Saints by the Calendar Trivia

1. March 2nd is the name day of Saint Agnes of Bohemia. She founded a hospital in her home country in 1234. To which religious order did she belong?

From Quiz Calendar Saints - The Month of March

Answer: Poor Clares

Agnes of Bohemia was born in 1211 as daughter of King Ottokar I. For political motives, she was betrothed to various potential grooms. But the first of her fiancés died before the marriage ceremony could be planned, and the second one chose to marry someone else. Finally Agnes was betrothed to Emperor Frederick II of Germany, but she decided to stay a virgin and dedicate her life to serving God. She had erected a Franciscan hospital and a Franciscan abbey, and took up correspondence with Saint Clare of Assisi. Then she built the Saint Saviour convent in Prague, and entered this convent together with five disciples chosen by Saint Clare herself. Agnes stayed in this Poor Clares convent for the rest of her life, almost fifty years. She became abbess of this convent, but still preferred to undertake humble domestic tasks (such as cooking for the lepers). The Missionaries of Charity were founded by Mother Teresa in 1950. The Daughters of Charity were founded in 1633 by Saint Vincent de Paul and Saint Louise de Marillac. The Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament were founded in 1891 by Saint Katharine Drexel.

From Quiz Calendar Saints - The Month of February

Answer: Cornelius Centurion

The story of Cornelius the Centurion is told in Acts 10:1 - 11:18. Saint Peter had a vision in which God explained that whatever He sent, was clean - even if the Mosaic law told otherwise. So when the Roman centurion Cornelius came to Peter and asked to be baptised, Peter acted accordingly. This came as a shock to the early Christians at that time: everyone but Saint Paul was convinced that only Jews could be baptised. By the way, the Roman authorities thought that Christianity was just a sect of Judaism. Cornelius then left the army and became the first bishop in Caesarea (or, as some sources state, Scepsis in Mysia). The Roman Catholic church venerates Cornelius on February 2nd, while the Episcopal Church in the United States of America has chosen February 7nd. Petronius Fortunatus was a Roman centurion active in Brittania (nowadays England and Wales). He served in the army for fifty years. Scipio Africanus (full name: Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus, 236-183 BC) was a very famous Roman general. He earned his moniker when his army defeated the Carthaginians near Zama, Africa. Cato Uticensis (full name Marcus Porcius Cato Uticensis, 95-46 BC) was one of the political opponents of Caesar's. When Cato realised Caesar had taken sole control of the Roman Republic, Cato committed suicide.

From Quiz Calendar Saints - The Month of January

Answer: Paris, France

Saint Genevieve was born about 422 in Nanterre, near Paris. When she was fifteen, she entered a convent in Paris. When Attila the Hun came marching towards Paris in 451, Genevieve convinced the inhabitants of the city to join her in praying and fasting. The Huns miraculously were detoured. Later they suffered a sounding defeat near Chalons-sur-Marne (about 100 km from Paris). Saint Genevieve died in 522 and was buried in Paris, in a church that soon was named after her. In 1129 her relics were carried in a large public procession. This miraculously halted an epidemic growth of fungi on the cereals harvested near Paris. Saint Ambrose, former bishop of the city, is the patron saint of Milan. Lima is the place where Saint Francis Solano died. He is the patron saint of Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, Chile and Paraguay. Our Lady appeared at Knock in 1879. This Marian apparition led to several miraculous healings. The city of Knock is a famous pilgrimage since this vision.

From Quiz Calendar Saints - The Month of December

Answer: Metallurgy

Eligius was born near Limoges around 588. He worked as a humble blacksmith making horseshoes and nails. One of the first miracles he performed, according to legend, was shoeing a very frightened horse in a quite extraordinary way: Eligius cut off the horse's leg, shoed it and put it back on... He also studied the craft of goldsmithing and is said to have made a throne of solid gold, adorned with various precious gemstones, for the Frankish king Clotaire II. Finally he was appointed master of the Royal Mint and thus also became one of the principal advisors to the King. Eligius used his influence in the royal family to distribute alms, to set free several slaves and to found various abbeys. He was ordained a priest in 640 and rose rapidly to the rank of Bishop of Noyon. In this capacity, Eligius frequently visited Flanders and made many converts. He died in Noyon in 659 or 660, and was buried over there. Saint Eligius is especially popular in Flanders and in the North of France. He is patron saint of fifty-odd professions, mostly dealing with metallurgy. Embroiderers usually acclaim Clare of Assisi or Rosa of Lima for divinely inspired assistance. The patron saints of navigators are (amongst others) Erasmus and Our Lady Star of the Sea (Maria Maris Stella). Cooks and chefs can call upon Saint Lawrence. After all, he was roasted...

