September 16

Today is September 16th.

Saint Cornelius

Died in 253

Reason for sainthood: Pope Cornelius, during a time of persecution under Emperor Gallus, was exiled by the Roman authorities. He refused to compromise the Church during a time of great politicial pressure and upheavel. Cornelius was exiled to Centumcellae, where he died in 253 due to hardships of his exile.

Patron Saint of earache sufferers, epileptics, fevers, twitching, cattle, and domestic animals.

For more information, see here.

Saint Euphemia

Died in 303

Reason for sainthood: She was arrested, along with 49 other Christians, and tortured for not paying tribute to Ares, god of war in ancient Greece, during the Great Persecution under Roman emperor Diocletian. She was killed from a wound inflicted by a bear in the arena at Chalcedon and is seen as a martyr of the Church.

Patron Saint of protection against natural disasters, mainly earthquakes, and is very strongly linked to the defense of doctrinal truth in Christian theology, mostly in Orthodox circles.

More widely known in the Orthodox Church rather than the Roman Catholic Church, even though she is recognized as a Catholic Saint.

For more information, see here.