Martin Butzer (Bucer) was a German Protestant reformer based in Strasbourg. He was originally a member of the Dominican Order but after meeting and being influenced by Martin Luther in 1518 he had his monastic vows annulled and began to work for the Reformation with the support of Franz von Sickingen. He acted as mediator between Martin Luther and Huldrych Zwingli who differed on the doctrine of the Eucharist. He believed that the Catholics in the Holy Roman Empire could join the Reformation. He tried to unite Protestants and Catholics to create a German national church separate from Rome.He hoped for ecumenism between the two of them but it resulted in his excommunication from his Catholic church in Wissembourg. and him having to flee to Strasbourg. Under duress in 1548 he signed the Augsburg Interim -which imposed certain forms of Catholic worship while he continued to promote reforms in Strasbourg. .This resulted in him having to leave. In 1549 he was exiled in England under the guidance of Thomas Cranmer… He died in Cambridge in 1551 aged 59. H His writings influenced Lutheran. Calvinist and Anglican doctrines and practices. He is remembered as an early pioneer of ecumenism. (Notes on Franz von Sickingen (1481-1523) included) Sources Wikipedia 70 Great Christians by Geoffrey Hanks

Heinrich was the successor to Huldrych Zwingli. He became the head of the Church of Zurich and pastor at the Grossmunster. Aged 11 he was sent to St. Martin’ s Latin school. His father refused to pay for his food so his son had to beg for bread for 3 years -this was so his son would learn/have empathy with the poor. Aged 14 he went to the University of Cologne. Aged 19 exposed to Reformation teaching and was converted to Protestantism. Aged 18 (1522), now a follower of Martin Luther, earned a MA, and ceased to receive the Eucharist. 1523-8 taught at a Cistercian monastery Kappel Abbey. In 1529 married Anna Adlischweiler. They had 11 children, 5 girls and 6 boys. 5 of the boys became Protestant ministers. 1528-31 in Hausen took up a part time preaching position. In 1529 his father renounced Roman Catholicism and Heinrich was chosen to replace his father as the new Reform minister in Bremgarten… He preached 4 sermons each week and held a daily, well attended bible study. at 3 pm. His father officially married his mother in a reform ceremony in Bremgarten. His ministry in Zurich began in 1531 and continued until his death in 1575. His main theological work was the * Dekaden *or The Decades which is a compilation of 50 sermons There are about 12,000 letters in existence from or to Heinrich. Heinrich was one of the most important leaders of the Swiss Reformation. He co-authored the Helvetic Confessions and collaborated with John Calvin to work out a Reformed doctrine of the Last Supper/ Eucharist. Sources Wikipedia 70 Great Christians by Geoffrey Hanks

Saint Francis was a Basque cleric. He was a Catholic missionary and saint who co-founded with Saint Ignatius of Loyola and 5 other companions the Society of Jesus ( the Jesuits) in 1540. It was founded in Paris France and formalised in Rome. They are called Soldiers of Christ, and foot soldiers of the Pope because Ignatius was a knight before he became a priest. He was influential in evangelization work, most notably in early modern India. As a representative of the Portuguese Empire he led the first Christian mission to Japan He was also the first Christian missionary to venture into Borneo. Modern scholars suggest that in his life time he converted 30,000 to Christianity. He was beatified on 25th October 1619 by Pope Paul V. He was canonized on 12th March 1622 by Pope Gregory XV. Our present day Pope Francis is a Jesuit. Sources Wikipedia 70 Great Saints by Geoffrey Hanks

