THE SEVENTH DAY OF NOVEMBER

SAINTS WHO ARE VENERATED ON THE SEVENTH DAY BEFORE THE IDES OF NOVEMBER

St. Amarandus, martyr, at Vieux among the Albigenses.

St. Hieron, martyr, at Melitene in Armenia.

Holy companions, martyrs, at Melitene in Armenia.

St. Achillas, bishop of Alexandria in Egypt.

St. Castus, martyr, venerated at Benevento.

St. Restitutus, bishop of Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux.

St. Prosdocimus, bishop of Padua.

St. Romanus, confessor, venerated at Le Mans.

St. Leopardus, bishop of Osimo.

St. Rufus, bishop of Metz.

St. Baudinus or Baldus, bishop of Tours.

St. Florentius, bishop of Strasbourg.

St. Cungar or Docunus, abbot in England.

St. Agomar, bishop of Senlis.

St. Gebetrude, abbess of Remiremont.

St. Willibrord, bishop of Utrecht.

St. Blevilegnetus, bishop of Vannes.

St. Lazarus, monk on Mount Galesion.

St. Ernest, abbot of Zwiefalten.

Bl. Lucia of Settefonti, virgin of the Camaldolese Order.

St. Engelbert, archbishop of Cologne.

Bl. Peter Cambiano of Ruffia, of the Order of Preachers.

Bl. Bernardine of Fossa, of the Order of Friars Minor.

Bl. Anthony Baldinucci, of the Society of Jesus.

PASSED OVER AND REFERRED TO OTHER DAYS

Adrian, of whom again in the Hieronymian codices, was already announced yesterday with Donatus and the others.

Alexander of Thessalonica is reported in the menaea to have been put to death by the sword Synaxarium of the Church of Constantinople, p. 203. In most synaxaria his story is briefly narrated on the 9th day of November Ibid., p. 208, on which day we shall treat of him, provided the acts are at hand.

Amandinus, a confessor of Auvergne, or at any rate venerated of old in the city of Auvergne, is announced on this day by the martyrologies of that diocese, even the most ancient ones [See S.-M. Mosnier, Les saints d'Auvergne, vol. II (Paris, n. d. [1900]), p. 589; cf. H. Quentin, Les martyrologes historiques du moyen âge (Paris, 1908), p. 230. In some places he is entered on the 7th day of February; cf. Acta Sanctorum, February vol. II, p. 4]; and in manuscript breviaries his office is indicated as to be celebrated, but without proper lessons Cf. Mosnier, at the place cited. His relics are mentioned in the little book On the churches and altars which are in Clermont, which is not later than the tenth century [For it is preserved in a Clermont codex of that age, 83. A. 8, otherwise 147, fol. 149v – 150v]: In the church of Saint Saturninus … there St. Amandinus and St. Sidonius rest [Labbe, Nova bibliotheca manuscriptorum, vol. II, p. 720; Savaron, Les origines de la ville de Clairmont (Paris, 1662), p. 357]; which church was afterwards called that of Saint Amandinus Cf. Savaron, at the place cited. From him too the village of Saint-Amandin in Auvergne (department of Cantal, arrondissement of Murat, canton of Marcenat) took its name. Of the saint's history we have received nothing handed down to memory; whence it came about that some said Amandinus was a disciple of Sidonius Apollinaris, for no other reason than that he was buried in the same church with him Cf. the Martyrology of Paris (1727), p. 344; and others affirmed, by an empty conjecture, that he lived much earlier and was a disciple of St. Austremonius Cf. Mosnier, at the place cited. We judge our ignorance to be better than such knowledge.

Of Anthony, Melasippus and Cassina, martyrs of Ancyra under Julian, whose longer acts lie hidden, we have already published the synaxarium Synaxarium of the Church of Constantinople, pp. 201 – 202, nor have we anything further that is worth noting.

