Daily Martyrology for October 20

In Constantinople, in 766, St. Andrew of Crete, monk and martyr. He went to Constantinople to defend the veneration of images and was executed by Emperor Constantine V.

In 1889, in France, Blessed Mary Teresa de Soubiran. She was raised in a wealthy and devout family, and became a Beguine. In 1864 she founded the Society of Mary the Helper, inspired by the spirit of St. Ignatius of Loyola. The sisters devoted themselves to caring for young working women and orphans, and teaching poor children. In 1874, the assistant mother general convinced the congregation to expand very rapidly, and they fell into desperate financial straits. Mary Teresa was wrongly blamed for this and was expelled from the congregation. Mary Teresa eventually died as a member of another order. Later, the congregation righted itself and flourished.

In 1922, at Treviso, in Italy, Saint Bertilla Boscardin. She joined the Sisters of St. Dorothy and was sent to their hospital in Treviso. She seemd inept, so she was assigned to the kitchen. However, when a shortage of help forced her superiors to assign her to the children’s ward, she suddenly blossomed. She died of cancer at the age of thirty-four.

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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.