Orthodox Saints of the Pre-Schism See of Rome
3rd June
CAECILIUS (CAECILIAN) of CARTHAGE, (Third Century), a priest in Carthage, Africa Proconsularis. In his last years St. Caecilius catechised and then baptised St. Cyprian of Carthage (16th September). Always more than a spiritual father to St. Cyprian, following St. Caecilius’ repose St. Cyprian cared for his wife and children. St. Jerome (30th September) says that the saint was the reason St. Cyprian added Caecilius to his name.
CLOTILDE of FRANCE, the daughter of Chilperic I, King of Burgundy (r. 473–480), and wife of Chlothar I, King of the Franks (r. 558–561). Chlothar was a pagan at the time of their marriage, and St. Clotilde taught her husband about Christ, resulting in Chlothar becoming a Christian himself, as well as the first Christian King of the Franks. Following the repose of Chlothar in 511, St. Clotilde retired to the tomb of St. Martin (11th November) in Tours, where she devoted the rest of her life to a life of charity and piety. St. Clotilde reposed in 545.
CRONAN, St. Cronan was a disciple of St. Kevin (vide infra) at Glendalough in Co. Wicklow, Ireland and reposed in 617. Nothing further is known of his life.
DAVINUS of LUCCA, a native of Armenia, who sold all his possessions, giving the proceeds to the poor. St. Davinus then set out on a pilgrimage to Rome and then on to Compostela (north-west Spain). Stopping along the way at Lucca in Tuscany (Italy), St. Davinus was stricken by an ailment which proved to be fatal. St. Davinus reposed in 1051, and was buried in one of the town’s churches.
GAUSMARUS of SAVIGNY, Abbot of the Abbey of St. Martin of Savigny (abbaye Saint-Martin de Savigny) in Savigny (eastern France) from 954 until his repose in 984.
GENESIUS of CLERMONT, upon completion of his education St. Genesius renounced the world for an ecclesiastical life. He served as Archdeacon of Clermont, in Auvergne (central France), then in 656, St. Genesius was consecrated Bishop of Clermont. While Bishop, St. Genesius fought the heresies of Novatian and Jovinian, founded a hospital at Clermont, the Monastery of Our Lady of Manglieu (monastère de Manglieu) for men, the Abbey of Chantoin (abbaye de Chantoin) for women, as well as the church of St. Symphorian, now called St. Genesius. St. Genesius reposed in 662 and was buried in the church of St. Symphorian.
GLUNSHALLAICH, St. Glunshallaich is famous in Ireland for having repented of his evil ways; he was converted by St. Kevin (vide infra), with whom he was buried at Glendalough in Co. Wicklow, Ireland. St. Glunshallaich reposed in 617.
HILARY of CARCASSONNE, a fourth century Bishop of Carcassonne in the Occitanie (France). While Bishop, St. Hilary worked to prevent the spread the Arianism in his diocese.
ISAAC of CÓRDOBA, a native of Córdoba (Spain), and a Christian. St. Isaac’s proficiency in Arabic enabled him to have a high-ranking position in the Moorish government. Nevertheless, he resigned to enter monastic life, entering a monastery in Tabanos not far from Córdoba. A few years after he was tonsured, St. Isaac got caught up in a public debate on religion, during the course of which he denounced Mohammed, for which he was martyred in 852. St. Isaac is numbered amongst the 48 Martyrs of Córdoba of the reign of Emir Muhammad I of Córdoba (r. 852–886).
Troparion of
St. Kevin of Glendalough
Tone VIII
Thou wast privileged to live in the age of saints,
O Father Kevin, being baptized by one saint
taught by another, and buried by a third.
Pray to God that he will raise up saints in our day
to help, support, and guide us in the way of salvation.
Troparion of
St. Kevin of Glendalough
Tone IV
With hymns of praise let us all bless the noble Kevin,
who by his godly love poureth divine grace into the hearts of those who honour him;
for he dwelleth now with the saints and angels in heaven,
where he standeth before the throne of the Most High,
praying unceasingly for us all.
KEVIN (COEMGEN, CAOIMHGHIN) of GLENDALOUGH, our venerable father Kevin of Glendalough, Wonderworker of Ireland, was the founding Abbot of Glendalough and is one of the patron saints of Dublin. Though sources for his Life are late and unreliable, it is generally believed he was born in Leinster to a noble family, and was educated by St. Petroc (4th June) during the latter’s stay in Ireland. After ordination to the priesthood, St. Kevin spent seven years as an anchorite in a cave now known as St. Kevin’s Bed near Glendalough. He went on to found what grew into the famous monastery of Glendalough, parent of several other monasteries and destined to become, with its seven churches, one of the chief centres of pilgrimage in Ireland. It is said he reposed 618 at the age of one hundred and twenty.
Kontakion of
St. Kevin of Glendalough
Tone V
Forsaking thy noble inheritance,
and shunning all the crooked ways of this sin-loving world,
thou didst apply thine obedient feet to the straight and narrow path of Christ,
eagerly hastening throughout thy life toward the heavenly Sion,
where with all the saints and the bodiless hosts thou criest aloud in ecstasy:
Let every breath praise the Lord!
Ikos
Ye lofty trees of Ireland, ever move your verdant branches,
that with the rustling of your leafs,
as with the strings of a multitude of harps,
ye may make sweet music for the King of kings;
for thus of old did ye delight His faithful servant,
the venerable Kevin, with your melodious song,
easing the severity of his ascetic life with the beauty of your hymnody,
filling his soul with exultation, and causing him to cry aloud:
Let every breath praise the Lord!
LIPHARDUS (LIFARD) of ORLÉANS, after a successful career in the Orléans (north-central France) government, in which he held several high-level positions, St. Liphardus left the world to enter the Church. After ordination to the Deaconate, he withdrew to live as a hermit just outside of the city. Later after being ordained to the Priesthood, disciples began to gather round St. Liphardus for whom he founded a monastery at Meung-sur-Loire, and served as its first Abbot. St. Liphardus reposed circa 550.
OLIVA of ANAGNI, (Date Uncertain), a nun at Anagni near Rome, of whom nothing further is known.
PERGENTINUS and LAURENTINUS of AREZZO, two brothers who were martyred in Arezzo (Tuscany central Italy) in 251, during the Decian Persecution.
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.