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Interim Saints - March 17th JOSEPH OF ARIMATHEA (1st cent) "Many strange traditions have attached themselves to Joseph of Arimathea, as that he came to Britain, and planted his staff at Glastonbury; but as these legends are wholly worthless, they must here be passed over." Pity. MARTYRS IN THE SERAPION (A.D. 390) . . . This so exasperated the pagans that . . . rushing down from the Serapion, a magnificent temple situated on a hill and fortified, they carried off a number of Christians, and bringing them into the temple, endeavoured to force them to sacrifice to Serapis. As they refused, the pagans crucified some, broke the bones of others, and put others to death in various ways. AGRICOLA, bishop of Châlons-sur-Saone (A.D. 580) S. Agricola was born of a senatorial family . . . in 532, he was appointed bishop of Châlons-sur-Saone. He died at the age of eighty-three, in the year 580. PATRICK, apostle of Ireland (around A.D. 465) Members are referred to the separate posting. GERTRUDE, virgin, abbess of Nivelles (A.D. 664) S. Gertrude was the daughter of the Blessed Pepin of Landen and St Itta or Iduberga . . . because popular Teutonic superstition regarded mice and rats as symbols of souls, the rat and mouse became characteristics of S. Gertrude, and she is represented in art accompanied by one of these animals . . . In order to explain the significance of the mouse in pictures of S. Gertrude . . . it was related that she was wont to become so absorbed in prayer that a mouse would play about her, and run up her pastoral staff, without attracting her attention. WITHBURGA, virgin (A.D. 743) The royal race of the Uffings of East Anglia was remarkable for the crowd of saints which it produced . . . the fragrance of her gentle virtues spread far and wide. PAUL, martyr (about A.D. 760) In the furious persecution waged by Constantine Copronymus against images and those who reverenced them, Paul, a Cypriot . . . was at once stripped, pressed between two boards, his body torn with iron combs, and then hung head downwards over a fire, which was heaped about him, till her was consumed. Oriens. ____________________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get your free @yahoo.co.uk address at http://mail.yahoo.co.uk or your free @yahoo.ie address at http://mail.yahoo.ie %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%