Calendar Saints - The Month of August Quiz

Answer: Seller of purple

Lydia was from Thyatira and gained a considerable fortune by selling purple. At that time, purple was a dye that could only be made by exposing the secretion of some sea snails to sunlight. Each snail provided only one or two drops, and thus the dye was as expensive as silver (or nowadays saffron).
By the way, most dyes in that era were quite expensive - purple was only the most expensive dye.
When Lydia heard Saint Paul preach in Acts 16, she decided that her entire household should be christened at once.
I haven't found any hagiography dedicated to Saint Lydia Purpuraria (as she is mentioned with name and epithet on the Calendar of Saints). So the only information I can give you, besides what is found in the Bible texts, is that Lydia has been named patron saint of dyers. The reason is obvious.
Librarians and accountants have valuable professions, but they are not mentioned in the Bible.
The profession of interpreter is mentioned only twice, in passages that are rather trivial: Genesis 42:23 ("They did not realize that Joseph could understand them, since he was using an interpreter.") and First Corinthians 14:28 ("If there is no interpreter, the speaker should keep quiet in the church and speak to himself and to God.").

Answer: Abel

Abel of Lobbes was probably born in Ireland, maybe around 700. We don't know many details of his life before 744, the year he was appointed Archbishop in Reims (France). But although Abel had the blessing of the Pope and of the regional Church Counsel, someone else usurped the archbishopric. Abel then retired in the Abbey of Lobbes, where the monks almost immediately nominated him as their abbot. Abel died in 751. According to one source, he "died in the odour of sanctity" - a term susceptible to various interpretations. It might mean that someone dying with a clear conscience smells sweeter than someone burdened by guilt.
In Genesis 4, the Bible states that the first case of murder happened when Cain was enraged by the praise his brother Abel gained with a sacrifice. So Cain hit his brother over the head, killing him.
According to legend, Remus is another victim of fratricide. He and his brother Romulus were starting to build the city of Rome, when a quarrel broke out and Romulus killed his brother.
The Disney movie "The Lion King" invokes another fratricide: Scar lured his brother Mufasa into a stampede, thus having him killed.
In several Greek theatre plays, Oedipus' sons Eteocles and Polynices stab each other on the battlefield.

Answer: He founded a new congregation, the Theatines

Cajetan was born in Vicenza in 1480. He studied law at Padua and worked for a while as a diplomatic envoy. In 1516 Cajetan was ordained a priest and founded a hospital in Vicenza.
When Pope Adrian VI died in 1523, Cajetan decided to react to some serious mischief in the Roman Catholic Church. He founded a new religious congregation, named after the bishop of Chieti (a city known in Latin as Theate). The Bishop of Chieti, cofounder of this congregation, would later be elected Pope Paul IV. The Theatines called upon the clerics and upon lay people to lead a life of virtue.
Cajetan is patron saint of unemployed people and of Argentina. The Church of Saint Cajetan in Buenos Aires is crowded every August 7th by young Argentineans in search of a job.
"The Praise of Folly" was written by Desiderius Erasmus (1466-1536).
Martin Luther (1483-1546) postulated 95 demands. Legend has it that he himself nailed these postulates on the church door of Wittenberg, but probably a friend of his did so.
Thomas Wolsey (1473-1530) was Archbishop of York, Cardinal and Lord Chancellor. He appealed (in vain) to the Pope to get King Henry VIII a divorce from Catherine of Aragon.

Answer: White

Dominic de Guzman (1170-1221) was born in the Castile region in Spain, probably from noble parents. He studied theology and joined the Canons Regular in 1195. In 1214 Dominic felt the need to establish a new congregation, focused on preaching in the vernacular (not in Latin as was usual). The Order of the Preachers (as it is called officially) gained papal approval in 1216.
Dominicans wear a white scapular with a black cloak. For those of you unfamiliar with these terms, I'll explain that the habit (also known as the scapular) is a garment similar to a tunic or a dress. The cloak is a sleeveless garment worn over the habit, and can be used as an apron.

At the start of the Thirteenth Century (the period in which the Dominican Order and some other important religious congregations were founded), dyes were extremely expensive. Religious orders insisted on poor living (the vow of poverty), so most religious orders chose black, white, brown or grey garments.
The brown scapular is typical of the Carmelite Order.

