St. Rupert, March 29
Kathy Rabenstein
+ Rupert (Hrodbert, Robert, Rupprecht) of Salzburg, OSB B (RM)
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Died in Salzburg, Austria, c. 710-720; feast day formerly March 27.
There have been varying opinions as to where Rupert was born. While
a more reliable source makes him a Frank, another source makes him an
Irishman. In any case, he was the bishop of Worms when he began his
missionary work in southern Germany.
Rupert travelled to Regensburg (Ratisbon) with a small company about
697, perhaps with credentials from the French King Childebert III. They
went to Duke Theodo, whose permission they needed to proceed. While
Theodo was not a Christian, his sister is said to have been one. He
agreed to listen to their preaching and was converted and baptized.
Many of the leading men and women of the land followed the duke's
example and embraced Christianity.
Instead of knocking down pagan temples, as many missionaries did,
Rupert preferred to consecrate them as Christian churches. For
example, those at Regensburg and Altoetting were soon altered for
Christian services. Where there was no suitable temple to adapt
churches were built, and Regensburg became primarily Christian. Soon
the missionary work met with such success that many more helpers
from Franconia were needed to meet the spiritual needs of Rupert's
converts.
The group continued down the Danube, converting many. Rupert made
the old fallen-down town of Juvavum, given to him by the duke of
Bavaria, his headquarters. The town was restored and he named it
Salzburg (Salt Fortress). There Rupert found a church and a monastery
with a school.
He made a trip home to gather more recruits. His sister, St. Erentrudis
(f.d. June 30), entered a convent he founded at Nonnberg and became
its first abbess. He did much to foster the operation of the salt mines.
Rupert, the first archbishop of Salzburg, is considered to be the Apostle
of Bavaria and Austria. He became so renowned after his death that
countries such as Ireland claimed him as a native son (Attwater,
Benedictines, Bentley, Encyclopedia, White).
Rupert's emblem in art is a barrel of salt. He may be shown holding a
basket of eggs; baptizing Duke Theodo(re) of Bavaria; or with St.
Virgilius of Salzburg (f.d. November 27) (Roeder, White).
Other Saints Honored March 29
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+ = celebrated liturgically
+ Armogastes, Archinimus and Saturus MM (RM)
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Died after 460. Armogastes and Saturus were high officers at the
palace of the Vandal king Genseric. They were tortured, then sent to
labor in the mines, then condemned to slavery as cowherds near
Carthage in North Africa. They were not put to death "lest the Romans
should venerate them as martyrs."
The other names given in the Roman Martyrology are Archimimus and
Masculas, thought to be martyrs of this group, apparently refer to
Armogastes, with the meaning 'president of the Theater, a native of
Mascula" or possibly we should understand "Archimimus, the Masculan"
(Benedictines).
In art, they are depicted as early Christians who are condemned to being
killed by herds of cows (Roeder).
+ Berthold of Mount Carmel, OC Foundress (AC)
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Born at Limoges, France; died c. 1195. St. Berthold studied and was
ordained in Paris. He went on the Crusades with Aymeric, his brother,
and was in Antioch during its siege by the Saracens, during which he
had a vision of Christ denouncing the evil ways of the Christian soldiers.
Thereafter, he labored to reform his fellows. He organized them and
became superior of a group of hermits on Mount Carmel. Eventually
Aymeric became the Latin patriarch of Antioch and appointed his brother
superior general of the monks and, thus, is considered by some to be the
founder of the Carmelites. He ruled there for 45 years (Attwater,
Benedictines, Delaney, Encyclopedia).
+ Cyril of Heliopolis M and Mark BM (AC)
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Died c. 362. From Lebanon, this deacon was seized and put to death by
pagans under Julian the Apostate at Heliopolis (Benedictines,
Encyclopedia).
Blessed Diemut (Diemuda) of Wessobrunn, OSB Hermit (AC)
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Died c. 1130. St. Diemut, a nun of Wessobrunn, Bavaria, was allowed to
live as a solitary under the obedience of the monastery. She spent her
time in copying manuscripts, some of which have survived
(Benedictines).
Eustace (Eustasius) of Luxeuil, Abbot (RM)
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Died 625. St. Eustace was a favorite disciple and monk of St.
Columbanus (f.d. November 23), whom he succeeded as second abbot
of Luxeuil. He ruled over about 600 monks. During his abbacy the
monastery was a veritable seminary for bishops and saints
(Benedictines).
Firminus of Viviers B (AC)
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6th century. Bishop of Viviers, France (Benedictines).
Gery (Jouery) of Sens
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Died 711. St. Gery was bishop of Sens and uncle to St. Ebbon
(Encyclopedia)
+ Gundleus (Gwynllyw, Woolo, Woollos), Hermit (AC)
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Died c. 500. According to legend, Gundleus (Latin for Gwynllyw) was a
Welsh chieftain (who became Catholic so that others could pronounce
his name?) who desired to marry Gwladys (below), daughter of
Brychan of Brecknow. When Brychan refused his daughter's hand,
Gundleus kidnapped Gwladys and married her. (One aspect of the
legend has King Arthur helping to defeat the pursuing Brychan and being
dissuaded from capturing Gwladys for himself by two of his knights.)
