What is a Saint & What is a Martyr
Saint Stephen - First Martyr
Early on the term became restricted to men and women of eminent holiness of life. In its strictest ecclesiastical usage it applies only to those who have distinguished themselves by heroic virtue and who, after the scrutiny of the Church, have been declared saints by a solemn judgment of the pope. The juridical consequence of such declaration entitles the person to receive general veneration (not adoration) in the Universal Church. The earliest class of saints to receive distinct recognition was the martyrs. The name confessors as in confessor of the faith originally applied to those who evinced signal courage and constancy in professing the faith, but now refers to male saints who are not martyrs or sufferers for the faith. Women are venerated either as virgins, virgin-martyrs, or as widows.
Romans 5:7:
Saint Paul states, "Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die".
ST. ANDREW THE APOSTLE
The first Apostle. Fisherman by trade. Brother of Simon Peter. Follower of John the Baptist. Andrew went through life leading people to Jesus, both before and after the Crucifixion. Missionary in Asia Minor and Greece, and possibly areas in modern Russia and Poland. Martyred on an saltire (x-shaped) cross, he is said to have preached for two days from it.
Martyr
Andrew had converted multitudes to Christianity throughout the Mediterranean, including the wife of a Roman provincial governor in southern Greece; the governor, in turn, immediately ordered Andrew to be scourged and then crucified.
According to legend, Andrew's last words were: “Cross, sanctified by the body of Christ. Good Cross, long desired always, I loved you and wished to embrace you. Welcome me and bring me to my master.”
ST. BARNABAS THE APOSTLE
Levite Jewish convert, coming to the faith soon after Pentecost, taking the name Barnabas. Though not of the chosen Twelve Apostles, Barnabas is mentioned frequently in the Acts of the Apostles, is included among the prophets and doctors at Antioch, and is considered an Apostle. Companion of Saint Paul who introduced him to the Apostles. Like Paul, Barnabas believed in the Church‘s mission to Gentiles, and worked with him in Cyprus and Asia, but split with him over a non-theological matter. Evangelized in Cyprus with Saint Mark. Founded the Church in Antioch. Subject and possible author of some apocryphal works.
Martyr.
It relates that certain Jews coming to Syria and Salamis, where Barnabas was then preaching the gospel, being highly exasperated at his extraordinary success, fell upon him as he was disputing in the synagogue, dragged him out, and stoned him to death.
ST. BARTHOLOMEW THE APOSTLE
(Most scholars today identify Bartholomew as Nathanael)
One of the Twelve Apostles. Probably a close friend of Saint Philip; Bartholomew’s name is always mentioned in the Gospels in connection with Philip, and it was Philip who brought Bartholomew to Jesus. May have written a gospel, now lost; it is mentioned in other writings of the time. May have preached in Asia Minor, Ethiopia, India and Armenia; some one did, leaving behind assorted writings.
Martyr
Azerbaijani Christians believe that in the area near the Maiden Tower, the apostle Bartholomew was crucified and killed by pagans around 71 AD.
ST. JOHN THE APOSTLE
Son of Zebedee and Salome. Fisherman. Brother of Saint James the Greater, and called one of the Sons of Thunder. Disciple of Saint John the Baptist. Friend of Saint Peter the Apostle. Called by Jesus during the first year of His ministry, and traveled everywhere with Him, becoming so close as to be known as the beloved disciple. Took part in the Last Supper. The only one of the Twelve not to forsake the Saviour in the hour of His Passion, standing at the foot of the cross. Made guardian of Our Lady by Jesus, and he took her into his home. Upon hearing of the Resurrection, he was the first to reach the tomb; when he met the risen Lord at the lake of Tiberias, he was the first to recognize Him.
During the era of the new Church, he worked in Jerusalem and at Ephesus. During Jesus’ ministry, he tried to block a Samaritan from their group, but Jesus explained the open nature of the new Way, and he worked on that principle to found churches in Asia Minor and baptizing converts in Samaria. Imprisoned with Peter for preaching after Pentecost. Wrote the fourth Gospel, three Epistles, and possibly the Book of Revelation. Survived all his fellow apostles.
John the Apostle is traditionally believed to have died of natural causes at a very old age. He lived long enough to be the only apostle who did not die as a martyr, and he passed away in Ephesus, likely after AD 98.
ST. THADDEUS “JUDE'“ THE APOSTLE
Son of Cleophas, who died a martyr, and Mary who stood at the foot of the Cross, and who annointed Christ’s body after death. Brother of Saint James the Lesser. Nephew of Mary and Joseph; blood relative of Jesus Christ, and reported to look a lot like him. May have been a fisherman.
