th October). According to Anglo-Saxon monk, biblical exegete, hagiographer, and historian St. Bede the Venerable (25th May) St. Boisil was a man of great virtue who also had the gift of prophecy, foretelling the Great Pestilence of 664 three years in advance. His disciples included SS. Cuthbert (20th March) and Egbert (24th April), both of whom admired him greatly, as did St. Bede the Venerable (25th May). St. Boswell reposed during the plague he had foretold, 664.
FELIX of BRESCIA, for over tumultuous forty years St. Felix served as the twentieth Bishop of Brescia in Lombardy. A great deal of his time was spent battling, successfully, against the Arian bishop intruded into his See by Rothari, King of the Lombards (r. 636–652). St. Felix was a fervent pastor who built and endowed several parishes during his episcopacy. He reposed circa 650.
FLORENTIUS of SEVILLE, a saint with a strong cultus in Seville and its environs. Some sources list him as a martyr, though there is no evidence to support this assertion.
MARTHA, a maiden beheaded in 250 in Astorga in present-day Spain during the Decian Persecution. Her relics are enshrined at the Monastery of Santa Cristina de Ribas de Sil in Galicia, Spain.
MEDRALD (MÉRALD, MÉRAUT), a monk at the Abbey of Saint-Evroul-sur-Ouche in Normandy.
MILBURGH, a daughter of Merewalh, sub-king of the Magonsæte and St. Æbba of Minster-in-Thanet (19th November), St. Milburgh was also the sister of SS. Mildred of Minster-in-Thanet (13th July) and Mildgytha (17th January). She was the second Abbess of Wenlock. A wonderworker, St. Milburgh was said to have healed the blind and lepers. St. Milburgh reposed 715.
POLYCARP, a late third century priest in Rome who, according to Acta Martyrum (Acts of the Martyrs) was known for his pastoral care to those imprisoned or facing death for being Christians. He reposed circa 300.
ROMANA, a daughter of a Roman official during the Diocletianic Persecution, who, drawn to Christianity, fled her family, and miraculously found Pope St. Sylvester (31st December) who was in hiding. St. Romana declared her desire to become a Christian and live a solitary life. St. Sylvester baptised St. Romana, and gave her his cave to live in. Over time legends have formed which claim a community of disciples grew-up around St. Romana. Whilst this often happened, in St. Romana’s case, these legends are in all likelihood pious fiction which in time has been taken as fact. St. Romana reposed circa 324 and was buried in her cave.
SYNCROTAS, ANTIGONUS, RUTILUS, LIBIUS, SENEROTAS, and ROGATIANUS, a group of seventy-three Christians martyred at Syrmium, Pannonia (present-day Sremska Mitrovica, Serbia) circa 303, during the Diocletianic Persecution. Of the group, only the names of these six are known to us today.
WILLIGIS, a priest of humble background who served as chaplain to Emperor Otto II (r. 973–983), who in 975, appointed St. Willigis Archbishop of Mainz, and Archchancellor of Holy Roman Empire. A gifted statesman and politician, St. Willigis was first and foremost concerned with the care and spiritual health of his flock, and his priests. St. Willigis reposed in 1011.
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.