Dr. John (Ellsworth) Hutchison-Hall

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

            

Home » Orthodox Saints of the Pre-Schism See of Rome 30th January (NS) — 17th January (OS) 2025


Orthodox Saints of the Pre-Schism
See of Rome
30th January (NS) — 17th January (OS) 2025

by | 30th January 2025 | Orthodox Western Saints

17th January (OS)

ANTONY, MERULUS, and JOHN, (Sixth Century), three holy monks at St. Andrew's (now San Gregorlo) on the Coelian Hill in Rome. They were disciples of St. Gregory the Dialogist (3rd September) who wrote extensively of their virtues, wonderworking, and gifts of clairvoyance. All three reposed circa 590.

GAMELBERT, the son of a wealthy, and possibly noble, Bavarian family. St. Gamelbert went on a pilgrimage to Rome where he was priested. Upon his return to Bavaria, St. Gamelbert served for over fifty years as a parish priest in Michaelsbuch in present-day Plattling, Bavaria, and reposed in 800.

GENULFUS (GENOU) and GENITUS, two third century monks at Selles-sur-Nahon in Berry in the Loire Valley (present-day Department of Indre, France).

JOSEPH of FREISING, the third Bishop of Freising in Bavaria. St. Joseph also founded the Abbey of St. Zeno of Verona at Isen also in Bavaria. St. Joseph reposed in 764, his relics were enshrined at Isen Abbey.

MILDGYTHA, St. Mildgytha was the youngest and least well known of the three daughters of Merewald, King of Mercia, and St. Æbba of Minster in Thanet, Princess of Kent (19th November). Along with her sisters, SS. Mildred (13th July) and Milburgh (23rd February), St. Mildgyth entered monastic life. After receiving monastic tonsure at Eastry Monastery, she joined her sisters at Minster-in-Thanet, and upon at St. Mildred’s death succeeded her as abbess. St. Mildgyth reposed circa 676.

NENNIUS, (Sixth Century) no details of this saint survive to this day, though he is mentioned in the Lives of several other saints. He was a member of the Irish nobility who forsook his high-born life for the monastery. He began under St. Fiace of Leinster (12th October), and later moved on to Clonard as a disciple of St. Finian (12th December). He is counted as one of the ‘Twelve Apostles of Ireland’.

RICHIMIR (RICHIMIRUS), with the blessing and support of the Bishop of Le Mans, St. Richimir, along with a group of fellow-monk disciples founded a monastery in the Loire Valley. St. Richimir served as the first Abbot, of the monastery which came to be called Saint-Rigomer-des-Bois after him. St. Richimir reposed circa 715.

SULPICIUS (II) the PIOUS, the Bishop of Bourges in the Loire Valley from 624 until his repose in 647. Born to a wealthy noble family, St. Sulpicius decided at an early age to renounce the world and serve Christ. Known for his piety and later in life St. Sulpicius resigned his See to live a life of prayer and service to those in need.

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30th January (NS)

ALDEGUND (ALDEGONDE), a sister of St. Waldetrudis (9th April), Abbess of Mons. St. Aldegund was a disciple of St. Amandus of Maastricht (6th February) who also tonsured her into monasticism. She founded the double monastery of Maubeuge Abbey in the County of Hainaut, (present-day northern France), and served as its Abbess until her repose in 684.

AMNICHAD (AMNUCHAD), originally either from Ireland or Scotland (sources vary), St. Amnichad emigrated to Fulda Abbey in present-day Germany where he received monastic tonsure, and later lived as a hermit there. St. Amnichad reposed in 1043.

ARMENTARIUS, the first Bishop of Antibes (on the Côte d'Azur in south-eastern France). St. Armentarius reposed circa 451. There seems to be no further information extant on St. Armentarius, though the Gallia Christiana states he was in attendance at the Second Council of Vaison in 442.

ARMENTARIUS, Bishop of Pavia in Lombardy from 711 until his repose in 732. No further information on his life is extant as the Acts have either been lost to time or were destroyed.

BATHILDIS, an Anglo-Saxon princess or noble who had been sold as a slave to the mayor of the palace of the Kingdom of Burgundy and Neustria. In 649 St. Bathildis was married to King Clovis II and bore his successors, Clothaire III, Childeric II, and Thierry III. Following the death of Clovis II, she served as regent of France until Clotaire III came of age (656–664). Once her sons reached majority, St. Bathildis retired to the Abbey of Our Lady of Chelles (Abbaye Notre-Dame-des-Chelles) where she received monastic tonsure and lived until her repose in 680.

FELICIAN, PHILIPPIAN, and COMPANIONS, (date unknown), a group of one hundred and twenty-six martyrs in North Africa. Though listed in ancient Martyrologies, no information on their lives is extant.

MARTINA, (Third Century), a Roman maiden, who was martyred in the early third century; possibly during the reign of Alexander Severus (r. 222–235).

SAVINA (SABINA), martyred during the Diocletianic Persecution (311) for aiding and comforting prisoners and arranging proper burials for martyrs.

TUDY (TUDCLYD, TYBIE, TYDIE), (Fifth Century), nothing certain is known about this saint other than she was one of the twenty-four children of King St. Brychan of Brycheiniog (6th April). She has left her name to Llandybie in Carmarthenshire in Wales.

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.