 |
2nd June ~ Optional memorial of St. Marcellinus and St. Peter, Martyrs Born: unknown. Died: 304. Major shrine Church of Santi Marcellino e Pietro, Rome; Seligenstadt, Germany; relics also claimed by cathedral of Cremona Attributes Depicted as two tonsured men holding crowns; palms of martyrdom; depicted alongside St. Pollio Marcellinus and Peter were Roman martyrs, who died in 304. Evidence for their early cult is strong consisting of feasts in sacramentaries and calendars, the survival of their tombs and some verses by Damasus. Marcellinus was priest, Peter an exorcist. An unreliable account of their lives relates that they made converts of their gaoler, Severus, and his family while they were in prison. The place of their execution was called Black Wood, renamed White Wood afterwards. They were buried in the catacomb of Tiburtius on the Via Lavicana, over which a church was built. In 827, Pope Gregory IV sent their relics to Einhard, former secretary and biographer of Charlemagne to enrich his monastery at Seligenstadt. Records of the miracles that took place there survive. Almighty and ever-living God, contemplating the example given to us by Peter and Marcellinus, may we be supported and sustained by their prayers. See also: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcellinus_and_Peter https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09637d.htm https://catholicsaints.info/saint-marcellinus-2-june/ |
||
 |
3rd June ~ Memorial of St. Charles Lwanga and Companions, Martyrs Born 1 January 1860, Kingdom of Buganda Died 3 June 1886 (aged 26), Namugongo, Kingdom of Buganda Beatified 1920, Rome, Kingdom of Italy, by Pope Benedict XV Canonized 18 October 1964, Uganda, by Pope Paul VI Major shrine Basilica of the Uganda Martyrs, Munyonyo Martyrs Shrine Patronage African Catholic Youth Action, converts, torture victims This group of twenty-two Africans died for their faith between 1885 and 1886 and includes Joseph Mkasa, who reproached the ruler Mwanga for debauchery and for murdering a Protestant missionary bishop, James Hannington, Charles Lwanga, who was in charge of the royal pages and Kizito, aged thirteen, who was one of the pages. The day after the chieftain had killed another page, Denis Sebuggwawo, all the pages were assembled and the Christians were told to separate themselves from the others. Fifteen, all under twenty-five years old, did so immediately. They were joined by two others already under arrest and two soldiers. When asked if they wished to remain Christian, they replied, “Unto death.” Joseph Mkasa was beheaded. The others were led out to Namugongo where they were wrapped in mats of reeds and burnt alive. Their exemplary courage and cheerfulness were comparable to that of the early martyrs. They were canonised in 1964 and their feast was added to the Roman calendar in 1969. List of the martyrs · Achilleus Kiwanuka (d. 3 June 1886) · Adolphus Ludigo-Mukasa (d. 3 June 1886) · Ambrosius Kibuuka (d. 3 June 1886) · Anatoli Kiriggwajjo (d. 3 June 1886) · Andrew Kaggwa (d. 26 May 1886) · Antanansio Bazzekuketta (d. 27 May 1886) · Bruno Sserunkuuma (d. 3 June 1886) · Charles Lwanga (d. 3 June 1886) · Denis Ssebuggwawo Wasswa (d. 25 May 1886) · Gonzaga Gonza (d. 27 May 1886) · Gyavira Musoke (d. 3 June 1886) · James Buuzaabalyaawo (d. 3 June 1886) · John Maria Muzeeyi (d. 27 January 1887) · Joseph Mukasa (d. 15 November 1885) · Kizito (d. 3 June 1886) · Lukka Baanabakintu (d. 3 June 1886) · Matiya Mulumba (d. 30 May 1886) · Mbaga Tuzinde (d. 3 June 1886) · Mugagga Lubowa (d. 3 June 1886) · Mukasa Kiriwawanvu (d. 3 June 1886) · Nowa Mawaggali (d. 31 May 1886) · Ponsiano Ngondwe (d. 26 May 1886) Almighty and ever living God, the blood of the martyrs is the seed of Christianity. May the faith and perseverance of St. Charles Lwanga and his Companions stand as examples to us to live the Christian faith. See also: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Lwanga https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uganda_Martyrs https://catholicsaints.info/saint-charles-lwanga/ https://catholicsaints.info/martyrs-of-uganda/ http://www.buganda.com/martyrs.htm https://wau.org/archives/article/the_uganda_martyrs/ https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/view.cfm?recnum=8370 |
||
 |
5th June ~ Memorial of St. Boniface, Bishop, Martyr Born c. 675, Crediton, Devon Died 5 June 754 (aged c. 79) near Dokkum, Frisia Major shrine Fulda Cathedral, St Boniface Catholic Church, Crediton, UK Attributes In bishop's robes, book pierced by a sword (also axe; oak; scourge) Patronage Fulda; Germania; England (Orthodox Church; jointly with Ss. Augustine of Canterbury, and Cuthbert of Lindisfarne) Boniface was born in Devon, possibly in Crediton, in about 675. Educated in monasteries in Exeter and Nursling he was ordained at the age of about thirty. His knowledge of scripture made him a successful teacher and preacher and he is known to have been the envoy of King Ine of Wessex to Buchard, the archbishop of Canterbury. In 716 he travelled to Frisia to carry on the missionary work begun by Wilfrid and Willibrod. However political conditions and rampant paganism made missionary work impossible. He returned to Nursling and was elected as abbot but refused the position travelling instead in 718 to Rome to receive a definite mission from Pope Gregory II to preach the gospel, Intending to go to Bavaria and Hesse, he returned to Frisia to assist the ageing Willibrod. He was consecrated a bishop in 722. Ten years later, Pope Gregory III sent him the pallium, making him an archbishop with the power to consecrate bishop for Germany beyond