Martyrology An Anglican Martyrology - for the British Isles 1 of 160 Martyrology Introduction The base text is the martyrology compiled by Fr. Hugh Feiss, OSB. Copyright © 2008 by the Monastery of the Ascension, Jerome, ID 83338 and available online at the website of the Monastery of Christ in the Desert. The calendars of each of the three Anglican churches of the British isles contain varied group commemorations, I suggest these entries are read only in the province where they are observed and have indicated that by the use of italics and brackets. However, people, particularly in the Church of England, are woefully ignorant of the history of the other Anglican churches of our islands and it would be good if all entries for the islands are used in each province. The Roman dates are also indicated where these vary from Anglican ones but not all those on the Roman Calendar have an entry. The introductions to the saints and celebrations in the Anglican calendars in England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales in Exciting Holiness, ed. Brother Tristam SSF, The Canterbury Press, 1997, have been added where a saint did not already appear in the martyrology. These have been adapted to indicate the place and date of death at the beginning, as is traditional at the reading of the martyrology. For the place of death I have generally relied on Wikipedia. For Irish, Welsh and Scottish celebrations not appearing in Exciting Holiness I have used the latest edition of Celebrating the Saints, Canterbury Press, 2004. These entries are generally longer than appear in martyrologies and probably need editing down even more than I have done if they are to be read liturgically. Additional entries from the online martyrology of the Bose community have been used. I would have liked to include (as does the Bose Martyrology) the celebrations of other faith communities, however as these are movable (based often on lunar calendars) that is not easy to do. An online infer-faith calendar could be consulted to add to this martyrology. I would like to add more Celtic and Saxon saints and am working on that. Often it is hard to distinguish between saints with the same name or the same saint with alternative dates for commemoration. Other Sources: For All The Saints - A Calendar of Commemorations for United Methodists, ed. Clifton F. Guthrie, Order of St Luke Publications, Akron, Ohio, 1995. A Calendar of British Saints - Orthodox Synaxarion, Fr Benedict Haigh, Bluestone Books, 2004 Ordo of the Community of the Servants of the Will of God Saints of the Roman Missal, J Michael Thompson, Ligouri, 2012 People’s Companion to the Breviary, The Carmelites of Indianapolis, 1997, Volumes 1 and 2 Troparia and Kondakia, New Skete, 1984 Holy Women, Holy Men, Church Publishing, 2010, in the online edition available in May 2018. Common Prayer: A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals, ed Shane Claiburne et al, Zondervan, 2010 Blessed Among Us, ed. Robert Ellsberg, Liturgical Press, 2016 2 of 160 Martyrology New Book of Festivals and Commemorations [Lutheran], Philip F. Pfatteicher, Fortress Press, 2008 Carmelite Propers for the Liturgy of the Hours, http://carmelcanada.org/liturgy/office.pdf Dominican Propers for the Liturgy of the Hours, http://opcentral.org/resources/wp-content/uploads/ 2012/09/Supplement.pdf Propers for Congregations Dedicated to the Precious Blood of Christ Finally, some dates of significance have been added at to the entries. Because non Christians have occasionally been mentioned the phrase and “people of good will” has been added to the usual conclusion of the reading of the martyrology. Events which are entered and are not people should be added at the beginning of the reading of the martryology when announcing the liturgical day. In adding to the base test used consideration has been given to the length of the reading for the whole day, so some of the monastic saints mentioned in that have been removed; and to ensuring the presence of more Anglican, women, married, and non-European entries. The original text included many nineteenth century saints and founders of religious communities these have largely been removed. This martyrology naturally reflects my own interests and prejudices. To reduce the length of the reading of the martyrology readings may be alternated in a two year cycle, first and third etc entry in Year 1 and so on. Obviously any entry that is going to be observed liturgically ought to be used. The reading of the martyrology traditionally occurred at the end of Prime, with the reading for the following day being read. Traditionally the day in the lunar cycle was also read announced. The martyrology may be read at the end of a daytime hour, before