Grey scapulars are typically associated with the Franciscan Order, nicknamed the "Greyfriars" in England.

The blue scapular is a quite recent garment. The Order of the Immaculate Conception is usually seen in a white scapular with a blue cloak, but some Sisters of the Immaculate Conception wear a blue scapular. In England these Sisters wear a blue habit.

Answer: Cooks

St. Lawrence was an archdeacon in Rome under Emperor Valerian. In 258, Valerian was trying desperately to find new sources of state income. The Emperor then requested the main clericals to hand over their wealth. When Lawrence showed the Emperor a crowd of beggars, blind, crippled and other Christians, Valerian was not amused (to put it very nicely). Lawrence was convicted and was executed on August 10th. The method of execution was (according to later stories, maybe founded upon some misinterpretation) slowly roasting on a gridiron. Legend has it that Lawrence was still joking whilst being tortured: "Turn me over, for this side is done".
Because of the method of execution, St. Lawrence was named patron saint of cooks. He is also patron saint of Rome, patron saint of Canada (where one of the main rivers carries his name), and patron saint of comedians, to name only a few of his patronages.
The patron saint of repentant thieves is Saint Dismas, the name given to the thief crucified with Christ and to whom Christ said "Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise." (Luke 23:43, New International Version).
One of the patron saints of wives (or married women) is Saint Monica, mother of Augustine of Hippo.
The patron saint of lovers is very well known: it is Saint Valentine.

Answer: Dog

Saint Roch was born in France around 1348, perhaps as a son to the local governor at Montpellier. He went on a pilgrimage to Rome when he was about twenty years old. On the way to Rome and on the return voyage, he spent some time nursing victims of the plague. When he was contaminated himself, he retired into the woods, where a dog came and brought him some food. According to traditional hagiographies, the dog licked Roch's wounds and thus helped to cure him.
Saint Roch died in prison after being falsely accused of espionage, probably in 1376 or 1379.
Wound licking might indeed help against some infections, for saliva contains some antibacterial agents. But there is little to no proof that a dog licking someone's wounds can cure the plague. Maybe this is a miracle related to Saint Roch.
The cow is the traditional pet of Bridget of Ireland.
In traditional art, it is usually St. Hubert or St. Eustache who sees a cross between the antlers of a deer buck.
Saint Jerome would have been accompanied by a pet lion, after Jerome removed a thorn from its paw.

Answer: Helena

Saint Helena was born about 250 in the region of Bithynia (nowadays northwest Turkey, at the Black Sea). Very little is known about her life before her marriage. One source has stated her profession to be that of a stable girl.
Helena married General Constantius Chlorus in 270, and gave birth to Constantine in 272. Presumably in 293, Constantius Chlorus divorced Helena to remarry a woman with more influence at the imperial palace.
Helena converted to Christianity when her son Constantine became Emperor and proclaimed that Christianity was one of the official religions throughout the Roman Empire.
In 328, at the advanced age of 78, Helena decided to go on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem and dug up several relics, including the True Cross, nails used during the crucifixion, a part of Christ's tunic and even a stretch of rope with which Jesus Christ was bound in His last hours.
These relics have been sent to various places. The rope is at the Stavrovouni Monastery in Cyprus, while the tunic was sent to Trier (Germany).
Helena found about thirty nails, while almost all professors of theology insist that Jesus was crucified with only three or four nails. However, nails found by Saint Helena can be admired in Rome, Milan and Monza (all in Italy), in Vienna (Austria), Trier (Germany) and Carpentras (France).
Parts of the True Cross have scattered throughout the Catholic world, up to the point that medieval scholars stated that all these parts put together would make up at least thousand crosses. (Inflation does not only hit national economies, but also Catholic relics.)
The mythical Helena was not from Troy, but was abducted thereto by Paris. Hecuba (wife of King Priam), Andromache (wife of prince Hector) and Cassandra (princess and prophetess, although no one believed her) all were part of the Trojan royal family.

