Hagiography

AMBROSE OF MILAN (c. 339–397), Aurelius Ambrosius, is widely regarded as a main ecclesiastical and public figure of the 4th century. Of noble birth, he was made bishop of Milan by popular acclamation while still early in Christian formation. He helped navigate conflict between emperors and fiercely promoted Roman orthodoxy against Arianism. Ambrose was a friend to St. Monica and influenced her son, Augustine of Hippo, in his Christian conversion. Ambrose left a substantial collection of theological writings, among them the ethical commentary, De officiis ministrorum, and the exegetical Hexameron. In addition to his literary corpus, Ambrose is credited with the development of the antiphonal form of Ambrosian chant. The “honey-tongued” Ambrose (not to be mistaken with St. Bernard of Clairvaux, who shares the same epithet) authored at least four hymns—among them “Veni, redemptor gentium” and the “Te Deum”. Along with Augustine, Jerome and Pope Gregory the Great, Ambrose stands as one of the four Great Latin Church Fathers, He is a Doctor of the Church, and is considered a saint by the Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Anglican Communion, and within Lutheranism. St. Ambrose is the patron of Milan and patron of beekeepers. His feast is celebrated on December 7 in the Roman Church.

ANDREY SHEPTYTSKY (1865–1944), was born to a polonized aristocratic family. Following the religious convictions of his youth, he entered the monastic Order of St. Basil the Great, in which he rose to the station of Metropolitan and then Patriarch. Sheptytsky is regarded among the most influential figures of the 20th century for his unceasing promotion of modern Ukrainian nationalism and for his encouragement of the Ukrainian Church throughout the diaspora. He is well known for his spiritual letters and for the interventions he personally took to save the lives of many Jews during the holocaust of the Second World War. At great risk to himself, he remained harshly critical of the occupying Nazi regime. Sheptytsky is looked at as an exemplar of how to cultivate inter-religious dialogue, as he combated the antisemitism of his day and promoted Christian harmony within the context of the (then nascent) multi-cultural nation state. Sheptytsky died in Lviv as the occupying Red Army made its way through Ukraine. For his heroic life, Andrey Sheptytsky was given the title of “Venerable” by Pope John Paul II in 2001. Both he and his brother, Blessed Clement Sheptytsky, were honoured as Righteous Among the Nations by the Israeli Holocaust Memorial Yad Vashem. The cause for his canonization continues.

ANSELM (c. 1033–1109), a native of Piedmont, attended several schools in France before entering monastic life at Bec in Normandy. Both his sanctity while cloistered and his role as confessor to William Rufus led to his appointment to the vacant see of Canterbury. Anselm’s life as archbishop would be marked by pernicious strife between himself and many surrounding political and religious figures, not least among them William’s successor, Henry I, who challenged the jurisdiction and authority of the Pope. Anselm stood up to Henry in defense of his Holy Father, an act that led to Anselm’s exile. Yet, his show of courage caused many barons to side with him, ultimately causing the king to yield. Amid all, Anselm produced a body of writings that spanned disciplines, and for which he is celebrated as the father of scholastic theology. Anselm maintained a devotion to our blessed Lady, whose Feast of the Immaculate Conception he established in the West. St. Anselm’s feast is celebrated on April 21.

ANTHONY DE PADUA (1195–1231), or Ferdinand de Bulloens as he was born to the world, devoted himself in youth to prayer and study among the Canons Regular. He was stirred by the example of the first five Franciscan martyrs, and donned their habit to preach among the Moors in Africa. Anselm did not, however, win a martyr's palm and withdrew to more humble community works. Over the years following, in France, Italy, and Sicily, Anthony emerged from obscurity, in which his voice was heard, miracles were born, and hearts turned to God. By the account of Fra Antonio, who hosted Anthony in the city of Padua, a brilliant stream of light came from beneath door of the saint’s room. Through the keyhole Fra Antonio beheld a brilliant Child standing upon a book that lay open on a table beside the saint. The child clung with arms around Anthony’s neck, a vision of ineffable consolation, only to vanish upon opening the door. Anthony charged his friend, by the love of Him Whom he had seen, to "tell the vision to no man" as long as he was alive. Upon the death of Anthony, the voices of children cried throughout the streets of Padua, "Our father, St. Anthony, is dead." Within but a year, the church-bells of Lisbon rang out in celebration, as Mother Church had inscribed Anthony’s name amongst Her host saints. Thirty-two years following the death of St. Anthony, Bonaventure was present for the exhumation of the saint’s remains from its location at the Franciscan church of St. Mary and for their placement in the basilica. Upon seeing Anthony’s uncorrupted tongue and vocal cords, yet pink amid the ash and bones, Bonaventure exclaimed, “O lingua benedicata!” (“O blessed tongue!”), which has become for us that hymn. St. Anthony is celebrated on June 13.