From Quiz Calendar Saints - The Month of October

Answer: Clovis

Remigius was born in Laon, some 60 km from Reims, in 437 AD. He went to study in Reims, and was noted for his eloquence. In 459 Remigius was elected Bishop of Reims, although he was not yet ordained a priest. The ceremony of the Holy Orders followed rapidly. In 496 Remigius baptised King Clovis (466-511). Clovis had by then united (by battle or by marriage) most of the ancient Roman province of Gaul and part of Germany. When Clovis died, the Frankish reign was divided among his four sons (as was customary in those days). Remigius has established several bishoprics in the northern regions of the Frankish Kingdom. One of the miracles ascribed to Remigius occurred when a dying pagan asked him to be baptised. Unfortunately, Remigius had no Oil of the Catechumens nor holy Chrism at hand. So Remigius placed two empty vessels on the altar and started praying. A bit later, one of the vessels was filled with fragrant oil, while the other contained the Holy Chrism. Legend has it that the Chrism was deposed by a dove flying by. This miracle explains why Remgius is frequently portrayed with a dove. Charlemagne (742-814), Louis the Pious (778-840) and Philip the Fair (1268-1314) were born long after Remigius died, so Remigius could not have baptised them. Therese of Lisieux (1873-1893) was a French Carmelite sister and shares her feast day with Saint Remigius.

From Quiz Calendar Saints - The Month of September

Answer: Saint Fiacre

Saint Fiacre has his name day on September 1st in Ireland, whilst other possible dates are August 1st, August 11th, August 18th or August 30th. As he is of Irish descent, I prefer September 1st as his name day. Very little is known about St. Fiacre, and many details of his life could be later embellishments instead of objective facts. However, this is the case with many of the Medieval saints, so let's put aside all our critics and read his short biography. Fiacre was an Irish hermit who fled for France - the reason is not mentioned. There, the Bishop of Brie gave him a tract of land as large as he could plough in one day time. So Fiacre came at sunrise, pulled out his staff and encircled a quite large area. Trees toppled miraculously, and a female witness accused him of witchcraft. But the Bishop interpreted this as one of the first miracles of one who was destined to become a Saint. Fiacre established a garden of astonishing beauty, and many pilgrims went over there to admire the landscape. Fiacre also cured several ailments of these pilgrims with the medicinal herbs he grew in his garden. All were welcome, except any females - maybe because one woman falsely had accused Fiacre of witchcraft. Saint Fiacre died probably in 670. In the middle of the seventeenth century, the first company to rent horse-drawn carriages was established in the Rue Saint Martin in Paris, very near to a hotel named "Saint Fiacre". Tourists soon named the carriages after Saint Fiacre, and this inspired the drivers to acclaim Saint Fiacre as their patron saint. The other options are not real saints, but figments of my imagination.

From Quiz Calendar Saints - The Month of August

Answer: Seller of purple

Lydia was from Thyatira and gained a considerable fortune by selling purple. At that time, purple was a dye that could only be made by exposing the secretion of some sea snails to sunlight. Each snail provided only one or two drops, and thus the dye was as expensive as silver (or nowadays saffron). By the way, most dyes in that era were quite expensive - purple was only the most expensive dye. When Lydia heard Saint Paul preach in Acts 16, she decided that her entire household should be christened at once. I haven't found any hagiography dedicated to Saint Lydia Purpuraria (as she is mentioned with name and epithet on the Calendar of Saints). So the only information I can give you, besides what is found in the Bible texts, is that Lydia has been named patron saint of dyers. The reason is obvious. Librarians and accountants have valuable professions, but they are not mentioned in the Bible. The profession of interpreter is mentioned only twice, in passages that are rather trivial: Genesis 42:23 ("They did not realize that Joseph could understand them, since he was using an interpreter.") and First Corinthians 14:28 ("If there is no interpreter, the speaker should keep quiet in the church and speak to himself and to God.").

