Monday, March 20, 2023

Memorial of Saints (March 20)

St. Cuthbert wanted to live in solitude as a hermit, but he could not, as he was appointed bishop of Hexam. Though very prayerful, he did not neglect the care of the needy and the abandoned. He was known to have the gift of healing and prophetic visions. With his gift of healing, he healed many who were struck during a plague (died ca. 687 A.D.).

St. Wulfram served at the court of Theodore III of Neustria, and received an appointment as archbishop of Sens. Wulfram resigned after two and a half years and became a missionary to the Frisians (who lived at in what is now present-day Netherlands, northern Germany and southern Denmark). After years of missionary work, St. Wulfram returned to the monastery of Fontenelle (died ca. 703 A.D.).

St. Herbert was a disciple and close friend of St. Cuthbert. Ordained a priest, Herbert lived on an island in Lake Derwentwater, England. This was the origin of the island's name - St. Herbert's Island (died ca. 687 A.D.).

St. Photina is the name Catholic tradition gives to the Samaritan woman Jesus encountered at a well (John 4) in his itinerant missionary life. After her conversion by Christ, Photina preached the gospel, was imprisoned for three years, and died a martyr at Carthage. Martyred together with her were the servants of Emperor Nero's daughter.

St. Martin of Braga built several monasteries. In Braga, he was made metropolitan of Galicia - in what is now present-day Spain. St. Martin wrote several treatises, two of which are Formula vitae horestae and De correctione rusticorum. St. Martin died at Dumium - the main monastery where he did his work as bishop (died ca. 597 A.D.).

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