The Twenty-Eighth Day of November
At Corinth, the birthday of St. Sosthenes, disciple of the blessed apostle Paul, who is mentioned in his Epistle to the Corinthians. He was chief of the synagogue when converted to Christ, and as a glorious beginning, consecrated the first fruits of his faith by being scourged before the proconsul Gallio. At Rome, St. Rufus, who was martyred with all his family by Diocletian. In Africa, under the Arian king Genseric, in the persecution of the Vandals, the holy martyrs Papinian and Mansuetus, bishops, who, for the Catholic faith, were burned in every part of their bodies with hot plates of iron, which ended their glorious trial. At this time also, other holy bishops, Valerian, Urban, Crescens, Eustachius, Cresconius, Crescentian, Felix, Hortulanus, and Florentian ended the course of their lives in exile. At Constantinople, in the time of Constantine Copronymus, the holy martyrs Stephen the Younger, Basil, Peter, Andrew, and their companions, numbering three hundred and thirty-nine monks, who were subjected to diverse torments for the veneration of holy images, and confirmed the Catholic truth with the shedding of their blood. At Naples in Campania, the death of St. James della Marca, priest and confessor of the Order of Friars Minor, celebrated for the austerity of his life, his apostolic preaching, and his many diplomatic missions undertaken for the success of the affairs of Christianity. His name was added to the calendar of the saints by the Sovereign Pontiff, Benedict XIII.
And elsewhere in divers places, many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
Butler’s Lives of the Saints:
St. Stephen the Younger, Martyr
St. James of La Marca of Ancona, Confessor
ORCCE Ordo: Feria Quinta infra Hebdomadam XXIV post Octavam Pentecostes V. Novembris ~ Ferial
Quarto Kaléndas Decémbris. Luna.
Apud Corínthum natális sancti Sósthenis, ex beáti Pauli Apóstoli discípulis; cujus mentiónem facit idem Apóstolus Corínthiis scribens. Ipse autem Sósthenes, ex príncipe Synagógæ convérsus ad Christum, fídei suæ primórdia, ante Galliónem Procónsulem ácriter verberátus, præcláro inítio consecrávit. Romæ sancti Rufi, quem, cum omni família sua, Christi Mártyrem Diocletiánus fecit. In Africa sanctórum Mártyrum Papiniáni et Mansuéti Episcopórum, qui, témpore Wandálicæ persecutiónis, sub Rege Ariáno Genseríco, pro fídei cathólicæ defensióne, candéntibus ferri láminis toto córpore adústi, gloriósum agónem consummárunt. Quo étiam témpore álii novem sancti Epíscopi, scílicet Valeriánus, Urbánus, Crescens, Eustáchius, Crescónius, Crescentiánus, Felix, Hortulánus et Florentiánus, damnáti exsílio, cursum vitæ suæ implevérunt. Constantinópoli sanctórum Mártyrum Stéphani junióris, Basilíi, Petri, Andréæ, et Sociórum trecentórum et trigínta novem Monachórum; qui, sub Constantíno Coprónymo, pro sanctárum Imáginum cultu váriis excruciáti supplíciis, veritátem cathólicam effúso sánguine confirmárunt. Neápoli, in Campánia, deposítio sancti Jacóbi Picéni, Sacerdótis ex Ordine Minórum et Confessóris, vitæ asperitáte, apostólica prædicatióne ac plúribus pro re Christiána óbitis legatiónibus præclári; quem Benedíctus Décimus tértius, Póntifex Máximus, Sanctórum fastis adjúnxit.
Et álibi aliórum plurimórum sanctórum Mártyrum et Confessórum, atque sanctárum Vírginum.
R. Deo grátias.
Nota Bene: 450,000 Christians Flee From Muslim Attacks in the Central African Republic