28 June
THE vigil of the holy apostles Peter and Paul.—At Rome, pope St. Leo II.—At Lyons, in France, St. Irenaeus, bishop and martyr, who, as is related by St. Jerome, was the disciple of blessed Polycarp, bishop of Smyrna, and lived near the time of the Apostles. After having strenuously opposed the heretics by speech and writing, he was crowned with a glorious martyrdom, with almost all the people of his city, during the persecution of Severus.—At Alexandria, in the same persecution of Severus, the holy martyrs Plutarch, Serenus, Heraclides, catechumen, Heron, neophyte, another Serenus, Rhais, catechumen, Potamioena and Marcella, her mother. Among them, the virgin Potamioena is particularly distinguished. She first endured many most painful trials for the preservation of her virginity, and then cruel and unheard-of torments for the faith, after which she and her mother were consumed with fire. —The same day, during the persecution of Diocletian, St. Papius, martyr, who was scourged with knotted cords, cast into a caldron of seething oil and grease, and after other horrible torments, was decapitated, and thus won an eternal crown.—At Maestricht, St. Benignus, bishop and martyr.—At Cordova, St. Argymirus, monk and martyr, who was slain for the faith of Christ during the persecution of the Arabs.—At Rome, St. Paul, pope and confessor.
And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors and holy virgins.
Thanks be to God.