Daily Martyrology for December 17

In 779, St. Sturm, the first German known to have become a Benedictine monk. He was entrusted to St. Boniface (June 5), who had him educated at the monastery of Fritzlar. He was ordained and then became a hermit. At Boniface’s suggestion, he built a monastery at Fulda, where Boniface made him abbot in 744. Sturm went to study Benedictine life at Monte Cassino for several years, and returned to serve as abbot for 30 years.

In 1213, in Rome, St. John of Matha. He was born in Provence, lived as a hermit, studied theology in Paris, and was ordained. While celebrating his first Mass, he received the inspiration to devote his life to ransoming Christian slaves from the Muslims. For this purpose he founded the Order of the Most Holy Trinity.

In 1901, in Barcelona, St. Joseph Manyanet y Vivès. He established several orders dedicated to the education of young people, and published books on Christian family life. He helped inspire the architect Antonio Gaudi to design the church of the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona.

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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.