Compline or separately. For those praying only Morning and Evening Prayer it might helpfully occur after Evening Prayer for the following day. Fr Richard Peers, Liverpool 3 of 160 Martyrology Reading The Martyrology in the Divine Office The Martyrology for the nth day of X the year of Our Lord 20XX. [The liturgical day is then given, eg. Monday in the eighth week after Trinity, or the first entry in the martyrology if that supersedes it.] Other events at the top of the day’s entry are also read. Any entry that is to be observed liturgically is mentioned first. After the Reading from the martyrology: And elsewhere, many other holy women and holy men, saints of the Most High God and people of good will. V. Precious in the eyes of the Lord. R. Is the death of the faithful. Let us pray. May holy Mary and all the saints pray for us to the Lord, that we may obtain from Him, help and salvation, who lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen. 4 of 160 Martyrology January January 1 In Anglican calendars the Naming and Circumcision of Jesus. The celebration of this scriptural festival marks three events: firstly, the naming of the infant; secondly, the sign of the covenant between God and Abraham 'and his children for ever', thus Christ's keeping of the Law; and thirdly, traditionally the first shedding of the Christ's blood. The most significant of these in the gospels is the name itself, which means 'Yahweh saves' and so is linked to the question asked by Moses of God: "What is your name?" "I am who I am," was the reply, thus the significance of Jesus's words: "Before Abraham was, I am." This feast has been observed in the church since at least the sixth century. In the Roman Calendar on the octave of Christmas and the day of Jesus’ Circumcision, the Solemnity of Mary the Mother of God, whom the Fathers of the Council of Ephesus in 431 acclaimed Theotokos, because from her the Word assumed flesh and dwelt among us. As mother of Christ, she is mother of us all, and foremost of the saints. In 533, St. Fulgentius, a monk who served as bishop of Ruspe in Tunisia. He defended orthodoxy against Arianism, which arose from the teachings of the theologian Arius and instigated the Council of Nicaea. In 1031, St. William of Volpiano, abbot. St. Majolus, abbot of Cluny, sent him to revive monastic life at the monastery of St. Benigne in Dijon. St. Benigne became the hub of a large network of monasteries. William died at the monastery of Fécamp, which he had refounded. In 1252, at Jablonné in Bohemia, Saint Zdislava of Lemberk, who was extremely kind to the poor. With her wealthy husband, Havel, she built a basilica now dedicated to St. Lawrence and St. Zdislava. She is a patron of Bohemia. January 2 In the second half of the fourth century, Sts. Basil the Great and Gregory of Nazianzus, bishops and doctors of the church. Both were raised in remarkable Christian families. After studying together in Athens, the two embraced the monastic life at an estate on Basil’s family’s land. Basil wrote rules for monks, and later, as bishop of Caesarea in Cappodocia, he promoted monasteries as centres of social service. Like Basil, Gregory was a bishop and theologian who opposed the Arian heresy, which held that Jesus, the Son of God, was the greatest of the Father's creations and not His equal. He spent some years as bishop of Constantinople, where he helped to advance the doctrine of the Trinity, and was one of the presiders at the Council of Constantinople. In 394, St. Macarius, Egyptian monk, known for his austerity. His teachings were handed down by his disciple, Palladius. In the seventh century, in Ireland, Munchin, abbot. Munchin, a seventh-century monk, affectionately known as ‘The Wise’, is honoured in Limerick and known as patron of the city. The ‘little monk’ inaugurated a tradition of prayer and study in a golden period of Irish Christianity and Celtic monastic life. In 827, St. Adelard, abbot of Corbie, and advisor to the courts of Charlemagne and Louis the Pious. From 1792 to 1794, the martyrs of the French Revolution, who were canonised in small groups at various times during the twentieth century. In 1833 in Russia, St Seraphim of Sarov. Born in 1759 at Kursk in Russia, Seraphim entered the Monastery of our Lady at Sarov near Moscow when he was twenty years old. He lived as a Solitary for over thirty years but his gifts as a staretz, or spiritual guide, became more widely-known until he found himself sharing his gift of healing spirit, soul and body with the thousands who made the pilgrimage to his monastery. The 'Jesus Prayer' formed the heart of his own devotional life and he stressed the need for all Christians to have an 5 of 160 Martyrology unceasing communion with the person of Jesus.