From Quiz Calendar Saints - The Month of July

Answer: Leo II

Pope Leo II was born in Sicily, probably in 611. His pre-pontifical life is rather undocumented. During the Seventh Century, the Byzantine Empire ruled Rome. Several Roman and Byzantine Emperors exerted their influence on the papal election directly or indirectly. It was common practice that the Pope was chosen by the Roman inhabitants, but needed an explicit permission by the Byzantine Emperor. Also the Emperor levied a tax on the papal election. Previous Popes had entered negotiations with the Byzantine Emperor to decrease or even abolish the tax on papal election. By the time Pope Leo II was chosen as successor to Pope Agatho, the Emperor had finally promised to do something about this. Leo II finally obtained the Byzantine approval of his consecration and was installed as Pope on August 17, 682. He died of natural causes on June 28th, 683. Some sources state June 28 as his feast day, others mention July 3 (for no obvious reasons), while yet other sources mention Leo's feast was abandoned. The red herrings I introduced might be inspired by some animal or another, but have never been used as a papal name. Apicius (Latin for "the bee keeper") was the surname of a notorious Roman gourmet, and also the title of a Roman recipe book. Mansa Musa (with the word Musa related to Mus, mouse) was the name of two Emperors of Mali. And "Porky's Revenge" is the title of a movie which would certainly not get papal approbation.

From Quiz Calendar Saints - The Month of June

Answer: He was beheaded

Justin was born about 100 AD into a pagan family. At age 30, Justin desired to discover the truth about the universe. So, he tried out some Greek philosophies and finally converted to Christianity. He became a prolific author, and some of his works did survive the ages. About 165, a philosophical opponent denounced Justin as an individual who would not respect the Roman gods. At that time, the Roman authorities tolerated any religion on a base of reciprocity: one had freedom of religion, in as much as one respected all the other pantheons and especially the ancient Roman deities (Jupiter, Mars, Vesta, Minerva,...) But Jewish and Christian people did not approve of polytheism. Both venerated only one God, and would never make a sacrifice to idols such as Jupiter. This provoked from time to time the persecution of those monotheists. Justin was one of the victims of such a persecution. Records on the trial and execution of Justin and his companions are still extant. They relate that at least seven Christians, including Justin, were beheaded. Saint Lawrence (feast day August 10th) was roasted. Saint Peter (venerated June 29th) was crucified upside down. And Saint Bartholomew (celebrated August 24th) was flayed.

From Quiz Calendar Saints - The Month of May

Answer: Tongue

The Gospel of Matthew states that James (son of Alphaeus) was one of the last disciples called by Christ. James (son of Zebedee) was one of the first disciples. This explains the epithets James the Greater (son of Zebedee) and James the Lesser (son of Alphaeus). These epithets are feeble translations of the terms "senior (in office)" and "junior (in office)". James the Lesser is identified as the son of Alphaeus and probably Mary Cleophas. Whilst Matthew 13:55 names a certain James (probably James the Lesser) as a brother of Jesus Christ, this is not to be taken in the most literal sense. The term "brother" in the New Testament frequently refers to relatives in general, or even to the whole Christian community. James the Lesser was the leader of the Christian community in Jerusalem shortly after Jesus' death and resurrection. In 62 AD, James fell as a martyr. The Pharisees heartily disapproved of James' preaching, so they resorted to violence. They threw James off the Temple and started stoning him. A fuller then gave him the coup de grace with his club. The Epistle of James contains the famous verse about the tongue being held under control: "Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless." (James 1:26). Here are some quotes regarding the other body parts: "If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away." (Matthew 5:29); "Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path." (Psalms 119:105); "And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven." (Mark 14:62).

From Quiz December Saints

Answer: England

These days, the Anglican and Roman Catholic churches seem more similar than different, but in those days the differences were bound up in worldly power and matters of state. When Queen Mary ruled England and Wales, you risked your life if you were an Anglican; when her sister Elizabeth I succeeded her, you risked your life if you weren't. St. Edmund Campion (1540-1581) was a charismatic young man who was ordained as an Anglican deacon, then fled across the English Channel to rejoin the Catholic Church. As a newly minted Jesuit priest, he returned to England, where he ministered to secret Catholics and distributed clandestine pamphlets against Anglicanism. After a little over a year, he was caught and executed after torture. His Church commemorates him today as one of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales, complements of the Anglican Church's own set of founding martyrs.

From Quiz Celebrating the Saints

Answer: 14 February

There were several ancient Roman saints named Valentine, but the one generally thought to be acknowledged on 14th February is St Valentine of Rome, martyred in the year 268 under the reign of Claudius II (Claudius Gothicus).

