17 August
THE Octave of St. Lawrence, martyr.—At Cracow, in Poland, St. Hyacinth, confessor, of the Order of Preachers, who slept in the Lord on the 16th of this month.—At Carthage, in Africa, the holy martyrs Liberatus, abbot, Boniface, deacon, Servus and Rusticus, subdeacons, Rogatus and Septimus, monks, and Maximus, a young child. In the persecution of the Vandals, under king Hunneric, they were subjected to various unheard-of torments for the confession of the Catholic faith and the defense of one baptism. Finally, being nailed to the wood wherewith they were to be burned, as the fire was always put out miraculously whenever kindled, they were struck with iron bars by order of the tyrant until their brains were dashed out. Thus they terminated the glorious series of their combats, and were crowned by our Lord.—At Caesarea, in Cappadocia, the birthday of St. Mamas, martyr, who, from childhood to old age, endured a long martyrdom, and at length ended it happily in the reign of Aurelian, under the governor Alexander. He has been highly praised by the holy fathers Basil and Gregory Nazianzen.—In Achaia, St. Myron, priest and martyr, who was beheaded at Cyzicum, after undergoing many torments, in the time of the emperor Decius and the governor Antipater.—At Nicomedia, the holy martyrs Straton, Philip and Eutychian, who were condemned to the beasts, but being uninjured by them, ended their martyrdom by fire.—At Teramo, St. Anastasius, bishop and confessor.—At Ptolemais, in Palestine, the holy martyrs Paul, and his sister Juliana, who suffered under Valerian.
And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors and holy virgins.
Thanks be to God.