Pope St Adrian III (from the martyrology, Sept 7)

Pope Adrian III (pope from 884-885), of whom the martyrology says:

"At Nonantola, Pope St. Adrian III, remarkable for his zeal to reconcile the Eastern churches with the Holy See. He died in the odor of sanctity at San Cesario, and became widely celebrated by his miracles."

St Zachary (from the martyrology, Sept 6)

da Vinci

The martyrology often serves to remind us that there are many Old Testament saints, as well as new!  Today, therefore, we celebrate the feast day of St Zachary (Zechariah), one of the twelve minor prophets, whose book was written in the period 520-518 BC.

From the martyrology:

"The prophet Zachary, who returned in his old age from Chaldea to his own country, and lies buried near the prophet Aggeus."

St Laurence Justinian (EF), Sept 5

St Laurence Justinian, d 1455, of whom the martyrology says:

"The feast of St. Lawrence Justinian, first Patriarch of Venice, who, by glorious miracles and virtues, illustrated the episcopal dignity which he received against his will on this day. His birthday is the 8th of January."

St Marcellus (from the martyrology, Sept 4)

From the martyrology:

"At Chalons, in France, St. Marcellus, martyr, under the emperor Antoninus. Being invited to a profane banquet by the governor Priscus, and abhorring the meats that were served, he reproved with great freedom all persons present for worshipping the idols. For this, by an unheard-of kind of cruelty, the same governor had him burned alive up to the waist. After persevering for three days in praising God, he yielded up his undefiled soul."

Pope St Pius X (EF/Benedictine)/St Gregory (OF), Sept 3

From the martyrology:

"St Pius X, Pope, whose birthday is recorded on August 20."

Pope Pius X has a large fan club amongst traditionalists because of his tough stand on the heresy of modernism, even having a traditionalist society named after him. 

Personally, I always find that rather ironic, since he was also the first of the twentieth century liturgical wreckovators, changing the order of reception of the sacraments, overturning longstanding tradition on the frequency of reception of the Eucharist, and above all fundamentally revamping the Roman Breviary.

Fortunately in the Ordinary Form, today is the feast of a rather more traditional liturgical reformer, St Gregory the Great:

"Likewise at Rome, the raising to the Sovereign Pontificate of St. Gregory the Great, an incomparable man, who, being forced to take that burden upon himself, sent forth from the more exalted throne brighter rays of sanctity upon the world."

St Giles & 12 Holy Brothers (EF: 1 Sept)

In the Extraordinary Form, today is the feast of St Giles (650-710), a Greek hermit who ended up settling in Provence, and one of the fourteen holy helpers.

From the martyrology:

"In the province of Narbonne, St. Giles, abbot and confessor.


At Benevento, twelve saintly brothers, martyrs."

SS Felix and Adauctus/in some places, St Rose of Lima (Aug 30)



The Glorification of Felix and Adauctus
Carlo Innocenzo Carlone

 From the martyrology:

"The feast of St. Rose of St. Mary, virgin, whose birthday is the 26th of this month.

At Rome, on the Ostian road, the martyrdom of the blessed priest Felix, under the emperors Diocletian and Maximian. After being racked he was sentenced to death, and as they led him to execution, he met a man who spontaneously declared himself a Christian, and was forthwith beheaded with him. The Christians not knowing his name, called him Adauctus, because he was added to St. Felix and shared his crown."