St. Arnulf or Rufus, bishop of Lyons in the year 1074, is listed on this day by Ghini, in the Natales of the canon saints. In which announcement there are as many errors as words, as may be seen in Pennot, History of the sacred order of clerics canons, bk. II, ch. 2, § IV, and ch. 56, § I (2nd ed., Cologne, 1645, pp. 243 and 495).

Asclepiodorus, a patrician of the city of Perugia and afterwards its bishop, has been marked on this day by Flaminio Corner alone of the martyrologists, in his Italian Hagiologium, for this reason only, that he had found his day of death recorded nowhere, and the present day is consecrated to the recollection of the martyrdom of St. Herculanus, first bishop of Perugia. According to Ughelli [Italia sacra, vol. I, p. 1157. From this has been taken what is said of our saint in the Italian Hagiologium], "he flourished in the year 700, whose life and illustrious deeds envious antiquity has devoured. This is established, that his body was translated by Theodoric, bishop of Metz, in the year 971." But Sigebert of Gembloux, from whose Chronicle that translation is known, says indeed that by Deoderic, bishop of the people of Metz, together with many other bodies of saints, the martyr Asclepiotatus was brought from Perugia out of Italy into Gaul Chronicle at the year 970 (MG., Scriptores vol. VI, p. 351), but he proclaims him a martyr and nowhere indicates that he was bishop of Perugia. The same author in another place Life of Deoderic, bishop of Metz, ch. 16 (MG., Scriptores vol. IV, p. 474) records that the body of the eminent martyr Asclepiotatus was found by Theodoric at Perugia and carried off thence; but neither here does he indicate that he was a bishop, and: The day of his birthday, he says, we learned from the inhabitants to be the 9th before the Kalends of November. For his deeds we could by no means extort from the bishop of Sisa Assisi?, to whom the place belonged. More about this Asclepiodorus it has not been possible to learn.

Athenodorus, brother of St. Gregory the Wonderworker, is entered today in the calendars of the Greeks. John Bolland has already spoken of him on the 9th day of February.

Auctus, Taurion and Thessalonica are praised today by the Greeks as martyrs at Amphipolis in Macedonia, and we have published their synaxarium Synaxarium of the Church of Constantinople, pp. 202 – 203. But the Acts from which it was excerpted it has not yet been our lot to find. I wonder that these martyrs are reckoned among those of Thessalonica by Tafel De Thessalonica eiusque agro (Berlin, 1839), p. 154.

Balsama or Balsamus. See Donatus.

Cassina. See Anthony.

Castor. See Sinfronius.

Colman. See Irish.

Donatus, Paul, Prima or Primus, Balsama or Balsamus, Julia, Januarius, Adrian, who are assigned today in the Hieronymian codices either to Africa or to Nicomedia, already occurred yesterday in a troop, most of them transferred there also from elsewhere.

Eleozimus (otherwise Leontius), Nectarius (otherwise Nestarius, Nestorius) and Leopardus (otherwise Leonard) are venerated today as martyrs by the people of Otricoli Ferrari, Catalogus generalis sanctorum (Venice, 1625), pp. 435 – 36. A certain Eleozimus, in the Acts of St. Medicus, is related to have buried the body of this martyr Acta Sanctorum, June vol. V, p. 9; Jacobilli narrates that Nectarius and Leopardus were brothers of Eleozimus and underwent death for Christ together with him under the judge Terentianus Vite de santi e beati dell' Umbria, vol. III (Foligno, 1661), p. 17. From what source he drew this I do not know; for in the ancient breviary of Otricoli, namely of the year 1515, he seems to have read nothing besides the Acts of St. Medicus. In the month of May of the year 1316 the bodies of the three saints, together with SS. Fulgentius and Corona, were translated into the church of Saint Victor Jacobilli, in the volume cited, p. 17, from the process of the translation; and on the 3rd day of October 1728 they were carried from the chapel of Saint Fulgentius to the chapel of the Holy Rosary [So p. 49, in a little book on the saints of Otricoli, excerpted chiefly from Jacobilli and printed again in the year 1825; of which it has been our lot to find only a mutilated copy, lacking its first page]. These are the things which we have been able to gather about these saints, nor did the Curia of Narni, when questioned by us, reply that anything was found in its archive that might be added.

