Posted on 12/06/2010 10:52:32 AM PST by NYer
A timely article. Yesterday, our pastor placed a small, antique reliquary, containing relics of 9 saints, on the altar. It was found in the parish garage, buried behind a stack of books on a shelf. After liturgy, two of us examined the reliquary to learn the name of these saints. The print was extremely small but with a high powered light and lots of squinting, we were able to discern that all were martyr saints. It is the Church’s custom to label relics with Latin names. I have been researching these and run into some name issues, even with the use of a Latin translation tool. Perhaps some of you can provide some additional insight or advice.
Names: Aurelii, Benigai, Octavi, Ireneti, Liberati, Innocenti, Theodori, Vincenti, Berenici.
St. Aurelius
Feastday: July 20
429
Bishop and companion of St. Augustine of Hippo. Aurelius was a deacon at Carthage and became the bishop of that see in 392. He was a vigorous foe of the heresies of the time, His complaints about the loyalties of the local clergy prompted St. Augustine to write On the Work of Monks .
St. Octavian
Feastday: March 22
484
Martyr of the Vandals. He was an archdeacon in the Church in Carthage who was executed, along with supposedly thousands of other Christians, by the Arian Vandals at the command of King Hunneric.
St. Theodore and 40 others (?) martyrs beheaded at Carthage (249, 251 A.D.). April 10.
St. Liberatus
Feastday: August 17
483
Martyr with Boniface, Maximus, Rogatus, Rusticus, Septimus, and Servus. Liberatus was abbot of an African monastery near Capsa, Byzeceke. He and the others were martyred by the Arian ruler of the Vandals, Hunneric, in Carthage. Maximus was a young child.
or
St. Liberatus and Family
In 484 the king of the Vandal tribe, Huneric, an adherent of the Arian heresy that denied the divinity of Christ, issued an edict against the Catholic Church in North Africa. In this persecution, the Catholic doctor Liberatus, his wife, and their two young sons were apprehended. King Huneric ordered the parents to be separated from their children and to be exiled. Grieving this separation, Liberatus wept, but his wife urged him to take courage. The husband and wife were placed in separate prison cells, unable to see each other. Liberatus’ wife was subsequently told the falsehood that Liberatus had apostatized. When afterward she was led to her trial and saw her husband standing near the spectators, she angrily grabbed him and rebuked him for denying his faith. But her husband quickly told her the truth of the matter: “In the name of Christ, I remain a Catholic.” Both Liberatus and his wife were executed. Their sons were put to death by drowning, as was another seven-year-old Catholic boy, who cried out, “I am a Christian,” as he was dragged away from his distraught mother.
St. Vicentius
Vincentiuswith Saturninus, and four children, the lectors Saturninus (another) and Felix, and the nun, Maria, and the toddler, Hilarion; Senator Dativus; Thelica, Emeritus, Felix, Ampellius, Rogatianus, Victoria, 37 other Christians ( Felix, Quintus, Maximianus, Rogatianus, Rogatus, Januarius, Cassianus, Victorianus, Caecilianus, Restituta, Prima, Rogatianus, Eva, Givalius, Rogatus, Pimponia, Secunda, Januaria, Saturnina, Martinus, Datus, Felix, Margarita, Major, Honorata, Regiola, Victorinus, Pelusius, Faustus, Datianus, Matrona, Caecilia, Heredina, Secunda, Matrona(another), Januaria, of Abitine, in Northwestern Africa.
Arrested, having prayed the Divine Mysteries in the Emeritus’ house, we proclaimed the faith. I, Saturninus, was clubbed and died in jail. 12 Feb. 304 A.D. 11 Feb. Roman, 20 Feb in Algiers.
St. Innocentius ?
martyr. theban Legionnaire.
Ancient African (Catholic) Church’s thousands of early *Black Saints.* From all Mystical Body of Christ’s branches--Latin, Coptic, & Orthodox Sts. Amoun, Augustine to Zeno.
St. Benigai (Latin for St. Generosa?)
