Catholic saints

[Kieran P.]

Hi friends,

As a Catholic, I have a great love for Orthodox saints also, particularly St Seraphim of Sarov. I believe he was one of the great God-lovers in the Church and a saint through whom we've received many graces.

A traditional Catholic frowned on my liking for Orthodox saints and the Jesus Prayer, although I've felt very welcome when iIve gone to the local Russian Orthodox Church simply to pray.

I wonder do any of you have a sneaky liking for any Catholic saints? Or do any of you have objections to this kind of cross-over devotion?

God bless us all...

[Nina]

Hi friends,

As a Catholic, I have a great love for Orthodox saints also, particularly St Seraphim of Sarov. I believe he was one of the great God-lovers in the Church and a saint through whom we've received many graces.

A traditional Catholic frowned on my liking for Orthodox saints and the Jesus Prayer, although I've felt very welcome when iIve gone to the local Russian Orthodox Church simply to pray.

I wonder do any of you have a sneaky liking for any Catholic saints? Or do any of you have objections to this kind of cross-over devotion?

God bless us all...


It is very nice that you have a great love for Orthodox Saint since many of them are Catholic too. :) Seriously, we share so many saints. No?

I do not have any "sneaky liking" for any (exclusively) Catholic saints since I do not know any of them and keeping up to learn about (and from) all the myriads of Orthodox Saints keeps me very busy in that religious duty department. The only thing that I envy from Catholics is that, at least in Europe, they have sooooo many relics from our Saints.

[Mary]

Hi friends,

I wonder do any of you have a sneaky liking for any Catholic saints? Or do any of you have objections to this kind of cross-over devotion?

God bless us all...

I agree with Nina. The Orthodox saints keep me very busy =) But, I wouldn't mind hearing about a few Catholic saints. Would you like to share a bit about your favorite Catholic saints?

And because I'm forever curious, would you mind telling me how/why you got interested in Orthodox saints?

Mary.

[Kieran P.]

Hiya Mary and Nina, :)


The only thing that I envy from Catholics is that, at least in Europe, they have sooooo many relics from our Saints.

I didn't know we had many of your relics. Which saints would that be?


Would you like to share a bit about your favorite Catholic saints?

I suppose my personal patron saint would be Padre Pio, the Italian stigmatist who called me back to the Church three years ago. He was a pious Franciscan monk who was graced with many charisms. You can read about him here:

http://www.padrepiodevotions.org/

He was, in so many ways, a spiritual child of St Francis of Assisi, of whom I'm sure you know. Padre Pio came into my life when things were going so well for me I might just have sold my soul to the enemy! Yet through his intercession, I felt the presence of Christ come to me. At first, I believed in "Christ first - then the Church", but I've been steered inexorably to understand that the two are inseperable.

I love most saints, to be truthful. The ones I pay particular attention to are St Francis, St Augustine, St Thomas Aquinas, St John of the Cross, and a few of the Theresa's!

I suppose that if a saint has been recognised and canonised by the church, they're an example to follow. We share many saints with you from before the split, but from my perspective, I came to love Orthodox saints through my explorations of the Christian faith. So I've a few 'Little Russian Philokalia' books at home and I've read a couple of Kallistos Ware's books also. I find him to be most 'fair' towards us, since there are occasions when the only time I see Catholic saints mentioned in Orthodox books is in order that the author might reproach them!

Vladimir Lossky's book, "Mystical Theology of the Eastern Church" is particularly culpable in this regard, though it's still a good book.

God bless you both - and thanks for your replies!

[Nina]

Our relics means relics from common saints. Such as St. Andreas, St. Macarios, St. Nicholas, etc etc etc

[Kieran P.]

Hi Nina, :)

I'm a little confused. If they're "common" saints, are you saying they're also recognised as such by the Catholic Church?

If so, do the relics not belong equally to us? If this is the case, then surely we should share them, no?

God bless

[Nina]

Hi Nina, :)

I'm a little confused. If they're "common" saints, are you saying they're also recognised as such by the Catholic Church?

If so, do the relics not belong equally to us? If this is the case, then surely we should share them, no?

God bless

Common saints = the saints before the schism.

Yes, when it comes to Saints I am greedy. :)

[Kieran P.]

Hi Nina,

Fortunately, through the grace of Christ, the saints are equally greedy for us!

God bless

[Nina]

Hi Nina,

Fortunately, through the grace of Christ, the saints are equally greedy for us!

God bless

Yes Kieran, exactly! And the saints want us to follow the right path. :)

[Marie-Duquette]

Kieran and Nina,

Peace of Christ be with you!

Concerning Catholic Saints, as well as Common Saints: I love the Saints of the whole Church, many of whom have been my spiritual friends since my early childhood. As an Orthodox Christian, I do not deny or reject the saints who have been for me examples and simple guides in my life by their words and examples.
Why else would Our God give us these Saints on our life's journey?

Today in the Roman Catholic Church is celebrated the twin sister of St. Benedict one of the founders of Western Monasticism. His Sister Scholastica is written about in the Dialogues of St. Gregory the Great, Pope of Rome. His writings are called The Dialogues .

You can find her beautiful story if you search the internet for either Saint Scholastica, or the Dialogues of Saint Gregory.

I often wonder why Saint Scholastica 480-547 is not included in the list of Saints of the Orthodox Church. She, was a co-founder with her brother, Saint Benedict of a Monastic life for women on Monte Cassino; and is pre-Schism, when the Church was One.

Hope and pray that more women Saints of the early Church would be included and recognized. As well as the men Saints.


marie_duquette

[Fr Raphael Vereshack]

I often wonder why Saint Scholastica 480-547 is not included in the list of Saints of the Orthodox Church. She, was a co-founder with her brother, Saint Benedict of a Monastic life for women on Monte Cassino; and is pre-Schism, when the Church was One.


Here, Mary is one mention of St Scholastica


Scholastica Feb 10
c 480-c 543. Sister of St Benedict. She became a nun and lived near Montecassino. St Gregory in his Dialogues (2,33), says that St Benedict saw her soul ascend to heaven in the semblance of a dove.

It comes from the Orthodox England (/orthodoxengland.org.uk/saintss.htm) site and can be found part way down the page.

In Christ- Fr Raphael