The Irish Martyrs primarily refer to a group of 24 men and women who were beatified or canonized for their heroic virtue and martyrdom during a time of severe religious persecution in Ireland. This persecution began under King Henry VIII in the 16th century and continued through the reigns of Queen Elizabeth I, James I, and Charles I, as well as during the Cromwellian period and beyond. The...
Saint Eanswith, also known as Eanswida, Eanswide, Eanswitha, Eanswyth, and Eanswythe, was born into the nobility as the grand-daughter of King Ethelbert of Kent. She was born in the coastal region near Folkestone, England, during the 7th century. Eanswith is renowned for her role in establishing the first convent in England. Raised in a devout Christian family, Eanswith dedicated her life to...
Saint Theodora The Penitent, also known as simply Saint Theodora, was a Christian woman who led a life of sin for many years before experiencing a profound conversion. She then dedicated the remainder of her life to penance and solitude as a hermit in the deserts of Thebaid, Egypt. Saint Theodora's true identity as a woman remained unknown until her death, when it was revealed while...
Born about 495; died 589. Though not so celebrated as his namesake of Clonard, he was the founder of a famous school about the year 540. He studied under St. Colman of Dromore and St. Mochae of Noendrum (Mahee Island), and subsequently at Candida Casa (Whithern), whence he proceeded to Rome, returning to Ireland in 540 with an integral copy of St....
Saint Omer, also known as Audomaro or Audomarus, was born in 595 near Constance, France. After the death of his parents, he entered the Benedictine monastery at Luxeuil, France in 617 under the guidance of Saint Eustace. In 637, Omer was appointed as the Bishop of Therouanne, where he dedicated himself to the spiritual and material welfare of his diocese. He initiated significant reforms in...