Icon of St. Ælfheah (Alphege) the Martyr

ÆLFHEAH, (ELPHEGE, ALPHEGE) the MARTYR, St. Ælfheah was the founding-Abbot of an unnamed monastery at Bath. In 984, he succeeded St. Æthelwold (1st August) as Bishop of Winchester, and in 1006 he was translated to the See of Canterbury, serving as its thirtieth Archbishop. St. Ælfheah was murdered by the Danes (circa 1012) during a drunken feast because he would not ransom himself at the expense of his poor tenants, and was therefore regarded as a martyr, the only orthodox Archbishop of Canterbury to have been martyred. His relics were enshrined in St. Paul’s in London and later in Canterbury.

CRESCENTIUS of FLORENCE, a sub-deacon and disciple of the first Bishop of Florence (central Italy), St. Zenobius of Florence (25th May), and student of St. Ambrose of Milan (7th December). St. Crescentius reposed circa 396.

GEROLD of SAXONY, a member of the ducal family of Saxony (eastern Germany) who donated his land to the Abbey of Our Lady of the Hermits of Einsiedeln (Abtai Einsiedeln) in central Switzerland where his two sons, Cuno and Ulric, were monks. Following the example of St. Meinrad of Einsiedeln (21st January) the founder of Einsiedeln, St. Gerold became a hermit in the Tyrol, under the obedience of the Abbot of Einsiedeln. St. Gerold reposed in 978.

URSMAR of LOBBES, Abbot-Bishop of the Abbey of St. Peter of Lobbes (abbaye Saint-Pierre de Lobbes — Hainaut, Belgium), and spiritual father of St. Dodone of Wallers-en-Fagne (1st October). St. Ursmar also assisted in the founding of abbeys at Aulne and Wallers-en-Fagne in Hainaut (Belgium). St. Ursmar reposed in 713.

VINCENT of COLLIOURE, martyred at Collioure in Languedoc (present-day Occitanie in southern France) during the Diocletianic Persecution (303–313).

BERTIN the YOUNGER, not to be confused with his name sake St. Bertin (5th September), St. Bertin the Younger was also a monk at the Abbey of St. Peter / abbaye Saint-Pierre (later the Abbey of St. Bertin / abbaye Saint-Bertin) in Sithiu (present-day Saint-Omer, France), who reposed circa 699.

FELIX of SEVILLE, (Date Unknown), a deacon who was martyred in Seville, of whom nothing further is known.

GERMANUS of NORMANDY, described in an early Life as “Scotus”, St. Germanus was most likely a native of Ireland. It is said he was converted to Christianity by St. Germanus of Auxerre (31st July) during the latter’s circa 429 visit to England. Taking St. Germanus of Auxerre’s name, St. Germanus travelled to Normandy (France), where preached the Gospel to the natives. He was martyred for the Faith in Normandy circa 460.

NEACHTAIN of CILL-UINCHE, (Fifth Century) St. Neachtain was a close relative of St. Patrick of Ireland (17th March), and is traditionally believed to have been present at his repose. Nothing else is known of this saint’s life.

ULTAN of PÉRONNE, the brother of SS. Fursey (16th January) and Foillan (31st October), and a monk with them to Suffolk in England. St. Ultan then went to present-day Belgium where he founded an Abbey near Liège. Finally, he settled at his brother St. Fursey’s Abbey at Péronne in the Somme Valley, where he succeeded his brother as Abbot, serving until his repose circa 686.

VALENTINE of GENOA, an early Bishop of Genoa, St. Valentine served the See from circa 295 until his repose in 307.

VINDEMIALIS, EUGENE, and LONGINUS, three bishops in North Africa and fierce foes of Arianism. All three were subjected to torture and then martyred circa 485, by order of the Arian Huneric, King of the Vandals (r. 477–484).

WALDEBERT (WALBERT, GAUBERT) of LUXEUIL, monk and later Abbot of tthe Abbey of SS. Peter and Paul of Luxeuil (abbaye Saint-Pierre et Saint-Paul de Luxeuil). St. Waldebert assisted St. Salaberga (22nd September) in founding the Abbey of Our Lady of Laon (abbaye Notre-Dame de Laon) in Laon, Francia (northern France). St. Waldebert reposed circa 668.

WIBORADA (GUIBORAT, WEIBRATH) of ST. GALL, a Swabian noblewoman who, following the death of her parents, became an anchoress not far from the Abbey of St. Gall (Abtei St. Gallen) in the present-day Swiss city of St. Gallen. St. Wiborada reposed in 925.