MEMORIAL OF SAINT LANDRY (SAINT LANDERICUS), BISHOP OF PARIS; SAINT OLIVIA OF PALERMO, VIRGIN AND MARTYR AND BLESSED BOGUMILUS OF GNIEZNO, BISHOP ~ FEAST DAY: JUNE 10TH Today, we celebrate the Memorial of Saint Landry (Saint Landericus), Bishop of Paris; Saint Olivia of Palermo, Virgin and Martyr and Bl. Bogumilus of Gniezno, Bishop. Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary and the Saints on this feast day, we humbly pray for all mothers, wives, those going through challenges in their marriages, Victims of verbal and spousal abuse, we pray for peace, love and unity in our families and our world. We also pray for the sick and dying, especially those suffering from cancers and other terminal diseases, for the souls of the faithful departed, may God grant them eternal rest. We pray for the poor and the needy and we continue to pray for the Church, the Clergy, for persecuted christians, for the conversion of sinners, and Christians all over the world. Amen🙏🏽
SAINT LANDRY (SAINT LANDERICUS), BISHOP OF PARIS: St. Landry was the twenty seventh bishop of Paris, France. He became bishop of Paris in 650 A.D., in the Frankish kingdom (formally Gaul) during the reign of Clovis II and served as bishop until his death. Saint Landry was a sincere and dedicated servant of God who had great love for the poor and the lowly. He’s known mainly for his work with the sick and the poor. From the time he was consecrated Bishop of Paris in 650 A.D., he devoted himself to their care – founding the city’s first hospital, dedicated to St Christopher, next to Notre Dame Cathedral which later became the Hôtel-Dieu de Paris. He was a very earnest and devout man, distinguished especially by his generosity and great love of the poor and by his charity during the famine of 651 A.D. To relieve the suffering of the poor, St. Landry sold not only his personal possessions but also some of the vessels and furniture of the church. St. Landry became increasingly aware that the sick poor of his diocese were not really cared for. The custom then was to house the sick in little hotels dependent on the inconsistent care from charitable persons. St. Landry had the idea to gather the sick under one roof in order to improve their treatment and reduce the risks of contagion, at a time when epidemics were fairly frequent. This led him to found the city’s first real hospital in 651 dedicated to St. Christopher. It was erected near Notre-Dame on the site of the dwelling place of Erchinoaldus, mayor of the palace In time. After the saint died the name was changed to the now-famous Hotel-Dieu (Hostel of God). This is the oldest hospital in the world still in operation.
Before becoming bishop, St. Landry had acted as referendary at the Merovingian court. It was he who instructed a monk named Marcolfus to write the Formulae, a collection of formulas used for a variety of legal issues. St. Landry was also responsible for the Benedictines’ setup of the Abbey of Saint-Denis. Always on the alert to provide spiritual help for his people, this saintly Bishop welcomed the Benedictines into his diocese and encouraged them to set up the Abbey of Saint Denis. In 653 AD, he signed, along with 24 other bishops, the famous foundation charter granted by King Clovis to the Abbey (Privilege of Clovis III), exempting it from episcopal jurisdiction. Clovis was the husband of Saint Bathilde, who in those years fostered the founding of numerous monasteries. St. Landry is also credited with having built the Parisian church of Saint-Germain l’Auxerrois, which later became the main parish of the royalty of France. St Landry died in 661 and was buried in the church of Saint-Germain-des-Pres, then called St Vincent’s, where there is a chapel dedicated to him. His relics, except two bones given to the parish of Saint Landry in 1408, are kept in a silver shrine. He is honored with an office in the new Paris Breviary. Numerous miracles—both during his life and following his death at his tomb—have been reported. During the French Revolution, as happened with the bodies of several other saints, the revolutionary fury caused the dispersion of most of his relics.