AUGUSTINE (354–430), bishop of Hippo, in North Africa, was a theologian and philosopher of Berber origin. His literary corpus, which includes The City of God, On Christian Doctrine, and Confessions, profoundly influenced the development of Western thought. Augustine is widely viewed as one of the most important Church Fathers of the Patristic Period. In his youth he followed Manichaean teachings, and later a Hellenistic Neoplatonism. After his Christian conversion and baptism in 386, Augustine’s own intellectual viewpoint matured. He promulgated that the grace of Christ was essential to human freedom. He made contributions to the doctrine of original sin and to just war theory. His work On the Trinity was highly reflective of the concept of the Trinity as defined by the Council of Nicaea and the Council of Constantinople. As well, the form of autobiography found in his Confessions was unseen before its time. On the incorporation of beauty into contemplative life, he is quoted as saying that “whoever sings prays twice (Qui cantat, bis orat, s. 336, 1 – PL 38, 1472). Augustine is recognized as a preeminent Doctor of the Church and as a saint in the Roman and Eastern Catholic Churches, the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Lutheran churches, and the Anglican Communion. The feast of St. Augustine in celebrated on August 28.

BERNARD OF CLAIRVAUX (1090–1153), Doctor Mellifluus (“honey-tongued”) is referred to by Pope Pius XII in his encyclical as “the last of the Fathers”, Bernard was a mystic who led the reform of the Benedictines through the nascent Cistercian Order. Bernard was widely regarded for his eloquence. He successfully advocated for the legitimacy of Pope Innocent II over the Antipope Anacletus II. In turbulent times, he was a proponent of those ideals of Christian nobility, which contributed to the Rule of the Knights Templar. Contentious in the context of our own contemporary understanding of inter-religious tolerance and dialogue, the “Hammer of Heretics” was instrumental in fostering the cause of the Second Crusade. Unlike the rational approach to theology used by the scholastics, Bernard preached poetically and with use of the affect, drawing from immediate personal experience of faith in order to foster conversion toward God. Bernard held fast to Mary’s central role in Christian theology, promoted the practice of Marian devotions, and helped articulate a theology of her role as Co-redemptrix and Mediatrix. His lyrics found in the Cistercian Hymnal remain his lasting legacy. The feast of St. Bernard is celebrated on August 20.

BONAVENTURE (1221–1274), known as the Seraphic Doctor, was a seminal philosopher of the Middle Ages, who guided the Franciscans on a moderate and intellectual course that made them the predominant order of the Catholic Church until the emergence of the Jesuits. His theology was marked by a holistic integration of faith and reason. Among his many writings is The Mind's Road to God (Itinerarium mentis in Deum). In it he lays the paving stones of a spiritual course, in which Christ, the "one true master", offers humankind knowledge; knowledge begins in faith, is developed through rational understanding, and is perfected by mystical union with God. The feast of St. Bonaventure is celebrated on July 15.

