Memorial of Saints (February 5)

St. Agatha dedicated herself to God and a life of chastity early in life. A Roman consul desired her and used the persecutions to possess her. When Agatha refused his advances, the consul subjected her to all kinds of tortures including the cutting off of her breasts. The final torture which led to her death was her being rolled over red-hot coals (date of death unknown).

St. Avitus of Vienne succeeded his father as bishop in 490 A.D. Avitus became known for his wisdom, learning and charity. He converted King Sigismund of Burgundy to Christianity in 516 A.D. Avitus wrote an allegorical epic on the creation of man, a poem on chastity, and many homilies and letters still existing to this day (died ca. 525 A.D.).

St. Bertoul came from Germany and was converted to Christianity when he went to Flanders. He became the steward of Count Wambert. Bertoul accompanied the Count and his wife on a pilgrimage to Rome. Upon the death of the Count and his wife, Bertoul was granted their estate, but he decided to retire instead to a monastery he had founded at Renty. It was here that St. Bertoul spent his last years (died ca. 705 A.D.).

Sts. Indractus and Dominica were siblings from Ireland. They were children of an Irish chieftain and were Christians. The two siblings went on a pilgrimage to Rome with several of their companions but they were killed by Saxons near Glastonbury, England (died ca. 710 A.D.).

St. Vodalus was from the north of the British Isles. He went to Gaul to preach the Christian faith and then became a recluse beside St. Mary's Convent as Soissons. He was known for his holiness and dedication to a life of poverty. Noted also to have performed miracles, he died ca. 720 A.D.

St. Adelaide of Bellich was the daughter of the Count of Guelder. She became abbess of Bellich convent, near Bonn, and also at St. Mary's in Cologne. These two abbeys were built by her father. Known for her charity to the poor, this is where she spent her last years (died ca. 1015 A.D.).

The Martyrs of Japan were seventeenth-century martyrs which included: one layman, 10 Dominican priests, and 13 Dominican laypeople. Some of their names were: Peter Baptist, Martin de Aguirre, Francis Blanco, Philip de las Casas, Paul Miki, John Goto, James Kisai, Francis Miako, Gonsalo Garcia, Louis Ibarko, Thomas Kasaki and Francis-of-St-Michael (died ca. 1637 A.D.).