Amantius of Comois

Saint Amantius of Comois was the third bishop of Como. He was preceded by Felix of Como and Saint Provinus. He was succeeded by Saint Abundius. A legend, based Cantium, says he was born in Canterbury,and served as an imperial dignitary before becoming a bishop. He was a relative of Theodosius II through his mother. He is credited with building the original Basilica of Sant’Abbondio outside of the city walls of Como. The basilica was built to house several relics associated with Saint Peter and Saint Paul, which Amantius had brought from Rome.

He died April 8, 448. 

Hegesippus

Hegesippus was believed to have been born around 110.  He was also called Hegesippus the Nazarene.  He was a Christian writer of the early Church who may, have been a Jewish convert.  He wrote against heresies of the Gnostics and of Marcion.

All of Hegesippus’ works are now lost, except eight passages about Church history quoted by Eusebius.   Hegesippus also knew  Saint Jerome.
Hegesippus wrote a history of all events from the passion of our Lord down to his own period in five volumes.  There were five books, written in a simple style about the tradition of the Apostolic preaching.  This gives us the tradition of teaching which had been handed down through the succession of bishops.  This information about the earliest bishops would otherwise have been lost.

Hegesippus was a convert from Judaism.  He learned the languages and oral traditions and customs of the Jews. He also wrote about previously unwritten traditions of the Jews. He seems to have lived in some part of the East.  While Pope Anicetus was leading the church, Hegesippus traveled through Corinth to Rome.  He collected in each place the teaching of the churches he visited.  The Church of the Corinthians stayed true. Hegesippus mentioned the letter of Pope Clement I to the Corinthians, the connection with the persecution of Domitian.
Hegesippus died in 180.

Pope Saint Sixtus I

Pope Sixtus I also spelled Xystus, is believed to have been born around the year 42. He was a Roman of Greek descent.  He was Pope from 115 until his death.  He followed Pope Alexander I and Pope Telesphorus followed him.

He served the Church during the reign of Hadrian, from 117 to 126.  Sixtus I instituted several Catholic liturgical and administrative traditions.   He passed three ordinances.  No one but sacred ministers were allowed to touch the sacred vessels.  Bishops who have been called to see the Pope have to present Apostolic letters when they return.  Priests shall recite the Sanctus with the people. Thanks to Sixtus I that we’ve been saying the Sanctus, as a Church, for over 2000 years.  Pope Sixtus I was also the sixth Pope after Peter, leading to questions as to whether the name “Sixtus” is derived from sextus, Latin for “sixth”.
He died in 125.

Patron Saint of Mallorca – Catherina of Palma

Catherine of Palma was born into a peasant family on May 1, 1533, in Spain. She worked as a servant in Palma.  While there she learned to read and embroider.  She went on to join the Canonesses of St Augustine at the convent of St Mary Magdalene in Palma. Stories say she was visited by devils and angels and went into ecstasy for the last years of her life. She died April 5, 1574, at Palma, Mallorca, of natural causes. As of 1904 her hat, thimble, and other relics were kept, and her body preserved in a marble sarcophagus, in the convent of St Mary Magdalene, Palma

After her death, she was celebrated locally as a saint for half a century until a decree of Pope Urban VII forbade the worship of unrecognized saints. Local people appealed to Rome and eventually, she was beatified on August 12, 1792, by Pope Pius VI and canonized on June 22, 1930, by Pope Pius XI

The house in Valldemossa where she was born, has become a shrine.

She is considered the patron saint of Mallorca.

Patron Saint of African Americans – Benedict the Moor

Benedict the Moor O.F.M. was born in 1526, to Cristoforo and Diana Manasseri, Africans who were taken as slaves in the early 16th century near Messina, Sicily. They were given Italian names and later converted to Christianity. Because of his appearance, Benedict was also called Æthiops or Niger, both referring to black skin color and not the modern-day countries.

Benedict’s parents were granted freedom for their son before his birth because of their “loyal service”. Like most peasants, Benedict did not attend any school and was illiterate. During his youth, he worked as a shepherd and gave what he earned to the poor. When he was 21 years old, he was publicly insulted for his color. His patient and dignified bearing at this time were noted by the leader of hermits on nearby Monte Pellegrino, who followed the Rule for hermit life written by Francis of Assisi. Benedict was quickly invited to join that community.  Soon after he,  gave up all his earthly possessions and joined them. He served as the cook for the community and at the age of twenty-eight succeeded Jerome Lanze as leader of the group.

In 1564 Pope Pius IV disbanded independent communities of hermits, ordering them to attach themselves to an established religious Order, in this case, the Order of Friars Minor. Once a friar of the Order, Benedict was assigned to Palermo to the Franciscan Friary of St. Mary of Jesus. He started at the friary as a cook, but, showing his advanced spiritual life, he was soon appointed as the Master of novices, and later as Guardian of the community, although he was a lay brother rather than a priest, and was illiterate.Benedict accepted the promotion and successfully helped the order adopt a stricter version of the Franciscan Rule of life. He was widely respected for his deep, intuitive understanding of theology and Scripture.  He has often sought for counseling. He also had a reputation as a healer of the sick. These characteristics continued to draw many visitors to him. As he enjoyed cooking, he returned to kitchen duty in his later years Benedict died at the age of 65, April 4, 1589, on the very day and hour which he had predicted. Benedict was beatified by Pope Benedict XIV in 1743 and canonized in 1807 by Pope Pius VII. Benedict is remembered for his patience and understanding when confronted with racial prejudice and taunts. He was declared a patron saint of African Americans, along with the Dominican lay brother, Martin de Porres. I