Wrote the canonical Epistle named for him. Preached in Syria, Mesopotamia, and Persia with Saint Simon. Tradition says that he and Saint Bartholomew were among the first to bring Christianity to Armenia. Jude was known to have the gift of healing, and to serve as an exorcist; he could exorcise pagan idols, which caused the demons to flee them and the statues to crumble.
His patronage of lost or impossible causes traditionally derives from confusion by many early Christians between Jude and the traitor Judas Iscariot; not understanding the difference between the names, they never prayed for Jude’s help, and devotion to him became something of a lost cause.
Martyr
Saint Thaddeus, also known as Saint Jude, is believed to have died a martyr's death, likely around the first century AD. Tradition holds that he was clubbed to death and then beheaded. While the exact location of his death is uncertain, it's thought to have been in what is now Syria, possibly in Persia.
ST. MATTHIAS THE APOSTLE
Apostle. As he could bear witness to the Resurrection of Jesus, he was chosen to replace Judas Iscariot. Preached the Gospel for more than 30 years in Judea, Cappadocia, Egypt and Ethiopia. Remembered for preaching the need for mortification of the flesh with regard to all its sensual and irregular desires.
After receiving the Holy Spirit with the other apostles on the day of Pentecost, he left to preach the gospel in Judea and Colchis
Martyr
St.Matthias is traditionally said to have been martyred by stoning and then beheading, though another tradition suggests he died of old age in Jerusalem.
ST. PETER THE APOSTLE
Professional fisherman. Brother of Saint Andrew the Apostle, the man who led him to Christ. Apostle. Renamed “Peter” (rock) by Jesus to indicate that Peter would be the rock-like foundation on which the Church would be built. Bishop. First Pope. Miracle worker.
St. Peter, one of Jesus's 12 Apostles, is considered the first Pope by the Catholic Church and is a prominent figure in early Christianity. He was the first to recognize Jesus as the Messiah and played a leading role in spreading the Gospel after Jesus's ascension. He is also associated with miraculous feats and the establishment of the Church in Rome.
Martyr
His execution was ordered by the Roman Emperor Nero, who blamed the city's Christians for a terrible fire that had ravaged Rome. Peter requested to be crucified upside down, as he felt unworthy to die in the same manner as Christ.
ST. PHILIP THE APOSTLE
Disciple of Saint John the Baptist. Convert. One of the Twelve Apostle. Brought Saint Nathanael to Christ. Confidant of Jesus. Little is known about him, but scriptural episodes give the impression of a shy, naive, but practical individual. Preached in Greece and Asia Minor.
He also participated in the miracle of the loaves and fishes, and later, according to tradition, preached in Greece, Syria, and Phrygia.
Martyr
Philip and Bartholomew were then crucified upside-down, and Philip preached from his cross. As a result of Philip's preaching the crowd released Bartholomew from his cross, but Philip insisted that they not release him, and Philip died on the cross.
ST. SIMON THE APOSTLE
Apostle. Called the Cananean or Zealot because of his zeal for the Jewish law; he was not from Cana, nor a member of the Zealot party. Like all the Apostles, he was a convert, and was trained by Saint Peter the Apostle. Evangelized in Egypt and Mesopotamia, though there are traditions of him being in several other locations. He was a martyr for the faith, but several places claim to have been the site of that, too.
Martyr
It was in Persia that Simon reportedly joined the apostle St. Jude, known as Jude Thaddeus, where they were both martyred. Simon was said to have died from being cut in half with a saw, which is why he is often pictured with a saw in iconographic imagery.
ST. THOMAS THE APOSTLE
He was ready to die with Jesus when Christ went to Jerusalem, but is best remembered for doubting the Resurrection until allowed to touch Christ’s wounds. Preached in Parthia, Persia and India, though he was so reluctant to start the mission that he had to be taken into slavery by a merchant headed that way. He eventually gave in to God‘s will, was freed, and planted the new Church over a wide area. He formed many parishes and built many churches along the way. An old tradition says that Thomas baptised the wise men from the Nativity into Christianity.
Martyr
The king, Misdeus (or Mizdeos), was infuriated when Thomas converted the queen Tertia, the king's son Juzanes, sister-in-law princess Mygdonia and her friend Markia. Misdeus led Thomas outside the city and ordered four soldiers to take him to the nearby hill, where the soldiers speared Thomas, killing him.
ST. JAMES THE GREATER APOSTLE
Son of Alphaeus
James the Greater (not to be confused with James the Lesser) was only one of three disciples to witness the Transfiguration on the Mount of Olives, when Jesus was spoken to by God. As part of the ‘inner three’ along with Peter and John, James, Jesus’ brother, also saw Jesus raise Jairus’ daughter from the dead, and attended the garden of Gethsemane with Jesus.
