St. Rose of Viterbo had a vision of the Blessed Virgin Mary as a young girl. After some years, she began preaching in the streets of her hometown in support of the Pope, and at the same time denounced prophetically the Emperor Frederick II. When the allies of the Emperor sought her death, Rose fled to Soriano. In 1250 A.D., as she had predicted, the Emperor died. When the nuns at Viterbo refused Rose admittance to their convent, Rose returned to her parents' home and passed away at an early age of 17 (died ca. 1252 A.D.).
St. Rosalia dedicated her life to God since her youth. She went to live as a hermitess in a cave and practiced self-discipline and prayer. After some years, she transferred to Mount Pellegrino where she continued her life of austerity, penance and deep prayer. St. Rosalia is the principal patron saint of Palermo, Italy, because of her role in ending a plague that struck the region in 1640 A.D. (died ca. 1160 A.D.).
St. Ida of Herzfeld was raised in the court of Charlemagne. She got married to Egbert, but became a widow early in her marriage. She then spent time helping the poor. When her son Warin became a monk at Herzfeld, she moved out of her estate at Westphalia to be near her son. With her means and influence, she built a convent so that her works of mercy and charity with the poor will be continued. It is in this convent that she spent her last years (died ca. 825 A.D.).
Sts. Marcellus and Valerian were Christians when the persecution against the faith was launched by Marcus Aurelius. Both were imprisoned but managed to escape. Marcellus was sheltered by a pagan whom he had converted to Christianity. Priscus, the governor, had Marcellus arrested and then sentenced to death by burying him in the ground up to his waist. Marcellus died three days after this ordeal. Valerian on the other hand was also recaptured and then martyred like Marcellus by being beheaded at Tournus (died ca. 178 A.D.).
St. Marinus was a Croatian stonemason and worked in the quarries of Rimini. His companion stonemason, St. Leo, became a priest; Marinus became a deacon. Leo then went to Montefeltro while Marinus continued to work on an aqueduct for 12 years. After someone falsely accused him, Marinus fled into the mountains and spent his life as a hermit. A monastery grew up around his little hermitage. Later, a town, which would be named after him (San Marino), grew also around the hermitage and the monastery. St. Marinus is the patron saint of the tiny republic of San Marino near northcentral Italy in the Adriatic coast (died ca. 4th century A.D.).
St. Boniface I was elected Pope in 418 A.D. He was already old at the time. A dissident faction in the Church wanted Eulalius instead as the Pope. But Emperor Honorius settled the dispute by deciding in favor of Boniface I. As Pope, Boniface I opposed Pelagianism. He supported St. Augustine in upholding the orthodoxy of the Christian faith (died ca. 422 A.D.).
St. Ultan of Ardbraccan was a bishop of Ireland. He was known for his evangelizing abilities, knowledge of the faith, and his charity towards the less fortunate. Catholic tradition says that he collected the writings of St. Brigid of Ireland and wrote a biography about her (died ca. 657 century A.D.).
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