Nov 18-19-20 Thomas of Antioch, John Shoun, Mummolus, Medana, Autbodus

John and Thommy

Good morning
I love you


A short list of saints for today through Thursday. As the liturgical year winds down, maybe the saintly pickings got sparcer – or catholic saints on line hasn’t kept up with the newly or even JP minted saints.

In lieu of the short blurbs, I recommend Andrew Greeley’s Archbishop in Andalusia – especially good story about marriage, love, and our relationship with God, embedded in a typical Greeley Blackie Ryan mystery. Took me only 5 hours to read it today….


November 18
Thomas of Antioch d. 782

Thomas of Antioch is our saint for relief against pestilence – our saint to relieve us of pests? 

Thomas of Antioch, a hermit. If you don’t try a bit of the hermitical life, you’ll have short changed yourself. Whether a Cursillo weekend or annual retreats or a meditative trip to the beach, try it….



November 18

Bl. John Shoun d. 1619 b. 1867

A martyr of Japan. The closest I’ve gotten to Japan besides reading/studying/lectures - - Grandpa’s WWII in the Pacific and the Lahey book he recommended that traces his meanderings in war; Uncle George spent many air force years in Okinawa [as aunt Teresa passionately reminds us, Okinawa is not Japan….. but it’s in the neighborhood], and a novitiate classmate Tom LeQuinn, who was there as a sergeant in the army, learned the language, and went back as a missionary - - he was a hoot!

John Shoun was a Japanese from Meako [betya his parents didn’t call him John!]. Seventeenth century Japan – an era of their history and a cusp of Christian/Catholic inroads. John Shoun was baptized in Nagasaki – and I bet there are a gazillion Catholic stories planted in that city; weaving back to Francis Xavier and sprouting up still today.

John Shoun’s story – he was burned alive in Nagasaki for being a Christian – a bit different from your being ‘roasted’ by peers and even family for being Catholic but an example nonetheless – live in the fire of faith!





November 18, 2008

Mummolus d. 690

Good guess – the name and the year, yes, he’s an Irishman.

Mommolus [aka Momble, Mumbolus, and Momleolus – our oral tradition not unlike the ‘brown cow is blue’ exercise] was a companion of then successor to St Fursey as a Benedictine abbot of Lagny.

It does matter with whom you study. It does matter what path you take in your vocation and career.





November 19

Medana d. 8th c.

Catholic online had one sentence: “Irish virgin who went to live in Galloway, Scotland. She may be the same as St. Midnat.”



November 20

Autbodus d. 690 [a not unpopular year for an Irish saint to die?]

Autbodus was an Irish hermit and missionary. This combination should help you better understand that the stereotype of a hermit off by himself in a desert dirt hut or a seaside cave is, well, an inaccurate stereotype. That’s partly why I recommend you do the hermit thing – if only as routine islands in your calendar. To isolate yourself to better be with God is a good thing. And, like our cloistered religious it is an honorable way of life unto itself. It is also a source of closeness and strength that we can also bring into our daily life, whatever our vocation.

Autbodus preached in Hainault, Belgium, and Artois and Picardy, France. We had many F.B.I.s as our priests while growing up [foreign born Irish] – a deeply rooted faith and stern religion, an Irish tradition that goes back to the fifth century. The Irish aren’t growing as many priests these days; so fewer are becoming missionaries – a shame, I miss them.

Autbodus retired to a hermitage where he died. I rather like that idea!



I love you
Dad