Above:  William Henry Monk

Image in the Public Domain

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WILLIAM HENRY MONK (MARCH 16, 1823-MARCH 18, 1889)

Anglican Organist, Hymn Tune Composer, and Music Educator

William Henry Monk comes to this, A Great Cloud of Witnesses:  An Ecumenical Calendar of Saints’ Days and Holy Days, via a plethora of hymnals.

Monk became a leading light in hymnody in The Church of England.  Our saint, born in London on March 16, 1823, was a son of William Monk and Anna (Coleman) Monk.  Our saint excelled in his study of the organ.  He served as the organist and choirmaster at St. Peter’s Church, Eaton Square, London (1837-1841).  Later he fulfilled those roles at Eaton Chapel, Pimlico (1841-1843); St. George’s Chapel, Albemarle Street, London (1843-1845); Portman Chapel, Marylebone (1845-1847); and King’s College, London (1847f).  In 1874, Monk added Professor of Vocal Music to his duties at King’s College.  He started work as a professor at the National Training School for Music in 1876.  And, from 1852 to 1889, our saint served as the organist at St. Matthias Church, Stoke Newington, London, too.

Monk, a composer of anthems, service music, and hymn tunes, promoted hymn singing throughout his career.  He, part of the Oxford Movement, participated in the change from the Anglican metrical psalter to hymnody in the Anglican tradition.  Monk was also the music editor of numerous hymnals, chiefly the 1861, 1868, 1875, and 1889 editions of Hymns, Ancient and Modern, known informally as “Monk’s book.”  Ours saint’s superb contributions to the corpus of hymn tues included EVENTIDE (“Abide with Me”), ASCENSION (“Hail the Day that Sees Him Rise”), and UNDE ET MEMORES (“And Now, O Father, Mindful of the Love”).

Monk, whom the University of Durham awarded a well-deserved honorary Doctor of Music degree in 1882, died in London on March 18, 1889.  he was 76 years old.

KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR

AUGUST 22, 2022 COMMON ERA

THE FEAST OF JACK LAYTON, CANADIAN ACTIVIST AND FEDERAL LEADER OF THE NEW DEMOCRATIC PARTY

THE FEAST OF JOHN DAVID CHAMBERS, ANGLICAN HYMN WRITER AND TRANSLATOR

THE FEAST OF SAINTS HRYBORII KHOMYSHYN, SYMEON LUKACH, AND IVAN SLEZYUK, UKRAINIAN GREEK CATHOLIC BISHOPS AND MARTYRS, 1947, 1964, AND 1973

THE FEAST OF SAINTS JOHN KEMBLE AND JOHN WALL, ENGLISH ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST AND MARTYRS, 1679

THE FEAST OF SAINTS THOMAS PERCY, RICHARD KIRKMAN, AND WILLIAM LACEY, ENGLISH ROMAN CATHOLIC MARTYRS, 1572 AND 1582

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Holy God, whose majesty surpasses all human definitions and capacity to grasp,

thank you for those (especially William Henry Monk)

who have nurtured and encouraged the reverent worship of you.

May their work inspire us to worship you in knowledge, truth, and beauty.

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

1 Chronicles 25:1-8

Psalm 145

Revelation 15:1-4

John 4:19-26

KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR

NOVEMBER 27, 2012 COMMON ERA

THE FEAST OF SAINT JAMES INTERCISUS, ROMAN CATHOLIC MARTYR

THE FEAST OF HENRY SLOANE COFFIN, U.S. PRESBYTERIAN THEOLOGIAN

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Above:  Thomas Wyatt Turner, 1901

Image in the Public Domain

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THOMAS WYATT TURNER (MARCH 16, 1877-APRIL 21, 1978)

U.S. Roman Catholic Scientist, Educator, and Civil Rights Activist

Founder of Federated Colored Catholics

Thomas Wyatt Turner comes to this, A Great Cloud of Witnesses:  An Ecumenical Calendar of Saints’ Days and Holy Days, via G. Scott Cady and Christopher L. Webber, A Year with American Saints (2006).

Turner, an African-American, became a fine and a pioneering scientist, a great educator, and a civil rights activist.  Our saint, born in Hughesville, Maryland, on March 16, 1877, was a son of sharecroppers and former slaves, Eli Turner and Linnie Gross (Turner).  The family was Roman Catholic.  At an early age our saint encountered racism in the Church.  Given that local Roman Catholic parochial schools did not admit African Americans, Turner attended an Episcopal school, St. Mary’s Parochial and Industrial School, from which he graduated in 1894.

