Friends at Court

New Zealand Tablet, 10 September 1908, Page 3

Friends at Court

GLEANINGS FOR NEXT WEEK'S CALENDAR

September 13, Sunday. — Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost. The Most Holy Name of Mary. „ 14, Monday.— The Exaltation of the Holy Cross. „ 15, Tuesday. — Octave of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. ,i 16, Wednesday. — SS. Cornelius and C3 r prian, Bishops and Martyrs. Ember Day. „ - 1 7, -Thursday. — Stigmata of St. Francis, Confessor. „ 18, Friday. — St. Joseph of Cupertino, Confessor. Ember Day. „ 19, Saturday. — SS. Januarius and Companions, Martyrs. Ember .Day.

Saints Cornelius and Cyprian, Bishops and Martyrs.

These two saints were contemporaries and friends. . Cornelius was elected- to succeed Pope Fabian in 251. During his Pontificate the Church had to contend not only with the persecution of the Emperor Decius, but also with the internal disturbances excited by the heretic Novatian. In 252 St. Cornelius was banished to Civita Vecchia. Brought back to Rome in the same year, he there gained the crown of martyrdom.

St. Cyprian, Bishop of Caithage, .was born in the beginning of the third century, of a wealthy senatorial family, and had been an esteemed and successful „ rhetorician at Carthage, his native city. He was converted to Christianity about the year 246, and soon after was raised to the priesthood, and, on the death of Bishop Donatus in 24S,he was chosen to succeed that prelate. Cyprian ended his noble episcopate by martyrdom under Valerian in 258.