Pionius, martyr; Brigid or Bride, virgin; Sigebert III of Austrasia; John "of the Grating," bishop; Henry Morse, priest and martyr (February 1)
Presentation of the Lord (February 2)
also on February 2: Adalbald of Ostrevant, martyr; Joan of Lestonnac, widow
Blase: (died early 4th c. A.D.); bishop of Sebaste in Armenia; associated with the healing of throats; venerated as well by the Eastern Church; believed martyred in the persecution of Licius. (February 3)
Anscar or Oscar: (died 865 A.D. at Bremen); O.S.B. missionary to Denmark and Sweden; bishop of Hamburg; great preacher and administrator; known as the "Apostle of the North", patron of Denmark, Germany, Sweden, Norway and Iceland. (February 3)
also on February 3: Laurence of Spoleto, bishop; Ia, virgin; Laurence of Canterbury, bishop; Werburga, virgin; Anskar, bishop; Margaret "of England", virgin; Aelred of Rivaulx, abbot
on February 4: Andrew Corsini, bishop and confessor; Theophilus the Penitent; Phileas, bishop and martyr; Isidore of Pelusium, abbot; Modan, abbot; Nicholas Studites, abbot; Rembert, bishop; Joan of Valois, matron; Joseph of Leonessa; John de Britto, martyr
Agatha (died probably under Decius c. 251 A.D. in Sicily); patroness of Palermo and Catania; invoked for protection against volcanic eruptions and fires; mentioned in the Roman Canon. (February 5)
also on February 5: Avitus of Vienne, bishop; Bertoul or Bertulf; Indractus and Dominica, martyrs; Vodalus or Voel; Adelaide of Bellich, virgin; The Martyrs of Japan: Peter Baptist, Martin de Aguirre, Francis Blanco, Francis-of-St.-Michael, Philip de Casas, Gonsalo Garcia, Paul Miki, John Goto, James Kisai, Caius Francis, Francis of Miako, Leo Karasuma, Louis Ibarki, Antony Deynan, and Thomas Kasaki
Paul Miki: Jesuit scholastic, and his 25 companions, including 2 other Jesuits, 6 Franciscans, 15 tertiaries and 2 laymen, were crucified by order of the ruler Hideyoshi, 5 Feb. 1597 A.D. at Nagasaki; among them, the Mexican, Philip of Jesus, the first martyr from the Americas to be beatified; protomartyrs of the Far East (canonized in 1862 A.D. by Pope Pius IX). (February 6)
Pedro Baustista: (died 5 February 1597 A.D.); martyred by crucifixion at Nagasaki; Spanish Franciscan Friar who had worked as a missionary in the Philippines before he was appointed superior of his Order in Japan. (February 6)
also on February 6: Mel and Melchu, bishop; Vedast or Vaast, bishop; Amand, bishop; Guarinus, bishop; Hildegund, widow
on February 7: Adaucus, martyr; Theodore of Heraclea, martyr; Moses, bishop; Richard, "King"; Luke the Younger
Jerome Emiliani (died 1537 A.D. of the plague); Venetian soldier whose conversion led to the founding (1534 A.D.) of the Clerks Regular of Somascha, today numbering 500 members; dedicated to the poor and the education of youth; patron of orphans and abandoned children. (February 8)
Josephine Bakhita: was a young Sudanese girl sold into slavery and brought to Italy where, while serving as a nanny she was set to live with the Canossian Sisters of the Institute of the Catechumens in Venice. There she was baptized, and having reached maturity age, was granted freedom by Italian law. In 1896 A.D., she joined the Canossian Daughters of Charity where she served humbly for the next twenty five years. She died after a long and painful illness, during which she would cry out to the Lord: "Please loosen the chains … they are so heavy!" Her dying words were "Our Lady! Our Lady!" (February 8)
also on February 8: John of Matha, confessor; Nicetius or Nizier of Besancon, bishop; Elfleda, virgin; Meingold, martyr; Cuthman; Stephen of Muret, abbot
Apollonia, virgin and martyr: in the reign of Emperor Philip, mobs
of anti-Christian people went through the streets of Alexandria and accosted those who professed the Christian faith. Some of them they killed at once, while the others had to endure torture. One of the Christians they tortured was Apollonia. Apollonia was an old deaconness who had to endure the evils done by the anti-Christian rioters. The description of her martyrdom has ensured her a place in the history of martyrology. When the anti-Christian rioters took hold of her, they brought severe blows to her jaw, damaging some of her teeth. Her torturers then proceeded to pull out all of her teeth with a pincer. She was then thrown into a big fire created by the rioters. Because of this description of her martyrdom, she is represented in Christian art with a gold tooth and a pincer. St. Apollonia then
became known as the patron saint of dentists and of all toothaches.