From Quiz October Saints

Answer: The Little Flower

"The Little Flower of Jesus" was how St. Thérèse (1873-1897) liked to think of herself, as revealed in her autobiography, "The Story of a Soul." The appellation arises from a beautiful metaphor. She wrote in her memoir, "[T]he splendor of the rose and the whiteness of the lily do not take away the perfume of the little violet ... if all flowers wanted to be roses, nature would lose her springtime beauty, and the fields would no longer be decked out with little wildflowers. And so it is in the world of souls, Jesus' garden. He willed to create great souls comparable to lilies and roses, but He has created smaller ones and these must be content to be daisies or violets destined to give joy to God's glances when He looks down at His feet." St. Thérèse viewed herself as one of those violets, and her theology was founded on a childlike sense of wonder. Sadly, she died of tuberculosis when she was not much more than a child, at only 24.

From Quiz August Saints

Answer: He brought vast quantities of spices with which to anoint the body.

John 19:38-42 tells the story of Jesus's burial. After St. Joseph of Arimathea (another prominent man and secret disciple) had taken the body down, St. Nicodemus arrived with "a mixture of myrrh and aloes, weighing about a hundred pounds." (That's 45 kilograms!) Jesus was buried in a shroud of spices and linen. Earlier, St. Nicodemus had visited Jesus in secret, and their exchange (John 3:1-21) became one of the more famous passages in the New Testament. Told that a man must be "born again" to enter Heaven, St. Nicodemus was confused, and asked just what that meant; when he doubted again, and asked how such things could be, Jesus preached a sermon with a tremendous climax. "For God so loved the world," Jesus explained, "that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him may not perish but may have eternal life."

From Quiz July Saints

Answer: Doubting Thomas

"Doubting Thomas" is best known for his skepticism after Jesus's resurrection. Told by the other apostles that Christ had risen from the dead, he thought this a false hope: "Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe" (John 20:25). Eight days later, Jesus came to St. Thomas, showed him His wounds, and let him touch them. A true scientist, the apostle considered the evidence and reached his conclusion, "and said to him, 'My Lord and my God!' Jesus said to him, 'Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed'" (John 20:28-29). After Christ's ascension into Heaven, St. Thomas went out to spread the Gospel, just as the other apostles did. He is believed to have traveled the farthest of any of them, making it as far as Chennai (in India) before he was martyred with a spear or lance.

From Quiz Who's Who: The Saints of Advent

Answer: St. John of the Cross

St. John of the Cross, born in 1542, became a monk in 1563 and was sent to Salamanca to study theology at the university there, becoming a well-known expert in the Bible. After he became a priest in 1567 he was given a near impossible task when he was asked to reform the Carmelite order. This was the time of the Reformation, and suggesting reforms in the Church was a dangerous business. While spending some time in prison, St. John began to write poetry which described the soul's journey to Christ, and became an influential writer. Canonized in 1732, December 14 was chosen as St. John's feast day as that was the day he died and went to heaven.

From Quiz Calendar Saints - The Month of March

Answer: Saint Cecilia Church in Rome

There is very little information on Saint Lucius' life, and the scarce information we do have might be false. The fact is that Saint Lucius became the 22nd Pope in 253, at a time when the Roman Empire did not yet have religious freedom. Christians were persecuted from time to time, and Pope Lucius was briefly exiled from Rome. Pope Lucius was named in the Roman Martyrology, but according to historic research this is an error: he never was persecuted nor martyred. Some of the ideas promulgated during his pontificate were that clerics and deaconesses should not live under the same roof, and that unrelated people of different gender could not live together either. Furthermore, he insisted that repentant apostates should be readmitted into the Church, without having to undergo a second baptism. Pope Lucius I was buried in the catacombs of Callixtus. Later his relics were transferred to the Saint Cecilia Church. His remains were not left alone there: his head was sent to Roskilde (Denmark) around 1100, and ended up in Copenhagen in the National Museum. Jukkasjärvi Church is a wooden church constructed in 1607 in Swedish Lapland. There have been found some eighty-odd graves, but none contained the relics of any known saint. Oh, by the way: I've omitted the umlaut in the possible answers to avoid some very weird rendering in Flash Mode. Saint Basil's Cathedral is a complex of several churches: one church surrounded by eight other churches and enlarged with two annexes, one of which contains the tomb with the relics of Saint Basil. Canterbury Cathedral is notorious as the site where Saint Thomas Becket was assassinated. Saint Thomas' relics were buried over there.