Ignatius was born Inigo Lopez to a noble and wealthy Basque family. He went to the Spanish court to become a page. He joined the army. In the battle with the Frehch for the town of Pamplona, Spain, he was hit by a cannon ball the size of a fist. The 5 feet 2 inch Inigo five was helped back to Loyola by French soldiers. he underwent surgery but he was left with a limp in his right leg. During the 7 weeks of recovery he began reading spiritual books and visions. By the time he had recuperated he had resolved to live a life of austerity to do penance for his sins. In February 1522 he left for Montserrat, a pilgrim site in N.E. Spain. He confessed his sins and hung up his sword and dagger, donned sack cloth and lived like a beggar. He attend mass daily and spent 7 hours in prayer, often in a cave near Manresa. There he sketched the fundamentals for Spiritual Exercises - a guide to convert the heart and mind to a closer following of Jesus Christ After a pilgrim a to the Holy Land he headed for Europe. He went to Alcala (now Barcelona) to study for 12 years where he acquired followers. Still not ordained he became distrusted by the church hierarchy. 1534 Ignatuis and his followers took vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. 1537, in Venice, they were ordained. 1540, gained Pope’s approval and named Society of Jesus. 1541 Ignatius, aged 50, elected superior general of his new order. The vision and disciplines of the * Jesuits* caught the imagination of Europe. These zealous monks were successful in checking the forces of Protestantism in parts of Europe. They gained a wide spread reputation for their fanatical willingness to do almost anything to advance the cause of the Roman Catholic church. This movement, later known as the Counter-Reformation was chiefly spearheaded by the Society of Jesus- the Jesuits founded by Ignatius and 6 others. It aimed at recovering the Catholic Faith in Europe and taking it to other parts of the world and combating the ’ heresy’ of Protestantism. Ignatius wanted to revive the church in China. He died in 1556 on route to China. Ignatius’s Spiritual Exercises have been in constant use for nearly 500 years. The Constitution of the Society of Jesus was probably the most important work of his later years. There is no doubt that friend and foe alike saw Ignatius and the Jesuits as a key factor in reviving and strengthening the Roman church after 1550. In 2013 Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina became Pope Francis, the first Jesuit to be elected pope. Sources used Wikipedia Christianity Today Great Leaders of the Christian Church Woodbridge contribution from Robert D. Linder Britannica Online Encyclopedia 70 Great Christian by Geoffrey Hanks

The members of the Society are men. *Members of the Society of Jesus make profession of perpetual poverty, chastity and obedience and promise a special obedience to the sovereign pontiff *( the Pope) Accordingly, to the opening lines of the founding document declared that the society was founded for whoever desires to serve as a soldier of God, to strive especially for the defense and propagation of the faith and for the progress of souls in Christian life and doctrine. There were 7 co- founders in 1540. Saint Ignatius of Loyola 1491-1556 See separate entry Saint Francis Xavier 1506-1552 See separate entry Saint Peter Father 1506-1546 Alfonso Salmeron 1515-1585 Diego Laynez 1510-1585 NIcholas Bobadilla 1509-1590 Simao Rodrigues 1510-1579 I have included information about the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits) and the other 5 co-founders. Within the Catholic Church there has been s sometimes tense relationship between Jesuits and the Vatican. This is due to questioning of official Church teaching and papal directives. The current pope, Pope Francis, is a Jesuit. Source Wikipedia

