MARCH 24
Irenaeus of Sirmium (d. 304)
Dinner strength
There are several notable early Christians named Irenaeus. This day’s saint is Irenaeus of Sirmium, a community in modern Serbia, about forty miles west of Belgrade, that today carries the name Mitrovica.
Irenaeus became a martyr early in the fourth century. As a young man, remembered in contemporary biography as handsome, Irenaeus became a religious prisoner during the Diocletian persecution of the Church. His captors insisted that he offer a sacrifice to pagan gods, torturing him on the rack when he refused. His family tearfully begged him to cooperate with the officials in order to save his life, but he remained resolute.
A second public trial resulted in a death sentence. He was beheaded and his body thrown into the river.
MARCH 25
Lucy Filippini (1672–1732)
Attractive teaching
Lucy Filippini was born in Tuscany, about sixty miles from Rome. Orphaned early in life, she became a serious student while still quite young. Soon, she was an outstanding popular teacher, with more children coming to her than she could accommodate. They called her the Maestra santa, the holy schoolmistress. Something about her healthy spirit and common sense appealed to others.
Her health began to fail in 1726. Interestingly, she died on the exact day she had predicted: March 25, 1732.
MARCH 26
Braulio of Saragossa (ca. 585–651)
Prayer and simplicity
Of Spanish saints, Braulio is one of the best known. A pastor and writer, he became a monk in the year 610 and bishop of his hometown, Saragossa, in 631. He participated in the third, fourth, and fifth Councils of Toledo.
Prayer occupied much of every day and night. Braulio avoided pomp and luxury, preferring simple clothes and plain, simple food. He was a caring pastor and notable for his liberality to the poor.
Toward the end of his life, failing eyesight hampered his studies. When he knew his last day had come, he used it to recite psalms.
MARCH 27
John of Egypt (d. 394)
Restrained living
Like Joseph, John of Egypt was a carpenter. He was born in Lycopolis, which is now the Egyptian city of Asyut. Probably the best-known saint of Christian Egypt, John of Lycopolis withdrew to the desert of the nearby mountains. He carved three little cells in the stone at the top of a steep hill. One became his bedroom; another, his living room; and the third, his oratory. He shut himself in with a wall, receiving food through a little window. Five days a week he conversed only with God. On weekends, he would talk with men (but not with women) about spiritual matters. He never ate until sunset, and then he confined his diet to dried fruit and vegetables. He declined bread or anything cooked. This diet sustained him from his fortieth to his ninetieth year. So many came to visit him that it became necessary to construct a guesthouse for them. John’s followers took care of the management of this establishment.
He was a respected prophet. He seemed able to read people’s minds and souls, exposing the secret sins of his visitors. He also predicted the outcome of a military conflict. In 394 he perceived his approaching death, shut his window on the world, and gave orders that no one should bother him for three days. He died peacefully, on his knees at prayer. Archaeologists rediscovered John’s cell above and beyond the popular tourist monuments in Asyut in 1901.
MARCH 28
Tutilo (d. ca. 915)
Dedicated gifts
A monk in Switzerland, Tutilo apparently was a universal genius, a polymorph. Remembered as extraordinarily handsome, this strong man had a large frame. Eloquent and quick-witted, he was a painter, sculptor, architect, metalworker, mechanic, poet, orator, and passionate musician who played and taught a wide variety of instruments at the abbey school.
King Charles admired Tutilo and thought it was a pity that such a genius was secluded in a monastery. Tutilo avoided the limelight and appeared in public reluctantly. A few of his works of art and four musical compositions remain. After his death, he was buried in a chapel that took his name.
MARCH 29
Rupert of Salzburg (d. ca. 717)
Civilizing with faith
Most of today’s visitors to Salzburg, Austria, think of Mozart. In Mozart’s day, of course, the medieval stone fortress located above the town was already an ancient relic. Few realize that the Duke of Bavaria gave a missionary named Rupert a ruined town that was then called Iuvavum. Rupert rebuilt Iuvavum and named it Salzburg for its salt mines and fortress.
Rupert was an effective Christian evangelist who worked hard at civilizing his converts. He encouraged the development of the salt mines and commerce up and down the Salzach River.
MARCH 30
Leonard Murialdo (1828–1900)
Service to Christ
An assiduous student, Leonard Murialdo continued his studies long beyond his ordination as a priest. Leonard had a great interest in the education of poor young men, and for thirty-seven years he directed a men’s college in Turin. There he emphasized music, theater, and gymnastics. For young men in trouble with the law he established agricultural centers. Social justice became one of the Church’s important concerns under his leadership.
MARCH 31
Guy of Pomposa (d. 1046)
Simplicity
Guy (also known as Guido, Guion, Wido, Witen and Wit), began life near Ravenna in the eleventh century. To please his parents, he dressed impeccably. But at a religious event in Ravenna, he saw the vanity of his garments, stripped them off and gave them to some indigents. Then he put on the shabbiest clothes imaginable, and in the spirit of simplicity he sought a religious life and lived for a while on a little island with a religious hermit.