Nevertheless, Gundleus and Gwladys led a riotous life, engaging in
violence and banditry until their first son, St. Cadoc (f.d. September 25),
convinced them to adopt and follow a religious life together at Newport,
Monmouthshire. Later he had them separate and live as hermits, with
Gwladys eventually living at Oencarnau, Bassaleg. There is a church
dedicated to him at Newport (Benedictines, Delaney).
+ Gwaladys (Gladys) (AC)
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Born in Wales in the 5th century. Daughter of Brychan of Brecknock,
wife of St. Gundleus (above), and mother of St. Cadoc (f.d. September
25), St. Gladys led a very interesting life (Benedictines, Delaney).
Blessed Hugh of Vaucelles, OSB Cist. (AC)
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Died 1239. Hugh was dean of the church at Cambria, then a monk of the
Cistercian Abbey of Vaucelles (Benedictines).
Blessed Jane Mary de Maille, OFM Tert. V (AC)
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Born 1331; died 1414; cultus confirmed in 1871. The daughter of the
baron de Maille, Jeanne-Marie married the baron de Silly, with whom she
lived in virginity for 16 years. After his death in 1362, she joined the
Franciscan tertiaries and retired to Tours, where she spent the rest of
her life in poverty and privation due to the persecution of her husband's
relatives (Benedictines)
+ Jonas (Jonah), Barachisius (Berikjesu) and Comp. MM (RM)
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Died 327. In the year 327, the Sassanian King Shapur II began a vicious
persecution against the Christians in Persia. He cast many into prison,
and two brothers of the city of Beth-Asa decided, in spite of the danger,
to visit and comfort them in their last hours of torment and death.
The two men were arrested for this, and brought to trial. We are lucky
that the eyewitness accounts of their martyrdom with nine other
Christians survive. The judge told them they must venerate the King of
Persia and also the sun, the moon, fire and water. They answered him
that only a fool would worship a mortal man rather than the immortal king
of heaven.
The two saints were then barbarously put to death. After hideous
tortures Jonah's mangled body was placed in a wine-press, and the
saint was crushed to death. Berikjesus was treated with equal brutality.
Hundreds of reeds were cut into sharp splinters and inserted into his
flesh. Then Berikjesus was rolled along the ground, so that the long
splinters pierced him deeply. As he endured the hideous pain, the judge
called out that he could still save himself. Berikjesus replied, "God, the
maker of this body, will restore it; and he will judge you and your king."
An do he joined his brother in death when burning pitch was poured
down his throat (Attwater, Benedictines, Bentley).
Lasar (Lassar, Lassera) V (AC)
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6th century. The Irish nun St. Lasar (meaning 'Flame') was the niece of
St. Forchera. Still very young, she entered religious life under the care
of SS. Finnian (f.d. December 12) and Ciaran (f.d. September 9) at
Clonard (Benedictines).
+ Ludolf (Ludolphus) of Ratzeburg, O. Praem. B (AC)
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Died 1250. The Premonstratensian canon Ludolf became bishop of
Ratzeburg and had to endure much persecution at the hands of Duke
Albert of Sachsen-Lauenberg (Benedictines).
Mark of Arethusa BM (AC)
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Died c. 362. Bishop Mark of Arethusa on Mount Lebanon was present at
the synod of Sirmium where he produced a creed for which he was
unjustly accused of Arianism by Baronius, who excluded his name from
the Roman Martyrology. Like St. Cassian of Imola (f.d. August 13), St.
Mark is said to have been stabbed to death by iron pens. Myths and
innuendo aside, the Bollandists have vindicated St. Mark, who actually
died a martyr under Julian the Apostate (Attwater, Benedictines).
Pastor, Victorinus and Comp. MM (RM)
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Died c. 311. A group of seven martyrs who suffered at Nicomedia under
Galesius (Benedictines).
Secundus of Asti M (RM)
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Died 119; feast day celebrated some places on March 30. St. Secundus
was a patrician of Asti, Piedmont, Italy, and a subaltern officer in the
imperial army. He was beheaded at Asti under Hadrian (Benedictines).
In art, he is portrayed as a young warrior with a horse and is sometimes
shown with SS. Maurice and Exuperius (f.d. September 22) (Roeder).
Sources:
========
Attwater, D. (1983). The penguin dictionary of saints, NY:
Penguin Books.
Benedictine Monks of St. Augustine Abbey, Ramsgate. (1947). The
book of saints: A dictionary of servants of God canonized
by the Catholic Church extracted from the Roman and other
martyrologies. NY: Macmillan.
Benedictine Monks of St. Augustine Abbey, Ramsgate. (1966). The
book of saints: A dictionary of persons canonized or
beatified by the Catholic Church. NY: Thomas Y. Crowell.
Bentley, J. (1986). A calendar of saints: The lives of the
principal saints of the Christian year, NY: Facts on File.
Delaney, J. J. (1983). Pocket dictionary of saints, NY:
Doubleday Image.
Encyclopedia of Catholic saints, March. (1966).
Philadelphia: Chilton Books.
Roeder, H. (1956). Saints and their attributes, Chicago: Henry
Regnery.
White, K. E. (1992). Guide to the saints, NY: Ivy Books.
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Kathy R.
krab...@ana.org