Historical Events in Church Annals for July 7:

• 664 A.D.
• Death of Saint Ethelburga,nun and abbess who was also known as Saint Aubierge. She was the daughter of Anna, king of the East Angles. She died in Faremoutier, France.

• 739 A.D.
• Death of Saint Willibald, son of the West Saxon king Richard and Saint Boniface's cousin. Willibald was the first Englishman to make a pilgrimage to Rome in 721 as well as Jerusalem in 724 and Constantinople in 730. Though captured by Saracens, he was eventually released and spent ten years at Monte Cassino in Italy. Then Pope Saint Gregory III dispatched him to Germany where Boniface ordained him and where he ruled as bishop for forty five years before his death at Eichstatt.

• 1304 A.D.
• Death of Blessed Pope Benedict XI, 194th successor of Peter. Benedict was poisoned by eating a tainted fig placed in his dish by conspirators. He was born in Treviso and elected on October 27, 1303. During his one year pontificate he settled a difficult dispute with the king of France Philip IV, also known as Philip the Fair who wasn't exactly fair in his legendary disputes with Benedict's predecessor Pope Boniface VIII who considered the king a mortal enemy. Because he was a just and compassionate man, Benedict raised the ire of the unjust and those who felt they could do whatever they wanted to. This made him a a target of those he excommunicated, including Nagoret and his Italian accomplices who had done unspeakable acts in raiding Anagni. Because of the Pope's proper actions, he was bitterly persecuted by this group of sacriligeous dissidents and murdered.

• 1456 A.D.
• The French ecclesiastical court at Poitiers clear Saint Joan of Arc of all suspicion of heresy, allowing her to lead a crusade to retrieve the besieged city of Orleans.

Historical Events in Church Annals for July 8:

• 1153 A.D.
• Death of Blessed Pope Eugene III, 167th successor of Peter. He was forced to flee Rome several times because of the feuding and conniving Roman family power struggles, but he was able to complete the institution of the Sacred College and began construction of the Papal Palace.

• 1070 A.D.
• Death of Saint Godelina, who was strangled to death by her husband during childbirth. The child was born blind, but through Godelina's Heavenly intercession was healed.

• 1623 A.D.
• Death of Pope Gregory XV, 234th successor of Peter. During his two year reign he encouraged the Irish and assisted the Catholic restoration in France. Greatly interested in the missions, he instituted the Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith.

Historical Events in Church Annals for July 9:

• 162 A.D.
• Death of the seven martyrs who were the sons of Saint Felicitas during the persecution of the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius Antonius.

• 257 A.D.
• Death of Saint Rufina and Saint Secunda, sisters who died for the faith during the persecution of Roman Emperor Valerian.

• 938 A.D.
• Death of Pope Benedict VII, 135th successor of Peter. He was a man of great virtue who tried with all his might to stem the debauchery and the shameful ignorance which pervaded Italy and the Christian world. He was a proponent of instructing all in agriculture as a necessary means for survival and for utilizing God's gifts.

• 1073 A.D.
• Death of Saint Antony Pechersky, a hermit who is often referred to as St. Anthony of the Caves. He established the first Russian monastery for Russian monks in Russia and is considered the father of Russian monasticism.

• 1609 A.D.
• Establishment of the Catholic League and approval by Pope Paul V. This was an alliance of Catholic countries in fighting against the persecutions of Catholics, especially in England and Germany, and led by the Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand II.

July 7-9, 2000
volume 11, no. 118
MILLENNIUM MILESTONES

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