1 November
THE Festival of All Saints, which pope Boniface IV., after the dedication of the Pantheon, ordained to be kept generally and solemnly every year, in the city of Rome, in honor of the blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, and of the holy martyrs. It was afterwards decreed by Gregory IV. that this feast, which was then celebrated in many dioceses, but at different times, should be on this day perpetually and solemnly kept by the whole Church in honor of all the Saints.—At Terracina, in Campania, the birthday of St. Caesarius, deacon, who was for many days detained in prison, afterwards put into a sack with St. Julian, priest, and then precipitated into the sea.—At Dijon, St. Benignus, a priest, who was sent to France by blessed Polycarp to preach the Gospel. After he had been subjected to many most grievous torments, by the judge Terentius, under the emperor Marcus Aurelius, he was finally condemned to have his neck struck with an iron bar and his body pierced with a lance.—The same day, St. Mary, handmaid. Accused of professing the Christian religion, in the time of the emperor Adrian, she was subjected to cruel scourging, to torture on the rack, and the lacerating of her body with iron hooks, and thus completed her martyrdom.—At Damascus, the martyrdom of the Saints Caesarius, Dacius and five others.—In Persia, under king Sapor, the holy martyrs John, bishop, and James, priest.—At Tarsus, the Saints Cyrenia and Juliana, under the emperor Maximian.—At Clermont, in Auvergne, St. Austremonius, first bishop of that city.—At Paris, the decease of St. Marcellus, bishop.—At Bayeux, St. Vigor, bishop, in the time of Childebert, king of the Franks.—At Tivoli, St. Severin, monk.—In Gatinais, St. Maturin, confessor.
And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors and holy virgins.
Thanks be to God.