Dr. John (Ellsworth) Hutchison-Hall

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

            

Orthodox Saints of the Pre-Schism See of Rome

ADELPHUS of METZ, (Fifth Century), believed to have been the tenth Bishop of Metz (north-east France), St. Adelphus succeeded St. Rufus of Metz (7th November) and ruled the See for seventeen years. Unfortunately, nothing certain is known of him, as all information on his life was added to the various martyrologies at much later dates. Hence, the aforementioned is really based upon conjecture; however, the existence of his cultus going back to an early date is without question.

ALBERIC of BAGNO di ROMAGNA, a hermit in present-day north-eastern Italy. St. Alberic reposed circa 1050, and his relics are enshrined in the Benedictine San Anastasio Church in the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Marino-Montefeltro. Nothing further is known of him.

CANDIDA of ROME, (Date Unknown), one of a group martyred on the Ostian Way outside the gates of Rome. Her relics were enshrined in the ninth century at the Basilica of Saint Praxedes, (Basilica di Santa Prassede all’Esquillino), on the Via di Santa Prassede in Rome. She has been variously described as both a virgin martyr and simply a martyr, but nothing is actually known about her.

EDWOLD (EADWOLD) of CERNE (the HERMIT), St. Edwold was most likely the brother of St. Edmund the Martyr (20th November), King of the East Angles (r. c. 855–869). A wonderworker, he lived as a hermit at Cerne, in Dorset, England, in the latter half of the ninth century. Shortly after his repose St. Edwold was venerated as a saint. No further information on his life is known to us.

EUTHYMIUS of PERUGIA, a Roman who fled to Perugia with his wife and son, St. Crescentius of Rome (14th September), during the Diocletianic Persecution (303–313). St. Euthymius reposed in the early fourth century at Perugia.

MEDERICUS (MERRI), born in Autun, Burgundy (France) to a noble family, he received monastic tonsure at the Abbey of St. Martin (l'abbaye Saint-Martin d'Autun) in Autun at the age of thirteen, eventually serving as its abbot. The last few years of his life were spent as an anchorite. He is said to have reposed circa 700 whilst on a pilgrimage to the tomb of St. Germanus of Paris (28th May). St. Medericus is the patron saint of Paris’ Right Bank and the Église Saint-Merri located in Rue Saint Martin in the 4th Arrondissement of Paris commemorates his name.

Orthodox Christian Icon of Roman Saint, Sabina of Rome 266x375px

Icon of St. Sabina of Rome

SABINA of ROME, it seems she was a wealthy Roman widow who was converted by the pious example of her Christian servant St. Seraphia the Martyr (29th July). St. Sabina was most likely martyred in the persecution of Christians during the reign of Emperor Hadrian (r. 117–138). The historic Basilica di Santa Sabina all'Aventino on the Aventine Hill in Rome is dedicated to her.

SABINA of TROYES, commonly thought to be the sister of St. Sabinian of Troyes (29th January). According to tradition she was baptised in Rome by the future Pope St. Eusebius (26th September); but as her parents were still pagans, she decided circa 276 to join her brother in Troyes (north-central France). As St. Sabina approached Troyes, she heard of St. Sabinian's martyrdom and prayed that she might join him soon in heaven. It is said that St. Sabina reposed immediately upon completion of her prayer.

SÆBBI of ESSEX (SEBBE, SEBBA), St. Sæbbi was joint King of Essex with his brother Sigehere, from 664 to 683. Following Sigehere’s repose in 683, St. Sæbbi ruled as sole King until 694, when he abdicated the throne and entered the monastery of Westminster (the present-day Westminster Abbey), which he had founded. St. Sæbbi spent the next three years in prayer and repentance. He reposed in 697 and was buried in St. Paul’s Cathedral in London. His tomb survived the fire at St. Paul’s in 1087, and his relics were translated to a black marble sarcophagus in the mid-twelfth century Unfortunately, his relics did not survive the Great Fire of London in 1666. A plaque commemorating St. Sæbbi was erected in the Wren designed cathedral.

VELLEICUS (WILLEIC), (Eighth Century), an Anglo-Saxon abbot who joined St. Swithbert of Kaiserswerth (1st March) in his evangelisation of the Germans. St. Velleicus later served as Abbot of Kaiserswerth Abbey (Kloster Kaiserswerth), in present-day Düsseldorf Germany.

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.