Waterside Parish

Saint Narcissus of Jerusalem was an early bishop of Jerusalem, traditionally numbered the thirtieth in succession from the apostles, and is venerated as a confessor. He was born about the year 99, of Greek origin, and became bishop of Jerusalem, then called Aelia Capitolina, when he was already about eighty years old, around 180 or 185. Eusebius of Caesarea records that he was known for his holiness, austerity, and zeal for discipline. In 195 he and Theophilus, bishop of Caesarea, presided over a council of Palestinian bishops held at Caesarea that decreed Easter should always be celebrated on a Sunday rather than on the date of the Jewish Passover. Eusebius also preserves the memory of a miracle attributed to him: on the eve of Easter the oil for the church lamps ran out; Narcissus ordered water to be brought, prayed over it, and directed that it be poured into the lamps, whereupon it was found to have been changed into oil. Some members of the community later brought serious false accusations against him. Rather than defend himself, Narcissus withdrew into solitude in the desert and lived for several years as an ascetic. During his absence the see was occupied successively by Dius, Germanion, and Gordius. According to the tradition recorded by Eusebius, the three principal accusers suffered the very punishments they had invoked in their oaths: one perished by fire, the second was stricken with leprosy, and the third, repenting, publicly confessed the calumny and later lost his sight through continual weeping. Narcissus then returned, was vindicated, and was urged by the faithful to resume the episcopate. In extreme old age he appointed Saint Alexander of Cappadocia as his coadjutor. Alexander, in a letter, refers to Narcissus as still living at about one hundred and sixteen years of age and exhorting the faithful to unity. Narcissus is said to have died peacefully about 212 or 216, traditionally while at prayer, at the age of approximately one hundred and seventeen. Some Eastern sources speak of him as a hieromartyr, but the Western tradition remembers him principally as a confessor and miracle-worker. His feast is kept on 29 October in the Roman calendar and on 7 August in the Eastern Orthodox calendar. (He is not to be confused with Narcissus of the Seventy, bishop of Athens).

Saint Cornelius the Centurion was a Roman officer stationed at Caesarea Maritima who became one of the first Gentile converts to Christianity. According to the Acts of the Apostles, he was a devout man who feared God, gave alms generously to the Jewish people, and prayed constantly. An angel appeared to him and instructed him to send for the apostle Peter, who was then at Joppa. Peter, after receiving a vision in which he was told that no food or person should be called unclean, went to Caesarea. When he arrived, Cornelius and his household had gathered to hear him. Peter proclaimed the gospel, and while he was still speaking the Holy Spirit fell upon all who heard. Cornelius and the others were then baptized, marking the opening of the Christian community to the Gentiles. Early tradition holds that Cornelius later became the first bishop of Caesarea. He is venerated as a saint in the Catholic and Orthodox Churches. His feast is celebrated on 20 October in the Roman calendar and on 13 September in some Eastern calendars. He is remembered as a model of faith and as the instrument through which the Church first received uncircumcised converts.

Saint Paul of the Cross, also known as Paolo della Croce, was an Italian priest and the founder of the Passionists. He was born Paolo Francesco Danei on 3 January 1694 in Ovada, in the Republic of Genoa, the second of sixteen children. From his youth he practiced severe penance and felt a strong call to a life of prayer and solitude. In 1720, after a vision of the Blessed Virgin Mary wearing a black habit with a heart and cross, he received the inspiration to found a congregation dedicated to the Passion of Christ. He made a forty-day retreat and wrote the first rule, then traveled to Rome seeking approval. He was ordained a priest in 1727 and began preaching missions throughout Italy, emphasizing the Passion as the greatest expression of God’s love. With his brother John Baptist he gathered companions and established the first community at Monte Argentario. The Congregation of the Passion received papal approval in 1741 and grew slowly despite poverty and opposition. Paul continued to give missions, write letters of spiritual direction, and guide the order until old age. He died in Rome on 18 October 1775. He was beatified in 1853 and canonized by Pope Pius IX on 29 June 1867. His feast is celebrated on 19 October. He is remembered for his intense devotion to the Passion of Christ, his austere life, and the foundation of the Passionist congregation, which continues his mission of preaching and contemplation.

Saint Luke the Evangelist, companion of Saint Paul, and the traditional author of the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles. He is believed to have been a Gentile from Antioch in Syria, born in the early first century. Paul refers to him as the beloved physician in Colossians, and early writers such as Eusebius and Jerome identify him as a doctor. Passages in Acts written in the first person plural indicate that he traveled with Paul on parts of his missionary journeys, including from Troas into Macedonia and later to Jerusalem and Rome, remaining with him during his imprisonments. He is the only companion mentioned as still with Paul near the end of his life. Luke’s Gospel emphasizes mercy, the poor, women, and Gentiles, and includes unique material such as the Annunciation, the Visitation, the Nativity, the Parable of the Good Samaritan, and the Prodigal Son. Together with Acts, his writings form the largest portion of the New Testament by any single author. Tradition holds that he gathered information from eyewitnesses, including possibly Mary, and that he wrote for a Gentile audience. Some early accounts say he was one of the seventy disciples or the companion of Cleopas on the road to Emmaus. After Paul’s martyrdom, tradition states that Luke continued to preach, particularly in Greece, and died at about the age of eighty-four in Thebes in Boeotia. Some sources say he died peacefully; others claim he was martyred by hanging or crucifixion. His relics were later transferred to Constantinople and portions to Padua. He is the patron of physicians, artists, and painters. A later tradition credits him with painting the first icons of the Virgin Mary. His feast is celebrated on 18 October, and his symbol is a winged ox.