Daily Martyrology for September 25

In 1487, at Sachseln in Switzerland, St. Nicholas von Flue, hermit. His father was a prosperous farmer; his mother, a very pious woman, perhaps of Italian parentage, who came from Wolfenschiessen. She initiated her sons into the spirituality of the Friends of God, which derived from the Rhineland mystics. Nicholas married and had ten children. He was a farmer and a military man; after his military service, he became an important official in the canton of Unterwalden. In 1467, with the consent of his spiritual advisor and his wife, he became a hermit, eventually settling in Ranft, where for many years he lived fed only by the Eucharist.. He was venerated as an advisor and helped feuding Swiss cantons avoid a civil war. The cause for the beatification of his wife, Dorothy, is underway.

At Langres, St Ceolfrith, abbot. He was a monk under St. Wilfrid (October 12) at Ripon, before joining St. Benet Biscop (January 12) at Wearmouth. He became head of the new community at Jarrow, and during a plague only he and a boy, probably St. Bede, survived (May 25). He succeeded Benet Biscop as abbot. Bede describes him as “a man of acute mind, conscientious in everything he did, energetic, of mature judgment, fervent and zealous for his faith.” Coelfrith arranged the preparation of three beautiful complete codices of the Latin Bible, one of which he meant to take to Pope Gregory II; however, he died on the way to Rome. The bible, now known as the Codex Amiatinus, is in the Laurentian Library in Florence.

In 1054, at Reichenau, Blessed Herman “Contractus”. He was crippled and mentally very bright. He wrote works on many subjects, especially liturgical music.

In 1392, St. Sergius of Radonezh, abbot. He became a hermit, and a monastery dedicated to the Holy Trinity grew up around him. He was a respected mediator as well as a man of prayer. Many of his disciples were important ecclesiastics. He is the most popular Russian saint.

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Our daily martyrology was written by Fr. Hugh Feiss, OSB. Copyright © 2008 by the Monastery of the Ascension, Jerome, ID 83338.