Dr. John (Ellsworth) Hutchison-Hall

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

            

Home » Orthodox Saints of the Pre-Schism See of Rome 23rd December (NS) — 10th December (OS) 2023


Orthodox Saints of the Pre-Schism
See of Rome
23rd December (NS) — 10th December (OS) 2023

by | 23rd December 2023 | Orthodox Western Saints

10th December (OS)

CARPOPHORUS and ABUNDIUS, St. Carpophorus, a priest and his deacon St. Abundius are amongst the many thousands who were martyred for the Faith during the Diocletianic Persecution (303–313). The location of their martyrdom, Rome, Spoleto, or possibly Seville, is the subject of debate.

DEUSDEDIT of BRESCIA, a Bishop of Brescia, and a key figure in the Councils against Monothelitism, reposing circa 679 - 700.

EULALIA, a young girl of only twelve or fourteen years of age, martyred in Mérida, during the Diocletianic Persecution (303–313).

GREGORY III, a native of Syria, whose reputation as a scholar was such, that the Romans elected him their bishop by acclimation. Serving as the ninetieth Pope of Rome from 731 until his repose in 741, St. Gregory was a vigorous opponent of iconoclasm, urging Byzantine Emperor Leo III to moderate his position during the first iconoclastic period (730 - 787), as well as convoking a synod at Rome in November 731 which condemned the heresy. Towards the end of his pontificate, St. Gregory also had to contend with threats from the Lombards.

GUITMARUS, the fourth Abbot of Saint-Riquier in present-day northern France. St. Guitmarus reposed circa 765.

HILDEMAR, Bishop of Beauvais in Picardy from 821 until his repose circa 844. Prior to his consecration as bishop, St. Hildemar was a monk at the Royal Abbey of St. Peter of Corbie (abbaye royale Saint-Pierre de Corbie) in Picardy (northern France).

JULIA of MÉRIDA, a fellow martyr with St. Eulalia (vide supra) in Mérida, circa 304.

MERCURIUS and COMPANIONS, a group of Roman soldiers who were escorting Christian prisoners to their place of execution. The prisoners made such an impression upon their guards, that the soldiers were baptised. Prisoners and guards were martyred together circa 300 in Lentini, Sicily.

MILTIADES thirty-second Pope of Rome from 311 until his repose in 314. Although St. Miltiades was pope when the Edict of Milan was declared by St. Constantine the Great (21st May) in 313, he is still venerated as a martyr on account of the suffering he endured during the reign of the Emperor Maximian (r. 286–305). He was also a force in the battle against Donatism, presiding over a Council in Rome (313) which condemned the heresy.

SINDULF (SINDULPHUS) of VIENNE, Bishop of Vienne, and strong proponent of monasticism in his diocese. St. Sindulf reposed circa 669.

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23rd December (NS)

DAGOBERT II, son of St. Sigebert III (1st February), king of Austrasia, and Chimnechild of Burgundy. St. Sigebert reposed in 656, while St. Dagobert was still a child and the throne was stolen by St. Dagobert’s guardian Gimoald who wanted it for his son, Childebert. St Dagobert was exiled to Ireland. St. Dagobert had several children, including SS. Irmina of Oeren and Adela of Pfalzel (both 24th December). Ultimately, he was recalled to Austrasia where he died in an alleged hunting accident, which is widely believed to have been murder, by Ebroin, designed to permanently remove him from the throne, and is considered a martyr.

FRITHBERT (FRITHUBEORHT, FRITHUBERHT, FRITHUBERTUS) of HEXHAM, the successor of St. Acca (20th October) as seventh Bishop of Hexham which he ruled from 8th September, 734 until his repose on 23rd December, 766.

MAZOTA of ABERNETHY, (Eighth Century?), the leader of a group of holy virgins from Ireland who settled at Abernethy on the Tay, Perth and Kinross, Scotland where they founded a religious community. There are differing accounts of the number in this company, with some sources saying nineteen, and others only nine. To further complicate things some sources confuse them with the daughters of St. Donald of Ogilvy (15th July) who are known as the 'the Nine Maidens', whilst still others make them out to be a contemporary of St. Brigid of Kildare (1st February) who flourished during the late fourth, early fifth century. St. Mazota seems to have been a woman of great sanctity and Forbes’ Kalendar of Scottish Saints mentions numerous, but unspecified, miracles performed by her, and after her repose through her intercession which resulted in her tomb being a noted place of pilgrimage.

MIGDONIUS and MARDONIUS, imperial officials in Rome who were martyred during the Diocletianic Persecution (A.D. 303) for refusing to renounce their faith.

SERVULUS, St. Gregory the Dialogist (3rd September) wrote of St. Servulus, a man with severe palsy, who begged in front of the church of St. Clement in Rome. He kept only the minimum funds necessary for the barest existence, giving the rest to those he considered in straits more dire than his. St. Servulus reposed circa 590.

VICTORIA and ANATOLIA, two Christian sisters betrothed to pagans, who refused to marry them or take part in pagan rituals. They were denounced to the authorities and martyred in 250.

VINTILA, a hermit at Pugino in Galicia who reposed in 890.

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.