Monday 29th, The Passion of St. John the Baptist. “His birth brought great rejoicing… He alone of the prophets pointed out the Lamb of redemption…He baptised the author of Baptism and was privileged to bear him supreme witness by the shedding of his blood.” This quote is part of the preface of the Mass on this feast day and points out some of his acts of witness to Christ including his martyrdom.
Tuesday 30th, St Fiacre, was an Irishman who went abroad to seek a hermitage. He passed through Normandy and eventually met Faro, who was a great patron of Irish pilgrims at Meaux. Fiacre was given a hermitage near Breuil and there he stayed until his death around 670.
Wednesday 31st, St. Aidan of Lindisfarne, was of Irish descent and was a monk of Iona. When Oswald, the exiled King of Northumbria who had fled for refuge to Iona, returned to his throne in 634, he invited Aidan to come to reconvert his people. Aidan made his headquarters at Lindisfarne. With the aid of the king as interpreter he was very successful in his mission. He died in 651.
Saturday 3rd September, St. Gregory the Great: 540-604, Roman noble who was Prefect of the City before becoming’a monk. As pope he established a pattern for the papacy in years to come, calling himself ‘servant of the servants of Christ’. He sent missions to Lombardy, Sardinia and England. Patron of musicians.