Orthodox Western Saints for Today

Pre-Schism Saints of the Orthodox Roman Patriarchate*
29 November (16 November O.S.):

• AFAN, a sixth century bishop who gave his name to the church of Llanafan in Powys.
• AFRICUS, a seventh century bishop of Comminges who was renowned for his zeal for Orthodoxy.
• ALFRIC (AELFRIC), an abbot of Abingdon and later Bishop of Wilton and finally twenty-ninth Archbishop of Canterbury from 995 until his repose in 1005. He was known for his able leadership of the Church during the perilous times of the Danish invasion of Kent.
• ELPIDIUS, MARCELLUS, EUSTOCHIUS AND COMPANIONS, Elpidius was a dignatery at the court of the Emperor Constantius, who bravely confessed the faith before Julian the Apostate. As a result in 362, he and others were dragged, tied to the tails of wild horses, before finally being burnt at the stake.
• EUCHERIUS, a married man who, upon the death of his wife Galla, entered monastic life at Lérins in 422. In 434 he became Bishop of Lyons, in which see he served until his repose in 449. In 441 he presided over the Council of Orange with St. Hilary (5th May) and several of his ascetic works still exist.
• FIDENTIUS, a second century saint in Padua.
• GOBRAIN, a monk who became Bishop of Vannes in Brittany and at the age of eighty-seven went to live as a hermit until his repose in 725.
• OTHMAR (OTMAR, AUDEMAR), a priest of Germaninc origin, who, in 720 was appointed Abbot of St Gall. During his time as abbot an era of prosperity began for the monastery, which soon became the most important in the region. Persecuted by two lords, unjustly slandered and condemned; he bore his sufferings with great patience, reposing in prison in 759.
• RUFINUS, MARK, VALERIUS AND COMPANIONS, martyrs in North Africa.

* - Prior to the Schism the Patriarchate of Rome was Orthodox and fully in communion with the Orthodox Church. As Saint John of Shanghai and San Francisco +1966 said "The West was Orthodox for a thousand years, and her venerable Liturgy is far older than any of her heresies."

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