Turner earned degrees through his doctorate, and began to teach.  He graduated from Howard University (A.B., 1901) then spent a brief stint as a graduate student at the Catholic University of America in 1901.  In 1901 and 1902 our saint taught science and mathematics at the Tuskegee Institute.  Then, from 1902 to 1910, Turner taught biology at Colored High and Training School, Baltimore, Maryland.  Meanwhile, he earned his A.M. degree from Howard University (1905).  Our saint taught high school in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1910 and 1911.  Then he taught biology again at Colored High and Training School, Baltimore, in 1911 and 1912.  From 1913 to 1924 Turner was Professor of Applied Biology and Nature Study at Teachers’ College, Howard University.  During his sabbatical (1920-1921) he completed work on his Ph.D. in Plant Physiology, Plant Pathology, and Pomology from Cornell University (1921).  He was the first African American to earn and receive a doctorate from Cornell University, and in botany from any institution in the the United States.  The title of his dissertation was “Studies of the Mechanism of the Physiological Effects of Certain Mineral Salts in Altering the Ratio of Top Growth to Root Growth in Seed Plants.”  At the time the Catholic University of America refused to admit African Americans to doctoral programs.  Otherwise, he would have worked on his Ph.D. there.

Turner was active in scientific and academic life.  He worked for the U.S. Department of Agriculture off-and-on, on the side.  Our saint served as the Acting Dean of Teachers’ College, Howard University.  From 1924 to 1945 Turner was Professor and Head of the Unit of Natural Sciences at Hampton Institute, Hampton, Virginia.  He also founded the Virginia Conference of Science Teachers in 1931 and served as its first president.  Furthermore, our saint studied science education in historically African-American colleges and universities in 1943.  Turner, in retirement, was a visiting professor at Texas State University for Negroes, Houston, Texas, in 1949 and 1950.  He was active in the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the American Society for Horticultural Science for many years.

Turner married twice.  In 1907 he wed Laura Miller (d. 1934).  His second wife, whom he married in 1936, was Louise Wright.  Our saint had no children.

Turner confronted racism in the Church and in society.  In 1909 he he became a charter member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (N.A.A.C.P.).  He founded the Committee Against the Extension of Race Prejudice in the Church in 1917.  This organization was a forerunner of Federated Colored Catholics in 1925.  Our saint served as its president until his ouster by the board in 1932.  He had objected to the organization’s transformation into the National Catholic Federation for the Promotion of Better Race Relations.  The renamed organization divided, resulting in the formation of the second Federated Colored Catholics.  Turned resigned as its president in 1934.  This organization existed until 1958.

Turner reported various examples and patterns of racism in the Roman Catholic Church in the United States of America.  They included:

1. Having to sit at the back of a church building during Mass;
2. Priests’ hesitation to recommend African-American men to bishops for consideration for holy orders;
3. Bishops’ hesitation to send African-American men to seminary;
4. Racism in parochial schools and Catholic colleges and universities;
5. The insistence that African Americans use side entrances of church buildings;
6. Priests hearing the confessions of white parishioners first; and
7. Priests administering communion to white parishioners first.

Turner ran unsuccessfully for the city council of Hampton, Virginia, in 1948.

The Catholic University of America awarded an honorary doctorate to Turner in 1976, when he was 99 years old.

Turner, aged 101 years, died in Washington, D.C., on April 21, 1978.

To condemn those who, out of racism, erected and/or maintained barriers in the way of Turner and other African Americans is easy and correct.  To stop there is insufficient, however.  We, individually and collectively, in our minds and in our institutions, may not be as morally superior as we may imagine ourselves to be.  We, individually, also harbor discriminatory prejudices and function as cogs in institutions that segregate and exclude unjustly.  We, individually and collectively, have a moral obligation to confront these examples and patterns of injustice.

KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR

JANUARY 22, 2020 COMMON ERA

THE FEAST OF JOHN JULIAN, ANGLICAN PRIEST, HYMN WRITER, AND HYMNOLOGIST

THE FEAST OF ALEXANDER MEN, RUSSIAN ORTHODOX PRIEST AND MARTYR, 1990

THE FEAST OF LADISLAO BATTHÁNY-STRATTMANN, AUSTRO-HUNGARIAN ROMAN CATHOLIC PHYSICIAN AND PHILANTHROPIST

THE FEAST OF LOUISE CECILIA FLEMING, AFRICAN-AMERICAN BAPTIST MISSIONARY AND PHYSICIAN

THE FEAST OF SAINT VINCENT PALLOTTI, FOUNDER OF THE SOCIETY FOR THE CATHOLIC APOSTOLATE, THE UNION OF CATHOLIC APOSTOLATE, AND THE SISTERS OF THE CATHOLIC APOSTOLATE

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Holy and righteous God, you created us in your image.

Grant us grace to contend fearlessly against evil and to make no peace with oppression.

Help us [like your servant Thomas Wyatt Turner] to use our freedom

to bring justice among people and nations, to the glory of your name;

through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Hosea 2:18-23

Psalm 94:1-14

Romans 12:9-21

Luke 6:20-36

–Adapted from the Lutheran Book of Worship (1978), 37

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the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who is coming into the world.

Above:  Icon of the Raising of Lazarus

Image in the Public Domain

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A Great Cloud of Witnesses:  An Ecumenical Calendar of Saints’ Days and Holy Days is one of my hobbies, not a calendar of observances with any force or a popular following.  It does, however, constitute a forum to which to propose proper additions to church calendars.