From Quiz Calendar Saints - The Month of February

Answer: A platter with two breasts

Saint Agatha is one of the early Christian martyrs. The first extant biography of her life was written over six hundred years after her death, so don't take the following summary too literally. Agatha was born on Sicily into a wealthy family, probably around 231 AD. At an early age, she decided to dedicate her life to Jesus, and vowed to maintain her virginity. Quintian, one of the magistrates in Sicily, became infatuated with her when he first saw her face. So he tried to convince her to put aside her vow of virginity, and to marry him. When she refused, he had her accused of Christianity (more specifically: of showing no respect to the Roman deities) and sent her to a brothel. After a month, Quintian ordered that Agatha should be imprisoned and tortured until she would renounce her Christian beliefs and make a sacrifice to the Roman deities. One of the torturers decided to cut off Agatha's breasts. But when Agatha had a vision of Saint Peter, she was instantaneously healed. At last, Quintian had Agatha executed by rolling over live coals. Many Renaissance and Baroque painters were inspired by the method of torture that didn't kill Agatha. So she is frequently depicted either with someone tearing off her breasts, or with a platter on which her amputated breasts are exposed. Prudish painters sometimes replaced the two breasts with two loafs of bread or with two little bells. Saint Agatha is patron saint of Sicily, martyrs and rape victims. She also patronises bell founders and bakers. The platter with the two eyes (or eyeballs) refers to Saint Lucy, patron saint of blind people. John the Baptist was decapitated. Many painters have depicted his head on a silver platter. Saint Martin of Porres is sometimes depicted with a platter out of which a mouse and/or a bird eat, as well as a cat and a dog, probably because of his great love for animals. He founded a hospital for cats and dogs.

From Quiz Calendar Saints - The Month of January

Answer: He dwelled on a pillar

Simeon was born in Turkey about 390. He entered a monastery in 406 and dedicated himself to prayer and severe fasting. As he felt the monastery too crowded, he decided to adopt a hermit's life - but not in a cave or shack nearby, rather on top of an ancient pillar. Here he remained for almost forty years - until his death in 459. His example was soon followed by other ascetic Christians. Most of his acolytes also were called "Stylites". Mirovlitis (translated as "The Myrrh Gusher") is the Greek epithet given to Demetrius of Thessaloniki. For reasons unexplained, people witnessed a continuous flow of aromatic liquids (interpreted as myrrh) during the Seventh Century - about four hundred years after his death. Saint Denis is one of the most famous cephalophores, this is a saint who picked up his head after being beheaded and walked away from the scene, his head firmly clutched under his arm. Saint George was tortured on the wheel. Hence he has the Greek moniker "O Zanton" ("The Wheel").

From Quiz Calendar Saints - The Month of December

Answer: Francis Xavier

Saint Francis Xavier was born near Pamplona in Navarra, Spain in 1506. He went to Paris to study theology, and met Saint Ignatius of Loyola. Together with five comrades, they founded the Society of Jesus in 1534 and were ordained in 1537. Francis was the first of the Jesuits to sail as a missionary. His first stop was in India, where he would have converted all inhabitants of the major city Goa. He then travelled to Indonesia, where he personally baptised about 10,000 pagans. With a Japanese exile, he then continued his trip to Japan. Finally he crossed the sea to China, where he died in 1552. Francis' missionary work was greatly helped by his gift of tongues. He quite easily learned Japanese and Cantonese. Albert Schweitzer (1875-1965) was born in the Alsace Region, which accounts for his double nationality: German and French. He is best known for the hospital in Lambarene, Gabon where he worked together with his wife. Dom Helder Camara (1909-1999) was a Brazilian bishop. Joseph Smith (1805-1844) lived in the United States, where he founded the Latter Day Saints movement.

From Quiz Calendar Saints - The Month of November

Answer: Charles Borromeo

Charles Borromeo was born in 1538, the son of the Count of Arona (near Milan). He studied civil and canon law at Pavia and was ordained in 1560 or 1563. His uncle, Pope Pius IV, raised him to the posts of cardinal and Bishop of Milan. Charles helped to reconvene the Council of Trent, and contributed to the Tridentine Catechism. He cleared churches of too-luxurious decorations, and was active in assisting the poor. He founded some seminary schools (hence perhaps his popularity among school directors) and preached against the Protestants. Charles died of fever in 1584. Francis de Sales (1567-1622), patron saint of teachers, is celebrated in January (the 24th, sometimes the 29th). Isidore of Seville (560-636), a Spanish Doctor of the Church, is celebrated April 4th and patronises internet users. Vincent de Paul (1581-1660) is a French patron saint for hospital workers.

