Dr. John (Ellsworth) Hutchison-Hall

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

            

Home » Orthodox Saints of the Pre-Schism See of Rome 5th April (NS) — 23rd March (OS) 2024


Orthodox Saints of the Pre-Schism
See of Rome
5th April (NS) — 23rd March (OS) 2024

by | 5th April 2024 | Orthodox Western Saints

23rd March O.S.

BENEDICT of CAMPANIA, a hermit in the Campania (the area of present-day Italy in and around Naples) and friend of St. Benedict of Nursia (11th July), St. Gregory the Dialogist (3rd September) also mentions him in some of his writings. St. Benedict was taken prisoner and thrown into a fire by the army of Totila, King of the Ostrogoths (r. 541–552). He remained in the fire for an entire day before emerging completely unharmed. St. Benedict lived until circa 550, reposing of natural causes.

ETHILWALD of FARNE, a monk at Ripon, St. Ethilwald lived as an anchorite on the Island of Farne for the last twelve years of his life, reposing in 699.

FELIX the MARTYR and COMPANIONS, aside from brief mentions in the old martyrologies, and by St. Bede the Venerable (25th May) there is nothing known about these saints. Out of a group of twenty-one, only the name of St. Felix is known. Beyond that, it is known they were martyred in North Africa in the late-fifth century during the reign of the Arian Huneric, King of the Vandals (r. 477–484).

FELIX of MONTE CASSINO, a monk at one of the dependencies of the Abbey of Monte Cassino who reposed circa 1000. Following St. Felix’s repose many miracles were reported to have taken place at his tomb, leading the Bishop of Chieti to have St. Felix’s relics enshrined and made available for veneration.

FIDELIS the MARTYR, (Date Unknown), a martyr in North Africa of whom nothing is known. Some hagiographers reckon him to be part of the group martyred with Felix (vide supra) under the Arian Huneric, King of the Vandals (r. 477–484), though he is most likely not connected with them.

Orthodox Icon of St. Nicon of Sicily 256x375px

Icon of St. Nicon of Sicily

FRUMENTIUS of HADRUMETUM, a wealthy merchant in Hadrumetum (present-day Sousse, Tunisia) who was martyred for refusing to convert to Arianism during the persecutions under the Arian Huneric, King of the Vandals (r. 477–484) in 484.

MAIDOC (MO-MHAEDOG) of FIDDOWN, (Fifth Century), an Abbot of Fiddown in southern Co. Kilkenny in Ireland, nothing further is known about him.

NICON of SICILY and COMPANIONS, a Roman soldier and leader of a group of monks who took up monastic life whilst in the Holy Land. Hoping to escape the persecution going on at the time in the Holy Land, St. Nicon and his brothers fled to Sicily. Sadly, there they found not safety, but the Decian Persecution, and all were martyred circa 250.

VICTORIAN of HADRUMETUM, CRESCENTIUS of CARTHAGE, LIBERATUS of CARTHAGE, and COMPANIONS, St. Victorian, a pro-consul of Carthage, St. Crescentius, a priest, and St. Liberatus, a wealthy merchant. All of whom, including St. Liberatus’ wife and children, were martyred in 484 at Hadrumetum under the Arian Huneric, King of the Vandals (r. 477–484) for refusing to abandon orthodox Christianity and embrace Arianism.

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5th April N.S.

BECAN (BEGAN) of KILL-BEGGAN, one of the ‘Twelve Apostles of Ireland’ (6th January). St. Becan is credited with founding a monastery at Kill-Beggan in Co. Westmeath, Ireland. He also gave his name to the church and parish of Imleach-Becain, Co. Meath, Ireland. The Félire Óengusso (Martyrology of Ængus) lists him along with SS. Enda (21st March) and Cuan (1st January) as ‘three greatest champions of virtue, and leaders of saints of their era’.

DERFEL-GADARN, it is universally accepted that he was a celebrated warrior, and local legend claims St. Derfel-Gadarn was one of seven warriors of King Arthur who survived the Battle of Camlann (537 or 539). St. Derfel-Gadarn entered monastic life later, and spent a period of time as a hermit at Llandderfel in Gwynedd, Wales. The present parish of St. Derfel (Church of Wales) is located on the site believed to have been where St. Derfel-Gadarn had his hermitage. Always held in great veneration by the Welsh, St. Derfel-Gararn reposed in the late sixth century.

MARTYRS of NORTH-WEST AFRICA, an unknown number martyred in 459 during the Easter liturgy, by order of the Arian Gaiseric, King of the Vandals (r. 428–477).

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.