BARTHOLOMEW of ROSSANO, though born in Rossano, Calabria (south-western Italy), St. Bartholomew was of Greek ancestry. He was a disciple of St. Nilus the Younger (26th September) and received monastic tonsure and was one of the founding monks at the Monastery of Santa Maria (Greek Abbey of Saint Nilus) in Grottaferrata, part of present-day metropolitan Rome in Italy. Following St. Nilus' repose in 1005, St. Bartholomew became Abbot finishing the work St. Nilus had begun at Grottaferrata; to the point that St. Bartholomew is often referred to as the 'second founder'. In addition to the construction, education, and manuscript work which took place during his abbotship, St. Bartholomew also convinced the depraved Pope Benedict IX to finally resign the Papacy, renounce his claims to it, and to live out the rest of his life in penance as a humble monk at Grottaferrata. St. Bartholomew reposed in 1065.

BERTUIN (BERTHUIN) of MALONNE, an Anglo-Saxon bishop who emigrated to the area that is present-day Malonne near Namur in Belgium, where he established a church and abbey. St. Bertuin reposed circa 698.

CYNFRAN of WALES, (Fifth Century), a son of the great King St. Brychan of Brycheiniog (6th April), St. Cynfran founded of a church at Llysfaen, Clwyd, Wales, where there is a holy well known as Ffynnon Gynfran (St. Cynfran’s Well). St. Cynfran is patron saint of Llysfaen.

Icon of St. Martin of Tours

MARTIN of TOURS, born in Upper Pannonia to a pagan Roman officer and his pagan wife, St. Martin was raised in Pavia in Lombardy (northern Italy). In his early teens he became a catechumen, and at 15 joined the Roman Imperial Army. Though he was initially assigned to a ceremonial unit, later St. Martin was made a cavalry officer, and posted to Gaul. Probably the most well-known story of St. Martin is of him encountering a beggar at Amiens and cutting his cloak in half St. Martin gave half to the beggar. Later his had a vision of Christ wearing the cloak. After leaving the army, St. Martin became a disciple of St. Hilary of Poitiers (13th January) and lived as a hermit just south of Poitiers (west-central France) for a decade. During this time other monks gathered round St. Martin's hermitage, forming the nucleus of what became the Abbey of St. Martin of Ligugé. In 372 St. Martin was consecrated the third Bishop of Tours (west-central France). Shortly after consecration St. Martin founded a monastery at Marmoutier 3km / 2mi outside the walls of Tours, where he lived for the duration of his episcopacy and life. St. Martin had the gifts of prophecy and wonderworking and was the first non-martyr to have a cultus of sainthood develop. St. Martin reposed in 397, initially he was buried, by his request, in the paupers' cemetery, however, his relics were later enshrined in the Basilica of St. Martin, Tours (Basilique Saint-Martin de Tours).

MENNAS of SANTOMENNA, (Sixth Century), a sixth century hermit at Santomenna (south-western Italy).

RHEDIW, (Date Unknown), Eglwys Sant Rhedyw (Church of St. Rhedyw) in the village of Llanllyfni, Gwynedd, Wales is dedicated to St. Rhediw. Nothing further is known about this saint.

VALENTINE of RAVENNA, FELICIAN of RAVENNA, and VICTORINUS of RAVENNA , Martyrs of Ravenna, three Christians martyred at Ravenna circa 305. Nothing further is known of them.

VERANUS, a fifth century Bishop of Lyons (east-central France) of whom nothing further is known.

BIEUZY, (Seventh Century), a disciple of St. Gildas the Wise (29th January), whom he accompanied to Brittany. St. Bieuzy was known as a wonderworker with the gift of healing both men and animals. He was murdered by a nobleman for refusing to interrupt his celebration of the Mass to go heal the noble’s rabid dogs.

CHRYSOGONUS, martyred during the Diocletianic Persecution (303 – 305), at Aquileia. Little of any certainty is known of his life, though he has been listed in various martyrologies since the Martyrologium Hieronymianum.

