Are there recent Eastern saints?

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I am a Latin Catholic. I am overwhelmed at the listing of saints above, but very interested.

This might be a very difficult question to answer, as one would have to know both Eastern and Western Catholicism very, very well. But do Eastern Catholics have fairly recent saints that are not “officially” saints in the Latin rite? It is my impression (though someone might correct me) that if Eastern Catholicism has its unique process of declaring sainthood, that would be accepted by the RCC, and consequently, such saints would be proper objects of veneration by Latins as well.

Does anyone know?
 
My personal favorite Eastern Catholic saint is St Josaphat, who was martyred by an anti-Catholic mob in Vitebsk in what is now Belarus in 1623.
 
The late John Paul II beautifed a number of Bishops of the Ruthenian and Ukrainian Catholic Churches who were martyred or suffered imprisonment for the Faith at the hands of the Communists for not joining the Russian Orthodox Church.

These Bishops included but are not limited to Blessed Theodore Romzha, Blessed Pavel Goidich, Blessed Alexander Chira, Blessed Tomas Hopko, Blessed Leonid Feodorov of the Belo-russian Catholic Church…

Hope this helps…
 
Patchunky said:
The late John Paul II beautifed a number of Bishops of the Ruthenian and Ukrainian Catholic Churches who were martyred or suffered imprisonment for the Faith at the hands of the Communists for not joining the Russian Orthodox Church.

These Bishops included but are not limited to Blessed Theodore Romzha, Blessed Pavel Goidich, Blessed Alexander Chira, Blessed Tomas Hopko, Blessed Leonid Feodorov of the Belo-russian Catholic Church…

Hope this helps…
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Where can I find more information on these? My daughter is very religious and very interested in the Eastern Catholic Churches. If there were any Eastern Ctholic parishes anywhere around here, she would likely attend liturgies. But I thought perhaps if I got some information on the Eastern Catholic saints, she would be appreciative.
 
Ridgerunner said:
Where can I find more information on these? My daughter is very religious and very interested in the Eastern Catholic Churches. If there were any Eastern Ctholic parishes anywhere around here, she would likely attend liturgies. But I thought perhaps if I got some information on the Eastern Catholic saints, she would be appreciative.
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If you GOOGLE Theodore Romzha, you will an entire account of his life and martyrdom.

you can also do that with the names of any of the Martyred Bishops.

Hope this helps…
 
Ridgerunner said:
I am a Latin Catholic. I am overwhelmed at the listing of saints above, but very interested.

This might be a very difficult question to answer, as one would have to know both Eastern and Western Catholicism very, very well. But do Eastern Catholics have fairly recent saints that are not “officially” saints in the Latin rite? It is my impression (though someone might correct me) that if Eastern Catholicism has its unique process of declaring sainthood, that would be accepted by the RCC, and consequently, such saints would be proper objects of veneration by Latins as well.

Does anyone know?
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RR,

I’m guessing that your reference to the “listing of saints above” refers to the wonderful effort undertaken by our brother, Edwin, for which we are all most grateful

Eastern Catholics do not have their own process of canonization. At the time that each group of Eastern or Oriental Catholics came into union, Rome generally accepted (with few exceptions) the Saints that each had proclaimed and included in their respective liturgical calendars during the time that the two were not in communion. Since the time of their various unions with Rome, Saints of the Eastern Churches have been so declared by the Pope, following the typical process employed by the Sacred Congregation for the Saints.

From an earlier thread:

Irish Melkite said:
“Official canonization” in the sense of a process conducted by the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, culminating in a declaration by the Pope that an individual is Venerable, Blessed, or Sainted, did not exist before 1585 or thereabouts when the Sacred Congregation for Rites (now the Congregation for Divine Worship, if I remember correctly) was first charged with that responsibility. That fact certainly does not preclude recognition or acknowledgement of the thousands of Saints (among whom were the vast majority of early Christian martyrs, the Apostles, and the Disciples of Christ’s time) proclaimed as such before that date, on the basis of local or popular acclamation.

The canonization process applied to those of the East presently is in common with that of the West - in other words, the Congregation for the Causes carries forth its process and the declaration of their status is by the Pope.