The Puritan revolt against the Church of England (C 0f E) made steady progress during the first half of the17th century. Richard, born In Rowton, Shropshire, who came to faith when he was about 15 years old, became an English nonconformist leader and theologian He made his reputation in the late 1630’s by his ministry in Kidderminster, where he began a long and prolific career as a theological writer. He became one of the most influential leaders of the nonconformist movement and as a result spent 2 terms in prison ( the second time after a ‘trial’ before the notorious Chief Justice Jeffrey when he was aged 69). (Read Legal Troubles). He regarded all forms of church government as secondary to religious practice,. He never went to university, instead he was placed under a few local clergymen in Ludlow. In 1638 he was offered the headship of the Endowed School at Dudley. He had a great desire to lead men to Christ. In April 1641, aged 26, following a sermon, he was unanimously elected minister of St Mary and All Saints Church, Kidderminster. He stayed for 19 years. During that time he accomplished many reforms.he united the various ministries into an association irrespective of their differences. The Reformed Pastor, which he published, dealt with general ministerial efforts he promoted. In 1647 while recovering from a debilitating illness he wrote* *The Saints’ Everlasting Rest *(1650). During the English Civil War (1645-7) -he reluctantly became a chaplain to Cromwell’s ‘roundheads’ and wrote his Aphorisms of Justification(1649) which excited great controversy(1650). In 1650 he received a letter with 265 signatures asking him to return to Kidderminster. He returned there as a lecturer. He worked with the vicar preaching the gospel and acting as pastor to the flock. In 1662 following the Act of Uniformity and refusing the appointment of Bishop of Hereford, he was expelled from the C of E. From 1662 until the indulgence in 1687 he was constantly disturbed by persecution. Placed in prison for keeping a convenicle ( a secret or unlawful religIous meeting, typically nonconformist). From 1687 until his death in 1691 his life passed peacefully.He died worn out by several bouts of illness and persecution. His funeral was attended by both churchmen and dissenters. During his lifetime he wrote 168 or so separate works. ( Read Theology) He also was a prodigious hymn writer. His sensitive conscience led him into conflict with almost all the contending parties in state and church but he was also one of the most influential leaders of the nonconformist movement in the 17th century. Sources Wikipedia 70 Great Christians by Geoffrey Hanks

Wellesley became a Christian in 1866, aged 20 ,just before he departed Ireland for Australia. His efforts failed and he returned to Ireland. On his return his father urged him to find something worthwhile to do. He next sailed to India to join his brother who was an officer in the army. He intended to learn Hindu and become a policeman. In India he noticed the great needs of the poor people around him and wondered if God wanted him to become a missionary. He was accepted by American Presbyterian Mission (APM) to be a teacher in Ambala. The Rev, Dr, J, H. Morrison. the leader of the mission took him to leper asylum. If ever was a Christ -like work in this world it was to go among these poor sufferers and bring them the consolation of the gospel, Wellesley concluded. He made frequent visits to the asylum. As a result of his caring ministry sufferers were converted and baptised. In 1871 he was joined by Alice Grahame, his future wife. In 1873 they returned to Ireland due to her poor health. In Dublin he spoke about his work. The Pim sisters plus others offered to support his work. An account for* Lepers in India* was opened. He joined the Church of Scotland Missionary Society (CSMS). Returned to India in 1875 with his wife to work at Chamba in the foothills of the Himalayas. in 1879 they moved to Wazirabad. By this time he had emerged as the driving force behind efforts to provide adequate care for leprosy sufferers. A permanent structure was needed. When he returned to UK in 1885 he became the first Secretary, based in Edinburgh. 1886/7 the Bailey’s made first tour of India. In 1889 Father Damien, the founder/leader on the leper island of Molokai, died. As a result Wellsley’s Mission work was also brought to the attention of the public. ( See separate profile on Father Damien) 1913/4 the Bailey’s made their last tour. The Mission to Lepers continued to expand. Wellesley retired/resigned in 1917, aged 71 God does not make the burdens heavy. he makes them light, I have had his blessing in carrying it on and he has fitted the back to the burden. WB Wellesley died in 1937 aged 91. The Mission has been born and cradled in prayer. It has been brought up on prayer. It has been nourished on prayer, and prayer has been at the bottom of the success since the first moments of its life WB In 1994 it was estimated that there were 12 million lepers but only 3 million have received treatment to arrest the disease and prevent deformity. 70 Great Christians by Geoffrey Hanks Sources Wikipedia 70 Great Christians (pages 206-10)