EPHREM OF SYRIA (c. 306–373), also known as Ephraim of Edessa or Aprem of Nisibis, was a revered and prolific theologian, ecumenist, and hymnographer. He served as a deacon in the city where he was born. There he founded the School of Nisibis, which stood for centuries as a centre of learning. In later years he lived in Edessa. Ephrem is venerated as a saint by all traditional Churches, revered by Syriac Christians, counted as a Holy and Venerable Father (a sainted monk) in the Eastern Orthodox Church, and declared a Doctor of the Church in the Roman Catholic Church. Hymns, poems, sermons in verse, as well as prose exegesis all form his literary corpus. These works served to guide pedagogically and to edify the faithful through troubled times. Ephrem encouraged the formation of the Daughters of the Covenant, an all women’s choir that held a sacred public office in Syriac Christianity. The feast of St. Ephrem of Syria is celebrated on June 9 in the Roman Catholic tradition; in the Eastern Catholic and Eastern Orthodox faiths he is celebrated on January 28 and on the Saturday of the Venerable Fathers—in commemoration of all righteous and God-bearing Fathers and Mothers, both known and unknown, who shone forth in asceticism.

HILDEGARD VON BINGEN (1098–1179) was a German Benedictine abbess, mystic, and composer. She is honoured as a patron saint of musicians and writers. Based on a tradition of popular veneration, she was canonized in 2012 by Pope Benedict XVI and proclaimed a Doctor of the Church. She is only one of four women (along with Teresa of Ávila, Catherine of Siena, and Thérèse of Lisieux) to be granted this honour. Hildegard experienced prophetic visions from a young age, though it was not until she was in her 40’s that her confessor directed her to begin writing them down. With the assistance of a monk, the compilation of these writings, Scivias, were deemed as authentic by a committee of theologians. Hildegard was a polymath and a prolific writer. Her literary corpus includes a collection of lyric poems for musical settings, Symphonia armonie celestium revelationum; treatises on medicine and natural history; and correspondences. As an extension of her inner life, Hildegard actively toured and publicly evangelized throughout Germany. The feast of St. Hildegard von Bingen is celebrated September 17.

IGNATIUS OF LOYOLA (1491–1556), a Basque priest and theologian, founded the Order of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) along with six companions. He became its first Superior General in 1541. Ignatius envisioned a Society of missionary workers and teachers. In addition to the vows of chastity, poverty, and obedience, Ignatius instituted a fourth vow for Jesuits of obedience directly to the Pope, to engage in projects ordained by their Supreme Pontiff. Jesuits were instrumental in leading the Counter-Reformation. As a former soldier, Ignatius likened this work of Counter-Reformation to spiritual warfare in defense of the faith, an expression of the Church Militant. Apart from his thousands of letters, his legacy is marked by the companion notes and structured method of contemplation found in the Ignatian Spiritual Exercises. He composed the Exercises over years of retreat while he underwent spiritual conversion. Ignatius is the patron saint of the Basque provinces of Gipuzkoa and Biscay, the patron saint of the Society of Jesus, and of all spiritual retreats. The feast of St. Ignatius is celebrated July 31.

LEO THE GREAT (c. 400–461) was born a Roman aristocrat. He embraced the sacred ministry, was made archdeacon of the Roman Church by St. Celestine, and thereafter enjoyed a large share in Church governance. On the death of Sixtus III, Leo was made Pope. It was a time of great trial, as Vandals and Huns laid waste to the provinces of the empire, and as the Church found itself at odds with the likes of Nestorians and Pelagians. Leo elucidated the doctrine of the Incarnation in his famous Tome. After fervent debate among patriarchs of the Church, the doctrine expressing belief in the nature of Christ—as the hypostatic union of two natures, divine and human, united in one person, "with neither confusion nor division"—was adopted at that fourth ecumenical Council of Chalcedon. The Fathers all signed his tome and exclaimed, "Peter hath spoken by Leo." Soon after, Attila the Hun sacked and burned cities throughout Italy up to the gates of Rome. When asked by his generals why he had so strangely withdrawn, Attila said it was on account of his vision of Sts. Peter and Paul standing behind Leo. Two years later the city fell prey to the Vandals, although She did not succumb to full destruction. Leo is the first of three Popes listed in the Annuario Pontificio with the title "the Great", alongside Popes Gregory I and Nicholas I. The feast of St. Leo the Great falls on November 10.