He rose to high office in the Church and became the prior of St. Severus at Ravenna and abbot of Pomposa. Many novice monks were attracted to him, making it necessary to build another monastery to accommodate them. He delegated the business administration to others and gave most of his attention to prayer and spiritual direction. Nearing the end of his life, Guy endured fierce and unjustified persecution by the bishop of Ravenna.
APRIL 1
Hugh of Grenoble (1053–1132)
Solitude and productivity
Being religious in a secular world is not easy. Consider St. Hugh, bishop of Grenoble, France, who grew up in a home that placed a high value on prayer and almsgiving. From his earliest years, Hugh exhibited a spiritual sensitivity that some interpreted as shyness. Always modest and courteous to others, he never made a display of his intelligence and thorough education.
At the age of twenty-five, Hugh became bishop of Grenoble. For two years he engaged in a serious struggle against the moral laxity among clergy, but resigned his post because he felt ineffective in this position. Others thought he had been making excellent progress, but Hugh could only think about what he had not accomplished. Discouraged, he became a Benedictine monk and retreated from the world of ecclesiastical responsibilities.
After Hugh had spent only a short time at the monastery, his superiors insisted that he return to Grenoble and continue his leadership of the ministry there. He performed with distinction, maintaining a close relationship with his people, even visiting monks in hermitages, lingering for spiritual conversation and doing menial chores. His desire for solitude never ceased.
Hugh had an outstanding ability to speak in public. Though he distrusted himself, his efforts at reform were successful and his people began to practice religion in fresh, new ways.
Part of the work of the bishop of Grenoble involved taking care of the community’s infrastructure. Hugh managed road and bridge maintenance, built hospitals, raised taxes, and created a farmer’s market. He applied himself to the details of this civil work as diligently as he did to his religious vocation.
A significant relationship developed between Hugh and the founder of the Carthusians, Bruno (October 6). Bruno taught at Reims when Hugh was a student there. His desire for religious
solitude was as strong as Hugh’s, and he sought it at Grenoble. Together, they began to build the splendid monastery of the Grande Chartreuse. Hugh had his own cell in the new monastery and frequently turned aside from his responsibilities for a time of quietness and prayer. Such a life can become addictive, and once Bruno insisted that Hugh return to his responsibilities as bishop of Grenoble.
Painful illness plagued his final years, but he never complained. As he neared death, he recited the Lord’s Prayer and the Psalms continuously. At the age of seventy-nine, Hugh died, surrounded by Carthusian monks in the monastery he had helped found.
APRIL 2
Francis of Paola (1416–1507)
Dedicated life
Born in southern Italy in 1416, Francis was an answer to the prayers of his childless parents. They had vowed to dedicate any son born to them to the honor of St. Francis of Assisi (October 4), whose name they gave him when he was born. They did their best to give their son a solid introduction to faith in Christ. When he became twelve, they kept their vow by sending Francis to live a year among friars.
As a teenager, Francis of Paola took a trip to Rome with his parents. The big city’s decadence and lavishness disturbed him. Repulsed, he determined to live quietly in the country, away from the hustle and bustle of commerce and society. Wanting to live after the example of Francis of Assisi, he began living in a cave outside of Paola and scrupulously practiced fasting and penance.
Others came to join him. In 1436 they took the name “Hermits of Brother Francis of Assisi.” Residents in the area, impressed by their dedication to poverty and simplicity, got together and built them a church and a residence. They were officially recognized as a monastic order in 1474, and other houses were opened in southern Italy and Sicily.
Against his personal desires, Francis accepted an invitation to visit the king of France in 1483. He traveled from Italy barefoot, refusing plush accommodations, and praying most of the way. A most unusual guest in the French court, he fasted rather than feasted, never wore shoes, and used a board for a bed. French authorities were impressed with his sincerity and integrity, and opened the way for him to establish houses in France, Spain, and Germany.
Francis never returned home. He died in France on Good Friday, April 2, 1507.
APRIL 3
Richard of Chichester (1197–1253)
In the world
Life in England at the end of the twelfth century had hardships for Richard, who lost his parents early. But somehow, Richard avoided serious mistakes and became an excellent scholar and teacher at Oxford, becoming chancellor of the university. With excellent administrative skills, he moved higher until he was defending the Church against King Henry III and sought refuge in France from the king’s wrath.
Returning to England, Richard became Bishop of Chichester, but Henry III refused to accept him, nominating a rival. The pope ruled in favor of Richard, and in a fit of pique, the king confiscated all of his property. King Henry III decreed that no one should even give the new bishop shelter. So Richard became a stranger among his own people. Living with one of his priests, he did the best he could by visiting on foot. After about two years of this punishment, the king changed his policy, and Richard began to function at full capacity in his position as bishop.
Lovingly open to everyone, both stern and merciful to sinners, generous to anyone in need, and a great conductor of business, Richard was an outstanding example of a bishop. Under his guidance, both religious professionals and ordinary church members sharpened their knowledge and behavior.
Richard is the author of the well-known prayer that concludes: “May I know thee more clearly, love thee more dearly, and follow thee more nearly, day by day.”