Father Damien, born Jozef De Veuster, was a Roman Catholic priest from Belgium. He went to live, with 3 other volunteers, with people suffering leprosy. He lead a ministry in the Kingdom of Hawaii from 1873 until 1889 to people with leprosy (Hansen’s disease). They lived in government mandated quarantine in a settlement on the Kalaupapa Penisula of Moloka’i. 6 months after his arrival at Kalawao he wrote to his brother Pamphile in Europe I make myself a leper with the lepers to gain all to Jesus Christ He taught the Catholic faith . He also cared for his patients and established leaders within the community to build houses, schools, roads, hospitals and churches. He dressed resident’s ulcers, built a reservoir, made 100s of coffins, dug graves, shared pipes and ate poi with them and provided both medical and emotional support. He also served as a priest during this time and spread the Catholic faith to the lepers. After 11 years he contracted leprosy himself. He continued to work in spite of the illness. He died aged 49 on 15th April 1889. News of his death brought in gifts of medicine and money for the work, and for the first time people around the world began to pay attention to leprosy reports . He has been described as a martyr of charity. He is considered the patron for leprosy and outcasts, Father Damien Day , April 15th, is a minor statewide holiday in Hawaii. 2005 Damien honored with the title De Grootste Beig The Greatest Belgian 2009 Damien canonized by Pope Benedict XXV1 In 1994 it was estimated that there were 12 million lepers but only 3 million receive treatment. Sources Wikipedia 70 Greatest Christians page 210 by Geoffrey Hanks

Ida, aged 19,in 1890 went to visit her missionary parents in India. Her life was changed when three men, a Brahmin, a Muslim and a Hindu asked her to look at their three wives in labour. Ida was a young female, with no medical knowledge,and suggested they spoke to her father - a mission doctor. They refused, the Brahim said It is better that my wife should die than that another man should look at her face. The next day she learned all three wives were dead. She realised the importance the great need for female doctors in India. She told her parents *I am going to America to study to be a doctor, so I can come back here and help the women of India. In 1895 she enrolled at the Women’s Medical College in Philadelphia and transferred to the Cornell Medical College for her final year. In 1899 she graduated and headed back to India to start a tiny medical dispensary and clinic at Vellore, 75 miles from Madras. Her father died in 1900. In 2 years she treated 5,000 patients. 1902 opened the Mary Taber Schell Hospital. In the first year year, aided by Salomi, her native helper, she treated 12,359 patients. With the gift of a motor car she began a regular programme of visiting villages. 1918, following the end of WW1, Ida opened a girls only medical school. 151 applied but many had to be turned away. 1928 a new medical campus opened at Bagayam, Vellore. Mahatma Gandhi visited. Ida travelled a number of times to USA to raise money for the college and hospital. 1945 college opened to men as well as women. 23rd May 1960 Ida died aged 89, at her bungalow. A ‘great soul’ who was loved and respected by all her patients and students A great lady, whose dedication and planned working are exemplary Rajendra Prasad, President of India 2003 Vellore had largest Christian hospital in the world - 2000 beds - medical school one of the premier medical colleges in India. 2023 Vellore ranked No.3 by National Institute Ranking Framework (NIRF) Note 30 members of the Scudder family have given nearly 1000 years of missionary service. It started with her grandfather in 1819. Sources Wikipedia 70 Great Christians ( pages 285-289) by Geoffrey Hanks

