The birth of John the Baptist prophet Since John was an ascetic who lived in the desert, he quickly became a model for early monasticism

Ecumenical martyrology A pastor of the church of Turin, Italy, Maximus was one of the most celebrated preachers of the Gospel in the patristic era

Mari (1st-2nd cent.) apostle On the second Friday of summer, the Chaldean and Assyrian churches commemorate Mar Mari, an apostle of Syria, Mesopotamia and Persia. Lectionary

THE CHURCHES REMEMBER...

Irenaeus of Lyon (d. 202) pastor and martyr For Irenaeus, Christian faith is faith in a good Father who has not abandoned the men and women he created, but who continues to speak to them and prepare t...

Peter and Paul apostles Today the Eastern and Western churches celebrate the solemnity of the holy apostles Peter, a fisherman from Bethsaida in Galilee, and Paul, a native of Tarsus in Cilicia

The Apostolic College The feast of the Apostolic College is thus an opportunity to remember that the Church is built on the foundation of the apostles

Moses the Ethiopian (ca. 332-407) monk Moses the Ethiopian, a monk of the desert of Scetis, is commemorated today in the Roman Martyrology and in Byzantine synaxaria. Moses was born in Ethiopia arou...

Haik Hovsepian Mehr, Tateos Michaelian and Mehdi Dibaj (d. 1994) martyrs Today several Protestant churches commemorate three pastors who died as martyrs of the religious intolerance that began t...

Thomas apostle Thomas is also presented as the type of the believer who doubts, and who can only walk towards the fullness of faith by listening to

Andrew of Crete (660-740) pastor and hymn writer In 740 the pastor and hymnographer Andrew of Crete died on the island of Mitylene.

Athanasius the Athonite (930-1001) monk In 1001 Athanasius the Athonite, a monk who brought cenobitic life to Mount Athos, died when a cupola collapsed in his monastery's church.

Jan Hus (1369-1415) priest The Catholic priest Jan Hus, condemned as a heretic after a long battle with Church authorities in his country, and then with the Holy See, was burned at the stake in 1415.

Athenagoras I (1886-1972) pastor and ecumenical witness Athenagoras, archbishop of the church of Constantinople and Ecumenical Patriarch, died in Istanbul in 1972. The historic meetings between Athena...

Mael-Ruain (d. 792) monk Mael-Ruain, an abbot of the Irish monastery of Tallaght, died on July 7, 792. He had been at the helm of a monastic reform that strongly influenced the Irish Church in the fo...

The 32,000 Chinese martyrs of Taiyuan (d. 1900) In the year 1900, China became the scene of one of the worst xenophobic repressions in history. Lectionary

Cyril of Alexandria (ca. 378-444) Church father and pastor Today the Western churches commemorate Cyril, a patriarch of Alexandria and father of the Church.

Benedict (ca. 480-547) monk Today is the feast of Benedict, the father of Western monasticism.In communion with all the monks who live according to the Rule of Benedict...

John Gualberto (d. 1073) monk John Gualberto, a monk and catalyst for monastic reform at his community of Vallombrosa, died in 1073 in Passignano, near Florence.

THE CHURCHES REMEMBER...

Nerses di Lambron (1152/1153-1198)  pastor and ecumenical witness At around this time, the Armenian Church commemorates Nerses of Lambron, archbishop of Tarsus.

Bonaventure (ca. 1217-1274) pastor Today the Catholic and Anglican churches commemorate Bonaventure, a bishop and Doctor of the Church.

THE CHURCHES REMEMBER...

Andrei Rublev (ca. 1360-1427) monk and iconographer Today the Orthodox churches commemorate the monk and iconographer Andrei Rublev.

Paul Schneider (1897-1939) Lutheran pastor and martyr In 1939 Paul Schneider, a pastor of the German Evangelical Church, died at the concentration camp of Buchenwald after fourteen months of torture ...

Macrina (327-380) nun Today the Eastern and Western churches commemorate Macrina, a monastic of Cappadocia. The elder sister of Basil of Caesarea, Gregory of Nyssa and Peter of Sebaste

Elijah (9th cent. BCE) prophet Christians of all traditions commemorate the prophet Elijah. Elijah is the key representative of the Jewish prophetic tradition

Simeon the Fool and his companion John (6th cent.) monks Today the Eastern churches commemorate the Syrian monks Symeon and John.

Mary Magdalene Equal to the Apostles An example for those who repent and for those who keep a long and patient vigil because they have been touched by the flame of divine love, Mary Magdalene

Anthony of Kiev Caves Monastery (983-1073) and Theodosius (d. 1074) his disciple monks Today Christians of the Byzantine-Slavic tradition commemorate Anthony of Kiev Caves Monastery.