DAILY CATHOLIC    FRI-SAT-SUN     January 15-17, 1999     vol. 10, no. 10

MILLENNIUM MILESTONES & MEMORIES: TIME CAPSULES

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SECTION ONE and SECTION TWO and SECTION THREE

Historical Events in Church Annals for January 15:

  • 250 A.D.
  • Death of Saint Secundina, a Roman maiden who was martyred for her Christianity during the persecution of the Roman emperor Decius. The soldiers guarding her were so impressed with her zeal that upon her death they converted to the faith.

  • 251 A.D.
  • Death of Saint Maximus of Nola, the bishop who ordained Saint Felix of Nola who, in turn nursed Maximus back to health when he had fled to the mountains to evade his captors.

  • 304 A.D.
  • Death of Saint Ephysius of Sardinia, patron saint of Sardinia who was martyred for his faith on the Island of Sardinia during the persecution of the Roman emperor Diocletian.

  • 342 A.D.
  • Death of Saint Paul the Hermit, the Egyptian hermit from Thebes who, to escape the persecution of Decius, retreated to the desert to become one of the first anchorites.

  • 390 A.D.
  • Death of Saint Macarius the Elder, another hermit from upper Egypt who consulted often with the great hermit Saint Antony of Egypt. One of Macarius' greatest virtues was his humility.

  • 404 A.D.
  • Death of Saint Isidore of Alexandria, who is known for his caring of the sick. He also is said to have defended the faith against Arianism. There was a fued between Isidore and Saint Jerome who leveled the charges that Isidore was an Origenist, but Isidore appealed to Saint John Chrysostom who convinced Jerome of his sincerity and innocence.

  • 450 A.D.
  • Death of Saint John Calybytes, a fifth century hermit who is considered the patron saint of the homeless.

  • 570 A.D.
  • Death of Saint Deirdre of Limerick, who, born of royal blood, gave it all up to found a convent attracting many women. She is considered the foster-mother of the Irish saints.

  • 580 A.D.
  • Death of Saint Maurus, pupil of Saint Benedict at Subiaco who Benedict molded into the ideal role model for all monks to emulate.

  • 650 A.D.
  • Death of Saint Malard, bishop of Chartres in France.

  • 708 A.D.
  • Election of Pope Sisinnius as 87th successor of Peter. While he had wanted to reinforce the walls of Rome angainst the hordes of Lombards and Saracens, he would have little time to implement this project since his pontificate would only last twenty days.

  • 710 A.D.
  • Death of Saint Bonet of Clermont, chancellor to the Frankish king who was appointed bishop and then retired to a Benedictine abbey to live out his life in prayer.

  • 764 A.D.
  • Death of Saint Ceowulf, ruler of Northumbria in England who abdicated his thrown to become a monk, financing numerous monasteries from his treasury.

  • 1208 A.D.
  • Death of Blessed Peter of Casteinau. This Benedictine monk who Pope Innocent III had appointed head Inquistor for the Albigensians was murdered by the latter while preaching a crusade with Saint Dominic.

  • 1535 A.D.
  • Disgarding his interdict from Rome, England king Henry VIII declares himself head of the Church of England, giving rise to the Anglican church and forever putting a crimp on the hopes for a Catholic British Isles.

  • 1920 A.D.
  • Birth of Cardinal John J. O'Connor in Philadelphia. He would go on to become a priest and the most influential, loyal red-hat from the United States as Archbishop of New York City.


Historical Events in Church Annals for January 16:

  • 98 A.D.
  • Death of Saint Priscilla, who is best known as providing quarters for Saint Peter to set up headquarters for the early Church in her home along the Via Salaria. In effect, her home was the first seat of Peter.

  • 309 A.D.
  • Death of Pope Saint Marcellus I, 30th successor of Peter. His pontificate began on May 27th, 308 after the throne had been vacant for four years. Because of this He had to deal with the difficult problem of pardoning those who had adjured during the persecutions. He decreed that a Council could not be held without the authorization of the Pope.

  • 429 A.D.
  • Death of Saint Honoratius of Arles, Archbishop of Arles in France and founder of numerous monasteries, most prominently on the Isle of Lerins.

  • 430 A.D.
  • Death of Saint James of Tarentaise, first bishop of Tarentaise who is considered the "Apostle of Savoy." He was a disciple of Saint Honoratus.

  • 453 A.D.
  • Death of Saint Valerius, a hermit saint who was chosen Bishop of Sorrento on the scenic bluffs overlooking the Mediterranean in southern Italy.

  • 648 A.D.
  • Death of Saint Fursa of Perrone, an early Irish monk and founder of numerous monasteries throughout the emerald isle. Also known as St. Fursey.

  • 1127 A.D.
  • Death of Saint Henry of Coquet, Danish saint who fled to the Coquet Island to escape marriage so he could devote his life to God as a hermit.

  • 1220 A.D.
  • Martyrdom of the first Franciscan martyrs dispatched by Saint Francis of Assisi to the preach the faith to the Moors in Morocco. Franciscan missionaries Accursio, Adjutus, Berard, Otto and Peter were murdered by the sultan after being beaten to a pulp by the pagan saladin.

  • 1259 A.D.
  • Death of Blessed Gonzalez of Amarante, a holy Portuguese Dominican, also known as Gonsalvo,who prophesied his death. He is said to have received many messages from the Blessed Virgin Mary and there have been miraculous accounts after his death where people have mysteriously seen him.

  • 1581 A.D.
  • Queen Elizabeth I instructs English parliament to pass laws against Catholicism which in retaliation for Pope Saint Pius V's excommunication of the English queen. Her actions caused a wider chasm between England and Holy Mother Church.


Historical Events in Church Annals for January 17:

  • 356 A.D.
  • Death of Saint Antony of Egypt, hermit and abbot who was born near Memphis in Egypt and died on Mout Kolzim at the age of 105. For more, see THIS WEEKEND'S LITURGY.

  • 420 A.D.
  • Death of Saint Sabinus, Bishop of Piacenza and disciple of Saint Ambrose. In fact, Sabinus was known as Ambrose' "ghost writer," editing many of his writings.

  • 1501 A.D.
  • Cesare Borgia makes a triumphant entry into Rome from his conquests in Romagna which the Italians cheer, but the rest of Europe is leary of the favor Pope Alexander VI has bestowed on this man who does not have the Church in his best interest. The greed, graph, nepotism and Alexander's tawdry affair with his mistress Lucretia Borgia contribute to the growing unrest of dissenters who want reform in the Church.

  • 1504 A.D.
  • Birth of Michele Ghislieri in Bosco, Italy. This shepherd of sheep would become one of the greatest shepherds of men, first as a Dominican and then cardinal and then as Pope Saint Pius V. He would turn the papacy around within eighty years of the shambles Alexander VI had left it. He would choose Pius in honor of Pope Pius III who was the pontiff when he was born on this date in 1504. This great Pope of the Counter-Reformation would live to be 68 years-old and be canonized by Pope Clement XI, the last Pope to be canonized until Pope Saint Pius X.


January 15-17, 1999       volume 10, no. 10
TIME CAPSULES

DAILY CATHOLIC

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