Watchman Nee , Ni Tuosheng or Nee T’o-sheng was a Chinese church leader and Christian teacher who worked in China during the 20th century. His evangelism was influenced by the Plymouth Brethren. He was brought up in a Christian family and was converted when he was 18. Instead of going to University he gave himself to Bible study and evangelism and many students were won for Christ. In 1922 he initiated a church meeting in Fuzhouu, Fujian province. He became well known for his preaching and writing. In 1928 he moved to the treaty port of Shanghai which would remain the centre of his ministry for the rest of his life. he established a small meeting place on a lane known as Wen Teh Li. He produced a magazine called Revival, later called The Christian which carried extracts from his sermons.He also wrote a number of books (See Publications). In 1933 he visited the UK to seek advice from the Brethren. Unhappy with the Chinese denominational churches he wanted to build a less rigid pattern. He established a Sunday evening act of worship around the Lord’s Table. The Shanghai church flourished. By the 1940’s there were 470 groups in fellowship as The Little Flock. (nickname). The emphasis was on evangelism. In 1941, during WW11, to help raise money he opened, with his brother, a chemist, a pharmaceutical company. The company flourished but the church missed his leadership. He was asked to leave. He was accepted back in 1948. October 1949 the Communist Party took control. to set up the People’s Republic of China. 1951 they revealed plans to take the Chinese Church under its control He was arrested in 1952 and at his trial in 1956 many false accusations made. If he had agreed to stop preaching he could have been released. Instead he spent the last 20 years of his life in prison. He died in 1972 aged 68. Little is known about his years in prison except his physical condition deteriorated and he continued faithfully to the Lord. Watchman Nee was an outstanding Christian leader whose vision of an indigenous church in China prepared believers for the onslaught of Communism and the fiery trials which followed. Geoffrey Hanks. Sources Wikipedia 70 Great Christians by Geoffrey Hanks (pages 295- 298)

Geoffrey Bull, aged 15 was baptised into the Open Brethren persuasion. He original ambition was to be a banker but in 1941 he became absorbed into missionary work. In 1947, aged 26, he went to China with George N. Patterson. They travelled deep into the interior up to the border shared with Tibet. For 3 years they studied Mandarin and Tibetan. 29th July 1950 he entered Tibet. He was soon imprisoned by the invading Red Army on the pretext he was a spy. He started off in solitary confinement but later underwent re-education-over 200 brain washing sessions. He claimed that his faith in Christ kept him from mental breakdown. After 3 years and 2 months he was released to the British authorities in Hong Kong on 19th December 1953. He was mentally fatigued and hardly able to meditate on Scripture or pray. Thousands had been praying for his release and God on his throne had intervened. Mentally and physically he had changed but he was still the same person underneath. He had proved God’s Word to be unbreakable. On his return he married Agnes (Nan) Templedon of Milngavie, Scotland, in June 1955. They spent a year in Australia and then 14 months in North Borneo (1959/60). They had 3 sons Ross, Peter and Alister. He built up a worldwide Bible teaching ministry in Brethren assemblies and beyond. In 1999, aged 76, he died following the breaking of bread service ,in his local church in Largs, Scotland. He was buried in Largs. Sources used Wikipedia 70 Great Christians by Geoffrey Hanks (pages 303-307)

Janani was one of the most influential leaders of the modern church of Africa. He was Archbishop of Uganda from 1974-1977. He was a leading voice in criticising the excesses of the Idi Amin regime that assumed power in 1971… In On February 16th 1977 he was arrested with 2 cabinet ministers, Erinayo Wilson Oryema and Charles Oboth Ofumbi. On the same day Idi Amin convened a rally in Kampala with the 3 accused present. The next day it was announce on Radio Uganda that the 3 had died when the car transporting them to an interrogation centre had collided with another vehicle… When Janani’s the bodies was released to relatives it was riddled.with bullets, The ministers also died from bullet wounds. According to Vice president of Uganda Mustafa Adris and the Human Rights commission Amin’s right hand man Isaac Maliyamungu had carried out the murder of Janani and his colleagues. Janani has been recognised as a martyr. February 16th in Uganda is Archbishop Janani Luwum Day .His death is celebrated annually. Sources Wikipedia 70 Great Christians by Geoffrey Hanks (pages 334-337)

