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Ss. Flora and Mary of Cordoba were Christians who lived in the 800s. Flora was born into a Muslim family, but she converted to Christianity. The young woman took a vow of chastity. When Flora’s parents arranged for her to get married, Flora ran away with her Christian friend Mary. They were betrayed by Flora’s brother, and they were tortured and martyred in the 850s. Ss. Flora and Mary are patron saints of martyrs.

St. Cecilia lived in late first and early second century. She promised God her virginity, but her parents arranged for her to marry Valerian. Cecilia told Valerian that she was with an angel, but he had to be purified so that he could see the angel. Valerian was purified and baptized, and he saw Cecilia praying with an angel by her side. Valerian asked that his brother be baptized. The two brothers were martyred for burying martyred Christians. When Cecilia buried her husband and brother-in-law, she was arrested. After refusing to make a sacrifice to idols, she was martyred circa 117. The saint’s body was found incorrupt after her tomb was opened in 1599. St. Cecilia is patron saint of musicians because it is said she sang a song in her heart about her love for Jesus.

St. Felix of Valois was born in Valois, France, in 1127. While he was young, he was blessed by St. Bernard of Clairvaux and Pope Innocent II. He became a Cistercian monk at Clairvaux and lived as a hermit in the Italian Alps. Along with St. John of Matha, the priest founded the Order of the Holy Trinity for the Redemption of Captives. The order was formed to free Christians who were being held for ransom. St. Felix died in November 1212.

St. Elizabeth of Hungary was born in Presburg, Hungary, in 1207. A princess and daughter of Hungary’s King Andrew, Elizabeth married when she was 13 years old. She built a hospital and cared for the sick, despite her family’s opposition. One story goes that as she was bringing food to the hungry, her husband stopped her. He looked to see what she was carrying, but the food had turned into roses. She gave bread to the poor and grain to Germany during a famine. She died in 1231. St. Elizabeth of Hungary is patron saint of bakers, homeless people, hospitals and nursing homes.

St. Albertus Magnus was born in Swabia (now Germany) in 1206. This Dominican priest taught theology; St. Thomas Aquinas was one of his students. He became bishop of Regensberg (in present-day Germany) and brought Greek and Arabic philosophy and science to Europe. He was interested in the natural sciences and wrote guides. The theological writer is a doctor of the church. He died in 1280. St. Albertus Magnus is patron saint of philosophers, scientists, students and World Youth Day.

St. Serapion lived circa 252. He was martyred in Alexandria, Egypt, when anti-Christian riots broke out in the city. A mob threw him from his roof, and he died.

St. Nicholas I was born circa 825 in Rome. He became pope in 858. The pope tried to make the Holy See stronger, and he also found solutions for religious disputes. For example, he affirmed a bishop’s right to appeal against his archbishop to Rome. St. Nicholas I died in 867.

St. Martin of Tours was born circa 316 in present-day Hungary. He became a Christian when he was a teenager and served in the Roman army. In France, he gave his officer’s cloak to a beggar. He then had a vision that Christ was wearing his cloak. Later on, he spent 10 years living as a hermit; during this time, he attracted other monks and formed a Benedictine abbey. Martin became bishop of Tours in 372. He died Nov. 8, 397, in France. He was the first non-martyr to get the cultus of a saint. St. Martin of Tours is patron saint of soldiers and beggars.

St. Leo the Great was born to a noble family in Tuscany, Italy, circa 400. This priest led the church as pope from 440-461, during Attila the Hun’s invasion. When Attila was invading Rome, Leo greeted him and asked for leave. As Leo was speaking, Attila had a vision of a man carrying a sword; the man said he would kill him if he did not listen to Pope Leo. Some believe that the man in the vision was St. Peter because St. Leo had a devotion to him. St. Leo called the Council of Chalcedon to condemn heresies. This saint wrote sermons to encourage Christians, and some of these sermons are still intact. He died in Rome in 461 and was proclaimed a doctor of the church in 1574.

Today is the dedication of St. John Lateran Basilica in Rome.

Today is the feast of the four crowned martyrs, St. Castorus, St. Claudius, St. Nicostratus and St. Simpronian. Living in the third century, they were masons. After they refused to carve an idol for Diocletian, they were martyred. The four crowned martyrs are patron saints of masons and sculptors.