Much of the Western Church observes January 18 as the Feast of the Confession of St. Peter the Apostle, the rock upon which Christ built the Church.  (Just think, O reader; I used to be a Protestant boy!  My Catholic tendencies must be inherent.)  The celebration of that feast is appropriate.  The Church does not neglect St. Martha of Bethany, either.  In The Episcopal Church, for example, she shares a feast with her sister (St. Mary) and her brother (St. Lazarus) on July 29.

There is no Feast of the Confession of St. Martha of Bethany, corresponding to the Petrine feast, however.  That constitutes an omission.  I correct that omission somewhat here at my Ecumenical Calendar as of today.  I hereby define the Sunday immediately prior to Palm/Passion Sunday as the Feast of the Confession of St. Martha of Bethany.  The reason for the temporal definition is the chronology inside the Gospel of John.

This post rests primarily on John 11:20-27, St. Martha’s confession of faith in her friend, Jesus, as

The combination of grief, confidence, and faith is striking.  It is one with which many people identify.  It is one that has become increasingly relevant in my life during the last few months, as I have dealt with two deaths.

Faith frequently shines brightly in the spiritual darkness and exists alongside grief.  Faith enables people to cope with their grief and helps them to see the path through the darkness.  We need to grieve, but we also need to move forward.  We will not move forward alone, for God is with us.  If we are fortunate, so are other people, as well as at least one pet.

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Loving God, who became incarnate as Jesus of Nazareth

and enjoyed the friendship of Saints Mary, Martha, and Lazarus of Bethany:

We thank you for the faith of St. Martha, who understood that

you were the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who was coming into the world.

May we confess with our lips and our lives our faith in you,

the Incarnate, crucified, and resurrected Son of God, and draw others to you;

In the Name of God:  Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  Amen.

Jeremiah 8:18-23

Psalm 142

1 Corinthians 15:12-28

John 11:1-44

KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR

JANUARY 18, 2020 COMMON ERA

THE FEAST OF THE CONFESSION OF SAINT PETER THE APOSTLE

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Above:  Blessed John Cacciafronte

Image in the Public Domain

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BLESSED JOHN CACCIAFRONTE (CIRCA 1125-MARCH 16, 1183)

Roman Catholic Monk, Abbot, Bishop, and Martyr

Also known as Blessed John de Surdis, John Sordi, and Giovanni de Surdis Cacciafronte

Blessed John Cacciafronte, born circa 1125, was a native of Cremona, Italy.  He spent time as a monk at St. Lawrence Abbey there.  In 1155 he became the abbot.  Cacciafronte sided with Pope Alexander III (1159-1181) in the dispute with Antipope Victor IV (1159-1164).  This fact placed Cacciafronte in conflict with Holy Roman Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa (reigned 1155-1190), whom Alexander III had excommunicated in 1160 for supporting Victor IV.  Barbarossa exiled our saint, who became a hermit near Sordi.  In 1174 our saint became the Bishop of Mantua, replacing a man removed from office due to transgressions.  Three years later the penitent bishop sought to return to office, so Cacciafronte willingly returned to life as a hermit.  He was a hermit at Vicenza, Italy.  On March 16, 1183, Cacciafronte was rebuking a man who had embezzled church funds.  That man murdered our saint.

The Roman Catholic Church lists our saint as a martyr.

Pope Leo XII beatified him in 1824.

KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR

JANUARY 20, 2017 COMMON ERA

THE FEAST OF SAINT FABIAN, BISHOP OF ROME AND MARTYR

THE FEAST OF SAINTS DEICOLA AND GALL, ROMAN CATHOLIC MONKS; AND OTHMAR, ROMAN CATHOLIC ABBOT AT SAINT GALLEN

THE FEAST OF SAINTS EUTHYMIUS THE GREAT AND THEOCRISTUS, ROMAN CATHOLIC ABBOTS

THE FEAST OF HARRIET AUBER, ANGLICAN HYMN WRITER

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Gracious God, in every age you have sent men and women

who have given their lives in witness to your love and truth.

Inspire us with the memory of Blessed John Cacciafronte,

whose faithfulness led to the way of the cross,

and give us courage to bear full witness with our lives

to your Son’s victory over sin and death,

for he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and forever.  Amen.

Ezekiel 20:40-42

Psalm 5

Revelation 6:9-11

Mark 8:34-38

–Adapted from Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), page 59

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Above:  St. Megingaud of Wurzburg

Image in the Public Domain

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SAINT MEGINGAUD OF WURZBURG (710-783)

Roman Catholic Monk and Bishop

St. Megingaud, born in Franconia in 710, was a student of St. Boniface of Mainz (675-754), the Apostle to the Germans and the founder of Fritzlar Abbey.  St. Megingaud became a monk there in 738.  He also taught at the abbey school.  In 754 St. Megingaud became the second Bishop of Wurzburg, in Germany.  In that capacity he was active in the affairs of state of the Frankish Empire.  Fifteen years later he founded Neustadt Abbey and retired there.  He spent the rest of his life as a monk devoted to prayer.  St. Megingaud died, aged 72 or 73 years, in 783.