Martyr
The Acts of the Apostles records that "Herod the king" (usually identified with Herod Agrippa) had James executed by the sword. It has been suggests that this may have been caused by James' fiery temper, in which he and his brother earned the nickname Boanerges or "Sons of Thunder".
ST. JAMES THE LESSER APOSTLE
St. James the Less, the author of the first Catholic Epistle, was the son of Alphaeus of Cleophas. His mother Mary was either a sister or a close relative of the Blessed Virgin, and for that reason, according to Jewish custom, he was sometimes called the brother of the Lord. The Apostle held a distinguished position in the early Christian community of Jerusalem. St. Paul tells us he was a witness of the Resurrection of Christ; he is also a "pillar" of the Church, whom St. Paul consulted about the Gospel.
Martyr
According to tradition, he was the first Bishop of Jerusalem, and was at the Council of Jerusalem about the year 50. The historians Eusebius and Hegesippus relayed that St. James was martyred for the Faith by the Jews in the Spring of the year 62, although they greatly esteemed his person and had given him the surname of "James the Just."
JUDAS ISCARIOT APOSTLE
The Apostle who betrayed his Divine Master. Very little is told us in the Sacred Text concerning the history of Judas Iscariot beyond the bare facts of his call to the Apostolate, his treachery, and his death.
So again the repentance may be taken to imply that the traitor deceived himself by a false hope that after all Christ might pass through the midst of His enemies as He had done before at the brow of the mountain. And though the circumstances of the death of the traitor give too much reason to fear the worst, the Sacred Text does not distinctly reject the possibility of real repentance. And Origen strangely supposed that Judas hanged himself in order to seek Christ in the other world and ask His pardon
ST. PAUL
Born a Jew in Tarsus he was first called Saulus, and raised in Jerusalem, Paul was zealous for Jewish law and tradition. Paul saw the first Christians as a threat and persecuted them with all his might. (How he was converted), suddenly in the middle of the day there came a light over him from heaven, and a voice called out speaking thus: Saulus, Saulus, why dost thou persecute me? I am Jesus, that is the saviour of the world. And after that he received baptism and he was called Paulus by name, and he was the teacher of all the Christian nations, therefore he is called above all others the noble teacher of nations.
The "thirteenth apostle" is a term often applied to Saint Paul, though he was not one of the original twelve apostles. He is considered a thirteenth apostle because he was called personally by the Lord and became a witness of Christ's resurrection.
Martyr
'In the fourteenth year of Nero' on the same day with Saint Peter, Saint Paul was beheaded at Rome for Christ's sake and was buried in the Ostian way, this took place thirty-seventh year after our Lord's passion'.
ST. STEPHEN-SAINT & PROTOMARTYR
Stephen was one of the seven deacons chosen by the Apostles after the descent of the Holy Ghost (Pentacost). He announced the Gospel with such zeal and power that the wrath of the Jews was enkindled, and they dragged him before the judges, and preferred false charges against him. And speaking, Stephen confessed Christ, and openly rebuked the deicides there assembled. “And hearing these things” (says the Acts of the Apostles), “they were cut to the heart; and they gnashed with their teeth at him. . . . And he said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing at the right hand of God.
In Catholic tradition, the term "Protomartyr" refers to St. Stephen, who is considered the first Christian martyr. He was stoned to death for his faith in Jesus in Jerusalem. The word "protomartyr" is derived from Greek, meaning "first martyr".
Martyr
ST. JOHN THE BAPTISER
With St. John the Baptist, his life was about preparing the way for God and making room in people’s lives for Christ. For John, it is Christ who must occupy the central place. He and his truth must be the axle of the wheel around which everything else turns; his whole ministry of preaching and baptizing points toward Jesus. John’s vocation was not to point to himself but to Christ as Savior: “Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). Time and time again, John relativizes the significance of his own life in relation to that of Christ. When Jesus came to be baptized by him in the Jordan, John said to him: “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” (Matt. 3:14). John is not the bridegroom but “the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice” (John 3:29). John is not the light but came “to testify to the light. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world” (John 1:8-9). And when that light of Jesus finally appeared, John was happy to give way to him: “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30). This is why many of the images of John the Baptist in frescoes and mosaics in the early Church pictured him standing next to Christ, who appeared in the center, with John’s two arms outstretched and pointing to him.
Martyr
John the Baptist was beheaded by Herod Antipas, the ruler of Galilee, after criticizing his illegal marriage to Herodias, his brother's wife. John's criticism prompted Herod's imprisonment of John, who was then executed at the request of Herodias' daughter at a birthday celebration.
