Incorruptibility is a Catholic and Eastern Orthodox belief that supernatural intervention allows some human bodies to not undergo the normal process of decomposition after death. Bodies that reportedly undergo little or no decomposition are sometimes referred to as incorrupt or incorruptible
(adjective) or as an incorruptible
(noun). Although it is recognised as supernatural in Catholicism, it is no longer counted as a miracle in the recognition of a saint.
Incorruptibility is seen as distinct from the good preservation of a body, or
mummificationA mummy is a corpse whose skin and organs have been preserved by either intentional or incidental exposure to chemicals, extreme coldness, very low humidity, or lack of air when bodies are submerged in bogs...
.
Incorruptibility is a Catholic and Eastern Orthodox belief that supernatural intervention allows some human bodies to not undergo the normal process of decomposition after death. Bodies that reportedly undergo little or no decomposition are sometimes referred to as incorrupt or incorruptible
(adjective) or as an incorruptible
(noun). Although it is recognised as supernatural in Catholicism, it is no longer counted as a miracle in the recognition of a saint.
Incorruptibility is seen as distinct from the good preservation of a body, or
mummificationA mummy is a corpse whose skin and organs have been preserved by either intentional or incidental exposure to chemicals, extreme coldness, very low humidity, or lack of air when bodies are submerged in bogs...
. Incorruptible bodies are often said to have the
Odour of SanctityThe Odour of Sanctity or Odor of Sanctity, according to the Catholic Church, is commonly understood to mean a specific scent that emanates from the bodies of saints, especially from the wounds of stigmata...
, exuding a sweet and pleasant aroma. As of yet, none of these cases have been verified scientifically.
Incorruptibility in Christianity
In
CatholicCatholicism is a broad term for the body of the Catholic faith, its theologies and doctrines, its liturgical, ethical, spiritual, and behavioral characteristics, as well as a religious people as a whole...
and
OrthodoxThe Orthodox Church, also officially called the Orthodox Catholic Church and commonly referred to in English speaking countries as the Eastern Orthodox Church, is the world's second largest Christian communion, estimated to number 225 million members...
church, if a body remains incorruptible after death, this is generally seen by Catholic and Orthodox Christian cultures to be a sign that the individual is a
saintSaints, individuals of exceptional holiness, are significant in many religions, particularly Christianity.-General characteristics :Though the term is mostly used for Christians considered holy or virtuous, many religions use similar concepts to elevate people worthy of respect, e.g. see Hindu...
, although not every saint is expected to have an incorruptible corpse.
When the Catholic Church recognized incorruptibles, a body was not deemed incorruptible if it had undergone an
embalmingEmbalming, in most modern cultures, is the art and science of temporarily preserving human remains to forestall decomposition and to make them suitable for display at a funeral. The three goals of embalming are thus sanitization, presentation and preservation of a dead body to achieve this effect...
process or other means of preserving the dead, or if it has become stiff, as do all normal corpses, even when the best preservation techniques are used. Incorruptible saints are to remain completely flexible, as if they were only sleeping. (See the book,
The Incorruptibles, referenced below.) As such, although the body of
Pope John XXIIIBlessed Pope John XXIII , born Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli , known as Blessed John XXIII since his beatification, was elected as the 261st Pope of the Roman Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City on October 28, 1958.He called the Second Vatican Council but did not live to see it to completion,...
remains in a remarkably intact state, after its exhumation, Church officials quickly pointed out that the pope's body had been embalmed and that there was a lack of oxygen in his sealed triple coffin.
In the Orthodox Church, incorruptibility continues to be an important element in the process of canonization (q.v.). An important distinction is made between natural
mummificationA mummy is a corpse whose skin and organs have been preserved by either intentional or incidental exposure to chemicals, extreme coldness, very low humidity, or lack of air when bodies are submerged in bogs...
and supernatural incorruptibility. In
The Brothers KaramazovThe Brothers Karamazov is the final novel by the Russian author Fyodor Dostoyevsky. Dostoyevsky spent nearly two years writing The Brothers Karamazov, which was published as a serial in The Russian Messenger and completed in November 1880...
, the 1880 novel by Dostoyevsky, the body of the newly-deceased
StaretsA starets is an elder of a Russian Orthodox monastery who functions as venerated adviser and teacher. Elders or spiritual fathers are charismatic spiritual leaders whose wisdom stems from God as obtained from ascetic experience...
(monastic elder) Zossima began to decay noticeably even during his funeral
wakeA wake is a ceremony associated with death. Traditionally, a wake takes place in the house of the deceased, with the body present; however, modern wakes are often performed at a funeral home or a relative's home after the ceremony....
, which caused a great scandal in his
monasteryMonastery , a term derived from the Greek word μοναστήριον, neut. of μοναστήριος - monasterios denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer Monastery (plural: monasteries), a term derived from the Greek word μοναστήριον, neut. of μοναστήριος - monasterios...
and among the townsfolk, who fully expected that he would be incorrupt.
Causes
The two main positions on incorruptibility can be summarized as an argument for a spiritual cause, or an argument for a physical or environmental cause.
The argument for a spiritual cause may include a belief that the pious nature of the individual in some way permeated the flesh (a metaphysical cause having a physical effect), or a belief that decomposition was prevented by the intervention of God as the body will be resurrected later.
The argument for a physical cause includes a belief that the corpse has been subjected to environmental conditions such that decomposition is significantly slowed. There are a number of ways of retarding decomposition, but the mechanism commonly stated is that of
saponificationSaponification is the hydrolysis of an ester under basic conditions to form an alcohol and the salt of a carboxylic acid . Saponification is commonly used to refer to the reaction of a metallic alkali with a fat or oil to form soap. Saponifiable substances are those that can be converted into...
. Another environmental condition that can be the cause of retarding decomposition is a burial ground that is cool and dry. The retardation of decomposition also occurs if the ground is composed of soil that is high in certain compounds that bring the bodies' moisture to the surface of the skin. It is also suggested that bodies with low amounts of muscle and body fat tend to resist decomposition better.
Instances of claimed incorruptibility
Among the saints and holy men and women whose bodies are said to be or have been incorrupt are (also see list in
The IncorruptiblesThe Incorruptibles: A Study of the Incorruption of the Bodies of Various Catholic Saints and Beati is a book by Joan Carroll Cruz, OCDS, published in 1977...
):
Priests, monastics and laypersons
- St. Adrian of Ondrusov
Venerable Adrian of Ondrusov was a Russian Orthodox monk and saint, venerated as a Wonderworker.Born Andrew Zavalushin into a noble family, he was the owner of a rich estate , which was located not far from the monastery of Saint Alexander of Svir...
— Russian Orthodox monkA monk is a person who practices religious asceticism, living either alone or with any number of monks, whilst always maintaining some degree of physical separation from those not sharing the same purpose...
and martyrA martyr is somebody who suffers persecution and death for refusing to renounce a belief, usually religious.-Meaning:...
- St. Adrian of Poshekhon
Venerable Adrian of Poshekhon , was a Russian Orthodox monk and iconographer, who was the founder and first igumen of the Dormition monastery in Poshekhon, north Yaroslavl region. He is commemorated as a saint in the Eastern Orthodox Church....
— Russian Orthodox monk and martyr
- St. Agnes of Montepulciano
Saint Agnes of Montepulciano was born into a noble family in Gracciano, a small village near Montepulciano in Tuscany, Italy where, at the age of nine, she entered the monastery ....
— Roman Catholic nunA Nun, or also known as a Sister in some cases, is a woman who has taken special vows committing her to a religious life. She may be an ascetic who voluntarily chooses to leave mainstream society and live her life in prayer and contemplation in a monastery or convent...
- St. Alexander of Svir
Alexander-Svirsky Monastery is a Russian Orthodox monastery situated deep in the woods of the Leningrad Oblast, just south from its border with the Republic of Karelia...
— Russian Orthodox monk
- St. Alphege — Roman Catholic
- St. Amphilochius of Pochayiv — Orthodox
The Orthodox Church, also officially called the Orthodox Catholic Church and commonly referred to in English speaking countries as the Eastern Orthodox Church, is the world's second largest Christian communion, estimated to number 225 million members...
monkA monk is a person who practices religious asceticism, living either alone or with any number of monks, whilst always maintaining some degree of physical separation from those not sharing the same purpose...
from western UkraineUkraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Russia to the east; Belarus to the north; Poland, Slovakia, and Hungary to the west; Romania and Moldova to the southwest; and the Black Sea and Sea of Azov to the south. The city of Kiev is both the capital and the largest city of...
, lived in Soviet times
- Blessed André Bessette
André Bessette, also called Blessed Brother Andre, was a Holy Cross Brother and a significant figure of the Roman Catholic Church among French-Canadians, credited with thousands of reported miraculous healings.-Early life:Bessette was born in Saint-Grégoire d'Iberville, Quebec André Bessette,...
— Roman Catholic Holy Cross Brother
- St. Andrew Bobola
Saint Andrew Bobola was a Jesuit missionary and martyr, known as "an Apostle of Pinszczyzna" and "a hunter of souls".-Biography:...
- Roman Catholic Jesuit priest
- St. Angela Merici
Saint Angela Merici or Saint Angela de Merici was an Italian religious leader and saint. She founded the Order of Ursulines in 1535 in Brescia....
— Roman Catholic nun
- St. Angela of the Cross — Roman Catholic nun
- Blessed Angelina of Spoleto — Roman Catholic nun
- Blessed Anna Marie Taigi — Roman Catholic
- Sts. Anthony, John, and Eustathios
Anthony, John, and Eustathius are saints and martyrs of the Russian Orthodox Church. Their feast day is celebrated on April 14 in the horlogion....
— Russian Orthodox martyrA martyr is somebody who suffers persecution and death for refusing to renounce a belief, usually religious.-Meaning:...
s of VilniusVilnius Vilnius Vilnius as of 2008. It is the seat of the Vilnius city municipality and of the Vilnius district municipality. It is also the...
- St. Benedict the Black — Roman Catholic monk
- St. Bernadette
Saint Bernadette ; January 7, 1844April 16, 1879), was a miller's daughter from the town of Lourdes in southern France...
— visionaryDefined narrowly, a visionary is one who purportedly experiences a vision or apparition connected to the supernatural. At times this involves seeing into the future. The visionary state is achieved via meditation, drugs, lucid dreams, day dreams, or art...
of LourdesLourdes is a commune in the Hautes-Pyrénées department in south-western France.Lourdes is a small market town lying in the foothills of the Pyrenees, famous for the Marian apparitions of Our Lady of Lourdes that are reported to have occurred in 1858 to Bernadette Soubirous...
, Roman Catholic nun
- Blessed Betrando de Genies — Roman Catholic
- Blessed Broken Alberto Incogneus - Discordian
- St. Catherine of Bologna
Saint Catherine of Bologna was an Italian saint.The patron saint of artists and against temptations, Catherine de'Vigri was venerated for nearly three centuries in her native Bologna before being formally canonized, in 1712...
— Roman Catholic
- St. Catherine Labouré
Saint Catherine Labouré was a sister of the Daughters of Charity and a Marian visionary who claimed to have relayed the request from the Blessed Virgin Mary to create the Miraculous Medal worn by millions of Catholics and even non-Catholics today.- Early life :She was born in the house of farmer...
— Roman Catholic nun
- St. Catherine of Siena
Saint Catherine of Siena, O.P. was a tertiary of the Dominican Order, and a Scholastic philosopher and theologian. She also worked to bring the Papacy back to Rome from its displacement in France, and to establish peace among the Italian city-states. She was proclaimed a Doctor of the Church in 1970...
