Interim Saints - June 17th
NICANDER and MARCIAN, martyrs (A.D. 304)
Saints Nicander and Marcian were two soldiers living at Atina, who were
arrested in the third persecution, and brought before the governor,
Maximus . . . the executioner blind-folded the martyrs and with his
sword smote off their heads.
MANUEL, SABIEL, and ISMAEL, martyrs (A.D. 362)
The king of Persia sent three Christian young men named Manuel, Sabiel
and Ismael, sons of a favourite Magian, to Julian the Apostate, with a
letter . . . Julian was greatly exasperated at their conduct [in
refusing to sacrifice to pagan gods] and ordered their execution, and
that their bodies should be burnt. When the Persian king heard of the
death of his ambassadors he was highly incensed, and this was one of
the causes of the war breaking out which terminated fatally to Julian.
PIOR, hermit (end of 4th cent.)
S. Pior was a disciple of the great abbot Anthony.
BESSARION, abbot (5th cent.)
Bessarion was a monk from his youth . . . After a while many assembled
under his direction, and he became their abbot. One Sunday the priest
at the altar bade one of the brethren go out of the church, because he
was a sinner. "I also am a sinner," said the abbot, and he rose and
went forth.
AVITUS, abbot (A.D. 530)
S. Avitus was the son of poor hard-working parents. He entered the
monastery of Ménat in Auvergne . . . and the monks elected Avitus to be
their abbot.
HERVÉ, hermit (about A.D. 575)
A Breton saint, born blind. " . . . Hearing the insulting words of the
bishop, Hervé turned his sightless eyes towards him and said mildly,
'My brother, why do you reproach me for my blindness? God may deprive
you of sight as He has deprived me. It is His will that I am blind and
that you see.' Suddenly, we are told, a cloud came over the haughty
bishop's eyes, and he became blind. But at the prayer of Hervé his
sight was restored."
ALENA, virgin martyr (about A.D. 640)
Alena, the daughter of the lod of Dilbeck in the 7th century, was
converted to Christianity by hearing her father's account of Christian
ceremonies which he had witnessed . . . she fell into the hands of some
rough men, who, in their violent efforts to detain her, broke her arm,
and so injured her in the struggle that she died.
BOTULPH, abbot (A.D. 655)
Nothing authentic is known of the origin of S. Botulph . . . It is
impossible to give more details concerning a saint of whom so little
that is trustworthy or interesting is known.
Sound like an ideal subject for a Ph.D. thesis. Perhaps somebody has
done one?
MOLING, bishop of Ferns (A.D. 697)
"As is usual with the lives of the Irish Saints, this is clogged with
many grossly absurd stories which have arisen from the love of humour
and of the marvellous combined in the Irish peasantry."
Protests to Baring-Gould, please, not to yours truly,
Oriens.
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