St. Monessa of Ireland, Virgin
Died 456. According to tradition, Saint Monessa was the daughter of an Irish chieftain who was baptized by Saint Patrick. Immediately after rising from the water, she died in a state of grace. Nothing else is known about her
Saint ULTAN, évêque d'Ardbraccan en Irlande (VIIème siècle).
Saint RHUDDLAD, patron de Llanrhyddlad au pays de Galles (VIIème siècle ?).
St. Cuthbert of Lindisfarne
St. Cuthbert is the miracle-working Saint of the Orthodox English par excellence. He was a Briton who shepherded flocks until a vision of the soul of St. Aidan (Apostle of Northern England) passing through the air to heaven convinced him to join the monastic community of Melrose in Scotland, then under the expert direction of St. Boisil (Basil). Named prior or hegumen of Lindisfarne in the stormy period after the decision rendered at the Council of Whitby in 664, he evangelised the people, drawing huge crowds. However, his heart yearned for solitude and he got a blessing to live as a hermit, first near Lindisfarne, later in the Farne islands near Bamborough. In 685, against his will, he was elected Bishop of Hexham, but swapped sees with St. Eata to become himself the Bishop of Lindisfarne, in succession to holy Aidan. He finished his days working mighty wonders of healing among the people, full of the gift of prophecy. He reposed near Lindisfarne on March 20, 687. Today his holy Relics rest at Durham. St. Cuthbert is the patron of our Western Rite Orthodox mission in England at Wolverhampton, and this writer is a witness to the graceful presence of his holy relics at Durham cathedral, where the state church keeps his shrine only in the form of a simple stone slab.
The Preface from the Ancient Mass of St. Cuthbert:-
It is truly meet and just, right and availing to our salvation, that we
should always and in all places give thanks to Thee, O Holy Lord, Father
almighty, everlasting God, upon this day of the departure to Christ of
the most holy priest Cuthbert, who first of all became an example to
saints in his daily life, a life of most temperate and most chaste
conduct, and afterwards followed the contemplative life in the
wilderness for many years, nourished only by the love of the God of
deathless life, and then was chosen to the rank of the episcopate, being
invited not by his own will but by God's providence, and the counsel of
the churches. For he had ever fought manfully and mightily against flesh
and blood, and the rulers of this ærial realm, seizing victory with the
helmet of hope for salvation, and the breastplate of righteousness, and
with the shield of faith, and the sword of the Word of God, and being
protected on the right hand and on the left, the soldier of God overcame
the battle-formations of the enemies, and the Lord wrought many miracles
by him, and he foretold his death many days before. For he commended the
governance of the people to the King and the Bishop, and he set out for
the holy desert, and he gave up his spirit to God the Father almighty
accompanied by a heavenly, holy multitude from the Gospel. Thee,
therefore, O Lord, we entreat, that by the intercession of holy Bishop
Cuthbert, we may be counted worthy to reach the harbour of joy, and the
heavenly realms of Him before Whom there stand innumerable choirs of
Angels and Archangels, and they say: Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of
Sabaoth, etc.
(from the complete Old Sarum Rite Missal, publ. St. Hilarion Press,
tr.Fr. Aidan Keller)
Apolytikion in the Third Tone
While still in thy youth thou didst lay aside all worldly care and didst take up the sweet yoke of Christ, O godly-minded Cuthbert, and thou wast shown forth in truth to be nobly radiant in the grace of the Holy Spirit. Wherefore, God established thee as a rule of faith and shepherd of His rational flock, O converser with Angels and intercessor for men.
Kontakion in the First Tone
Having surpassed thy brethren in prayers, fasting, and vigils, thou wast found worthy to entertain a pilgrim-angel; and having shone forth with humility as a bright lamp set on high, thou didst receive the gift of wonderworking. And now as thou dwellest in the heavenly Kingdom, O our righteous Father Cuthbert, intercede with Christ God that our souls be saved
Memoria della Traslazione delle Reliquie di San Birino (Vescovo di Dorchester - on - Thames e Illuminatore del Wessex)
St. Rhuddlad, Virgin of Anglesey, Wales
St. Cuimmen, Son of Cuanna, or Cuanach, probably Abbot of Druim-Snechta, now Drumsnat, County of Monaghan.
St. Sarbile, Virgin of Fochart, County of Louth.
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