He was in Dover when he became seriously ill and died on April 3, 1253.
APRIL 4
Isidore of Seville (ca. 560–636)
Conscientious living
Our task in this life is to do the best we can with what we have, without becoming discouraged when we fail to achieve greatness. The Spanish bishop and scholar Isidore lived a life precisely along those lines. The idea occurred to him as he sat in the woods, weary with trying to measure up to his older brother’s standards. He noticed how water had worn down a stone, one drop at a time. Instead of learning everything instantly, he would learn gradually, steadily, never giving up. In this way, Isidore became the most learned person of his time, an authority on a wide range of subjects including theology, Scripture, biography, history, geography, astronomy, and grammar. Many manuscript copies of his works survive. We do not know much about Isidore’s early life other than that he was born in Spain about the year 565. He followed his brother as bishop of Seville around 600. His own manuscripts reveal a high standard of conduct for bishops, but we have no contemporary reports regarding his personal behavior.
The product of his pen has earned him great respect for centuries. Not only does he provide us with encyclopedic knowledge from his time and place, he also reveals a spiritual alertness. He urged clergy to pray and read Scripture. “The more conscientious one is in becoming familiar with the sacred writings, the richer an understanding one will draw from them. As with the earth, the more it is cultivated, the more abundant is its harvest.”
APRIL 5
Vincent Ferrer (ca. 1350–1419)
A house divided
Saints do not always agree with each other, and saints can hold misguided notions about important subjects. So it was that Vincent Ferrer, who lived in Spain through the turn of the fifteenth century as a Dominican priest, became entangled in the theological controversies of his day. The Great Schism was a period of almost forty years (1378–1417) when the Church had two popes, each claiming to be the legitimate leader. Vincent supported Clement VII, the French candidate. Urban VI had many good supporters, including Catherine of Siena (April 29). Most scholars today think Catherine made the better choice.
Some of Vincent’s surviving books and sermons reveal that he unfortunately lived in harmony with the prejudices of his time and place. His large treatise against the alleged deceit of Jews is a prime example.
Vincent was an appealing Christian who attracted large crowds of listeners when he spoke in public. He lived an austere life and had little regard for his own holiness. In a treatise on the spiritual life, he gave himself low scores: “I am a plague-spot in soul and body; everything in me reeks of corruption because of the abomination of my sins and injustice.”
By 1409, there were three rival popes, and near the end of his life, Vincent made a great personal effort to help end the divisiveness of the Great Schism. At a special church council meeting in 1414, Vincent attempted to convince one of the three, Benedict, to resign. His famous “dry bones” sermon before a large gathering of bishops and nobles condemned human pride and pointed to the necessity of Christian unity. All of these efforts failed. Vincent then persuaded King Ferdinand of Aragon to cease his financial and political support for Benedict. This worked, and Benedict resigned. The council was then able to restore unity.
APRIL 6
Prudentius Galindo (d. 861)
Guiding light
Prudentius, a prolific writer, grew up in an affluent Spanish family. About 843 he became bishop of Troyes, located southeast of Paris.
Prudentius played an important role in a theological controversy concerning predestination. Gottschalk, a monk, taught that Christ died only for a minority, the “elect,” while most of us were doomed to hell from all eternity. This is the enduring theological dilemma known as “double predestination.” Hincmar, bishop of Reims, had Gottschalk excommunicated, thrown into prison, and tortured for his published ideas. Prudentius wrote the bishop, stating that Gottschalk’s punishment was too severe, and that Augustine (August 28) had written something similar. Later, Prudentius prepared a book refuting John Scotus Erigena, who was the source of much of Gottschalk’s thinking.
Prudentius took an active part in the various councils that deliberated the complex theologica
l issues, but the ravages of time and health gradually reduced his effectiveness. He died on April 6, 861.
APRIL 7
John Baptist de La Salle (1651–1719)
Fulfilling a vision
Why not teach children in their native dialect rather than in academic Latin? Why not teach them to be good Christians as they are learning their lessons? The answers to these questions were obvious to John Baptist de La Salle, and the results for seventeenth-century underprivileged French children were dramatic.
As a seminary student in Paris, John Baptist de La Salle taught some poor children a basic knowledge of Christianity. Adrien Nyel, a nonprofessional who was opening schools for the poor in Rouen, approached him in 1679 with a request for help in establishing a new school in Reims. Financial support already existed, and John Baptist’s function would be administrative. In retrospect, he said that he would not have accepted the opportunity if he had known the results, but that with the “eyes of faith” he could see God’s purpose. An unremarkable student himself, he became a leading educator.
Eager students swamped the new school at Reims. He quickly needed more teachers, and more money. Soon enough, he needed to build more schools, and the quality of teacher training cried out for serious evaluation. John Baptist de La Salle overcame his personal reticence and opened his home as a school for teachers of the poor. He lived with them, taught them, and prayed with them. His family and community responded negatively to this activity, requiring John Baptist to rent a cheap house and move in with his teachers. Calling themselves “Brothers of the Christian Schools,” their reputation for excellence began to spread. Requests for more schools poured in.
Butler's Lives of the Saints Page 8