ST. JOSEPH
Everything we know about the husband of Mary and the foster father of Jesus comes from Scripture and that has seemed too little for those who made up legends about him.
We know he was a carpenter, a working man, for the skeptical Nazarenes ask about Jesus, "Is this not the carpenter's son?" (Matthew 13:55). He wasn't rich for when he took Jesus to the Temple to be circumcised and Mary to be purified he offered the sacrifice of two turtledoves or a pair of pigeons, allowed only for those who could not afford a lamb (Luke 2:24).
Despite his humble work and means, Joseph came from a royal lineage. Luke and Matthew disagree some about the details of Joseph's genealogy but they both mark his descent from David, the greatest king of Israel (Matthew 1:1-16 and Luke 3:23-38). Indeed the angel who first tells Joseph about Jesus greets him as "son of David," a royal title used also for Jesus.
We know Joseph was a compassionate, caring man. When he discovered Mary was pregnant after they had been betrothed, he knew the child was not his but was as yet unaware that she was carrying the Son of God. He knew women accused of adultery could be stoned to death, so he resolved to send her away quietly to not expose her to shame or cruelty. However, when an angel came to Joseph in a dream and told him, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins," he did as the angel told him and took Mary as his wife. (Matthew 1:19-25)
Since Joseph does not appear in Jesus' public life, at his death, or resurrection, many historians believe Joseph probably had died before Jesus entered public ministry.
The Blessed Virgin Mary
Mary, also known as St. Mary the Virgin, the Blessed Virgin Mary, Saint Mary, Mary Mother of God or the Virgin Mary is believed by many to be the greatest of all Christian saints. The Virgin Mother "was, after her Son, exalted by divine grace above all angels and men."
Living in Nazareth, Mary was visited by the archangel Gabriel, who announced to her that she would become the Mother of Jesus, by the Holy Spirit.
She became betrothed to St. Joseph and went to visit her cousin, Elizabeth, who was bearing St. John the Baptist. Acknowledged by Elizabeth as the Mother of God, Mary intoned the Magnificat.
Mary and Joseph presented Jesus in the Temple, where St. Simeon rejoiced and Mary received word of sorrows to come later. Warned to flee, St. Joseph and Mary went to Egypt to escape the wrath of King Herod. They remained in Egypt until King Herod died and then returned to Nazareth.
This special role of Mary in salvation history is clearly shown in the Gospel where she is seen constantly at her son's side during his soteriological mission. Because of this role, exemplified by her acceptance of Christ into her womb, her offering of him to God at the Temple, her urging him to perform his first miracle, and her standing at the foot of the Cross at Calvary Mary was joined fully in the sacrifice by Christ of himself.
The Catholic Church teaches that Mary died a natural death but was then assumed into Heaven, meaning her body and soul were taken up to Heaven. This is known as the Assumption of Mary.
Born in a farmhouse on March 27, 1935, in the middle of a haunting Oklahoma dust storm during the Great Depression, Stanley was the oldest of four children. The family worshipped at Holy Trinity Church, and the children attended Holy Trinity School from first to 12th grade in Okarche, a small German farming community northwest of Oklahoma City. Daily life for the Rother family was grounded in regular spiritual practices: Sunday Mass, Holy Hour, Benediction, daily Rosary at home, and daily Mass at the school, where Stanley loved to assist as an altar server. Everyone expected Stanley to follow his father into farming after high school graduation, but a special call had been quietly growing in his heart. So, instead, he entered the seminary for the then-Diocese of Oklahoma City and Tulsa—eventually graduating from Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, MD.
Five years after his ordination on May 25, 1963, Father Stanley volunteered for the Catholic Mission of Oklahoma in Santiago Atitlán, Guatemala. It was there that the 33-year-old priest encountered a call within a call—serving the Tz’utujil Mayan people for 13 years.
“Since the first of May 1980,” Father Stanley wrote in a letter to his superior, Oklahoma City’s Archbishop Charles Salatka, “there have been four priests killed here in the Country.
In his final Christmas letter from the Guatemala mission written to Oklahoma Catholics in 1980, Fr. Stanley concluded, “The shepherd cannot run at the first sign of danger. Pray for us that we may be a sign of the love of Christ for our people, that our presence among them will fortify them to endure these sufferings in preparation for the coming of the Kingdom.”
At 1:30 a.m., on July 28, 1981, three masked men broke into the rectory, found and beat Father Stanley, shooting him twice in the head.
In December of 2016, Pope Francis officially recognized Father Stanley Rother’s martyrdom, making him the first American-born martyr and the first priest born in the United States to be declared “Blessed” on September 23, 2017.
Blessed Stanley Rother
BLESSED STANLEY ROTHER SHRINE
OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA