Butler's Lives of the Saints

by Bernard Bangley

  We may be certain that Benignus of Armagh was St. Patrick’s (March 17) close disciple who traveled with him on various missions. A gifted musician who effectively arranged choral music, Benignus acquired the title, “Patrick’s Psalm Singer.” As the abbot of Drumlease for twenty years, he helped to compile the Irish Code of Laws. Benignus succeeded St. Patrick as bishop of Armagh, Ireland, dying around the year 466.

  NOVEMBER 10

  Leo the Great (d. 461)

  Steadying hand

  Leo was born to a Tuscan family in Rome near the beginning of the fifth century. When he was elected pope in 440, the Roman Empire had collapsed. Vandals and barbarians were approaching with destruction and pillage on their minds. Heresies perforated Christianity. The Church was in trouble, and it needed Leo’s firm control and common sense.

  Leo came up with the terminology that helped to resolve the lengthy debate regarding the nature of Christ. His Tomos, or treatise, to the Council of Chalcedon in 451 spoke of one Person with two natures. In Christ, he said, the human and the divine are united without confusion. Leo’s concept became orthodox doctrine.

  A heart-stopping moment of history dramatically demonstrates Leo’s flair for negotiation. Attila the Hun’s army was poised to invade Rome in 452. Leo, in the company of two Roman senators but without any arms or protection, went out to meet the ruthless warrior and convinced him to withdraw. The massive army that had sacked and burned thriving cities throughout the civilized world marched back over the Alps to Hungary.

  Leo’s death in 461 left a church that had survived when civil government collapsed. In fact, the Church became the most influential and steadying international institution of medieval times.

  NOVEMBER 11

  Martin of Tours (ca. 316–97)

  Pioneering service

  Martin was born in Hungary, the son of a pagan Roman officer, early in the fourth century. At fifteen, Martin himself was conscripted into the Roman cavalry. With an inclination to become Christian, Martin grew dissatisfied with his military role. When he spoke out as a conscientious objector, officers imprisoned him. After he was ultimately discharged in 357, Martin had a moving experience when he helped a beggar at Amiens. He cut his cloak in half and put it on the nearly naked man. Later, Christ appeared to Martin in a dream, wearing the cloak he had given the beggar. Martin was soon baptized and became a devout Christian.

  St. Hilary (January 13) returned to Poitiers from exile in 360. Becoming a disciple of Hilary, Martin and others built the first monastery in Gaul at Liguge. Martin remained a solitary monk here until he became bishop of Tours in 372. Continuing to live in his cell, the new bishop worked at his difficult responsibilities with dedicated fervor. He played a central part in the handling of the unending doctrinal disputes.

  One of the possibilities for pioneering ministry that occurred to Martin was the evangelization of rural areas. Most Christians were in the cities. The very word pagan is a derivative of pagani, referring to people living in the country. Martin tore down pagan altars and sacred trees as he moved among his people, converting them to Christ.

  Martin died in 397 at Candes, France, and was buried at Tours.

  NOVEMBER 12

  Agostina Livia Pietrantoni (1864–94)

  Devoted service

  Agostina began life as Livia, and the story of her experiences reads like a classical Italian opera libretto. It is a tragic tale that is filled with faith, struggle, conflict, beauty, and emotion.

  Livia was the second of eleven children born to an Italian farming couple. She learned honesty, industry, thrift, and religion as she grew up. Because there was always work to do on the farm, she was not able to attend school on a regular basis. At the age of seven she worked as a child laborer hauling bags of sand and stone for highway construction. When she was twelve she joined other seasonal workers picking olives in Tivoli.

  Traveling to Rome in 1886, she proved herself worthy of becoming a Sister of Charity, a servant of the poor. Taking the religious name Agostina, she went to an ancient hospital, Santo Spirito. The secularization of the hospital was total. There were no religious icons of any kind. Sisters were grudgingly permitted to work among the patients, but were forbidden to mention God. Though she was able to do good for the needy, her personal life at Santo Spirito was miserable. She worked first in a children’s ward and then moved on to work with tuberculosis patients. Agostina’s exposure to the contagious disease brought tuberculosis to her own lungs, but she was miraculously healed.

  One of the tuberculosis patients had a difficult personality. Giuseppe Romanelli was vulgar, disrespectful, and violent, especially toward Agostina, who kept him in her prayers and tried to give the disagreeable man special attention. Because of his behavior toward the women working in the hospital’s laundry, the director discharged him.

  Romanelli became extraordinarily hostile and selected Agostina as his target. He began to send her notes with threatening messages. “You only have a month to live.” “I will kill you with my own hands.” The insanely violent former patient caught her by surprise on November 13, 1894, stabbing her to death. Her final words to him were words of forgiveness.

  NOVEMBER 13

  Abbo of Fleury (ca. 945–1004)

  Teaching ministry

  Born near Orleans, France, Abbo became a Benedictine monk at Fleury. A consummate student, he became one of the greatest scholars of his time. The subjects of his writing included astronomy and mathematics, as well as religious subjects.

  In 985, Oswald of Worcester invited Abbo to Ramsey Abbey, England, to serve as headmaster of his school. Abbo encouraged his students in serious study, and at least one of them, Byrthferth of Ramsey, produced important writings. Abbo himself wrote a biography of Edmund, King of East Anglia (November 20), using interviews with Edmund’s standard-bearer as his chief source. Abbo dedicated this book to Dunstan (May 19).

  When Abbo returned to Fleury in 988 as abbot, his monks copied and studied Aristotle’s Categories and Analytics. Abbo served as a mediator between the pope and the French king. On a visit to the monastery of La Reole in Gascony to lead the the monks there in reform, Abbo tried to calm a fight between monks and refectory servers, and was killed in the melee.

  NOVEMBER 14

  Dubricius (d. ca. 545)

  Faithful service

  Dubricius, also known as Dyfrig, was one of the founders of monasticism in Wales. Among the earliest saints of South Wales, he played a leading role in securing a foothold for Christianity there. The historical record regarding his personal life is garbled.

  Dubricius appointed a monk named Samson (July 28) abbot of Caldey and then ordained him bishop. When a biography of Samson appeared in the seventh century, the far-ranging influence of Dubricius became a matter of record. Alfred Lord Tennyson praises Dubricius (Dyfrig) in his Coming of Arthur. There is even an unsubstantiated claim that Dubricius actually crowned King Arthur.

  Dubricius retired as an old man to Bardsey Island. He died there about 545.

  NOVEMBER 15

  Albert the Great (ca. 1200–80)

  Dedicated life

  If we evaluated teachers by the achievements of their students, Albert would get high scores. He taught Thomas Aquinas (January 28) at Cologne, introducing him to Aristotle’s thought.

  From Swabia, Germany, Albert joined the new Dominican Order as a student at the University of Padua. He became a bishop in 1260, but did not enjoy administrative detail. He resigned the post less than two years later and devoted his attention to teaching and writing. Albert’s broad expertise earned him the nickname “Universal Doctor.” He wrote treatises on the widest spectrum of studies: theology, Scripture, logic, rhetoric, ethics, philosophy, mathematics, physics, astronomy, mineralogy, chemistry, biology, geography, geology, and botany. Albert also pioneered studies in human and animal physiology. His writings fill thirty-eight volumes and provide the foundation for blending faith and reason. He had a mind in harmony with the Dominican idea of �
�general studies.”

  Albert was still actively teaching when he died at Cologne in 1280.

  NOVEMBER 16

  Agnes of Assisi (1197–1253)

  Dedicated

  Agnes was the younger sister of Clare (August 11). About two weeks after Clare left home to join the Benedictine convent of St. Angelo in Panso near Assisi, Italy, Agnes followed at the age of sixteen. This greatly distressed her father, who sent members of his family to persuade, and perhaps force, Agnes to return home. Her great struggle against these “rescuers” impressed Francis of Assisi (October 4). When he saw her dedication, he cut her hair short, as he had cut her sister’s, and welcomed her to the life of poverty.

