Dr. John (Ellsworth) Hutchison-Hall

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

            

Orthodox Saints of the Pre-Schism See of Rome

ATTRACTA (ATHRACHT) of KILLARAGHT, (Fifth Century), St. Attracta is believed to have been a contemporary of St. Patrick of Ireland (17th March), from whom it is thought she received monastic tonsure. She went on to found monasteries in Co. Sligo (north-western Ireland) and neighbouring Co. Roscommon. St. Attracta was renowned for her charity and the hospitality she extended to travellers and the homeless.

CHROMATIUS the PREFECT, (Third Century), the father of St. Tiburtius of Rome (vide infra). Whilst Præfectus Urbi of Rome, St. Chromatius was converted to Christianity by St. Tranquillinus of Rome (6th July) and baptised by St. Polycarp of Rome (23rd February).

DIGNA of TODI, (Fourth Century), an anchoress in the mountains near Todi in Umbria (central Italy). Living a life of prayer, St. Digna was known for her holiness of life. Though she flourished during the Diocletianic Persecution (303–313), it seems she was not one of its martyrs.

EQUITIUS (EQUIZIO) of VALERIA, greatly influenced St. Benedict of Nursia (11th July), St. Equitius was the founder of a number of monasteries in the region of Valeria Suburbicaria (present-day L'Aquila-Rieti-Tivoli, Italy). St. Gregory the Dialogist (3rd September) speaks highly of him in his Dialogues. St. Equitius reposed circa 570 at the monastery of San Lorenzo di Pizzoli in Aquila (southern Italy), one of the monasteries which he had founded.

GAUGERICUS (GAU, GÉRY) of CAMBRAI, a native of Trier in the present-day German state of Rhineland-Palatinate, who was circa 585 consecrated Bishop of Cambrai-Arras (northern France). Gaugericus assisted at the Council of Paris held in October 614. St. Gaugericus reposed circa 625 after an episcopate of thirty-nine years.

LELIA, (Date Unknown), there is no recorded information on the life of St. Lelia, though observances of her feast have been documented for hundreds of years. There are several places in Ireland whose names are derived from Lelia, including Killeely (Cill Liadaini), Co. Limerick.

RUFINUS of MARSI and COMPANIONS, (Date Unknown), there is a St. Rufinus, Bishop of the Marsi, and his companions, martyred during the reign of Emperor Maximinus I (r. 235–238) amongst the saints commemorated on 11th August in the Roman Martyrology. However, he is in all likelihood the same as the St. Rufinus (of Assisi) commemorated on 30th July.

SUSANNA of ROME, the daughter of St. Gabinus (19th February) and niece of a Caius, variously identified as either Pope St. Caius (22 April) or Caius, Presbyter of Rome, the third century Churchman and apologist. St. Susanna was beheaded by order of the Emperor Diocletian (r. 284–305), also a relative, in her father's house circa 295. The house in which she was martyred, as well as the one next door, belonging to her uncle, were converted into a church which later became St. Susanna ad duas domos in Rome. For reasons no longer known she is frequently grouped with St. Tiburtius of Rome (vide infra) on calendars, though there is no connexion between them.

TAURINUS of EVREUX, traditionally reckoned the first Bishop of Evreux in Normandy (northern France). He reposed circa 410–412, there is no further information extant.

TIBURTIUS of ROME, the only son of St. Chromatius the Prefect (vide supra). St. Tiburtius was martyred c. 286 by beheading at the third mile-stone of the Via Lavicana, Rome. He is mentioned in the legends of St. Sebastian (20th January) who is said to have been his Godfather. St. Tiburtius was entombed in the Inter duas lauros cemetery on the Via Lavicana in Rome. For reasons no longer known he is frequently grouped with St. Susanna of Rome (vide supra) on calendars, though there is no connexion between them.

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.