From Quiz Calendar Saints - The Month of September

Answer: Saint Eustace

Saint Eustace was mentioned in the "Golden Legend", a medieval manuscript relating the lives of many early saints. Although this text was highly appreciated during the Middle Ages, the Roman Catholic Church has dismissed many assertions from the "Golden Legend" as being figments or embellishments. According to the "Golden Legend", Eustace was born under the name Placidus. He was a pagan entering the Roman army. One day he pursued a stag, and was separated from the rest of the hunting party. Then as he prepared to kill the stag, a cross appeared between its antlers and a celestial voice spoke out to Placidus: "Wherefore followest me hither?" (In modern English, it would say "Why did you follow me here?"). Placidus was converted to Christianity and adopted the name Eustace. Eustace was tempted sometime afterwards: his servants died in some epidemic, his gold and silver were stolen, his wife was taken hostage by a skipper, while a wolf took his youngest son and a lion took his eldest son. But because Eustace kept his faith, he was reunited with his wife and sons some years later. The Roman Emperor Hadrian later condemned Eustace and his family to death because they refused to make a sacrifice to the Roman deities. According to the "Golden Legend", Eustace, his wife and his two sons were roasted in a bronze bull statue. The Netherlands governed six islands in the Caribbean region up till 2010. These islands, together known as the Netherlands Antilles, were Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao, Saba, Sint Maarten and Sint Eustatius - the last one named after Saint Eustace. Saint Tropez is a luxurious resort on the French Côte d'Azur. Saint Quentin is a small town in the north of France. Saint Helier is one of the parishes on Jersey, one of the islands in the English Channel.

From Quiz Calendar Saints - The Month of August

Answer: Abel

Abel of Lobbes was probably born in Ireland, maybe around 700. We don't know many details of his life before 744, the year he was appointed Archbishop in Reims (France). But although Abel had the blessing of the Pope and of the regional Church Counsel, someone else usurped the archbishopric. Abel then retired in the Abbey of Lobbes, where the monks almost immediately nominated him as their abbot. Abel died in 751. According to one source, he "died in the odour of sanctity" - a term susceptible to various interpretations. It might mean that someone dying with a clear conscience smells sweeter than someone burdened by guilt. In Genesis 4, the Bible states that the first case of murder happened when Cain was enraged by the praise his brother Abel gained with a sacrifice. So Cain hit his brother over the head, killing him. According to legend, Remus is another victim of fratricide. He and his brother Romulus were starting to build the city of Rome, when a quarrel broke out and Romulus killed his brother. The Disney movie "The Lion King" invokes another fratricide: Scar lured his brother Mufasa into a stampede, thus having him killed. In several Greek theatre plays, Oedipus' sons Eteocles and Polynices stab each other on the battlefield.

From Quiz Calendar Saints - The Month of July

Answer: King Denis of Portugal

Elisabeth of Portugal had the habit of going to church every day to celebrate Mass. Her example was followed by several of her pages. Elisabeth was married to King Denis of Portugal, who didn't spend as much time on religion. Denis' behaviour was quite sinful, up till a dramatic event in the Portuguese court. One of Elisabeth's pages told some lies about another page, and Denis believed the liar. King Denis was very enraged and sent the accused page on an errand to a lime burner, who had been instructed to kill the first page sent to him. But the accused page halted to attend Mass, and King Denis sent the liar to the lime burner in order to find out what had happened. Because the accused page had halted to attend Mass, it was the liar who arrived first at the lime burner and was killed by him. The outcome of this very dramatic episode convinced King Denis to repent from his sins and to partake in Elisabeth's exemplary life. The red herrings introduced in this question, all were married to a certain Elisabeth. King Ludwig IV of Thuringia married Elisabeth of Hungary in 1221. Emperor Charles V married Isabella of Portugal in 1526. (By the way, Isabella is a Spanish variant of the name Elizabeth. To avoid confusion with the canonised Elizabeth of Portugal, Charles' wife is known as Isabella.) And Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria married Elisabeth of Bavaria (commonly known as Sissi) in 1854.

