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Gerard was born to pious noble parents in Venice in the late tenth century. After several years as a Benedictine monk, Gerard was inspired to make pilgrimage to the Holy Land. As he made his way through Hungary, his great piety became known to King St. Stephen, who summoned the monk and requested that he remain in Hungary and evangelize. Gerard agreed, and found such success with his preaching that the happy king nominated him as bishop of Csanád, which the Pope approved. Gerard’s great love of the poor and devotion to reverent and well-celebrated liturgy ensured even further success. After Stephen’s death, the throne of Hungary was contested for several years. In the year of Our Lord 1046, the crown was offered to Stephen’s relative Andrew, on the condition that he restore paganism in Hungary. Gerard and three other bishops traveled to intercede, but, as Gerard predicted, they were attacked by pagan conspirators, who murdered Gerard and two others. Andrew arrived in time to rescue the fourth bishop, and throughout his subsequent reign the king upheld the true faith. Gerard, the “Apostle of Hungary”, was later canonized alongside his patron King Stephen and Stephen’s son Prince Emeric.
THE feast of our Lady of Ransom.
At Autun, the birthday of the holy martyrs, Andochius, priest, Thyrsus, deacon, and Felix, who were sent from the East by blessed Polycarp, bishop of Smyrna, to preach in Gaul, where they were most severely scourged, hanged up a whole day by the hands, and cast into the fire. Remaining uninjured, they had their necks broken with heavy bars, and thus won a most glorious crown.
In Egypt, the holy martyrs Paphnutius and his companions. Whilst leading a solitary life, St. Paphnutius heard that many Christians were kept in bonds, and, moved by the spirit of God, he voluntarily offered himself to the prefect, and freely confessed the Christian faith. By him he was bound with iron chains, and a long time tortured on the rack. Then, being sent with many others to Diocletian, he was fastened by his order to a palm tree, and the rest were struck with the sword.
At Chalcedon, forty-nine holy martyrs, who, after the martyrdom of St. Euphemia, under the emperor Diocletian, were condemned to be devoured by the beasts, but being miraculously delivered, were finally struck with the sword, and went to heaven.
In Hungary, St. Gerard, bishop and martyr, called the Apostle of the Hungarians. He belonged to the nobility of Venice, and was the first to shed upon his country the glory of martyrdom.
At Clermont, in Auvergne, the departure out of this life of St. Rusticus, bishop and confessor.
In the diocese of Beauvais, St. Geremarus, abbot.
℣. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
℟. Thanks be to God.