BODAGISIL, a Frankish noble and courtier whose sanctity of life was greatly praised by SS. Gregory of Tours (17th November), Venantius Fortunatus (14th December), and others of their era. Upon retirement St. Bodagisil founded a monastery on the banks of the Meuse River in present-day Belgium, and served as the monastery’s first Abbot until his repose in 588.

DESIDERATUS, the son of St. Waningus (9th January) founder of the Abbey of the Holy Trinity of Fécamp, Normandy. St. Desideratus received monastic tonsure at Fontenelle Abbey in Normandy. He reposed circa 700.

FLANNAN, (Seventh Century), the first Bishop of the Diocese of Killaloe in mid-western Ireland. St. Flannan was a wonderworker, and is remembered as an indefatigable missionary. In addition to his missionary work, and caring for his diocese, St. Flannan managed to recite the entire Psalter each day.

GATIAN (GATIANUS), a companion of St. Dionysius of Paris (9th October) on his mission to the Gauls. St. Gatian served as the first Bishop of Tours, and is believed to have reposed circa 301 or 337.

MOSES (MOYSETES), martyred in North Africa circa 250, it is thought during the Decian Persecution (250–251). No further information on his life is extant.

QUINTUS, SIMPLICIUS, and COMPANIONS, a group of martyrs in Africa Proconsularis circa 255 of whom nothing further is known.

RUFUS and ZOSIMUS, companions of St. Ignatius of Antioch (17th October) during his transport as a prisoner to Rome, where they were all martyred circa 107.

SAMTHAN, (Sixth Century), foundress and first Abbess of Clonbroney Abbey in Co. Longford, Ireland. St. Samthan is one of only four female Irish saints for whom extant Latin Lives exist (SS. Brigit (1st February), Ita (15th January), Monenna (6th July) being the others). The Félire Óengusso (Martyrology of Ængus) devotes its entire entry for this day to her, and both it, and her Life attribute many miracles to her. St. Samthann reposed in 739.

VICTURUS, VICTOR, VICTORINUS, ADJUTOR, QUARTUS, and COMPANIONS, (Date Unknown), a group of thirty-five martyrs in Roman Africa of whom no further information is extant.

WINEBALD, the brother of SS. Willibald (7th July), and Walburgh (25th February). Whilst on pilgrimage to the Holy Land with his brother, St. Winebald was taken ill and had to stop in Rome. He ended up spending seven years in Rome recovering and studying before returning to England. St. Winebald then joined St. Boniface (5th June) in Germany, where he evangelised Thuringia, Bavaria, and Mainz. Finally, he founded the double monastery of Heidenheim serving as its first Abbot, and his sister St. Walburgh as Abbess. St. Winebald reposed in 761.

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BARBATIAN, (Fifth Century), a priest from Antioch who, whilst in Rome on a mission, found himself advising the Empress Placidia Augusta. She was so impressed by his wisdom and council that she persuaded him to relocate to Ravenna, building a monastery for him near the imperial court.

COLUMBA of SENS, one of a group of Christians who fled their native Spain to avoid being denounced as Christians. However, they were all martyred near Meaux (273) during the reign of Aurelian. Her relics were enshrined at Sens, but were destroyed by the Huguenots in the sixteenth century.

DONATA, HILARIA, DOMINANDA, NOMINANDA, PAOLINA, PAULINA, ROGATA, RUSTICA, SATURNINA, SEROTINA, and COMPANIONS, (Date Unknown), an unknown number of Roman women martyred in an early persecution, of whom only the names of these ten are known. Their relics are enshrined in the catacombs of the Via Salaria in Rome.

Icon of St. Melania of Rome

MELANIA the YOUNGER and PINIAN, wealthy Roman nobles, St. Melania was the granddaughter of her namesake Melania the Elder (8th Jun) and married to St. Pinian. Following the repose of their children, and to escape the coming Visigoth onslaught, they fled to Tagaste in Africa Byzacena, where they had estates. There they became friendly with St. Augustine of Hippo (28th August), taking vows of celibacy, they renounced the world, disposed of land and chattel, and built two monasteries for St. Augustine. They then went to Jerusalem, entered monasteries, where they spent the rest of their days. St. Pinian reposed circa 438, and St. Melania circa 439.

PETER of SUBIACO, an Abbot of Subiaco who was blinded and imprisoned for defending the rights of the Abbey. St. Peter reposed in prison in 1003 from torture and maltreatment and is considered a martyr.

SABINIAN and POTENTIAN, St. Sabinian is generally considered to have been the first Bishop of Sens, and St. Potentian his successor. Both were martyred circa 300.

SILVESTER, St. Silvester was the thirty-third Pope of Rome serving from 314 until his repose in 335. During his pontificate, he helped with the conversion of St. Constantine the Great (21st May); supervised the building of the Basilica of St. John Lateran and Old St. Peter's Basilica. It was also while St. Silvester was pontiff that the Arian heresy first came to the fore; leading to the First Œcumenical Council in Nicaea (325), to which he sent legates.

STEPHEN, PONTIAN, ATTALUS, FABIAN, CORNELIUS, SEXTUS, FLOS, QUINTIAN, MINERVINUS, and SIMPLICIAN, (Date Unknown), a group of Christians martyred in Catania in Sicily. Of the group, only the names of these ten are known.