Of Eusebius of Nicomedia, who also occurred yesterday in the Hieronymian codices, the birthday is the 6th before the Ides of November, as the Syriac breviary witnesses.

Eustasius, Pobisus and Marius, if indeed the names have been handed down uncorrupted, are read in the Hieronymian codices to have suffered at Nicomedia together with the others of whom we spoke under Donatus, but undeservedly, as it seems. For as far as can be gathered from the Syriac breviary, Eusebius alone, of whom tomorrow, is to be reckoned as of Nicomedia in these days. What today's Eustasius has to do with the one of whom our Bolland treated on the 22nd day of January Acta Sanctorum, January, vol. II, p. 350 is not clear.

Irish saints marked on this day in the martyrologies of Gorman and of Donegal are no more than three, Fintan Donegal: Fionntain, Colman (a pilgrim, of Inis mo Cholmoic) [The words enclosed in brackets were added by the scholiast of Gorman and passed into the text of the martyrology of Donegal] and Sodalach (an anchorite). Of whom, apart from this mention, I have been able to find no documents. For John Colgan, reading of a certain Fintenus healed by St. Columba Trias thaumaturga, p. 357 (Life of St. Columba, ch. 31), after reporting the opinion of those who thought him the same as Finan the son of Aid, who is venerated on the 4th day of October, says: "But because Fintenus, or, what is the same, Fintanus, and Finanus are plainly different names, and no effective reason convinces that one is here put in place of the other by mistake, I am rather led to think that he is someone of the four SS. Fintan of whom our martyrologists treat on the 19th of September, the 1st of October, and the 7th and 9th of November, not designating place, family or time Ibid., p. 384, notes 27, 28." Thus neither Colgan, nor anyone else after him, as far as I know, has found anything by which these four Fintans might be distinguished either from other namesakes or among themselves. — Of Colman, however, only this is to be noted, that he is marked again in the martyrology of Donegal on the 14th day of November; where also the place called after him, Inis-Mocholmog, is indicated [It is known that Mocholmog and Colman are wholly synonymous names, namely with the suffix og or oc placed after in the former and the particle Mo prefixed, each signifying an affection of veneration or love. Cf. Colgan, Acta Sanctorum Hiberniae, p. 155, note 3], which place is situated in Hui-Fenechlais (or Enechlais), in the eastern Cf. W. Reeves, note on the Martyrology of Donegal, at the place cited part of Leinster; it is now called Inch, on the common boundaries of the counties of Wicklow and Wexford, to the south of the town of Arcklow Cf. J. Shearman, Loca Patriciana, pp. 169, 258. — Of Sodalach the anchorite I have found nothing said anywhere.

Fibitius, bishop of Trier, is read entered on this day in the Hagenoy codex of Usuard. He has been treated of above on the 5th day, pp. 62 – 64.

Fintan. See Irish.

Gaudius, in some Hieronymian codices, is beyond doubt an error, in whose place Claudius is to be written. See Sinfronius.

To Guisbert, prior of the monastery of Bebenhausen, of the Cistercian Order, in the kingdom of Württemberg, the name of blessed is given by Bucelin (Benedictine Menology) and Ch. Henriquez (Cistercian Menology), and they vie with each other in extolling with praise his virtues and miracles;

but of any public cult whatever they are wholly silent. We must therefore wait until something probable of this kind emerges.