…

Most Eastern and Oriental Church liturgical calendars are particularly notable for their commemoration of the sainted and holy personages of the Old Testament and those of the very early years of the New Testament period. As an example, in the Melkite calendar (and that of several other Byzantine Rite Churches), are commemorated:
  • September 4 - The Memory of the Holy Prophet Moses Who Saw God
  • December 17 - The Memory of the Holy Prophet Daniel and the Three Youths: Anania, Azaria, and Misael
  • February 3 - The Memory of the Holy and Just Simeon who received God and that of Holy Anna the Prophetess
The Sunday prior to the Nativity is commemorated (in its short form) as “The Sunday of the Fathers” or “The Sunday of the Genealogy”; in its longer form, it is “The Memory of all the Fathers who were agreeable to God, from Adam to Joseph, Spouse of the Most Holy Theotokos”.
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(continued)
 
The status accorded to the Beatified whom Patchunky named above, as well as myriad others, was as a result of this process.

To read of some of those venerated in our Churches:
.

The calendars of the Byzantine Rite Churches of the Slav Tradition have been greatly increased in recent years by the addition of commemorations for the many of their faithful, religious, presbyters, and hierarchs martyred in odium fidei under Communism. See the Hagiography Circle for myriad examples. Many more have causes still pending, such as the Servant of God Father Walter Ciszek, SJ, of blessed memory.

Some of the more recently formed Oriental Catholic Churches have, in these same years, had the first formal acknowledgement of those whose lives were lived within the period of the particular Church’s formal existence as a sui iuris ecclesia. As an example, the Syro-Malankara Church recently celebrated the proclamation of Archbishop Geevarghese Mar Ivanios, OIC, its proto-hierarch, as Servant of God.

For examples of Eastern liturgical calendars - you can download the ** Melkite Cyber-Typicon ** from Father Peter Boutros’ site and the ** Melkite Synaxarion ** is available at Father Ron Golini’s site. I believe that Edwin is posting from the Prologue from Ohrid.

Many years,

Neil
 
Thank you very much!

Until today, I was not aware that Fr. Cizek’s canonization was pending. I read his books.
 
Ridgerunner said:
Thank you very much!

Until today, I was not aware that Fr. Cizek’s canonization was pending. I read his books.
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The cause of Father Walter, of blessed memory, is still in the earliest of stages.

Many years,

Neil
 
Saint means Holy, I can’t explain it, but the English usage and the meaning in Latin/romance languages almost points to a different ethos (or is it logos). Saying that, it would be Holy Patrick per se.
I would consider the martyrs in Iraq that have died in since the current war started to be holy/santo/sanctus. Fr. Ragheed and his deacons are four people to remember. As well as the thousand upon thousands of more Chaldean Catholics in Iraq.
I’d say they are rather recent saints indeed. Not canonized, but still you technically do not need documents and declarations to consider these people holy/sanctified/saints. You do however have to have them canonized to have their feast days celebrated world-round.
And I’d say these folks are about the most recent Eastern Catholic saints as you can get. I imagine a number of Iraqi martyrs will be canonized (which legally validates the support and belief by the people that these persons were holy) in the near future.
Hopefully sooner rather than later. And I don’t think we can stress enough the suffering Orthodox and Catholics are undergoing in the middle east-region wide. Sadly, like Sudan, the world media isn’t paying enough attention to these real problems and not much or not enough is being done to resolve them.
 
Let’s not forget the recently glorified Maronite saints: Rafqa, Charbel, and Hardini.
 
Ridgerunner said:
I am a Latin Catholic. I am overwhelmed at the listing of saints above, but very interested.

This might be a very difficult question to answer, as one would have to know both Eastern and Western Catholicism very, very well. But do Eastern Catholics have fairly recent saints that are not “officially” saints in the Latin rite? It is my impression (though someone might correct me) that if Eastern Catholicism has its unique process of declaring sainthood, that would be accepted by the RCC, and consequently, such saints would be proper objects of veneration by Latins as well.

Does anyone know?
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Our canonization process goes through Rome just like the rest of the Catholic Church. We do not follow the Orthodox practice of local glorification. Some have called for a return to that, I don’t think that is likely to change any time soon.