Andrew ‘Anne’ van der Bijl was a Dutch Christian Missionary who founded Open Doors. He was known for smuggling Bibles and other Christian literature into communist countries. In July 1955 he went to the 5th World Festival of Youth and Students in Communist Poland. He secretly visited 5 churches in the capital. After preaching a sermon at a Baptist church their pastor said* We want to thank you for being here… we feel at times as if we are alone in our struggle. In Revelations he read* Awake, and strengthen what remains and is on the point of death It came as a call from God to minister to this remnant church, in a mission field seemingly without labourers. He also met a Christian bookstore owner who told him about the lack of Bibles in the Soviet Union. He signed up for a government controlled Communist tour of Czechoslovakia to find out more information. In 1955 he founded* Open Doors* which initially involved smuggling Bibles and Christian literature, plus offering training for Christian leaders and providing financial and other support to persecuted Christians. Andrew openly smuggled the Bibles in! He knew he was violating the laws of all the countries that he visited by bringing religious literature into their country. He often placed the material in view when he was stopped by police checkpoints, as a gesture of his trust in what he believed to be God’s protection. In 1957 he visited Moscow in a new Volkswagen Beetle ( a gift from an elderly couple). (VW symbol of* Open Doors*). After the fall of Communism in Europe he shifted his focus.to the Middle East. His autobiography God’s Smuggler, published in 1967 was a great success The press exposure which followed stopped him from personally smuggling in books. He shifted to evangelism and fund raising campaigns in North America and Europe. At the time of his death Open Doors was active in over 60 countries. The ministry yearly distributes 300,000 Bibles and 1.5 million books & materials His autobiography*God’s Smuggler,*by 2022 had sold over 10 million copies. Andrew died , aged 94, on 27th September 2022 Sources Wikipedia* 70 Great Christians by Geoffrey hanks (pages 323-327)

Peter Vins, a Baptist minister of the Gospel, in 1930 was invited by Communist officials to support and nominate 2 government chosen members to the Baptist Union Board. He refused. Within days a few days he was arrested and spent 3 months to Butyrki prison under investigation. He was sentenced to 3 years in a labour camp at Svetlaya Bay. His 2 year old son Georgi prayed, Jesus, Bring my Daddy back. Peter was released in 1933 but his passport was taken.Meeting in secret the believers grew to 1,000. 1936 arrested again Georgi said, Mother I don’t want To live and longer , Witnesses retracted their evidence. After 9 months Peter went home thin and smelling unpleasantly of prison. 1937 arrested again and received a 10 year sentence. He died on the 27th December 1943, aged 45 - cause unknown. The family was only later informed of his death. (In 1995 Georgi was given access to his father’s KGB file and learned he had been executed.) Georgi was brought up by his mother Lidia with his various siblings. Lidia became involved with the Baptist Prisoners Relatives organization After WW11the family moved to Kiev where Georgi qualified as an electrical engineer. He became involved in Baptist churches in Kiev. Nikita Khrushchev’s anti-religious persecutions had begun in 1959. New regulations were imposed on the Baptist church which drastically curtailed the small independence they had enjoyed. The Baptist movement split acrimoniously. He became a leading figure in the campaign to resist state pressure. The pastor at Kiev had accepted the new terms- Georgi opposed him and became the pastor instead! The result was he was imprisoned for 3 years in 1966. Lidia in 1971 imprisoned for 3 years for seeking the help of the United Nations. After his release he carried on as pastor and organizer of the movement. He went into hiding but was discovered and seized in March 1974. Andrei Sakharov. human right campaigner and the World Council of Churches joined the protests but to no avail. - sentenced to 5 years in labor camp and 5 years internal exile. He had become the Soviet Union’s most famous religious prisoner. Peter, his son,aged 23, sent to prison. International pressure resulted in his expulsion. On 26th April 1979 he along with 4 expellees were exchanged for 2 Russian spies. He was joined by his family 6 weeks later in the USA. They lived in the USA for the rest of their lives. He dedicated himself to helping Christians in what was formerly the Soviet Union Gorbachev revoked decree In the late 1980s that had stripped Georgi of his Soviet citizenship. In the 1990s he revisited his homeland and made numerous preaching trips. In 1997 they discovered he had a malignant inoperable brain tumor, he died on11th January 1998 aged 69. Sources Wikipedia Peter Vins '85 Place for Truth 70 Great Christians by Geoffrey Hanks