From Quiz Calendar Saints - The Month of June

Answer: Servant girls

The information on Saint Blandina is very scarce. We only know that she was a slave, and that she was tortured. A substantial number of Christians were rounded up in Lyons and put in jail, where they were submitted to various tortures. Christians were accused of cannibalism, among other things. This accusation finds its origin in the fact that Roman pagans didn't grasp the Christian meaning of the expression "The Body of Christ" frequently heard at communion. The hagiography of Saint Blandina states that she endured torture all day, and her torturers gave up, exhausted. At a Roman high day, the Christians (including Blandina) were brought into the arena to be attacked by wild animals. But none of the animals dared touching Blandina. A few days later, Blandina was whipped, partially roasted and trapped in a net. Then a bull was driven into the arena, and would toss around the net until Blandina lost consciousness. One source states that she was then given the coup de grace with a dagger. Her profession explains her patronage. The other options (bankers, accountants and tax collectors) all refer to Saint Matthew, the evangelist who once was a tax collector.

From Quiz Calendar Saints - The Month of May

Answer: St. Florian

Florian was a Roman soldier at the end of the Third Century. He was garrisoned in the region of Noricum, a region which nowadays counts Salzburg as its most important city. Besides his military duties, he was also entrusted with organising the fire brigade. One of the miracles ascribed to St. Florian is that he would extinguish a fire threatening a church (or even an entire city) with only one barrel of water. This miracle is frequently shown in paintings depicting St. Florian: a (miniature) church is on fire, and St. Florian pours water from one single watering can over it. St. Florian served under Emperor Diocletian. However, when Diocletian pursued the Christians, Florian turned himself in. After cruel torture, Florian was thrown in the river Enns with a millstone around his neck. I chose some other saints as red herrings because their first names remind me of famous Austrian people: a composer (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart), a writer (Franz Kafka - who lived in the Austrian Empire) and a painter - architect (Friedrich Loos).

From Quiz Calendar Saints - The Month of April

Answer: Saint Isidore of Seville

Saint Isidore was born around 560. He dedicated his life to studying, and is believed to be the first one to compile an encyclopaedia in 20 volumes. He died in 636, on April 4th. Most paintings show Saint Isidore holding a very large book. But believe it or not: he is also occasionally shown with a laptop. Furthermore, one of the personnel of the Episcopal Diocese of Southeast Florida wrote an invocation to Saint Isidore to help out with any sort of computer problem - whether it be malfunctioning hardware or software, or even the arrival of spam. Saint Jerome (name day September 30) is patron saint of libraries and librarians. Saint Gregory (name day September 2) is patron saint of teachers. Saint Gabriel, the Archangel who delivered divine messages to various people, was appropriately chosen the patron saint of all those who work in the communication sector. His name day is September 29.

From Quiz December Saints

Answer: North Africa

St. Crispina was a prosperous woman from the town of Thagara, in what is now Tunisia, with a large family. Yet in 304, when she was accused of being a Christian during the persecutions of Emperor Diocletian, she sacrificed it all to proclaim a faith she had held from childhood. The possibly apocryphal transcript of her trial shows a confident and unflappable woman. "My God," she told the proconsul Anullinus, "... willed that I be born. He brought me to salvation through the waters of baptism. And He is with me to stay my soul from committing the sacrilege that you require."

From Quiz Celebrating the Saints

Answer: red

The design of the St George's Cross dates from medieval times. The hymn 'Jerusalem' is associated with St George's Day, and in England it is a tradition to wear a red rose in your lapel on that day. Interestingly, the Scout Movement also has St George as its patron saint.

From Quiz November Saints

Answer: The identities of the next 112 popes

St. Malachy (1094-1148), Archbishop of Armagh, changed the Irish Church by encouraging the use of the Roman Liturgy. Yet his ecclesiastical contributions have been overshadowed by the cryptic prophecies that were first published nearly 450 years after his death. The list begins with Pope Celestine II, born in Città di Castello along the Tiber River and described as "from a castle of the Tiber." The connections become noticeably more tenuous for popes elected after the prophecies were first published; for example, the strongest link between Pope Benedict XVI and the prediction "glory of the olive" is that the pope chose the name "Benedict," and some sub-orders of Benedictines use olives as a symbol. After Pope Benedict XVI is said to come "Petrus Romanus," the destruction of Rome, and a day of judgment. Given the deeply unimpressive accuracy and precision of the prophecies leading up to this, Romans are not worried.

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Last Updated Dec 21 2024 5:52 AM

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