I have heard certain Protestants, regardless of where they fall on the liberal-conservative spectrum, speak of monastics as being useless people.  This has not made sense to me, for, I have reasoned, if one truly affirms the power of prayer, one should not speak of men and women who devote their lives to it as being useless.  St. Megingaud of Wurzburg, whether in or out of a monastery, was a useful man.

KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR

JANUARY 20, 2017 COMMON ERA

THE FEAST OF SAINT FABIAN, BISHOP OF ROME AND MARTYR

THE FEAST OF SAINTS DEICOLA AND GALL, ROMAN CATHOLIC MONKS; AND OTHMAR, ROMAN CATHOLIC ABBOT AT SAINT GALLEN

THE FEAST OF SAINTS EUTHYMIUS THE GREAT AND THEOCRISTUS, ROMAN CATHOLIC ABBOTS

THE FEAST OF HARRIET AUBER, ANGLICAN HYMN WRITER

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O God, by whose grace your servant St. Megingaud of Wurzburg,

kindled with the flame of your love, became a bright and a shining light in your Church:

Grant that we also may be aflame with the spirit of love and discipline,

and walk before you as children of light;

through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you,

in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.  Amen.

Acts 2:42-47a

Psalm 133 or 34:1-8 or 119:161-168

2 Corinthians 6:1-10

Matthew 6:24-33

–Adapted from Holy Women, Holy Men:  Celebrating the Saints (2010), page 723

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Above:  Syria in 150 C.E.

Image in the Public Domain

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SAINT ABRAHAM KIDUNAIA (CIRCA 296-CIRCA 366)

Roman Catholic Hermit

Uncle of 

SAINT MARY OF EDESA (DIED CIRCA 371)

Roman Catholic Anchoress

Her feast transferred from October 29

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The married life was not for St. Abraham Kidunaia.  He fled the festivities his wealthy Syrian family held on the occasion of his (cancelled) arranged marriage.  He did persuade them to let him live as a hermit in a simple cell.  Ten years later, the Bishop of Edessa ordained St. Abraham to the priesthood and assigned him to a stubbornly pagan village, Beth-Kiduna.  The saint succeeded in his mission; it was difficult and dangerous work, for some inhabitants were violent.  But he succeeded, returning eagerly to his cell after a replacement priest arrived.  St Abraham emerged from his cell one more time before he died.  His niece, St. Mary of Edessa, had been an anchoress, a woman who devoted her life to penance and prayer.  Yet she had succumbed to lust with a rogue monk and had begun a life of promiscuity and prostitution.  Uncle St. Abraham left his cell to convince her to return to the holy life of an anchoress.  She did, and the rest of her days were holy ones.

Renowned for holiness, St. Abraham, who lived alone, had a large funeral.

KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR

DECEMBER 16, 2011 COMMON ERA

THE FEAST OF GUSTAF AULEN, SWEDISH LUTHERAN THEOLOGIAN

THE FEAST OF SAINT ADELAIDE, HOLY ROMAN EMPRESS

THE FEAST OF MARIANNE WILLIAMS, ANGLICAN MISSIONARY

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O God,

whose blessed Son became poor that we through his poverty might be rich:

Deliver us from an inordinate love of this world,

that we, inspired by the devotion of your servants

Saint Abraham Kidunaia and Saint Mary of Edessa,

may serve you with singleness of heart,

and attain to the riches of the age to come;

through Jesus Christ our Lord,

who lives and reigns with you,

in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and for ever.  Amen.

Song of Songs 8:6-7

Psalm 34 or 34:1-8

Philippians 3:7-15

Luke 12:33-37 or Luke 9:57-62

–Adapted from The Book of Common Prayer (1979), pages 249 and 927

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Revised on December 24, 2016

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Above:  Gaul in 628 C.E.

Image in the Public Domain

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SAINT GERTRUDE THE ELDER (DIED CIRCA 652)

Roman Catholic Abbess

Her feast transferred from December 6

Mother or Grandmother of 

SAINT ADALBALD OF OSTREVANT (DIED 651)

Frankish Nobleman

His feast transferred from February 2

Husband of

SAINT RICTRUDIS OF MARCHIENNES (CIRCA 612-688)

Roman Catholic Abbess

Her feast transferred from May 12

Mother of

SAINT EUSEBIA OF HAMAY (DIED 680)

Roman Catholic Abbess

Sister of

SAINT ADALSINDE OF HAMAY (DIED CIRCA 715)

Roman Catholic Nun

Her feast transferred from December 25

Sister of

SAINT CLOTSIND OF MARCHIENNES (CIRCA 635-714)

Roman Catholic Nun

Her feast transferred from June 30

Sister of

SAINT MAURONT OF DOUAI (DIED 701)

Roman Catholic Monk

His feast transferred from May 5

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HOLINESS RAN IN THIS FAMILY.

