Month: April 2020

The Apostle James (d. 44), brother of John the Evangelist, is sometimes called “James the Greater” to distinguish him from lesser Jameses. His real name was Jacob but everybody calls him James, for reasons that don’t bear going into. James and John were among Jesus’ first disciples, and are presented as a bit headstrong in… Continue reading April 30 – James the Apostle; Mary of the Incarnation →

Endelienta of Cornwall (V or VI cent.) lived as a hermit in Cornwall. Her father was King Brychan of Brecknock, and her brother was (St.) Nectan of Hartland (Devonshire). Now, Edelienta had a beloved cow, whose milk provided her only food. One day the cow (whose name is not remembered) strayed onto a nobleman’s property,… Continue reading April 29 – Endelienta of Cornwall; Catherine of Siena →

Jason and Sosipater of the Seventy were disciples of St. Paul, bishops respectively of Tarsus and Iconium, who journeyed as missionaries to Corfu. They had baptized many people, and had built a church to the honor of St. Stephen the Protomartyr, when the governor (or king) of the tiny island finally learned of their existence,… Continue reading April 28 – Jason, Sosipater, and Cercyra; Gianna Beretta Molla →

Stephen of the Kievan Caves, Bishop of Vladimir (d. 1094) was a monk in the Kievan Caves Lavra under St. Theodosius of the Caves (May 3) whose chief responsibility was arranging music for the choir, a dangerous duty which can drive men dotty. As Theodosius lay dying, he took a poll of the monks as… Continue reading April 27 – Stephen of the Kievan Caves; Osanna of Catarro →

Stephen of Perm (ca. 1340– 1396) was the son of a father from somewhere, and a mother from the Komi or Permic or Zyrian people, who were so ethno-linguistic that they needed three names. Born in Ustiug, Stephen served as a canonarch and reader as soon as they let him, and soon went to the… Continue reading April 26 – Stephen of Perm →