Some of the MANY:

Martys of Eastern Europe

Blessed Leonid Feodorov
Blessed Mykola Konrad
Blessed Volodymyr Pryima
Blessed Andrii Ischak
Blessed Severian Baranyk
Blessed Yakym Senkivskyi
Blessed Zenovii Kovalyk
Blessed Emilian Kovch
Blessed Tarsykia Matskiv
Blessed Vitalii Bairak
Blessed Roman Lysko
Blessed Hryhorii Khomyshyn
Blessed Theodore Romzha
Blessed Josaphat Kotsylovsky
Blessed Mykyta Budka
Blessed Hryhorii Lakota
Blessed Klymentii Sheptytsky
Blessed Mykola Tsehelskyi
Blessed Ivan Ziatyk
Blessed Olympia Olha Bida
Blessed Lavrentia Herasymiv
Blessed Petro Verhun
Blessed Mykola Charnetskyi
Blessed Semeon Lukach
Blessed Ivan Sleziuk
Blessed Vasyl Velychkovsky

Blessed Josaphata Hordashevska

Bl. Grigori Lakota

Bl. Theodore Romzha

Ghasibe Kayrouz

Father Ragheed Aziz Ganni (Who had served here in the US in Florida for a time.)


Russian Catholic Martyrs including:

Mother Catherine Abrikosova, OPL
Fr. Epiphany Akulov
Fr. Constantine Budkiewicz
Fr. Frantiszek Budrys
Fr. Potapy Emelianov
Sr. Rosa of the Heart of Mary
Camilla Kruczelnicka
Bishop Antony Malecki
Bp. Edward Profittlich, SJ
Fr. Jan Trojgo
Fr. Pavel Chomicz
Fr. Antony Czerwinski
Fr. Stanislaus Szulminski, SAC

Maronite and Melkite Causes:
Esţfān al-Dwayhī (1704) Maronite
Saint Ni‘matullah Kassab (1858) Maronite
Saint Sharbel Makhlūf (1898) Maronite
Saint Rafqā Shabaq ar-Rayes (1914) Maronite
Bshārah Abū Mrād (1930) Melkite Rite
Esţfān Nehmé (1938) Maronite Rite
Manuel Ruiz López and 10 companions (1860) Maronite Rite
Mathilde Chelhot Salem (1961) Syriac Catholic Rite
Salvatore Lilli and 7 companions (1895) Armenian Catholic Rite
Ignatios Shukrallah Maloyan (1915) Armenian Catholic Rite
Flaby’anūs Mykh’ayl Melkī (1915) Syriac Catholic Rite
Geuregh Ohannes Zohrabian (1972) Armenian Catholic Rite
Ignatios Shukrallah Maloyan of the Armenians
Mathilde Chelhot Salem of the Melkites

It was announced on Dec 17 that Ven. Stephen Nehme (1889-1938), born Joseph Nehme, a Lebanese Maronite monk, is well on the way to beatification…

This is by no means a complete list. Not even close… Just some lists I could clip and paste from the stuff I had on file… Give me a day or two, I might be able to come up with something better organized.
 
Maronite and Melkite Causes:
Esţfān al-Dwayhī (1704) Maronite
Saint Ni‘matullah Kassab (1858) Maronite
Saint Sharbel Makhlūf (1898) Maronite
Saint Rafqā Shabaq ar-Rayes (1914) Maronite
Bshārah Abū Mrād (1930) Melkite Rite
Esţfān Nehmé (1938) Maronite Rite
Manuel Ruiz López and 10 companions (1860) Maronite Rite
Mathilde Chelhot Salem (1961) Syriac Catholic Rite
Salvatore Lilli and 7 companions (1895) Armenian Catholic Rite
Ignatios Shukrallah Maloyan (1915) Armenian Catholic Rite
Flaby’anūs Mykh’ayl Melkī (1915) Syriac Catholic Rite
Geuregh Ohannes Zohrabian (1972) Armenian Catholic Rite
Ignatios Shukrallah Maloyan of the Armenians
Mathilde Chelhot Salem of the Melkites
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There is some conflicting data on various pages of the Hagiography Circle site, from which the above list looks to have been taken. With regard to a few of those listed, this is the correct information:

Mathilde Chelhot Salem, of blessed memory, listed above on separate lines as Syriac and as Melkite, was a layperson of the Melkite GC Church - not the Syriac Catholic Church. However, the promotion of her cause is chiefly by the Salesians of Don Bosco, a Latin religious order, rather than the Archdiocese of Aleppo of the Melkites.

