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St. Serapion lived circa 252. He was martyred in Alexandria, Egypt, when anti-Christian riots broke out in the city. A mob threw him from his roof, and he died.

St. Nicholas I was born circa 825 in Rome. He became pope in 858. The pope tried to make the Holy See stronger, and he also found solutions for religious disputes. For example, he affirmed a bishop’s right to appeal against his archbishop to Rome. St. Nicholas I died in 867.

St. Martin of Tours was born circa 316 in present-day Hungary. He became a Christian when he was a teenager and served in the Roman army. In France, he gave his officer’s cloak to a beggar. He then had a vision that Christ was wearing his cloak. Later on, he spent 10 years living as a hermit; during this time, he attracted other monks and formed a Benedictine abbey. Martin became bishop of Tours in 372. He died Nov. 8, 397, in France. He was the first non-martyr to get the cultus of a saint. St. Martin of Tours is patron saint of soldiers and beggars.

St. Leo the Great was born to a noble family in Tuscany, Italy, circa 400. This priest led the church as pope from 440-461, during Attila the Hun’s invasion. When Attila was invading Rome, Leo greeted him and asked for leave. As Leo was speaking, Attila had a vision of a man carrying a sword; the man said he would kill him if he did not listen to Pope Leo. Some believe that the man in the vision was St. Peter because St. Leo had a devotion to him. St. Leo called the Council of Chalcedon to condemn heresies. This saint wrote sermons to encourage Christians, and some of these sermons are still intact. He died in Rome in 461 and was proclaimed a doctor of the church in 1574.

Today is the dedication of St. John Lateran Basilica in Rome.

Today is the feast of the four crowned martyrs, St. Castorus, St. Claudius, St. Nicostratus and St. Simpronian. Living in the third century, they were masons. After they refused to carve an idol for Diocletian, they were martyred. The four crowned martyrs are patron saints of masons and sculptors.

St. Willibrord was born in Northumbria, England, in 658. This son of St. Hilgis was educated under St. Egbert. A Benedictine monk, he served as a missionary in Friesland and Luxembourg. He was the founding bishop of Utrecht in the Netherlands in 695, and he founded monasteries. He died Nov. 7, 739. St. Willibrord is patron saint of epileptics, Luxembourg and the Netherlands.

St. Leonard of Noblac lived in the sixth century. Part of the Frankish nobility, he was a member of the court of King Clovis I. The king won a battle when St. Leonard called on God for help. After this victory, St. Remigius converted the king to Christianity and brought thousands to Christianity with him. St. Leonard entered a monastery and later lived in a forest where he converted many. This saint converted prisoners. He died circa 559. St. Leonard of Noblac is patron saint of prisoners.

Today is the feast of All Souls. This feast commemorates all of the faithful departed. The feast began as a remembrance among members of religious orders, but it was adopted by dioceses and eventually by the entire church.

Today is the feast of All Saints. It originated circa 609 when Pope Boniface IV dedicated the Pantheon to honor the Virgin Mary and the martyrs, although the day was celebrated May 13. However, Pope Gregory III consecrated a basilica in the Vatican to honor all saints, and he chose Nov. 1 as their feast. Pope Gregory IV decided the entire church would observe the feast on that day. All Saints’ Day is a holy day of obligation.

St. Wolfgang was born in Swabia, Germany, in 924. This Benedictine monk was a teacher and director of an abbey school; he also served as abbey prior in 970. He evangelized in what is now Hungary and lived as a missionary in Pannonia. The priest became bishop of what is now Regensberg, Germany, in 972. A great preacher and teacher, St. Wolfgang cared for lay people and tutored future emperor St. Henry II. He died Oct. 31, 994. St. Wolfgang is patron saint of Regensberg, Germany; stroke victims; and stomach diseases.

St. Abraham of Rostov was born in the 10th century in Russia. He converted to Christianity in his youth after being cured from illness through prayer. He became a monk, evangelized and became a preacher in Rostov, Russia. According to a legend, Abraham received a staff from a vision of St. John the Divine so that he could smash a pagan stone idol. This saint built a monastery and two churches. He also began charitable organizations. As an abbot, he served others.