the Rhine. When, in 738, Charles Martel defeated the Saxons of Westphalia, this opened up new missionary opportunities for Boniface who wrote his famous letter to the English people asking for support with their prayers and with gifts of books, vestments, relics and personnel. In 738-9 he was back in Rome where he was joined by new companions. Using his legatine powers he summoned a synod for all the Christians if Germany and established a hierarchy in Bavaria eventually becoming archbishop of Mainz. During his work he was hampered not only by pagans but also by half-converted Christians and the importance of Boniface’s work lies not only in his pioneering missionary work but more significantly in his organisation of the Church. His next important work was the reform of the Church in France where no council had met for years, and many bishoprics lay vacant or were in the hands of unsuitable laymen. There Boniface presided over the councils of 742 and 747 where the abuses were condemned and the Rule of St. Benedict was made the basic code for all Carolingian monasteries. In his old age Boniface returned to Frisia to end his days amongst the people of his first missionary enterprise. He was martyred in 754 by a band of pagans whilst awaiting the arrival of some neophytes for confirmation. See also: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Boniface https://www.bartleby.com/210/6/051.html |
||
 |
6th June ~ Optional Memorial of St. Norbert, Bishop. Born - c. 1075, Genneperhuis, diocese of Cologne, Holy Roman Empire Died - 6 June 1134 (aged 58–59), Magdeburg, Archbishopric of Magdeburg Venerated in - Catholic Church Canonized - 1582, Rome by Pope Gregory XIII Feast - 6 June Attributes - monstrance; cross with two beams Patronage - Kingdom of Bohemia (now Czech Republic), invoked during childbirth for safe delivery; Magdeburg The founder of the Premonstratensian or white canons, Norbert was born in c. 1080 at Xanten of a noble family related to the Emperor. He became a subdeacon and canon at Xanten although this did not lead to an immediate conversion. This, according to his biographers, took place as a result of an escape from death in a thunderstorm in 1115. As a result he renounced his wealth, sold his estates and gave away the proceeds. At a meeting with Pope Gelasius II he confessed his misdeeds and undertook to do penance for them. Instead he was commissioned to preach the Gospel wherever he chose as a result of which Norbert became an itinerant preacher in northern France quickly acquiring a reputation for eloquence and miracles. Failing in his attempts to reform the canons at Xanten and at St. Martin he made a fresh start with thirteen disciples. From this beginning his group grew and in 1121 they made heir professions according to the Rule of St. Augustine becoming known as a reforming movement amongst the canons regular. In their acceptance of preaching and pastoral work they presented a more active form of life than did the monks. Their austerity owed much to the example of the Cistercians and St. Bernard. The Premonstratensians received official approval from the papacy in 1126, the same year that Norbert was appointed archbishop of Magdeburg. His canons hade been a considerable influence on the conventual clergy in France and Germany and Norbert’s appointment gave him influence for the cause of the church at large. Norbert died at Magdeburg in 1134 and was buried in the church there. He was formally canonised in 1582 and in 1627 his relics were transferred to Strahov, near Prague. See also: https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/11100b.htm https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norbert_of_Xanten https://catholicsaints.info/saint-norbert-of-xanten/ https://www.bartleby.com/210/6/061.html https://saintscatholic.blogspot.com/2014/03/saint-norbert-of-xanten.html https://www.snc.edu/cns/norbertofxanten/manonfire/ https://www.forgottenbooks.com/en/readbook/HistoryofSaintNorbert_10227398#0 |
||
 |
7th June - Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. “ ... the love of God has been poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit which has been given to us. When we were still helpless, at the appointed time, Christ died for the godless. You could hardly find anyone ready to die even for someone upright; though it is just possible that, for a really good person, someone might undertake to die. So it is proof of God’s love for us, that Christ died for us while we were still sinners.” Romans 5: 5-9 Devotion to the Sacred Heart began with the revelations made to St. Gertrude (c. 1256-1302) of the Benedictine monastery of Helfta in Saxony. She received the stigmata and her own heart was pierced by a light from the heart of Christ. Devotion amongst Gertrude’s community was linked closely to the passion of Christ and in particular to the wound made by the lance in his side. The real impetus for devotion to the Sacred Heart came from St. Margaret Mary Alacocque (1648-90). In the final revelation, Christ told Mary that he desired for a feast of the Sacred Heart to be established in reparation on the Friday following the octave of Corpus Christi. In 1875, to mark the bi-centenary of the revelations to St. Margaret Mary Alacocque, Pope Pius IX exhorted all Catholics to consecrate themselves the Sacred Heart. His successor, Pope Leo XIII, encouraged all Catholics to dedicate the whole world to the Sacred Heart on the 11th of June 1899. Pope Pius X required that this consecration be renewed annually and in 1925 Pope Pius XI laid down that this consecration be made on the feast of Christ the King. See also: |