Orthodox Saints of the Pre-Schism
See of Rome
11th January 2024 (NS) — 29th December 2023 (OS)
ALBERT of GAMBRON, (Seventh Century), a courtier disillusioned with the emptiness of court life, who became a hermit. He later founded and served as first Abbot of the small Abbey of Gambron-sur-l'Authion.
CALLISTUS, FELIX, and BONIFACE, (Date Unknown), though listed in all major martyrologies as martyrs in Rome, nothing is known of their lives or the dates they flourished.
DOMINIC, VICTOR, PRIMIAN, LYBOSUS, SATURNINUS, CRESCENTIUS, SECUNDUS, and HONORATUS, (Date Unknown), another group of martyrs in North Africa, of whom there is no information extant.
EBRULFUS (EVROULT), a married courtier at the Court of King Childebert III, St. Ebrulfus left Court, made financial provisions for his wife, and entered the Abbaye of Saint-Martin des Deux-Jumeaux in Normandy. St. Later he and some of the other monks left the Abbey to live as hermits in the neighbouring Ouche Forest. St. Ebrulfus reposed in 706.
GIRALD (GIRARD, GIRAUD), having received monastic tonsure at the Abbey of St. Peter of Lagny, St. Girald was selected to serve as Abbot of Saint-Arnoult (Abbey of the Holy Apostles) in Metz. Later he was appointed Abbot of the Abbey of St Wandrille (Fontenelle Abbey) in Normandy, where his reforms were so unpopular that he was murdered in 1031, by one of the monks.
MARTINIAN (MARTINIANUS), consecrated the sixteenth Bishop of Milan in 423, St. Martinian served that See until his repose in 435. Whilst Bishop, he was a participant in the Third Œcumenical Council, and fought against the heresy of Nestorianism. His feast is observed on 2nd January on Eastern Calendars.
TROPHIMUS, sent from Rome circa 250 to evangelise the Gauls, St. Trophimus worked with SS. Saturninus of Toulouse (29th November) and Dionysius of Paris (9th October), and served as the first Bishop of Arles, he reposed circa 280.
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ALEXANDER, (Date Unknown), a Bishop of Fermo in the Marches martyred during the Decian persecution (250).
ANASTASIUS, an Abbot of Suppentonia Abbey (present-day Castel Sant'Elia in central Italy). St. Gregory the Dialogist (3rd September) related that St. Anastasius was summoned to heaven by an angel and over the next eight days all of his monks reposed circa 570. St. Anastasius’ relics are enshrined in the Basilica of Sant'Elia or Sant'Anastasio in Castel Sant’Elia.
BOADIN, (Date Unknown), an Irishman who travelled to France, where he then received monastic tonsure.
BRANDAN, (Fifth Century), an Irishman who fled Britain to escape persecution at the hands of the Pelagians. He sought sanctuary in an unnamed monastery in Gaul of which he ultimately became Abbot.
ETHENIA and FIDELMIA, amongst the first converts of St. Patrick (17th March), they were daughters of King Laoghaire. Following their conversion, they became nuns and reposed in holiness in 433.
Kontakion of SS. Ethenia and Fidelmia — Tone IV
Having been tonsured, O most pure and righteous virgins Ethenia and Fidelmia,
you were found worthy to tarry in this vale of tears
and to receive the Body and Blood of Christ, just once,
before going to your eternal reward.
We chant your praises and implore Christ our God
that, in The Eleventh Day of Judgment,
He will not find us wanting.
HONORATA, a nun at Pavia in Lombardy who was captured by Odoacer, King of the Heruli (r. 476–493). Her brother St. Epiphanius (21st January), Bishop of Pavia, ransomed her, and she returned to her monastery. St. Honorata reposed circa 500.
HYGINUS, Pope of Rome from circa 138 until his repose (and possible martyrdom) circa 140.
LEUCIUS of BRINDISI, a missionary from Alexandria, who was the Founding-Bishop of the See of Brindisi, on the Adriatic coast of present-day southern Italy. St. Leucius reposed circa 180.
PALDO, TASO, and TATO, three brothers from Benevento, who became monks at Farfa, and went on to found the monastery of San Vincenzo on the Volturno River in central Italy. The three brothers served as sequential abbots. St. Paldo reposing circa 720, St. Taso circa 729, and St. Tato circa 739.
SALVIUS (SALVE, SAUVE) of AMIENS, ninth Bishop of Amiens in Gaul. He reputedly was a wonderworker, and is listed in some martyrologies as a martyr, though there is nothing to support this claim. St. Salvius reposed circa 625 and his relics are enshrined in Montreuil in Picardy.
SALVIUS (the MARTYR), (Date Unknown), a martyr in Roman North Africa. St. Augustine of Hippo (28th August) is said to have delivered a eulogy.
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.