22 September • yesterday
• tomorrow

Daily Bread #31, by Father Richard Waldo Sibthorp
The Lives and Times of the Popes - Saint Calixtus I - A.D. 219
O Mary, I have not doubt that whenever we run to you, we shall obtain all that we desire. Let those then who have no hope, hope in you! - Saint Bernard of Clairvaux

Saint Ignatius of Santhia

Also known as

• Ignazio da Santhia
• Lawrence Belvisotti
• Lorenzo Maurizio Belvisotti
• Maurice Belvisotti

Profile

Ordained in 1710 in the diocese of Vercelli, Italy. Parish priest for six years. He was offered a position of authority in the diocese, but declined, and on 24 May 1716 he became a novice in the Capuchins of Turin, Italy, taking the name Ignatius, and beginning 54 years of service in the Order.

He was under the direction of a novice half his age, which Father Ignatius accepted with humility. In 1717 he was assigned to the convent at Saluzzo, Italy, and served as sacristan. Novice master at Chieri, Italy. Sacristan at Capuchin Hill, Turin in 1723, a convent with 87 priests. Novice master at Mondovi from 1731 to 1744. An eye illness forced him to give up the position for nearly two years.

When he recovered he became head chaplain of the armies of the King of Piedmont who were fighting invading Franco-Hispanic forces. He was noted for his work in the field as minister, and with the injured. After the war he returned to life at Capuchin Hill where he served as confessor and religious instructor to lay brothers. In his later years he spent his days visiting the sick and the poor of Turin, and ministering to the thousands that came daily to Capuchin Hill for his blessing.

Born

5 June 1686 in Santhià, Vercelli, Italy as Maurice Belvisotti

Died

22 September 1770 of natural causes in Turin, Italy

Canonized

19 May 2002 by Pope John Paul II at Rome, Italy

https://catholicsaints.info/saint-ignatius-of-santhia/


Saint Maurice

Also known as

Mauritius, Moritz, Morris

Profile

Layman. Soldier. Officer in a legion of Christian soldiers from Upper Egypt during the reign of Emperor Maximian Herculeus. His legion, as many as 6600 men, was massacred en masse by their own side when they refused to participate in pagan sacrifices prior to battle. One of the Martyrs of the Theban Legion.

Died

c.287 at Agaunum, an area of modern Switzerland

Patronage

• against cramps
• against gout
• alpine troops
• armies
• cloth dyers
• clothmakers
• infantrymen
• Pontifical Swiss Guards
• soldiers
• swordsmiths
• weavers
• Austria
• Sardinia
• diocese of Angers, France
• diocese of Magdeburg, Germany
• 4 cities

Representation

• banner
• soldier
• soldier being executed with other soldiers
• knight (sometimes a Moor) in full armour, bearing a standard and a palm
• knight in armour with a red cross on his breast, which is the badge of the Sardinian Order of Saint Maurice

Video

YouTube PlayList

https://catholicsaints.info/saint-maurice/


Saint Settimio of Jesi

Also known as

Septimus

Profile

Raised in a pagan family, Settimio received a good education and was a professional soldier. While in Italy, he converted to Christianity, and began to preach the faith. He was forced to flee from Milan, Italy in 303 during the persecutions of Diocletian. In Rome he became known for his preaching and bringing converts to the faith, even during a time of persecution. Consecrated as the first bishop of Jesi, Italy by Pope Saint Marcellus I. In Jesi, he built the first cathedral of the diocese, but a judge named Florentius ordered Settimio to sacrifice to pagan gods. Bishop Settimio ignored the order, continued to preach, performed miracles, and converted many in the city. For his refusal, he was executed. Martyr.

Born

Germany

Died

• beheaded in Jesi, Italy
• though his place of burial was lost, by 1208 the cathedral was named for him
• relics re-discovered in 1469 and enshrined in the Jesi cathedral
• relics re-enshrined in a new altar in 1623

Patronage

• Jesi, Italy, city of
• Jesi, Italy, diocese of

https://catholicsaints.info/saint-settimio-of-jesi/


Saint Gunthildis of Suffersheim

Also known as

Gunthild

Profile

A pious milk maid and servant, known for her charity to the poor. On two occasions, in response to her prayers, springs of fresh water erupted out of the ground, once from solid rock; the water from the latter was said to cure a leper who washed in it. Once when she was about to give away a bucket of fresh milk to the poor, her employer caught her and asked what she was carrying; she told him it was a bucket of lye, and when he looked, the milk had, indeed, turned to lye.

Died

• c.1057 in Suffersheim, Bavaria, Germany of natural causes
• her burial site was chosen by the oxen that were pulling the wagon as they stopped at a particular spot and would go no further
• after miracles were reported at her grave, a chapel was built over it

Representation

• woman with a bucket of milk and/or a block of cheese, and a cow
• woman with a pitcher of milk

Patronage

cattle, lepers, servants

https://catholicsaints.info/saint-gunthildis-of-suffersheim/


Saint Lauto of Coutances

Also known as

Laud, Laudo, Laudus, Launus, Lô

Profile

Bishop of Coutances, France in 528; he served for 40 years. Participated in the conclave of bishops in Angers, France c.529. Noted for his healing miracles, especially of eye problems. The town of Briovere and Lauto's estate became the modern city of Saint-Lô in northern France, and a healing spring at Courcy, France dedicated to him is a pilgrimage site.