Answer: Austria

Giuseppe Sarto (who would adopt the papal name Pius X) was born in a rather poor family in the region nowadays called Veneto (including Venice, Verona, Vicenza and Padua). He was ordained a priest in 1858 and rose to the ranks of Cardinal in 1893.
When Pope Leo XIII died in 1903, Cardinal Rampolla (the personal secretary of Leo XIII) was the favourite to be elected the next Pope. But after a veto by Emperor Franz-Joseph of Austria-Hungary, the College of Cardinals reconsidered and finally elected Giuseppe Sarto as Pope.
Sarto adopted the papal name Pius X and stressed some conservative tendencies within the Church. For example, he limited the use of Baroque music and reverted to Gregorian chant.
Pius X will probably best be remembered as the Pope who lowered the age for first communion from 13 to 7 years. Furthermore, he appointed a commission to unify canonical law.
At the time of Sarto's birth, Italy was not yet united as we know it now. The main states in Italy were the Duchy of Savoy (including Sardinia), the Papal States and the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. Veneto was one of the many regions in the Austrian Empire. Starting in 1849, Savoy undertook to unite Italy - a mission achieved in 1871.
The Italian region nowadays known as Veneto has a fascinating history. After the fall of the Roman Empire, Veneto was at first ruled by the Ostrogoths, and then became part of the Byzantine Empire. The Venetian Republic was founded in 697 and gradually increased her influence in the eastern part of the Mediterranean, conquering Crete and parts of Greece. This led to several wars with the Ottoman Empire (the Turks). In 1796, Napoleon conquered Veneto and the rest of Italy, and put a French general on the throne of the Italian Republic. After Napoleon was defeated, Veneto was handed over to Austria-Hungary.

Answer: Kings

Louis was born in 1214 and ascended to the throne at age twelve. During his reign many Gothic churches were erected.
He was a zealous Christian, going on Crusade not once but twice. The Seventh Crusade (1248-1254) started rather well for Louis, who soon captured the Egyptian harbour Damietta. But when the Egyptians retaliated, Louis lost his army and was taken prisoner. France had to pay an enormous ransom to free its king.
Having failed the previous Crusade in all regards, Louis went on a new Crusade in 1270. He landed near Tunis, but died during the siege of this city.
Saint Louis is the patron saint of kings, quite evidently. He is also patron saint of Crusaders and soldiers in general. Because of the many Gothic churches built during his reign, Louis was also declared patron saint of builders, stone masons, stonecutters and sculptors - all skilled professions involved in churchbuilding.
Saint Louis is also the patron saint of bridegrooms, although he married only once.
The patron saints of brides are female - with one single exception. The only male patron saint of brides is Saint Nicholas of Myra.
Saint Bernard of Clairvaux is one of the patron saints of candle makers.
Saint Isidore of Sevilla, the first to write an encyclopaedia, is the patron saints of computer users, computer technicians and the internet.

Answer: His mother is venerated on August 27th

Augustine was born in 354 in a small town now situated in Algeria. He studied rhetoric and adopted a lifestyle many students in the Twenty-First century allegedly would envy: drinks, a steadfast relationship, more drinks, even more drinks, and so on.
At the age of 30, Augustine was appointed teacher of rhetoric in Milan, and started philosophical conversations with Anselm, the Bishop of Milan. This series of conversations led to Augustine's conversion. He was ordained a priest in 386 and went back to Africa, where he became Bishop of Hippo (nowadays situated in Tunisia) in 395.
Augustine was also a prolific writer. His "Confessiones" is an autobiography in which he doesn't avoid confessing his sins (hence the title). His major work "De civitate Dei" ("The City of God") deals with various philosophical issues.
There is at least one executioner declared a saint. In 303, a young girl named Fausta was captured and tortured for being a Christian. Her faith convinced the executing judge, Evilasius, to convert to Christianity, whereupon he too was martyred. Fausta and Evilasius share their name day (September 20th).
January 2nd is the day that two different saints bearing (almost) the same name are venerated. These saints are St. Adalard, grandson of Charles Martel, and St. Adelard, nephew of Charles Martel. Adalard died in 821 and Adelard died in 827.
Doctor of the Church is a title bestowed upon 33 saints known for their contributions to theology, doctrine or moral standards (in the Christian sense, of course: we're dealing with Christian saints). Some of the best known Doctors of the Church are Jerome (feast day September 30th), Thomas Aquinas (January 28th), and Theresa of Avila (October 15th). Only two Doctors of the Church share their name day: Basil the Great and Gregory of Nazianzus both are venerated on January 2nd.