COLMAN of CLOYNE, unfortunately St. Colman flourished at a time for which little contemporary written history is still extant, and as far as is known no Life of St. Colman was ever written. Therefore, we are left to rely upon a diverse source of materials including a tale known as Conall Corc and the Corco Loígde (c. 700 or earlier), which includes a few brief notes on St. Colman, with the addition of information gleaned from Irish annals, genealogies, martyrologies, and even nineteenth and twentieth century Hagiographies. As far as is known St. Colman was born in Cork (c. 522-530), and whilst it is unclear whether he was raised as a Christian, it is certain that he was a man of substantial education. St. Colman spent the first forty-eight years of his adult life as a poet at the Court of Cashel, and was one of the earliest known Irish poets to write in the vernacular. Several encounters with SS. Brendan the Voyager (16th May) and Íte of Cluain Credail (15th January), prompted St. Colman to receive monastic tonsure. St. Brendan tonsured St. Colman and sent him to study under St. Jarlath (6th June) at his school at Tuam in present-day Co. Galway. St. Colman went on to found the monastery of Cluain Uama from which the Diocese of Cloyne grew, with St. Colman serving as its first bishop. Cluain Uama soon acquired a reputation as a place of great earning and was even praised in the Triads of Ireland as a centre of legal studies. St. Colman reposed on 24th November, circa 600, and was most likely buried at his monastery in Cloyne.

CRESCENTIAN, martyred in Rome with SS. Cyriacus, Largus, and Smaragdus (8th August). They were tortured to death on the rack, 309.

EANFLÆD (EANFLAED) of WHITBY, a daughter of King St. Eadwine of Northumbria (12th October), and his wife St. Æthelburh of Kent (8th September). St. Eanflæd was baptised by St. Paulinus of York (10th October), who later baptised King St. Eadwine. When St. Eanflæd was only seven years of age, her father was martyred at the battle of Hatfield Chase (633), after which her newly widowed mother, accompanied by St. Paulinus, returned to Kent with her children. In time St. Eanflæd was married to Oswiu, King of Northumbria (r. 611/12–670), with their union resulting in the birth of St. Ælflæd of Whitby (8th February), who was to become the second Abbess of Whitby. Though both Christians, King Oswiu followed the Celtic practice, whilst Queen St. Eanflæd followed the Roman (vide Paschal Controversy). Upon the repose of her husband, St. Eanflæd received monastic tonsure and entered her daughter’s monastery at Whitby. St. Eanflæd spent the rest of her life as a simple monastic and reposed circa 700. She was buried in the Abbey Church at Whitby, near the remains of King Oswiu.

FELICISSIMUS, a martyr who suffered in Perugia, circa 303. Nothing further is known of his life.

FIRMINA, a Roman maiden tortured to death at Amelia in Umbria during the persecutions under Diocletian (circa 303).

FLORA and MARY, two maidens in Cordoba who were tortured and beheaded for their faith during the persecutions under the Emir of Córdoba, Abd ar-Rahman II in 851.

KENAN (CIANAN), (Fifth Century), when St. Patrick (17th March) established a See at present-day Duleek (Irish: Damhliag, “stone house or church”) Co. Meath circa 450, he made St. Kenan its first bishop. According to the Office of St. Cianán St. Kenan was the first in Ireland to build his cathedral of stone.

LEOPARDINUS, a seventh century Abbot of the monastery of St. Symphorian in Vivaris, Berry (present-day France). He was assassinated and subsequently venerated as a martyr.

MARINUS, martyred by the Saracens at Chandor, where he was a hermit 731.

PORTIANUS, a former slave who became a monk and later Abbot of Miranda in Auvergne. His influence was such that he was able to induce King Thierry of Austrasia to free his Auvergnat prisoners. St. Portianus reposed in 533.

PROTASIUS, ninth Bishop of Milan from 331 until his repose in 352. He defended St. Athanasius (18th January) against Arianism, and attended the Council of Sardica in 343.

ROMANUS of LE MANS, a nephew of St. Julian of Le Mans (27th January) who ordained him to the priesthood. St. Romanus was charged by his uncle with evangelising the area around the Gironde Estuary. He reposed at Blaye in Bordeaux in 385 after years of fruitful missionary work, especially amongst the regions’ seamen.