ST. JOHN CHRYSOSTOM.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXIX, Issue 4, 24 January 1901, Page 7

ST. JOHN CHRYSOSTOM.

St. John Chrysostom (347-407), the incomparable John of Constantinople, from his sanctity and eloquence called 'Chrysostom' or' Goldenmouthed,' was born at Antioch. After spending six years in monastic solitude, where he devoted himself to prayer and the study of the Sacred Scriptures, he was baptised in 3fi9. In 386 he became a priest, and in 397 he was advanced to the See of Constantinople. In hia new post John displayed a wonderful zeal and energy. Greatly loved as he was by the people, his bold denunciation of vice made him numerous enemies, especially at court, who in 403 procured his banishment. Although almost instantly recalled, he was, at the instigation of the licentious Empress Eudoxia, again exiled the following year to Cucusus in Armenia. Three years after a new decree banished John to Pityus, in Colchis, the farthest limits of the empire, but before reaching that place he died at Comana in Pontus. ST. FUANCIS 01' SALES. _ St. Francis of Sales (I:><; 7-11522), Bishop of Geneva and French writer, was born in the Castle of Sales, near Annecy, France. Doctor in theology and law, lawyer at Chambery, he left the world in 1 r>9s to enter sacred orders. Hia life was a model of virtue. In 1610, with the help of St. Frances of Chantal. he founded the Order of the Visitation. His wonderful work, Introduction to thr Di rout Life, passed through forty editions whilst the saint was still alive Pope Pius IX., in 1877, declared St. Francis of Sales a ' Doctor of the Church.' hT. PETER NOLAbCO. St. Peter Nolasco was the founder of the Order of Mercy for the redeeming of captives from slavery. The foundation of the Order was laid in 1218. It was instituted with the co-operation of the King of Aragon and of St. Rymond of Pennafort, and was approved by Gregory IX., in 1230. These religious, who adhered to the Rule of St. Augustine, are often called • Mathurins,' from their houee at Paris which was situated near the chapel of St. Maturin. Between the yearn 1192 and 1691 this Order alone rescued nearly 17,000 Christian captives. tvr. J'.iucid. St. Brigid, one of the three patron saints of Ireland, was born about 4 55, of illustrious parents, at Faugher, near Dnndalk. She received a good education, and to singular modesty and simplicity of manners united great charity. When her parents urged her to accept a suitor it ii said that, in answer to prayer, one of her eyes became frightfully deformed, and she was quietly permitted to take the veil—her eye recovering when the ceremony was over. She was then sixteen years of age. Collecting a number of young girls like herself, she established a religious retreat in the county of Meath. Her reputation for sanctity increased daily and crowds of young women and widows applied for admission to her institution. To establish similar monasteries she visited Limerick, Roscommon, and other parts of Ireland. Between ISO and t9O she removed to Kildare, which will ever be associated with her name. Her charity was only equalled by her humility ; occasionally she used herself to tend the cattle belonging to the nunnery, while to poor people she was known to give away the rich vestments of the institution. To meet the religious requirements of the place. Conlaeth, a recluse was elevated to the bishopric. She died at Kildare about 525. aged about 70, and was buried in the cathedral. By some it is stated that her body was eventually removed to Down, and interred with the remains of SS. Patrick and Columcille. Lanigan says : 'It would be superfluous to enlarge on the extraordinary veneration with which her memory has been revered, not only in Ireland and Great Britain but in every part of the Western Church ; or to undertake a formal refutation of the impudent assertion of that pseudo-antiquary, Dr Ledwich, that St. Brigid was an imaginary Baint.' Her festival is the lßt of February. ' The bright lamp that shone in Kildare's holy fane ' was a perpetual fire kept up in her cloisters probably for the benefit and relief of the poor. The custom was, in 1220, for a time suppressed by the Archbishop of Dublin, lest there might be supposed to be any connection between it and pagan practices. It was however, soon relighted, and sustained until the supprebsion of the monasteries by Henry VIII.