Richard and Sabina were both born Jews but became born again Christians in 1938. Richard (1909-2001 Sabina Oster( married in 1936 , died in 2000) Richard was ordained twice first as an Anglican and then after WW11 he became a Romanian Evangelical Lutheran priest. As an adolescent he was sent to study Marxism in Moscow. He was arrested by the secret police.and sent to Doftana Prison. He was an important Comintern agent leader and coordinator directly paid by Moscow. Like other Romanian Communists he was arrested several times, sentenced and released again. He preached at bomb shelters and rescued Jews during WW11. In 1944 when the Soviet Union occupied Romania and wanted to establish a Communist regime he immediately began an ‘underground’ ministry to his people. He was highly ecumenical and worked with Christians of many denominations. Under the Communists the church was once more subject to persecution and believers were forced underground. Yet despite restrictions,evangelism continued and literature specially designed for Communists was printed. In 1948 he publically said Communism and Christianity were incompatible. He was on his way to a Divine Service when he was arrested on 29th February 1948. This was the beginning of him being imprisoned for his faith.He spent 3 years in solitary confinement. He was released after 8 1/2 years. He was arrested again and sentenced to 25 years. He was imprisoned under a false name so no one could trace him. Secret Police, posing as released prisoners, visited Sabina saying he was dead, She did not believe them. In 1964 Richard received an amnesty. He had spent a total of 14 years in prison before the $10,000 ransom was paid. He had been beaten, tortured (including mutilation), burnt and locked in a large ice box. His body bore these physical scars for the rest of his life. Sabina in 1950 also spent 3 years in penal labour. On his release they moved first to Norway then England. Finally They emigrated to America and dedicated the rest of their lives to publicizing and helping Christians who are persecuted for their beliefs. He became known as The Voice of the Underground Church He wrote more than 18 books, Tortured for Christ is his best known book. Richard had such an extraordinary memory that while in prison he composed 350 sermons and the result was With God in Solitary Confinement(1969) Sabina wrote* The Pastor’s Wife.* (See list of* Books*) Richard died at the age of 91 in 2001. Sabina had died the year before 2000. Sources Wikipedia 70 Greatest Christians** by Geoffrey Hanks (pages 318-323)

It is difficult to separate Valentine’s Day from Saint Valentine. Valentine means -worthy, strong, powerful. 14th of February is celebrated with balloons, cards, flowers, with romantic meals and proposals of marriage. There are many legends about Saint Valentine. He restored the sight of a judge’s daughter. He is supposed to have helped Christian couples to get married so the husbands could avoid being conscripted into the army. Valentine is said to have cut hearts from parchment-first valentine cards? Helping Christians was a crime. Emperor Gothicus Claudius is supposed to have quite liked the prisoner until he attempted to convert him - he then had him condemned him to death Saint Valentine, from prison, is said to have completed a letter to the jailer’s daughter he had healed, with the words ’ from your Valentine Saint Valentine having been imprisoned and tortured was a short time later to be martyred, by being behead, for his Christian faith. Sources used wikipedia and awareness days.

Philip was an Italian priest who founded the Congregation of the Oratory a society of secular clergy dedicated to pastoral care and charity work. His spiritual mission emphasized personal holiness and direct service to others particularly through the education of young people and care of the poor and sick. His work played a significant role in the Counter-Reformation especially within the city of Rome. Source Wikipedia