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Without sounding like a postmodernist, which I am not, I admit that distinguishing between reality and legend can be a great challenge in writing hagiographies of figures from the 700s and previous centuries.  I am, of course, reading, synthesizing, and repeating what others have written.  And they wrote based on the work of others.  Nevertheless, I have attempted to repeat only the best information I have found and to leave legendary material out of this post.  So, for example, I tell you, O reader, that either St. Bertha of Blangy, the alleged aunt of St. Eusebia, was either legendary or her biography was.  This situation calls the stories of her (alleged) daughters, Sts. Deotila and Gertrude of Blangy into serious question.

We can trust reasonably, however, that St. Adalbald of Ostrevant (died 651) was a real historical figure.  A nobleman in the court of Merovingian monarchs Dagobert I (King of Austrasia from 623 to 628 and King of all Franks from 629 to 639) and Clovis II (King of Neustria and Burgundy frm 639 to 657) , he married St. Rictrudis of Machiennes (circa 612-688), daughter of Ernold, a Gascan nobleman.  Sts. Adalbald and Rictrudis, married for sixteen years, spent much of their time helping the ill and the poor and raising their five children, four of whom we know as saints.  St. Adalbald’s death resulted from a political murder; some of his wife’s relatives took out their discontent with Clovis II’s policies on him.

St. Rictrudis remained unmarried as a widow despite Clovis II’s order that she wed again.  Her old friend, St. Amand, interceded with the monarch on her behalf.  The widow became abbess at Marchiennes, Flanders, where she had founded an abbey.  She governed it for over thirty years.  In 652, after St. Adalhard’s murder, St. Rictrudis had sent her young daughter, St. Eusebia of Hamay (died 680) to the convent at Hamay, where St. Eusebia’s grandmother or great-grandmother, St. Gertrude the Elder (died circa 652)  was abbess.  St. Gertrude died, having named the twelve-year-old St. Eusebia as her successor.  Yet St. Rictrudis intervened, merging the Hamay convent with hers for a few years, until St. Eusebia was older.  The daughter spent most of her life as abbess at Hamay and as spiritual mentor to her sister, St. Adalsinde of Hamay (died circa 715), a nun there.

The other two sainted siblings were St. Clotsind (circa 635-714), a nun at Marchiennes under her mother, St. Rictrudis, and St. Mauront of Douai (died 701).  He spent time in the royal court before becoming a monk.  He also founded the monastery at Breuit-sur-Lys, near Douai.

A family, when it is at its best, functions as a nest of faithfulness to God.  We will influence each other, for we are social creatures.  May we influence each other for good, for God.

KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR

DECEMBER 16, 2011 COMMON ERA

THE FEAST OF GUSTAF AULEN, SWEDISH LUTHERAN THEOLOGIAN

THE FEAST OF SAINT ADELAIDE, HOLY ROMAN EMPRESS

THE FEAST OF MARIANNE WILLIAMS, ANGLICAN MISSIONARY

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Lord God,

you have surrounded us with so great a cloud of witnesses.

Grant that we, encouraged by the example of your servants

Saint Gertrude the Elder,

Saint Adalbald of Ostrevant,

Saint Rictrudis of Marchiennes,

Saint Eusebia of Hamay,

Saint Adalsinde of Hamay,

Saint Clotsindof Marchennes,

and Saint Mauront of Douai,

may persevere in the course that is set before us and,

at the last, share in your eternal joy with all the saints in light,

through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord,

who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and forever.  Amen.

Micah 6:6-8

Psalm 9:1-10

1 Corinthians 1:26-31

Luke 6:20-23

–Adapted from Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), page 59

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Revised from December 24, 2016

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Daffodil

Image Source = Bertil Videt

1 (Anna of Oxenhall and Her Faithful Descendants, Wenna the Queen, Non, Samson of Dol, Cybi, and David of Wales)

• Edward Dearle, Anglican Organist and Composer
• Edwin Hodder, English Biographer, Devotional Writer, and Hymn Writer
• George Wishart, Scottish Calvinist Reformer and Martyr, 1546; and Walter Milne, Scottish Protestant Martyr, 1558
• Richard Redhead, Anglican Composer, Organist, and Liturgist
• Roger Lefort, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Bourges

2 (Shabbaz Bhatti and Other Christian Martyrs of the Islamic World)