  In 1219, Agnes became the first Poor Clare abbess of Monticelli at Florence. She was actively involved in the establishment of other convents in Italy.

  In 1253, three months after her sister’s death, Agnes died at San Damiano. Her remains rest near those of her mother and sisters in the church of St. Clare at Assisi.

  NOVEMBER 17

  Hugh of Lincoln (1140–1200)

  Christian leadership

  Hugh originated in the Grenoble region of France. In 1160, he joined the Carthusian monks at Chartreuse. King Henry II of England asked Hugh to establish the first English Carthusian foundation at a dilapidated charterhouse at Witham in Somerset. Under Hugh’s guidance it was soon flourishing and attracted some outstanding fellow monks.

  Hugh began the construction of the cathedral of Lincoln where he had become bishop. After an earthquake damaged the structure, Hugh went to the site to be present with the laborers, working on the cathedral with his own hands. Only a few stones of the walls remain today.

  Hugh’s high interest in education brought new life to the schools in Lincoln. He also had excellent relations with the Jewish community in that city, and on one occasion, took great risks in a riot in order to save the lives of targeted Jews.

  Hugh was both a friend and a critic of several kings. His sense of humor turned away the wrath of both Henry II and Richard I. When Hugh died in London, the kings of England and Scotland accompanied his body on its return to Lincoln.

  NOVEMBER 18

  Odo of Cluny (ca. 879–942)

  Extended influence

  In spite of being an obscure saint, Odo of Cluny achieved important and significant work in the early years of the tenth century. It amuses some who have a musical ear that Odo was the son of Abbo. While not many parents are naming their sons Odo today, it was a common name then, and there are five or six other saints from his era with similar names.

  Odo studied music and theology for four years in Paris. When, in 909, he read the Rule of Benedict (July 11), he decided to become a Benedictine monk at Baume. He brought everything he owned with him—about one hundred books. He became abbot of Baume in 924. Three years later, he became abbot of Cluny, another Benedictine monastery in France. Odo was able to free Cluny from secular control, and the monastery prospered for several hundred years, becoming one of the most important abbeys in Europe. Odo insisted upon silence, abstinence, and a strict interpretation of the Benedictine Rule. Other monasteries were slack by comparison.

  In Rome, Odo reformed St. Paul’s-Outside-the-Walls, and his influence extended to other monasteries in Italy. In his mature years, Odo gained respect as a mediator in political issues. He died at the monastery of St. Julian at Tours.

  NOVEMBER 19

  Mechtild of Hackeborn (d. 1298)

  Visionary

  The Benedictine convent of Helfta in Saxony was home to several extraordinary Christian mystics in the thirteenth century. Gertrude of Helfta’s The Herald of Divine Love remains in print today. Mechthild of Magdeburg wrote a classic spiritual journal now called The Flowing Light of the Godhead.

  Mechtild of Hackeborn entered the convent when she was only seven years old, and Gertrude became something of a mother to her. Mechtild’s mystical experiences began early. The first was a vision of Christ during communion. Many others followed over the years. Mechtild gained respect among those who lived and prayed with her. Gertrude wrote down the reports and interpretations Mechtild made of her visions that became known as The Book of Special Grace.

  Mechtild died November 19, 1298.

  NOVEMBER 20

  Edmund (849–70)

  Loyalty to Christ

  King Edmund, of East Anglia, England, was born a Saxon and grew up in a Christian home. During his reign, the Danes invaded Edmund’s territory. He led an army against them, but was defeated and taken captive. The historical record lacks details, but apparently, Edmund declined the two options given him by Ingwar, the leader of the invading hoard: He declined to deny his faith in Christ, and he refused to become a vassal ruling as a figurehead for Ingwar.

  Suffering the same fate as the young Sebastian (January 20), Edmund was used for target practice by archers. They then beheaded him in a field called Hellesden in Suffolk. They buried him in 869, and when his remains were exhumed in 915, they were incorrupt. They were relocated to Bedricsworth, which took on the new name of Bury St. Edmunds. A community founded at his shrine in 925 grew to be one of the most important English Benedictine abbeys. His relics were moved several times across the centuries, and are now lost.