Radegund was a Thuringian princess and Frankish queen. Her father was Bertachar, a German king.She is the patron saint of several churches in France and England. She founded the monastery of Sainte Cross in Poitiers in about 500 AD where she cared for the infirm. She was known for her extreme ascetic behaviour (prayer, fasting and manual labour). She followed a vegan diet refusing to eat all animal product. She only ate legumes and green vegetables. She abstained from drinking wine, mead and beer and only drinking a little water. She also did not eat bread, oil or salt. She was warned that she might become ill. She bound her neck and arms with 3 iron circles; her flesh was ’ badly out’ because of this. She wrote poetry to the poet Venantius Fortunatus on tablets in Latin. Radegund was buried in what became the church of St. Radegund in Poitiers. Her tomb can still be found in the crypt of the church There were originally stained glass windows depicting her life but these were later largely destroyed by the Huguenots. Source Wikipedia

Peter was a 13th century Italian Catholic priest. He was a Dominican friar and a celebrated preacher. He preached from the 1230s against heresy, and especially Catharism who referred to themselves as Good Christians ( See brief notes on* Catharism*) He was appointed General Inquisitor for Northern Italy in 1234 by Pope Gregory 1X and Peter evangelized nearly the whole of Italy He was recognized by Pope Innocent 1V in 1251 for his severity of life and doctrine, talent for preaching and zeal for the orthodox Catholic faith. Crowds came to meet and follow him. In his sermons he denounced heresy. He had served as an inquisitor in Lombardy for only 6 months when he and his companion Domenico were assassinated on 6th April 1252. A group of Milanese Cathars had conspired to kill him. He was returning from Como to Milan with friar Domenico when they were attacked. The blow which hit Peter cut off his head. The testimony given at the inquest confirmed that he began reciting the Creed when he was attacked. Domenico was mortally wound and died 5 days later in Meda… Peter was canonized as a Catholic saint 11 months later- March 9th 1253 - the fastest canonization in history. His feast day is 29th April - April 6th, his death Loxton date was not used because it would too often conflict with Easter Triduum Note Carino of Balsamo, one of the assassins, confessed his crime and converted to the Catholic church and eventually became a lay brother in the Dominican convent of Forli. Sources Wikipedia The Encyclopedia of Saints by Howard Loxton

Paul of the Cross, born Paolo Francesco Danei, was an Italian Catholic mystic and founder of the Passionists - order of Barefooted Clerks of the Holy Cross and Passion He was the second of 16 children, only 6 survived infancy. As a child he was taught by a priest who kept a school for boys in Cremolino. In his early years he taught catechism in the churches near his home. He experienced a conversion to a life of pray aged 19. It became his lifelong conviction that God is most easily found in the Passion of Christ. In 1715 he left working for his father in his dry-goods store to join a crusade against the Turks. He quickly realized he did not want to be a soldier and returned to working for his father. In 1720 he had a series of prayer experiences which made it clear to him that he was to form a community (it became a congregation) A legend tells that in a vision he saw himself clothed in a habit which he and his companions would wear. His bishop clothed him in the black habit of a hermit. He wrote the Rule for the community during a 40 day retreat at the end of 1720. The community were to live a penitential life, in solitude and poverty, teaching people in the easiest possible was how to meditate on the Passion of Christ. Paul’s first companion was his brother John Baptist. They helped Cardinal Corrandini establish a new hospital. They devoted their energies to providing nursing care and administered pastoral care to both a patients and staff. X! In 1727 they were both ordained.by Pope Benedict X111. They devoted themselves to preaching missions in parishes. Paul was a popular preacher. He also had the gifts of healing and prophecy. In 1737 the first Retreat ( the name Passionists gave to their monasteries) was opened. Paul wrote more than 2,000 letters, most of them letters of spiritual direction, have been preserved, There was a steady growth. By the time he died in 1775, some 38 years later, the congregation had 180 fathers and brothers, living in 12 Retreats mostly in the Papal States. There was also a monastery of contemplative nuns. In 2020 there were 1,890 members - including 1,423 priests. The Passionists official name is the Congregation of the Passion of Jesus Christ. Sources Wikipedia Encyclopedia of Saints by Howard Loxton