Of Henry, of the Order of Preachers, who was probably a companion of St. Hyacinth, apostle of Poland († 1257), Gerard de Fracheto narrates a most pious death in the convent of Breslau [Vitae Fratrum Ordinis Praedicatorum, ed. Reichert (1896), pp. 268 – 69. Cf. L. Alberti, De viris illustribus Ordinis Praedicatorum, bk. V, fol. 223v – 24]; indeed Fr. Steill O. P. adorns him with the title of blessed [Ephemerides dominicano-sacrae, vol. II (Dillingen, 1691), Geistlichen Lustgartens des H. Prediger-Ordens, Elffter Monath, November, pp. 69 – 70]. But on what ground he raised him to this height is hidden from us.

The feast of Herculanus, bishop of Perugia and martyr, is announced today by the martyrologists, such as Florus, Ado, Usuard and others. And the people of Perugia indeed hold this one to be Herculanus I, since they venerate Herculanus II, also a bishop and martyr, on the 8th day of March [Officia propria sanctorum a clero civitatis et dioecesis Perusinae recitanda (Rome, 1839), pp. 167, 320; Acta Sanctorum, March vol. I, pp. 47 – 48]. But, against the will of most writers on Umbrian matters [The arguments collected for two Herculani you will find in Bracceschi, Discorsi per dimostrare l'esistenza di due santi Ercolani vescovi di Perugia, Camerino, 1586; C. Alessi, Elogia civium Perusinorum, first century, Foligno, 1635; F. Ciatti, Delle memorie di Perugia, Perugia, 1638; cf. Ughelli, Italia sacra, vol. I, p. 1157; C. Crispolti, Perugia Augusta, Perugia, 1648, and others], our C. Janning proved by strong arguments that one Herculanus alone is to be acknowledged Acta Sanctorum, vol. I, preliminary treatise, pp. 33 – 38, nor need what he wisely established be repeated by us. I would have the reader advised that after Janning new Acts and miracles of St. Herculanus have been published BHL 3824, in which, however, nothing occurs by which his opinion could be attacked. There also appeared in the year of Christ 1881 hymns on Herculanus and Constantius, bishops and martyrs, by Leo XIII of pious memory, witnesses of his devotion and homage (Rome, press of the Propaganda Fide).

Hilary, bishop of Padua, is listed below with Leolinus.

The elevation of Hunegund, abbess of Homblières, is commemorated today by recent Benedictine martyrologies. This is that more celebrated translation which was made on the 7th day of November of the year 946. Cf. Acta Sanctorum at the 25th of August, vol. V, p. 223 and following; Mabillon, Acta, fifth century, p. 213 and following. The history of the elevation or translation you may see narrated in the same places, Acta Sanctorum, pp. 232 – 34; Mabillon, pp. 214 – 18.

Januarius. See Donatus.

Of Jordan "of Italy," of the order of Friars Minor, who is the same as Jordan of Giano, a village situated in the valley of Spoleto, and who, the very well-known author of a Franciscan chronicle Edited among the Analecta Franciscana, vol. I, pp. 1 – 19, flourished in the middle of the thirteenth century, memory is made in the Catalogue of the holy friars minor, composed about the year 1335 Edited by Leonard Lemmens, 1903, p. 38; but nowhere does a trace of his public veneration occur.

Julia. See Donatus.

The memory of Leolinus and Hilary, bishops of Padua, is assigned by some to the 7th day of November, which is sacred to St. Prosdocimus, since the day of their departure is unknown; but by our predecessors to the 29th of June.

Leonard of Otricoli is so called by Jacobilli Vite de santi e beati dell' Umbria, vol. III, p. 16, who is Leopardus to the others, a companion of St. Eleozimus.

Leontius, in place of Eleozimus, of whom above, is read in some codices of Narni and Otricoli, as Jacobilli witnesses Ibid., p. 18.

Lucian, bishop at Lentini, is listed below with Rhodippus.

Marius or Maris is presented in the Hieronymian codices, by no right, as a martyr of Nicomedia with Eustasius, of whom above, and others.

Melasippus. See Anthony.