Seperatus, Narzalea, Cittinus, Veturius, Acllinus, Laetantius, Januaria, Vestina, Donata, and Secunda. We are the Scillitan Martyrs, caught at Africa Proconsularis, Carthage, two trials, authorities ordered us beheaded 17 July 180 A.D. under Vigellius, first persecutor of Christians in Northwestern Africa. 17 July.
St. Berenici - ?? The only information I could find was this.
At the Sea of Galilee there is excavation and restoration of a church above Tiberias called Berenici, where coins have been found bearing the inscription "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews”.
or
Saint Veronica or Berenice, according to the "Acta Sanctorum" published by the Bollandists (under February 4),[2] was a pious woman of Jerusalem who, moved with pity as Jesus carried his cross to Golgotha, gave him her veil that he might wipe his forehead. Jesus accepted the offering and after using it handed it back to her, the image of his face miraculously impressed upon it.[3][4][5] The name "Veronica" itself is a Latinisation of Berenice, a Macedonian name, meaning "bearer of victory" (corresponding to Greek: phere-nikē).
I’ve never been comfortable with relics...I always saw them as superstitious nonsense.
This is a Caucus thread.
Are you Catholic? If you’re not, please be aware that this is a Caucused thread.
Across the years, friend and fellow member of the Third Order Franciscans Jackie Palmer also has managed to secure first-class relics – of Saint Francis of Assisi and Saint Thomas the Apostle. The latter bit of “Doubting Thomas” went to her husband George who, after decades, converted to Catholicism. “I prayed for him for 42 years,” she noted. [emphasis mine]Catholics seem to, in general, really excel at never giving up. Thinking of St. Monica, Augustine's mother, as well as a woman we've been sitting next to at daily Mass for close to three decades. She still keeps praying for her husband daily to come to know the Church. Looks like she could have another decade or so to go, but I hope not ... :)
Yes I’m Catholic. And I think the veneration of relics is ridiculous. And no, I’m not a modernist or a VII hippy. I’m a traditional, devout Catholic.
Does post #3 break the Caucus designation rules?
Why do you think it is ridiculous?
Just replying to post #3 addressed to Non-Catholics.
It's perfectly scriptural. (see Acts 19:11-12)
So extraordinary were the mighty deeds God accomplished at the hands of Paul
that when face cloths or aprons that touched his skin were applied to the sick, their diseases left them and the evil spirits came out of them.
Still not sure?
Relic of St. John Chrysostom reportedly working miracles
It is not required that you personally venerate relics. But it is definitely worth your while to do some research on these extraordinary events. Many miracles occur without relics. What we must always remember is that every miracle comes from God! - not from the relic or the saint to whom it is attributed.
Bob, I posted that comment. After 10+ years on FR, I have come to understand that visitors often visit caucus threads. Some comply with the Rel Mod's rules; others do not. I intentionally posted comment #3 to address the scriptural basis of the use of relics in the Catholic Church for the benefit of non-Catholic visitors (i.e. lurkers). It was addressed to non-Catholics, who cannot post to the caucus thread. It was not intended to draw them into the conversation; otherwise, I would not have made this a caucus thread.
Thank you for that post! Our pastor has asked me to research the saints in the reliquary he found. Once that is complete, he will compile 9 prayers; one for each saint. The reliquary will then be made available for parishioners to bring into their homes for 9 days. Once the 9 days of prayers are complete, the priest will return to bless the family and home with the relic.
Given the unique names of the saints from this reliquary, I have taken the approach of looking for a common thread. The one that immediately surfaces is the majority of these martyr saints all lived in the 5th century and came from the various churches of north Africa. It's truly an extraordinary find given that this year, we are celebrating the 1600th anniversary of the death of St. Maron, the spiritual father of the Maronite Catholic Church.
And here is another miraculous cure from a saint's relics. This story appeared today at Catholic News Agency.
NYer, post #3 was pulled because it addressed posters who are not members of the caucus and are not welcome on this thread.
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