MILLENNIUM MILESTONES & MEMORIES: TIME CAPSULES

Historical Events in Church Annals for February 3:

• 250 A.D.
  
• Death of Saint Celerinus, a Carthaginian from Africa who was tortured during the reign of the Roman emperor Decius while in Rome, but he escaped death and returned to Carthage where he was ordained a deacon of the Church by Saint Cyprian and there lived out his life ministering to the catechumens.

• 316 A.D.
  
• Death of Saint Blaze, Bishop and Martyr. For more on this saint, see DAILY LITURGY.

• 576 A.D.
  
• Death of Saint Laurence of Spoleto, Bishop and Healer. Known as "the Illuminator" for his special gift of healing the blind spiritually and physically as well. He was born in Syria but the Monophysitist heretics drove him out of his homeland. He ended up in Spoleto Italy where he not only was ordained a priest but founded a monastery as well before being chosen Bishop of that see.

• 619 A.D.
  
• Death of Saint Laurence of Canterbury, a devotee of Saint Augustine of Canterbury who followed the latter as head of the Archbishopric there. He was responsible for converting the English King to Christianity.

• 865 A.D.
  
• Death of Saint Ansgar, Bishop and "Apostle of the North." For details of this saint, see DAILY LITURGY.