Memmas, a martyr, has been added in a later hand in the Vatican codex of Ado, Reg. 511. Georgi rightly notes that nothing of him is found in the old tables, and adds: "Perhaps it is the martyr Mamas or the martyr Mennas, of whom on the 11th day of November Martyrology of Ado, p. 567." That conjecture may rest with Georgi.

Nectarius or Nestarius, Nestorius, martyr of Otricoli, is said to have suffered with Eleozimus.

Nicostratus. See Sinfronius.

Optatus is listed in the Hieronymian codices as a martyr of Nicomedia, not correctly, since Eusebius, of whom above, seems to be the only one of Nicomedia in today's list. Of Optatus therefore we have only the name.

Paul. See Donatus.

Pobisus (otherwise Probisus) is reckoned among those of Nicomedia with Eustasius, of whom above; which can be proved on no ground.

Prima or Primus. See Donatus.

Rhodippus and Lucian, bishops of Lentini in Sicily, are announced on this day by Ferrari from the archive and monuments of the church of Lentini Catalogus generalis sanctorum, p. 435. Their acts, as far as could be done, our predecessors have already illustrated on the 3rd day of January and the 2nd of February.

Rogatus or Rogatianus is read in the Hieronymian codices to have suffered with other martyrs, of whom we have already spoken, in Africa or else at Nicomedia. Nothing besides the name has been handed down of him.

Bl. Salomea, wife of the king of the Halicians, who after her husband's death entered the monastery of St. Clare at Cracow, is commemorated today by Ferrari alone in the General Catalogue, having fallen into error perhaps by a faulty transcription; for in the whole Seraphic order her feast is celebrated on the 17th day of November, on which she departed to the Lord.

The Translation of the Blood of the Lord into the monastery of Reichenau was recalled every year by the monks of Reichenau on this day, on which the translation itself had taken place. Cf. above at the 6th day, p. 130 DE.

Sinfronius or Simforianus, Nicostratus, Gaudius (rather Claudius) and Castor are announced on the following day in their proper place, and we shall give their Acts under the name of the Four Crowned Martyrs.

Sodolach the anchorite. See Irish.

Taurion. See Auctus.

Thessalonica. See Auctus.

A certain Bl. Veronica, a virgin of the Order of Preachers, native of Bergamo, is celebrated on this day by Fr. Steill O. P. Ephemerides dominicano-sacrae, at the place cited, pp. 70 – 71, following in the footsteps of Fr. John of Saint Mary O. P., who teaches that she led the religious life at Milan in the convent of Saint Martha and that her Acts were written out in eight books by Peter (read Isidore) Isolani O. P. [Jean de Sainte Marie, Les Vies et actions mémorables des saintes et bienheureuses tant du premier que du tiers ordre de S. Dominique, vol. II (Paris, 1635), p. 668]. That Steill adds moreover that Veronica was, on account of her frequent miracles, "selig gesprochen und beatificirt" declared blessed and beatified by Leo X, that is, that her cult was permitted by the aforesaid supreme pontiff in the year 1517. But all these things, except the place of origin, agree exactly with Bl. Veronica of Binasco († 1497), a professed nun under the rule of St. Augustine, of whom treatment was given long ago on the day of her death, the 13th of January Acta Sanctorum, January vol. I, pp. 887 – 929. Whence it is easy to conclude that a Veronica of Bergamo distinct from the one of Binasco was wrongly devised by the authors cited, deceived perhaps by the likeness of the names. To what religious institute she joined herself was formerly doubted; but since nuns of the Order of St. Augustine inhabited the convent of Saint Martha at that time, which is established by a contemporary document S. Latuada, Descrizione di Milano, vol. III (Milan, 1737), pp. 143 – 44, they seem rightly to claim her for themselves, and they celebrate her feast on the 28th day of January. Further, in the year 1749 her name was inscribed in the Roman Martyrology by Benedict XIV.

Victor, who crept in among the names of Sinfronius and his companions in some Hieronymian codices, is entirely unknown.