ON ST. THEOCTISTUS, ABBOT IN SICILY.
CommentaryTheoctistus, Abbot in Sicily (St.)
Concerning this holy abbot, our Octavius Caietanus writes in his Plan of the Work on the Saints of Sicily: "In Sicily, in the monastery of Cucumus, St. Theoctistus the Abbot." He cites the Greek Menologion. This must be a different Menologion from the one published by Henricus Canisius, in which I find no Theoctistus the Abbot. Ferrarius reports he lived around the year of Christ 800. Molanus in his Additions to Usuard writes: "On the fourth day, St. Theoctistus the Duke (perhaps of monks, he says, that is, an Abbot) at Cucumus." Whether he is the same Theoctistus Another Theoctistus on January 8. whom we shall present from the Menaea on January 8, our Raderus questions. He seems to me different from him. For the Menaea also record the present one on January 5: "Commemoration of our holy Father Theoctistus"; but the other, although it may perhaps be conjectured from an appended tetrastich that he was a monk, is nevertheless not recorded in the same manner with that honorific title "our holy Father." The deeds of both are unknown to me.