also on February 9: Nicephorus, martyr; Sabinus of Canosa, bishop;
Teilo, bishop; Ansbert, bishop; Alto, abbot
Scholastica: (died c. 547 A.D. at Monte Casino); sister of St. Benedict; "She could do more because she loved more" (Gregory the Great). (February 10)
also on February 10: Soteris, virgin and martyr; Trumwin, bishop; Austreberta, virgin; William of Maleval
on February 11: Our Lady of Lourdes; Saturninus, Dativus and Companions, martyrs; Lucius, bishop and martyr; Lazarus, bishop; Severinus, abbot; Caedmon; Gregory II, priest; Benedict of Aniane, abbot; Paschal I, priest
on February 12: Marina, virgin; Julian the Hospitaler; Meletius, bishop; Ethelwald, bishop; Antony Kauleas, bishop; Ludan
on February 13: Polyeuctus, martyr; Martinian the Hermit; Stephen of Rieti, abbot; Modomnoc; Licinius or Lesin, bishop; Ermengild or Ermenilda, widow; Catherine dei Ricci, virgin
Cyril and Methodius: (Cyril died 869 A.D., Methodius died 885 A.D.); brothers known as the "Apostles to the Slavs"; prepared Slavic liturgical texts; served as the "spiritual bridge between Eastern and Western traditions" (Pope John Paul II); patrons of the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina, and with St. Benedict, co-patrons of all of Europe. (February 14)
also on February 14: John Baptist of the Conception; Auxentius; Conran, bishop; Antonius of Sorrento, abbot; Adolf, bishop
on February 15: Agpae, virgin and martyr; Walfrid, abbot; Tanco or Tatto, bishop and martyr; Sigfrid, bishop
on February 16: Onesimus, martyr; Juliana, virgin and martyr; Elias, Jeremy and Companions, martyrs; Gilbert of Sempringham
Seven Founders of the Servites: The Servites were founded by seven Florentine cloth merchants in 1223 A.D.; they popularized devotion to Our Lady of Sorrows. (February 17)
also on February 17: Theodotus and Julian, martyrs; Loman, bishop; Fintan of Cloneenagh, abbot; Finan, bishop; Evermod, bishop; Silvin, bishop
on February 18: Simeon, bishop and martyr; Leo and Paregorius, martyrs; Flavian, bishop and martyr; Helladius, bishop; Colman of Lindisfarne, bishop; Angilbert, abbot; Theotonius, abbot
on February 19: Mesrop, bishop; Barbatus, bishop; Beatus of Liebana; Boniface of Lausanne, bishop; Conrad of Piacenza
on February 20: Tyrannio, Zenobius and Companions, martyrs; Sadoth, bishop and martyr; Eleutherius of Tournai, bishop; Eucherius of Orleans, bishop; Wulfric
Peter Damian O.S.B.: (died 1072 A.D.); indefatigable defender of the Gregorian reform; monk, later Cardinal bishop of Ostia; promoter of the religious life. (February 21)
also on February 21: Severian, bishop and martyr; Germanus of Granfel, martyr; George of Amastris, bishop; Robert Southwell, priest and martyr
on February 22: Chair of Peter, Apostle; Thalassius and Limnaeus; Baradates; Margaret of Cortona
Polycarp: (died c. 155 A.D. at age 86); disciple of St. John and bishop of Smyrna; his Letter to the Philippians witnesses to various New Testament writings; the martyrdom of Polycarp records his being burned at the stake; one of the first martyrs to be venerated. (February 23)
also on February 23: Serenus the Gardener or Cerneuf of Billom, martyr; Alexander Akimetes; Dositheus; Boisil or Boswell, abbot; Milburga and Mildgytha, virgins; Willigis, bishop
on February 24: Montanus, Lucius and Companions, martyrs; Praetextatus or Prix, bishop and martyr
on February 25: Victorinus and Companions, martyrs; Caesarius Nazianzen; Ethelbert of Kent; Walburga, virgin; Tarasius, bishop; Gerland, bishop
on February 26: Nestor, bishop and martyr; Alexander of Alexandria, bishop; Porphyry, bishop; Victor or Vittre the Hermit
on February 27: Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows, confessor; Besas, Cronion and Julian, martyrs; Thalelaeus the Hermit; Leander, bishop; Baldomerus or Galmier; Alnoth; John of Gorze, abbot; Ann Line, martyr
on February 28: Proterius, bishop and martyr; Romanus and Lupicinus, abbots; Hilarus, priest; Oswald of Worcester, bishop
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