  NOVEMBER 21

  Columbanus (ca. 543–615)

  Christian missions

  Irish monasteries played a huge role in keeping education and civilization alive during the Dark Ages. We owe a tremendous debt to the enthusiastic people who flocked to these religious safe havens and spread Christianity across the islands and onto the European continent.

  Columbanus was an outstanding Irish missionary who took a dozen fellow monks to Gaul and established a monastery in Burgundy. His work flourished and he soon needed to build additional facilities. French Christians did not like his radical organizational structure and thought his Celtic spirituality, with its harsh corporal punishment, severe. They asked the Irish monks, who considered themselves in “voluntary exile for Christ,” to leave.

  Moving on to Milan, Italy, by way of Switzerland and Austria, Columbanus established a string of monasteries. The Benedictines eventually displaced his strict Rule, but Columbanus helped to generate a popular European trend toward monastic life.

  NOVEMBER 22

  Cecilia (second or third century)

  Famous in obscurity

  Musicians have sung about St. Cecilia since the sixteenth century. The Academy of Music in Rome named her as its patron saint when it opened in 1584. There is no historical record that associates Cecilia with music.

  In fact, there is little reliable historical record of any kind relating to this honored second or third century saint. All of the colorful material is legendary. Her death is one of the strong moments in Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales. A pagan judge, Almachius, sentenced Cecilia to death, telling the guards to take her home:

  ”. . . and burn her in her house,” said he,

  “Within a bath of fire all flaming red.”

  And this was carried out as he had said;

  For in a bath they shut her, and they light

  A fire beneath, and feed it day and night.

  All the long night and all next day again,

  In spite of all the bath’s heat and the fire,

  She sat quite cold, and felt no kind of pain,

  Nor did the flames make her a drop perspire.

  Yet in that bath at last she must expire,

  For Almachius in his wicked wrath

  Ordered that they should slay her in the bath.

  Three strikes the executioner delivered

  Upon her neck, but by no kind of chance

  Could strike so that her neck was wholly severed;

  And since in that day, by an ordinance,

  None was allowed a man’s pain to enhance

  By a fourth stroke, however light or sore,

  This executioner dared do no more.

  Chaucer’s grisly verse goes on to relate how
Cecilia lingered near death for three days, continuing to instruct all who came to her in the ways of Christ. Following her passing, Pope Urban I turned her house into a church.

  Cecilia’s remains are buried in the cemetery of St. Callistus (October 14).

  NOVEMBER 23

  Amphilochius (ca. 340– ca. 95)

  Champion of orthodoxy

  Known as one of the Cappodocian Fathers, Amphilochius studied with Basil (January 2) in Constantinople, and became a lawyer there. Basil made Amphilochius bishop of Iconium in 373. Rampant heresies greatly troubled Asia Minor during his twentyyear tenure as bishop, and he became deeply involved in defining and supporting Christian orthodoxy. Though references to important writings by Amphilochius exist, most of his original writings have not survived the centuries.

  NOVEMBER 24

  Martyrs of Vietnam (1745–1862)

  Persecution

  More than one hundred thousand Christians became martyrs in the Vietnam area during the first two hundred years of missionary activity. The earliest missionaries arrived about 1530, but results did not begin to look promising until the Jesuits arrived in Hanoi in 1615.

  Today memorializes one hundred and seventeen European and Asian martyrs who died in the period between 1745 and 1862. They represent the largest mass canonization in history. Ninety-six were Vietnamese, eleven were Dominican missionaries from Spain, and ten were French missionaries from the Paris Foreign Mission Society. Largely, they were victims of violent reaction to colonialism. Ta dao, which means “false religion,” was written on the foreheads of Christians in Vietnamese characters. Families were cruelly separated and their homes destroyed.

  NOVEMBER 25

  Maria Corsini (1884–1965)

  Sheltering others