Blessed Archbishop Ignatios Shukrallah Maloyan was beatified in 2001, as referenced in an earlier post.

Blessed Salvatore Lilli, OFM, (beatified 1982) was a Latin of the Order of Friars Minor, although martyred while serving in Armenia. His 7 companions (beatified at the same time) were indeed laypersons of the Armenian Church.

Although martyred in Damascus, Blessed Manuel Ruiz Lopez, OFM, and his 7 companions (all 8 of whom were beatified in 1926), were priests or religious of the Order of Friars Minor and were Latin. Only Blessed Francis Masabki and his two brothers (martyred on the same date as the Friars Minor and beatified at the same time) were Maronite Catholics.

Many years,

Neil
 
Irish_Melkite said:
There is some conflicting data on various pages of the Hagiography Circle site, from which the above list looks to have been taken. With regard to a few of those listed, this is the correct information:

Mathilde Chelhot Salem, of blessed memory, listed above on separate lines as Syriac and as Melkite, was a layperson of the Melkite GC Church - not the Syriac Catholic Church. However, the promotion of her cause is chiefly by the Salesians of Don Bosco, a Latin religious order, rather than the Archdiocese of Aleppo of the Melkites.

Blessed Archbishop Ignatios Shukrallah Maloyan was beatified in 2001, as referenced in an earlier post.

Blessed Salvatore Lilli, OFM, (beatified 1982) was a Latin of the Order of Friars Minor, although martyred while serving in Armenia. His 7 companions (beatified at the same time) were indeed laypersons of the Armenian Church.

Although martyred in Damascus, Blessed Manuel Ruiz Lopez, OFM, and his 7 companions (all 8 of whom were beatified in 1926), were priests or religious of the Order of Friars Minor and were Latin. Only Blessed Francis Masabki and his two brothers (martyred on the same date as the Friars Minor and beatified at the same time) were Maronite Catholics.

Many years,

Neil
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Thank you Neil.

Per chance do you also know of some more names to add?
 
ASimpleSinner said:
Per chance do you also know of some more names to add?
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Hmm, I was trying to concoct a list that didn’t duplicate those already named, but going back and forth between posts is giving me a stiff neck. Particularly as to the Newmartyrs, those martyred under the Communist regimes, it is easier to provide links to the Hagiography Circle’s site:

In the first page of [Martyrs Killed in odium fidei (http://newsaints.faithweb.com/martyrs/East1.htm) under the Communists - 1, all of the 25 priests, male and female religious, and laypersons listed are of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church with the single exception of Blessed Exarch Leonid (Feodorev), who is of the Russian Greek-Catholic Church. All of these were beatified in 2001.

The one inaccuracy that I note is that while all are martyrs, not all can strictly be termed as martyrs in odium fidei (to hatred for the faith). At least some would be more properly termed martyrs ex aerumnis carceris (from the wounds of incarceration) or martyrs ex acertatibus et vexationibusque pro fidei quibus pertulit (as a consequence of violence endured for the faith). The two latter terms are applicable to those who died either during captivity or subsequent to release, but not as a direct act of murder. An example from those listed on the page would be Blessed Vladyko Vasyl’Vsevolod (Velychkovs’kyi), CSSR, who reposed in Canada subsequent to his release from the gulags.