• Aidan of Lindisfarne, Celtic Missionary Bishop; Caelin, Celtic Priest; Cedd of Lastingham, Celtic and Roman Catholic Priest, Bishop of Essex, and Abbot of Lastingham; Cynibil of Lastingham, Celtic and Roman Catholic Priest and Monk; Chad of Mercia, Celtic and Roman Catholic Priest, Abbot of Lastingham, Bishop of York/the Northumbrians and of Lichfield/the Mercians and the Lindsey People; Vitalian, Bishop of Rome; Adrian of Canterbury, Roman Catholic Abbot of Saints Peter and Paul, Canterbury; Theodore of Tarsus, Roman Catholic Monk and Archbishop of Canterbury; and Cuthbert of Lindisfarne, Celtic and Roman Catholic Monk, Hermit, Priest, and Bishop of Lindisfarne
• Daniel March, Sr., U.S. Congregationalist and Presbyterian Minister, Poet, Hymn Writer, and Liturgist
• Engelmar Unzeitig, German Roman Catholic Priest and Martyr, 1945
• John Stuart Blackie, Scottish Presbyterian Scholar, Linguist, Poet, Theologian, and Hymn Writer
• Ludmilla of Bohemia, Duchess of Bohemia, and Martyr, 921; her grandson, Wenceslaus I, Duke of Bohemia, and Martyr, 929; Agnes of Prague, Bohemian Princess and Nun; her pen pal, Clare of Assisi, Founder of the Poor Clares; her sister, Agnes of Assisi, Abbess at Monticelli; and her mother, Hortulana of Assisi, Poor Clare Nun

3 (Katharine Drexel, Founder of the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament)

• Antonio Francesco Marzorati, Johannes Laurentius Weiss, and Michele Pro Fasoli, Franscican Missionary Priests and Martyrs in Ethiopia, 1716
• Gervinus, Roman Catholic Abbot and Scholar
• Henry Elias Fries, U.S. Moravian Industrialist; and his wife, Rosa Elvira Fries, U.S. Moravian Musician
• Teresa Eustochio Verzeri, Founder of the Institute of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

4 (Charles Simeon, Anglican Priest and Promoter of Missions; Henry Martyn, Anglican Priest, Linguist, Translator, and Missionary; and Abdul Masih, Indian Convert and Missionary)

• Christoph E. F. Weyse, Danish Lutheran Organist and Composer
• Henry Suso, German Roman Catholic Mystic, Preacher, and Spiritual Writer
• John Edgar Park, U.S. Presbyterian then Congregationalist Minister and Hymn Writer
• Marie-Louise-Élisabeth de Lamoignon de Molé de Champlâtreux, Founder of the Sisters of Charity of Saint Louis
• Thomas Hornblower Gill, English Unitarian then Anglican Hymn Writer

5 (Karl Rahner, Jesuit Priest and Theologian)

• Ambrose Phillipps de Lisle, English Roman Catholic Convert, Spiritual Writer, and Translator of Spiritual Writings; Founder of Mount Saint Bernard Abbey
• Christopher Macassoli of Vigevano, Franciscan Priest
• Eusebius of Cremona, Roman Catholic Abbot and Humanitarian
• Ion Costist, Franciscan Lay Brother
• John S. Stamm, Bishop of The Evangelical Church then the Evangelical United Brethren Church

6 (Martin Niemoller, German Lutheran Minister and Peace Activist)

• Chrodegang of Metz, Roman Catholic Bishop
• Fred B. Craddock, U.S. Disciples of Christ Minister, Biblical Scholar, and Renowned Preacher
• Jean-Pierre de Caussade, French Roman Catholic Priest and Spiritual Director
• Jordan of Pisa, Dominican Evangelist
• William Bright, Anglican Canon, Scholar, and Hymn Writer

7 (James Hewitt McGown, U.S. Presbyterian Humanitarian)

• Drausinus and Ansericus, Roman Catholic Bishops of Soissons; Vindician, Roman Catholic Bishop of Cambrai; and Leodegarius, Roman Catholic Bishop of Autun
• Edward Osler, English Doctor, Editor, and Poet
• Maria Antonia de Paz y Figueroa, Founder of the Daughters of the Divine Savior
• Paul Cuffee, U.S. Presbyterian Missionary to the Shinnecock Nation

• Perpetua, Felicity, and Their Companions, Martyrs at Carthage, 203

8 (Edward King, Bishop of Lincoln)

• Geoffrey Studdert Kennedy, Anglican Priest and Hymn Writer
• John Hampden Gurney, Anglican Priest and Hymn Writer
• John of God, Founder of the Brothers Hospitallers of Saint John of God
• William Henry Sheppard, Lucy Gantt Sheppard, and Samuel N. Lapsley, Southern Presbyterian Missionaries in the Congo

9 (Harriet Tubman, U.S. Abolitionist)

• Emanuel Cronenwett, U.S. Lutheran Minister, Hymn Writer, and Hymn Translator
• Frances of Rome, Founder of the Collatines
• Johann Pachelbel, German Lutheran Organist and Composer
• Pacian of Barcelona, Roman Catholic Bishop of Barcelona
• Sophronius of Jerusalem, Roman Catholic Patriarch of Jerusalem

10 (Marie-Joseph Lagrange, Roman Catholic Priest and Biblical Scholar)

• Agripinnus of Autun, Roman Catholic Bishop; Germanus of Paris, Roman Catholic Bishop; and Droctoveus of Autun, Roman Catholic Abbot
• Alexander Clark, U.S. Methodist Protestant Minister, Hymn Writer, and Hymnal Editor
• Folliot Sandford Pierpoint, Anglican Educator, Poet, and Hymn Writer
• John Oglivie, Scottish Roman Catholic Priest and Martyr, 1615
• Macarius of Jerusalem, Roman Catholic Bishop

