ALL SAINTS CELEBRATED IN FEBRUARY
Saints celebrated on the 16th February
Prayer to the Angels and the Saints
Heavenly Father, in praising Your Angels and Saints we praise Your glory, for by honouring them we honour You, their Creator. Their splendour shows us Your greatness, which infinitely surpasses that of all creation.
In Your loving providence, You saw fit to send Your Angels to watch over us. Grant that we may always be under their protection and one day enjoy their company in heaven.
Heavenly Father, You are glorified in Your Saints, for their glory is the crowning of Your gifts. You provide an example for us by their lives on earth, You give us their friendship by our communion with them, You grant us strength and protection through their prayer for the Church, and You spur us on to victory over evil and the prize of eternal glory by this great company of witnesses.
Grant that we who aspire to take part in their joy may be filled with the Spirit that blessed their lives, so that, after sharing their faith on earth, we may also experience their peace in heaven. Amen.
ST TANCO, BISHOP OF VERDEN, MARTYR
(Saint Tanco [Tanko], or Tatta, Bishop and Martyr, Native of Scotland)
Patton [Patto], abbot of Amabaric, in Scotland, passing into Germany to preach the gospel, was chosen bishop of Verden. Tanco, who had served God many years in that abbey in great reputation for his singular learning and piety, was raised to the dignity of abbot.
HE FOLLOWED IN PATTON'S FOOTSTEPS
Out of an ardent thirst after martyrdom, he resigned this charge, and followed his countryman and predecessor into Germany, where, after some time, he succeeded him in the see of Verden, of which he was the third bishop.
A VERY SUCCESSFUL PREACHER
His success in propagating the faith was exceedingly great, but it was to him a subject of inexpressible grief to see many who professed themselves Christians, live enslaved to shameful passions.
HE PREACHED AGAINST THE VICES WHICH REIGNED AMONGST THEM
In order to convert, or at least to confound them, he preached a most zealous sermon against the vices which reigned amongst them; at which a barbarous mob was so enraged as fiercely to assault him; and one of them, stabbing him with a lance, procured him the glorious crown of martyrdom, about the year 815.
(From Fr Butler's Lives of the Saints)
[SCOTTISH MISSIONARIES TO GERMANY]:
Amongst the Scots who settled in Germany, and made a rapid progress in the conversion of infidels, several were raised to the episcopal dignity; as
1. St Sidonius bishop of Passau, who was the companion of St Virgilius of Salzburg, and who is mentioned in the life of this saint published by Canisius.
2. St Tanco, third bishop of Verden, who was martyred in 815, and is honoured on February 16.
3. St Patto, who succeeded Swidbert in the see of Verden: he was in great favour with Charlemagne, and is mentioned in the Scottish and German calendars on March 13 and March 30. Molanus asserts that both Tanco and Patto were ranked by the pope in the number of the saints, in the time of Havunch, eighth bishop of Verden.
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