βͺ Saint of the Day : January 31
ST. MARCELLA, whom St. Jerome called the glory of the Roman women, became a widow in the seventh month after her marriage. Having determined to consecrate the remainder of her days to the service of God, she rejected the hand of Cerealis, the consul, uncle of Gallus Caesar, and resolved to imitate the lives of the ascetics of the East. She abstained from wine and flesh-meat, employed all her time in pious reading, prayer, and visiting the churches, and never spoke with any man alone. Her example was followed by many who put themselves under her direction, and Rome was in a short time filled with monasteries. When the Goths under Alaric plundered Rome in 410, our Saint suffered severely at the hands of the barbarian, who cruelly scourged her in order to make her reveal the treasures which she had long before distributed in charity. She trembled only, however, for the innocence of her dear spiritual daughter, Principia, and falling at the feet of the cruel soldiers, she begged with many tears that they would offer no insult to that pure virgin. God moved them to compassion, and they conducted our Saint and her pupil to the Church of St. Paul, to which Alaric had granted the right of sanctuary, with that of St. Peter. St. Marcella, who survived this but a short time, closed her eyes by a happy death, in the arms of St. Principia, about the end of August, 410.
Source : Lives of the Saints, by Alban Butler, Benziger Bros. ed. [1894]
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SAINT OF THE DAY
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- βͺ Saint Francis Xavier
- Saint Nicetius of Lyon: A Holy Bishop Who Trusted God
- βͺ Blessed Zofia Czeska-Maciejowska: Mother of Mercy and Education
- βͺ Saint Lodovico Pavoni: Apostle of Youth and Work
- βͺ Blessed Giuseppe Girotti: A Martyr of Charity and Truth
- βͺ Blessed Karl of Austria
- βͺ Saint Mary of Egypt: From Sinner to Desert Saint
- βͺ Saint Hugh of ChΓ’teauneuf: A Holy Shepherd of Faith
- βͺ Saint of the Day : January
- βͺ Saint of the Day : June
- βͺ Saint Simon Marie Antoine Just Ranfer De Bretenieres - Priest
- βͺ Saint Sylvester of Assisi
- βͺ Saint Conon the Gardener
- βͺ Saint John of the Cross
- βͺ Saint Peter of Pappacarbone - Bishop of Policastro
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- βͺ Saint Luke Casali - Monk & Priest
- βͺ Saint Angela of the Cross Guerrero y GonzΓ‘lez - Virgin and Foundress
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- βͺ Blessed Sebastian ValfrΓ¨ - Priest
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- βͺ Saint Hyacintha of Mariscotti - Religious
- βͺ Saint David GalvΓ‘n-BeremΓΊdez - Priest and Martyr
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- βͺ Saint Cyril of Alexandria
- βͺ Saint John Chrysostom
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- βͺ Saint Paula of Rome - Patroness of the Order of Saint Jerome
- βͺ Blessed JosΓ© Gabriel del Rosario Brochero - Priest
- βͺ Blessed Francesco Zirano - Franciscan Priest, Martyr
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- βͺ Blessed Teresa Grillo Michel
- βͺ Saint Dwynwen
- βͺ Blessed Anthony of Amandola
- βͺ The Conversion of Saint Paul
- βͺ Blessed Henry Suso
- βͺ Martyrs of Podlasie or Martyrs of Pratulin
- βͺ Saint Artemas of Pozzuoli - Teenage Martyr
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