11 (John Swertner, Dutch-German Moravian Minister, Hymn Writer, Hymn Translator, and Hymnal Editor; and his collaborator, John Mueller, German-English Moravian Minister, Hymn Writer, and Hymnal Editor)

• Aengus the Culdee, Hermit and Monk; and Maelruan, Abbot
• Eulogius of Spain, Roman Catholic Bishop of Toledo, Cordoba; and Leocrita; Roman Catholic Martyrs, 859
• Francis Wayland, U.S. Baptist Minister, Educator, and Social Reformer
• Mary Ann Thomson, Episcopal Hymn Writer
• Pal Prennushi, Albanian Roman Catholic Priest and Martyr, 1948

12 (Trasilla and Emiliana; their sister-in-law, Sylvia of Rome; and her son, Gregory I “the Great,” Bishop of Rome)

• Henry Walford Davies, Anglican Organist and Composer
• John H. Caldwell, U.S. Methodist Minister and Social Reformer
• Maximillian of Treveste, Roman Conscientious Objector and Martyr, 295
• Rutilio Grande, Roman Catholic Priest and Martyr, 1977
• Theophanes the Chroncler, Defender of Icons

13 (Yves Congar, Roman Catholic Priest and Theologian)

• Heldrad, Roman Catholic Abbot
• James Theodore Holly, Episcopal Bishop of Haiti, and the Dominican Republic; First African-American Bishop in The Episcopal Church
• Plato of Symboleon and Theodore Studites, Eastern Orthodox Abbots; and Nicephorus of Constantinople, Patriarch
• Roderic of Cabra and Solomon of Cordoba, Roman Catholic Martyrs, 857

14 (Fannie Lou Hamer, Prophet of Freedom)

• Albert Lister Peace, Organist in England and Scotland
• Harriet King Osgood Munger, U.S. Congregationalist Hymn Writer
• Nehemiah Goreh, Indian Anglican Priest and Theologian
• Vincenzina Cusmano, Superior of the Sisters Servants of the Poor; and her brother, Giacomo Cusmano, Founder of the Sisters Servants of the Poor and the Missionary Servants of the Poor
• William Leddra, British Quaker Martyr in Boston, Massachusetts Bay Colony, 1661

15 (Zachary of Rome, Bishop of Rome)

• Jan Adalbert Balicki and Ladislaus Findysz, Roman Catholic Priests in Poland
• Jean Baptiste Calkin, Anglican Organist and Composer
• Ozora Stearns Davis, U.S. Congregationalist Minister, Theologian, and Hymn Writer
• Vethappan Solomon, Apostle to the Nicobar Islands

16 (Adalbald of Ostevant, Rictrudis of Marchiennes, and Their Relations)

• Abraham Kidunaia, Roman Catholic Hermit; and Mary of Edessa, Roman Catholic Anchoress
• John Cacciafronte, Roman Catholic Monk, Abbot, Bishop, and Martyr, 1183
• Megingaud of Wurzburg, Roman Catholic Monk and Bishop
• Thomas Wyatt Turner, U.S. Roman Catholic Scientist, Educator, and Civil Rights Activist; Founder of Federated Colored Catholics
• William Henry Monk, Anglican Organist, Hymn Tune Composer, and Music Educator

17 (Patrick, Apostle of Ireland)

• Ebenezer Elliott, “The Corn Law Rhymer”
• Henry Scott Holland, Anglican Hymn Writer and Priest
• Jan Sarkander, Silesian Roman Catholic Priest and “Martyr of the Confessional,” 1620
• Josef Rheinberger, Germanic Roman Catholic Composer
• Maria Barbara Maix, Founder of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary

18 (Leonides of Alexandria, Roman Catholic Martyr, 202; Origen, Roman Catholic Theologian; Demetrius of Alexandria, Roman Catholic Bishop; and Alexander of Jerusalem, Roman Catholic Bishop)

• Cyril of Jerusalem, Bishop, Theologian, and Liturgist
• Eliza Sibbald Alderson, Poet and Hymn Writer; and John Bacchus Dykes, Anglican Priest and Hymn Writer
• Paul of Cyprus, Eastern Orthodox Martyr, 760
• Robert Walmsley, English Congregationalist Hymn Writer

19 (JOSEPH OF NAZARETH, HUSBAND OF MARY, MOTHER OF GOD)

20 (Sebastian Castellio, Prophet of Religious Liberty)

• Christopher Wordsworth, Hymn Writer and Anglican Bishop of Lincoln
• Ellen Gates Starr, U.S. Episcopalian then Roman Catholic Social Activist and Reformer
• Maria Josefa Sancho de Guerra, Founder of the Congregation of the Servants of Jesus
• Samuel Rodigast, German Lutheran Academic and Hymn Writer
• Simon William Gabriel Bruté de Rémur, Roman Catholic Bishop of Vincennes

21 (Johann Sebastian Bach, Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, and Johann Christian Bach, Composers)