PETER CHRYSOLOGUS (c. 380–450), “the Golden-worded", was an Italian prelate who served as Bishop of Ravenna. He is known as the Doctor of Homilies for his concise but richly textured theologically reflections. Peter advocated for the daily reception of Eucharist. He encouraged his hearers to practice the forgiveness offered through Christ. His surviving works greatly influence the Catholic Church's stance on Mary's perpetual virginity, the penitential value of Lent, the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist, and the primacy of St. Peter and his successors. He shared the confidence of Pope Leo the Great, also a Doctor of the Church, and is revered by both Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches. The feast of St. Peter Chrysologus is celebrated on July 30 in the Roman calendar.

QUODVULTDEUS (died c. 450), "What God wills", was Bishop of Carthage and spiritual mentee of Augustine. Augustine corresponded with Quodvultdeus and dedicated some of writings to him. Quodvultdeus was exiled when Carthage fell to the Vandals, led by King Gaiseric who followed Arianism. Tradition maintains that Quodvultdeus and other faithful of the Church were loaded onto leaky ships that landed at Naples, wherefrom Quodvultdeus established himself in Italy and went on to convert Arian Goths to an orthodox Christian faith. St. Quodvultdeus is celebrated on October 26 in the Roman calendar.

THEOPHILUS OF ANTIOCH (c. 120–c. 183), “Lover of God”, bishop of Antioch, has only one extant piece of literature to his name, his apology to Autolycus. His apology is notable for being the earliest known work to use the word "Trinity" (τριάς)—in the form of God, His Word (Logos) and His Wisdom (Sophia). By all indications, he was born a pagan, not far from the Tigris and Euphrates, educated in Greek letters (in rhetoric and philosophy), and grew to embrace Christianity through the study of the Holy Scriptures. Scarcely any other detail on his life or office has been recorded; although, Eusebius speaks of the zeal with which he and the other shepherds rebuffed heretics, with special mention of his work against Marcion. William Sanday describes Theophilus as a precursory figure in that group of writers who helped break the obscurity of the early Church, and who paints an image of the Church apart from its surrounding cultures. St. Theophilus of Antioch is celebrated in the Roman calendar.

THOMAS MORE, SIR (1478–1535) was an English lawyer, judge, statesman, and humanist philosopher of the Renaissance. A close confidant to the King, More served as Henry VIII’s Lord High Chancellor. He is well known for Utopia, a fictional account of the political system of an imaginary island state. More resisted the wave of Reformation that grew upon England during his time, which had already turned several other European states toward Protestantism. His polemics were directed against the theologies of Martin Luther, Huldrych Zwingli, and William Tyndale. He opposed Henry VIII's separation from the Catholic Church, the King’s appointment of himself as supreme head of the Church in England, and the King’s divorce from Catherine of Aragon. After refusing to take the Oath of Supremacy (in which silence was not consent), he was convicted of treason, held in the Tower of London, and then executed. At his execution, the immanent martyr was reported to have said: "I die the King's good servant, and God's first." St. Thomas More is the patron saint of lawyers, statesmen, and politicians. His feast is celebrated on June 22.

VENANTIUS HONORIUS CLEMENTIANUS FORTUNATUS (c. 530 – c. 609), “Huntsman of honour, clemency, and good fortune” according to his full patronym, was born in Duplavis and received a classical literary education in the schools of Ravenna. Fortunatus, also a priest, began his career in North Italy, but was soon was brought into fold of the 7th century Merovingian court, where he remained in service for the rest of his life. If not bearing a somewhat self-effacing sense of humour, much of his work cultivates that set of courtly Christian virtues and mores that informed the ethos of his time. His poems were often composed in tribute to specific friends and superiors within the court and reflected gracefully the patronage of his surrounding ecclesia. Within his literary corpus is the hexametrical Vita Sancti Martini, which he had dedicated to his chief patron, Gregory of Tours. Fortunatus is regarded as the last great Latin poet of late antiquity. St. Fortunatus was never officially canonized, though following his death he was regarded as such by popular consent; for in his generous body of golden verses a saintly character is made visible: his frugality toward himself, but generosity to the poor; his holding of the poorest and least to God; and his bringing all to his Father’s house in heaven, where all who arrive famished depart filled.”