Born

Courcy, France

Died

c.568 of natural causes

Patronage

• blind people; against blindness
• eyes
• Coutances, France, diocese of

https://catholicsaints.info/saint-lauto-of-coutances/


Saint Sadalberga

Also known as

Salaberga

Profile

Born to the nobility, the daughter of Duke Gundoin of Alsace; sister of Saint Bodo. She went blind as a child, but was healed by Saint Eustace of Luxeuil. Married, but widowed after two months. Married to Saint Blandinus of Laon. Mother of five, including Saint Baldwin and Saint Anstrudis of Laon. Their children grown, Sadalberga and Blandinus separated, each to enter religious life. Nun at Poulangey. Worked with Saint Waldebert of Luxeuil to found the convent of Saint John the Baptist in Laon, France, and served as its abbess.

Born

Toul, France

Died

c.665 in Laon, France

https://catholicsaints.info/saint-sadalberga/


Blessed Giovanni Battista Bonetti

Also known as

Giovanni Battista Bonetto

Profile

A physically small and very humble man, Giovanni joined the Franciscan friars in Turin, Italy in 1635, and was assigned to the house in Piobesi Torinese. Priest. Sent to north Africa as a missionary to the Muslim Moors, his public preaching of Christianity led to him being arrested, tortured, dragged through the street by horses and excuted. Martyr.

Born

early 17th century in Pont Canavese, Turin, Italy

Died

• burned to death on 22 September 1654 in Tripoli, Libya
• a knight of Malta who witnessed the execution later had a vision of Giovanni in heaven

https://catholicsaints.info/blessed-giovanni-battista-bonetti/


Saint Emmeramus of Regensburg

Also known as

Emmeran, Haimhramm

Profile

Priest and noted preacher in Bavaria, Germany. Abbot of a monastery in Regensburg, Germany. Bishop of Regensburg. Murdered on the road on his way to Rome, Italy. He is honoured as a martyr in some areas, but his killers may have just been highway robbers.

Born

Poitiers, France

Died

• killed c.690
• relics in the monastery in Regensburg, Germany

Patronage

Regensburg, Germany

Representation

• ladder
• spear

https://catholicsaints.info/saint-emmeramus/


Saint Augustinus Yu Chin-Kil

Also known as

• Augustinus Yu Jin-Gil
• Augustinus Yu Chin-gil
• Auguseutino, Augustine

Profile

Married layman catechist in the apstolic vicariate of Korea. Wrote to Pope Gregory XVI, asking for missionaries and priests to Korea. Imprisoned, tortured and martyred for his faith.

Born

1791 in Jo Dong, Seoul, South Korea

Died

beheaded on 22 September 1839 in Seoul, Korea

Canonized

6 May 1984 by Pope John Paul II

https://catholicsaints.info/saint-augustinus-yu-chin-kil/


Blessed Joseph Marchandon

Profile

Priest in the diocese of Limoges, France. Imprisoned on a ship in the harbor of Rochefort, France and left to die during the anti-Catholic persecutions of the French Revolution. One of the Martyrs of the Hulks of Rochefort.

Born

21 August 1745 in Bénévent, Creuse, France

Died

22 September 1794 aboard the prison ship Deux-Associés, in Rochefort, Charente-Maritime, France

Beatified

1 October 1995 by Pope John Paul II

https://catholicsaints.info/blessed-joseph-marchandon/


Saint Florentius the Venerable

Also known as

Fiorenzo, Florence, Florent-le-Vieux

Profile

Spiritual student of Saint Martin of Tours who ordained him and sent him to evangelize in Poitou, France. Hermit at Mount Glonne in Anjou, France. His reputation for holiness spread and he attracted so many spiritual students that he built a monastery for them; it was later known as Saint-Florent-le-Vieux.

Born

Bavaria, Germany

Died

5th century

https://catholicsaints.info/saint-florentius-the-venerable/


Saints Digna and Emerita of Rome

Profile

Consecrated virgins, an early version of a nun. When dragged to court for the crime of Christianity during the persecutions of Valerian, they simply stood in front of the judge and prayed. Martyrs.

Died

• c.259 in Rome, Italy
• relics enshrined in the church of Saint Marcellus in Rome

https://catholicsaints.info/saint-digna-of-rome/
https://catholicsaints.info/saint-digna-of-rome/


Blessed Otto of Freising

Profile

Cistercian monk. Priest. Bishop of Freising, Germany. Adopted the Gregorian reforms for his diocese. Throughout his episcopacy, he wore the Cistercian habit and attended to all his duties as a monk as well as bishop.

Died

1158 at the Cistercian monastery of Morimond, France of natural causes

https://catholicsaints.info/blessed-otto-of-freising/


Blessed Alfonso da Cusco

Profile

Mercedarian lay brother at the convent of San Giovanni Laterano in Arequipa, Peru. Known for his piety and as a miracle worker.

https://catholicsaints.info/blessed-alfonso-da-cusco/


Saint Basilia

Profile

Martyred in the persecutions of Diocletian.