• Lucia of Verona, Italian Roman Catholic Tertiary and Martyr, 1574
• Mark Gjani, Albanian Roman Catholic Priest and Martyr, 1947
• Nicholas of Flüe and his grandson, Conrad Scheuber, Swiss Hermits
• Serapion of Thmuis, Roman Catholic Bishop

22 (Deogratias, Roman Catholic Bishop of Carthage)

• Emmanuel Mournier, French Personalist Philosopher
• James De Koven, Episcopal Priest
• Thomas Hughes, British Social Reformer and Member of Parliament
• William Edward Hickson, English Music Educator and Social Reformer

23 (Gregory the Illuminator and Isaac the Great, Patriarchs of Armenia)

• Meister Eckhart, Roman Catholic Theologian and Mystic
• Metodej Dominik Trčka, Roman Catholic Priest and Martyr, 1959
• Umphrey Lee, U.S. Methodist Minister and President of Southern Methodist University
• Victorian of Hadrumetum, Martyr at Carthage, 484
• Walter of Pontoise, French Roman Catholic Abbot and Ecclesiastical Reformer

24 (Oscar Romero, Roman Catholic Archbishop of San Salvador; and the Martyrs of El Salvador, 1980-1992)

• Didacus Joseph of Cadiz, Capuchin Friar
• George Rawson, English Congregationalist Hymn Writer
• George Rundle Prynne, Anglican Priest, Poet, and Hymn Writer
• Paul Couturier, Apostle of Christian Unity
• Thomas Attwood, “Father of Modern Church Music”

25 (ANNUNCIATION OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST)

• Dismas, Penitent Bandit

26 (Margaret Clitherow, English Roman Catholic Martyr, 1586)

• Austin C. Lovelace, United Methodist Organist, Composer, Hymn Writer, and Liturgist
• Flannery O’Connor, U.S. Roman Catholic Writer
• James Rendel Harris, Anglo-American Congregationalist then Quaker Biblical Scholar and Orientalist; Robert Lubbock Bensly, English Biblical Translator and Orientalist; Agnes Smith Lewis and Margaret Dunlop Smith Gibson, English Biblical Scholars and Linguists; Samuel Savage Lewis, Anglican Priest and Librarian of Corpus Christi College; and James Young Gibson, Scottish United Presbyterian Minister and Literary Translator
• Ludger, Roman Catholic Bishop of Munster
• Rudolph A. John, German-American Evangelical Minister, Hymn Writer, and Hymn Translator

27 (Charles Henry Brent, Episcopal Missionary Bishop of the Philippines, Bishop of Western New York, and Ecumenist)

• Nicholas Owen, Thomas Garnet, Mark Barkworth, Edward Oldcorne, and Ralph Ashley, Roman Catholic Martyrs, 1601-1608
• Peter Lutkin, Episcopal Composer, Liturgist, and Music Educator
• Robert Hall Baynes, Anglican Bishop of Madagascar
• Rupert of Salzburg, Apostle of Bavaria and Austria
• Stanley Rother, U.S. Roman Catholic Priest, Missionary, and Martyr in Guatemala, 1981

28 (James Solomon Russell, Episcopal Priest, Educator, and Advocate for Racial Equality)

• Elizabeth Rundle Charles, Anglican Writer, Hymn Translator, and Hymn Writer
• Guntram of Burgundy, King
• Katharine Lee Bates, U.S. Educator, Poet, and Hymn Writer
• Richard Chevenix Trench, Anglican Archbishop of Dublin
• Tutilo, Roman Catholic Monk and Composer

29 (Charles Villiers Stanford, Composer, Organist, and Conductor)

• Dora Greenwell, Poet and Devotional Writer
• John Keble, Anglican Priest and Poet
• Jonas and Barachisius, Roman Catholic Martyrs, 327
• Julius Ewald Kockritz, German-American Evangelical Minister, Hymn Writer, and Christian Educator

30 (Innocent of Alaska, Equal to the Apostles and Enlightener of North America)

• Cordelia Cox, U.S. Lutheran Social Worker, Educator, and Resettler of Refugees
• John Wright Buckham, U.S. Congregationalist Minister, Theologian, and Hymn Writer
• Julio Alvarez Mendoza, Mexican Roman Catholic Priest and Martyr, 1927
• Maria Restituta Kafka, Austrian Roman Catholic Nun and Martyr, 1943

31 (Maria Skobtsova, Russian Orthodox Martyr, 1945)

• Ernest Trice Thompson, U.S. Presbyterian Minister and Renewer of the Church
• Franz Joseph Haydn and his brother, Michael Haydn, Composers
• Joan of Toulouse, Carmelite Nun; and Simon Stock, Carmelite Friar
• John Donne, Anglican Priest and Poet
• John Marriott, Anglican Priest and Hymn Writer

 

Floating

• The Confession of Saint Martha of Bethany (the Sunday immediately prior to Palm Sunday; March 8-April 11)

 

Lowercase boldface on a date with two or more commemorations indicates a primary feast.