Today's Saints

St Ildephonsus:


St. Ildephonsus
Feastday: January 23
St. Ildephonsus is highly regarded in Spain and closely associated with devotion to the Blessed Virgin which he fostered by his famous work concerning her perpetual virginity. Born around 607, Ildephonsus came from a noble family and was probably a pupil of St. Isidore of Seville. While still quite young, he entered the Benedictine monastery of Agalia near Toledo and went on to become its Abbot. In that capacity he attended the Councils of Toledo in 653 and 655.
In 657 the clergy and people elected this holy man to succeed his uncle, St. Eugenius, as Archbishop of Toledo. He performed his episcopal duties with diligence and sanctity until his death in 667. This saint was a favorite subject for medieval artists, especially in connection with the legend of Our Lady's appearance to present him with a chalice. St. Ildephonsus was a prolific writer, but unfortunately only four of his works have survived. Among these are the one already mentioned and an important document of the history of the Spanish Church during the first two-thirds of the seventh century, entitled Concerning Famous Men

St Agathanelus:

St. Agathangelus
Feastday: January 23
309
Martyr baptized by St. Clement of Ancyra. Agathangelus met Clement in Rome. When Clement was taken to Ancyra, Agathangelus went with him, sharing in his martyrdom there


St. Amasius:

St. Amasius
Feastday: January 23
356
Bishop and exile, involved in the Arian persecution of his era. Amasius was a Greek who had to flee his homeland because of the Arian heresy. He went to Italy and was named the bishop of Teano in 346.

St Asclas:

St. Asclas
Feastday: January 23
287
Martyr who performed a miracle concerning Arrian, the governor of Egypt. Asclas was brought before Arrian during the persecutions instituted by Emperor Diocletian. Asclas was tortured for a time by Governor Arrian, until Arrian started to cross the Nile but found himself unable to do so. Asclas informed the governor that he would never cross the Nile unless he acknowledged Christ in writing. Arrian wrote this tribute and crossed the Nile. However, once safe, he commanded that Asclas be tortured and thrown into the Nile.

St Barnard:

St. Barnard
Feastday: January 23
841
Benedictine archbishop, founder and member of the court of Charlemagne. He was born in the Frene province of Lyonnais, in 777, and was educated at court. lie became a Benedictine and restored Ambronay Abbey, becoming abbot of the monks. In 810, Barnard was made the archbishop of Vienne, France, where he founded Romans Abbey in 837. He died there. He was canonized in 1907.

St Severian & Aquila:

St. Severian & Aquila
Feastday: January 23
unknown
Two martyrs put to death in Roman Africa. They were probably husband and wife.

St Colman of Lismore:

St. Colman of Lismore
Feastday: January 23
702
Abbot bishop of the monastery of Lismore, Ireland. He succeeded St. Hierlug in 698.

St Emerentiana:

St. Emerentiana
Feastday: January 23
304
Martyr of Rome, in some traditions the foster sister of St. Agnes, stoned to death when discovered praying at Agnes’ grave. Emerentiana was possibly martyred elsewhere. Her cult was confined to local calendars in 1969

St Eusebius:

St. Eusebius
Feastday: January 23
4th century
Syrian hermit who established his holy refuge on Mount Coryphe, near Antioch.

St Henry Suso, Blessed:

St. Henry Suso, Blessed
Feastday: January 23
1366
Famed German Dominican mystic wrote many classic books. Born Heinrich von Berg in Constance, Swabia, he entered the Order of Preachers, the Dominicans, at an early age. Undergoing a conversion, he developed an abiding spiritual life and studied under Meister Eckhart in Cologne from 1322-1325. He then returned to Constance to teach, subsequently authoring numerous books of spirituality. As he supported Meister Eckhart who was then the source of some controversy and had been condemned by Pope John XXII in 1329 Henry was censured by his superiors and stripped of his teaching position. He subsequently became a preacher in Switzerland and the Upper Rhine and was a brilliant spiritual advisor among the Dominicans and the spiritual community of the Gottesfreunde . He endured persecution right up until his death at Ulm. Pope Gregory XVI beatified him in 1831

St John the Almoner:

St. John the Almoner
Feastday: January 23
616
Patriarch of Alexandria, Egypt, called “the Almoner” because of his generosity to the poor. He was born into a noble family of Cyprus and was briefly married. When his wife and child died, he entered the religious life, and in 608 was named patriarch of Alexandria. He aided refugees from the Persian assaults on the Holy Land and built charitable institutions. John predicted his own death. He had to leave Alexandria when a Persian invasion troubled the region and had a vision of his demise. John went to Amathus, on Cyprus, where he died on November 11.

St Luthfild:

St. Luthfild
Feastday: January 23
850
Hermitess of Cologne, Germany. She is revered in that city.

St Maimbod:

St. Maimbod
Feastday: January 23
Irish martyr, also called Mainboeuf, missionary to Kaltenbrunn. Alsace, France. He was martyred by local pagans while preaching to them.

St Ormond:

St. Ormond
Feastday: January 23
6th century
French abbot, also listed as Armand. He was elected abbot of the monastery of Saint Maire, circa 587. Ormond was a patron of the monastic expansion and evangelization programs of his era.

St Parmenas:

St. Parmenas
Feastday: January 2
398
One of the seven deacons appointed by the Apostles to minister to the Hellenized Jews of Jerusalem who had converted to the Christian faith. Their labors were reported in the Acts of the Apostles. Parmenas is said to have to have spent many years preaching in Asia Minor before receiving martyrdom in Philippi, Macedonia, under Emperor Trajan.

Courtesy of catholic.org