On the second page of [Martyrs Killed in odium fidei (http://newsaints.faithweb.com/martyrs/East2.htm) under the Communists - 2, of the 34 listed:
  • the 4 listed in the first subset are Bishops of the Byzantine Ruthenian Church; 3 of these, Blessed Bishops Theodore Romzha, Peter Gojdic, and Vasil Hopko (Czech Ruthenian), have been beatified
  • the 3 Assumptionist priests listed in the second subset are of the Bulgarian Greek-Catholic Church
  • the 7 comprising the 3rd subset are Bishops of the Romanian Greek-Catholic Church, including Eparch Juliu Cardinal Hossu
  • those listed as nos. 4 thru 7 and 13 thru 15 of the fourth subset are of the Russian Greek-Catholic Church; they include:
  • these include Father Potapy Emilyanov, of blessed memory, remembered as one of the presbyters who pastored Old Believer communities in the early days of that Church* Fathers Fabian Abrantovic and Andrej Cikoto, MIC, both of blessed memory, who were the last to serve as Administrators of the Exarchate of Harbin of the Russian Byzantines, and * Sisters of the Third Order of St. Dominic, a religious order of blessed memory within that Church
The others listed on that page are of the Russian Catholic Church (Latin), I believe you included some of them in your list above.
 
Of the 40 Albanian martyrs on the third page of the Martyrs Killed in odium fidei under the Communists - 3, Papa Josif Mihali (listed as #28) is a priest of the Albanian Greek-Catholic Church.

I am very certain that the Jesuit priests and religious listed at nos. 5, 7, and 18 were ascribed to the Society’s Eastern Provinces and the Albanian Greek-Catholic Church.

As to the 9 Friars Minor listed there, I am less certain. There were OFM clerics ascribed to some Eastern Churches, including that of the Albanian Greek-Catholics; some or all of these may have been among those.

The other hierarchs, abbot, clergy, and laypersons listed are of the Albanian Catholic Church (Latin).

The 48 martyrs on the fourth page of the Martyrs Killed in odium fidei under the Communists - 4 are described as of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church and all except 2 are of that Church. However, those listed as nos. 17 and 38 are Byzantine Ruthenian Catholics of the Eparchy of Mukachevo of the Ruthenians.

All of those listed on the fifth page of the Martyrs Killed in odium fidei under the Communists - 5 are of the Latin Church.

On the sixth page of the Martyrs Killed in odium fidei under the Communists - 6, the 10 listed in the first subset and described as of the Archdiocese of Alba Iulia are of the Romanian Greek-Catholic Church. All others on that page are of the Latin Church.

I believe that all of the Friars Minor listed on the seventh page of the Martyrs Killed in odium fidei under the Communists - 7 are of the Latin Church.
 
In addition to those above, I earlier mentioned the Servant of God Father Walter (Cizsek), SJ. Also under study is the cause of the Servant of God, Father Exarch Shio Batmanishvili, martyred Exarch of the Georgian Greek-Catholic Church.

A list of many martyrs of the Russian Greek-Catholic Church is to be found here. There is much duplication with the other lists, but some unique listings as well, I believe.

You mentioned the Maronite Saints Ni‘matullah, Sharbel, and Rafqā, as well as Venerable Estephan. Additionally, the Servant of God, His Beatitude Maronite Patriarch Estephan El Douaihy, is the subject of an active cause. As well, there is also a 20th century Argentinian Maronite, Jose Jorge Bunader, whose cause is under study. I don’t know any details regarding him - perhaps Yeshua or Jimmy might.

I’ll try to tackle some more tonight.

Many years,

Neil
 
Irish_Melkite said:
In addition to those above, I earlier mentioned the Servant of God Father Walter (Cizsek), SJ. Also under study is the cause of the Servant of God, Father Exarch Shio Batmanishvili, martyred Exarch of the Georgian Greek-Catholic Church.

A list of many martyrs of the Russian Greek-Catholic Church is to be found here. There is much duplication with the other lists, but some unique listings as well, I believe.

You mentioned the Maronite Saints Ni‘matullah, Sharbel, and Rafqā, as well as Venerable Estephan. Additionally, the Servant of God, His Beatitude Maronite Patriarch Estephan El Douaihy, is the subject of an active cause. As well, there is also a 20th century Argentinian Maronite, Jose Jorge Bunader, whose cause is under study. I don’t know any details regarding him - perhaps Yeshua or Jimmy might.

I’ll try to tackle some more tonight.

Many years,

Neil
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Impressive and most appreciated.

Many, many years to you.
 
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