PRAYER: God, You made St. Landericus (St. Landry) an outstanding exemplar of Divine love and the Faith that conquers the world, and added him to the roll of saintly pastors. Grand by his intercession that we may persevere in Faith and love, and become shares of his glory. Amen. Saint Landry, Bishop of Paris ~ Pray for us🙏🏽
SAINT OLIVIA OF PALERMO, VIRGIN AND MARTYR: St. Olivia or (Olive, for the olive branch, a symbol of peace, fruitfulness, dignity, and beauty) (448 – 463 A.D.) was the beautiful daughter of a noble family living near Palermo on the island of Sicily. She desired to serve God through her life as a consecrated virgin, and gave her wealth to the poor. At age 13 she was known for her beauty but announced that she wanted to give her life to God and her wealth to the poor and live a consecrated life. But then, the east German Vandal tribe started to expand into the Mediterranean. Vandal King Genseric took Palermo, and many Christians were martyred. St. Olivia was kidnapped and taken to the city of Tunis in Northern Africa. She faced down her captors, strengthened the faith of her fellow Christian prisoners and performed miracles that converted pagan prisoners to the Christian faith. Enraged, but careful about the popular maiden, the city’s governor had her expelled from the city to be a hermitess, where he hoped she would starve or be killed by wild beasts. She was found alive by hunters who at first tried to take advantage of her. She not only stopped them but converted their hearts.
They brought her back to civilization, where she continued to convert pagans. When she was found to have cured and converted many Muslims, the governor tried again. He threw her in prison to try to force her to apostatize. She was tortured in prison. He had her scourged, stripped, and submerged in a cauldron of boiling oil. Her body and her faith remained unscathed. He sentenced her to be burned alive, but that didn’t work, either. After converting her executioner she was burned and finally beheaded. It’s said her soul was seen flying to heaven as the form of a dove. St. Olivia is held in esteem by Christians and Muslims today. In Tunisia there was an ancient Christian basilica dedicated in her honor and built on the site of her tomb; today a mosque rests on the site, yet it retains her name and the memory of her relics. St. Olivia is a virgin martyr venerated especially in Sicily and Tunisia. She’s Patron Saint of Music, Trivigliano, Italy. Her feast day is June 10th.
PRAYER: O Heavenly Patron, in whose name I glory, pray ever to God for me; strengthen me in my faith; establish me in virtue; guard me in the conflict; that I may vanquish the foe malign and attain to glory everlasting. Amen. Saint Olivia, Virgin and Martyr ~ Pray for us🙏🏽
BLESSED BOGUMILUS OF GNIEZNO, BISHOP: Bl. Bogumilus of Gniezno of Poland was Archbishop of Gniezno, Poland for 5 years, until he resigned his see and retired as a Camaldolese hermit. Pope St. Paul VI declared him the patron of the Archdiocese of Gniezno. Bl. Bogumilus was born to the Polish nobility, and the twin brother of Boguphalus. He studied in Paris, France and was ordained a priest. He served at Holy Trinity parish in Dobrow, Poland, a church that he built himself. He had a great dedication to the Blessed Virgin Mary, and loved solitude. His uncle, the Archbishop of Gniezno, made him the chancellor of Gniezno. Bl. Bogumilus later succeededed his uncle as Archbishop of Gniezno in 1167. During his time as archbishop he founded a Cistercian abbey at Koronowo. Through the five years of his episcopacy, he was opposed by his own clergy for his insistence on strict adherance to the clerical discipline and simple lifestyle. He resigned his see in 1172 and became a Camaldolese hermit at Uniedow, Poland for the last decade of his life. He died in 1204. His cult began immediately after his death, especially in eastern Poland, however the formal process of beatification didn’t begin until 1625 and stalled until 1908. Finally, Pope Pius XI beatified Bl. Bogumilus on May 27, 1925. Pope St. Paul VI declared him the patron of the Archdiocese of Gniezno, Poland.
Blessed Bogumilus of Gniezno, Bishop ~ Pray for us🙏🏽