Died

• beheaded c.300 on the Via Salaria, Rome, Italy
• legend says that seven healing springs appeared at the place of execution - one from every point the severed head touched

https://catholicsaints.info/saint-basilia/


Saint Jonas

Also known as

Yon

Profile

Disciple of Saint Dionysius of Paris. Priest. Evangelized near Paris, France. Marytred by order of the Roman prefect Julian.

Died

flogged and stabbed with a sword c.3rd century at Paris, France

https://catholicsaints.info/saint-jonas/


Saint Sanctinus of Meaux

Profile

Spiritual student of Saint Denis of Paris. First bishop of Meaux, France.

Died

c.300

https://catholicsaints.info/saint-sanctinus-of-meaux/


Saint Irais

Also known as

Herais, Rhais

Profile

Martyred in the persecutions of Diocletian.

Born

Egyptian

Died

beheaded c.300

https://catholicsaints.info/saint-irais/


Saint Silvanus of Levroux

Also known as

Silouan, Silvano

Profile

Early saint long venerated in Levroux, France.

https://catholicsaints.info/saint-silvanus-of-levroux/


Saint Lindru of Partois

Profile

Nun in Partois, France.

https://catholicsaints.info/saint-lindru-of-partois/


Martyrs of the Theban Legion

Profile

A Roman imperial legion of 6,600 soldiers, all of whom were Christians; they had been recruited from the area around Thebes in Upper Egypt, were led by Saint Maurice, and served under Emperor Maximian Herculeus. Around the year 287, Maximian led the army across the Alps to Agaunum, an area in modern Switzerland, in order to suppress a revolt by the Bagandre in Gaul. In connection with battle, the army offered public sacrifices to the Roman gods; the Theban Legion refused to participate. For refusing orders, the Legion was decimated - one tenth of them were executed. When the remainder refused to sacrifice to the gods, they were decimated again. When the survivors still refused to sacrifice, Maximinian ordered them all killed. Martyrs.

Known members of the Legion include

Alexander of Bergamo
Alverius of Agaunum
Candidus the Theban
Chiaffredo of Saluzzo
Exuperius
Fortunato
Innocent of Agaunum
Martiniano of Pecco
Maurice
Sebastian of Agaunum
Secundus the Theban
Ursus the Theban
Victor of Agaunum
Victor of Cologne
Victor of Xanten
Victor the Theban
Vitalis of Agaunum

Other profiled saints associated with the Legion include

Antoninus of Piacenza (martyred soldier; associated by later story tellers)
Adventor of Turin (not a member; associated by later story tellers)
Attilio of Trino (martyred soldier; associated by some, but not all, later lists)
Bessus
Cassius (may have been a member)
Florentius the Martyr (may have been a member)
George of San Giorio (not a member; associated by later story tellers)
Gereon (not a member, but another soldier who was martyred for refusing to make a sacrifice to Roman gods)
Gusmeo of Gravedona sul Lario (may have been a member)
Matthew of Gravedona sul Lario (may have been a member)
Octavius of Turin (not a member; associated by later story tellers)
Pons of Pradleves (escaped the massacre to become an evangelists in northern Italy)
Secundus of Asti (not a member, but linked due to art work)
Solutor of Turin (not a member; associated by later story tellers)
Tiberio of Pinerolo (may have been a member)
Verena (wife of a member of the Legion)

Died

• martyred c.287 in Agaunum (modern Saint-Maurice-en-Valais, Switzerland
• a basilica was built in Agaunum to enshrine the relics of the Legion

Video

YouTube PlayList

https://catholicsaints.info/martyrs-of-the-theban-legion/


Martyred in the Spanish Civil War

Thousands of people were murdered in the anti-Catholic persecutions of the Spanish Civil War from 1934 to 1939. I have pages on each of them, but in most cases I have only found very minimal information. They are available on the CatholicSaints.Info site through these links:

Blessed Alfonso Lopez
Blessed Antonio Gil-Monforte
Blessed Antonio Sáez de Ibarra López
Blessed Carlos Navarro Miquel
Blessed Diego Morata Cano
Blessed Enrique Pedro Gonzálvez Andreu
Blessed Esteban Cobo-Sanz
Blessed Federico Cobo-Sanz
Blessed Félix Echevarría Gorostiaga
Blessed Francisco Carlés González
Blessed Francisco Vicente Edo
Blessed Germán Gozalvo Andreu
Blessed José Ardil Lázaro
Blessed Josefina Moscardó Montalvá
Blessed Juan García Cervantes
Blessed Luis Echevarría Gorostiaga
Blessed María Purificación Vidal Pastor
Blessed Miguel Zarragua Iturrízaga
Blessed Modesto Allepuz Vera
Blessed Ramon Rius Camps<
Blessed Simón Miguel Rodríguez
Blessed Vicente Sicluna Hernández


Also celebrated but no entry yet

• Martyrs of Valencia, Spain


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