-Roman Catholic nun and mysticMysticism is the pursuit of communion with, identity with, or conscious awareness of an ultimate reality, divinity, spiritual truth, or God through direct experience, intuition, instinct or insight. Mysticism usually centers on a practice or practices intended to nurture those experiences or...
- St. Catherine Tomás - Roman Catholic nun
- St. Cecilia — Roman Catholic martyr
A martyr is somebody who suffers persecution and death for refusing to renounce a belief, usually religious.-Meaning:...
- St. Charbel Maklouf
Saint Charbel , or Sharbel, , born as Youssef Antoun Makhlouf in Bekaa Kafra in northern Lebanon, was a Maronite Catholic monk and priest, now venerated as a saint.-Life:...
— Maronite (Eastern Catholic) monk
- St. Charles Seeze — Roman Catholic monk, mystic and stigmatist
Stigmata are bodily marks, sores, or sensations of pain in locations corresponding to the crucifixion wounds of Jesus. The term originates from the line at the end of Saint Paul's "Letter to the Galatians" where he says, "I bear on my body the stígmata of Jesus" - stigmata is the plural of the...
- St. Clare of Assisi
Saint Clare of Assisi, born Chiara Offreduccio is an Italian saint and one of the first followers of Saint Francis of Assisi. She founded the Order of Poor Ladies, a monastic religious order for women in the Franciscan tradition...
— Roman Catholic nun
- St. Clare of Montefalco
Saint Clare of Montefalco , also called Saint Clare of the Cross , was an Augustinian nun and abbess. Before becoming a nun, St. Clare was a member of the Third Order of St. Francis . She was canonized by Pope Leo XIII on December 8, 1881.-Life:She was born at Montefalco, in Umbria, likely in the...
— Roman Catholic nun
- Blessed Dominic Barberi - Roman Catholic missionary
A missionary is a member of a religion who works to convert those who do not share the missionary's faith; someone who proselytizes. The word "mission" is derived from the Latin missioninimus A missionary is a member of a religion who works to convert those who do not share the missionary's faith;...
to England
- St. Frances Xavier Cabrini — Roman Catholic nun
- St. Francis of Paola
Saint Francis of Paola was an Italian mendicant friar and the founder of the Roman Catholic Order of the Minims.-Biography:...
— Roman Catholic friar
- St. Francis Xavier
Saint Francis of Xavier, born Francisco de Jaso y Azpilcueta was a Kingdom of Navarre pioneering Roman Catholic missionary of Basque origin. He was a student of Saint Ignatius Loyola and one of the first seven Jesuits who dedicated themselves to the service of God at Montmarte in 1534...
— Apostle of the Far East — Roman Catholic missionary
- St. Gaspar Louis Bertoni — Roman Catholic priest
A priest or priestess is a person having the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities. Their office or position is the priesthood, a term which may also apply to such persons collectively.Priests and priestesses...
- Hallvard Vebjørnsson
Hallvard Vebjørnsson , commonly referred to as Saint Hallvard, is the patron saint of Oslo. He is considered a martyr because of his defense of an innocent woman....
of Norway — Roman Catholic martyr from LierLier is a municipality in Buskerud county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Lier. The municipality of Lier was established on 1 January 1838...
, patronA patron saint is a saint who is regarded as the intercessor and advocate in heaven of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, or person. Patron saints, because they have already transcended to the metaphysical, are able to intercede effectively for the needs of their special charges...
of Oslois the capital and largest city in Norway. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the town was largely destroyed by a fire in 1624. The Danish–Norwegian king Christian IV rebuilt the city as Christiania . Oslo, then an alternative name, became official again in 1925...
- Blessed Imelda
Imelda Lambertini , known to Roman Catholics as Blessed Imelda, is the patroness of First Holy Communicants.- Early life :...
— Roman Catholic DominicanThe Order of Preachers , after the 15th century more commonly known as the Dominican Order or Dominicans, is a Catholic religious order founded by Saint Dominic in the early 13th century in France...
nun
- St. Isidore the Laborer
Isidore the Laborer, also known as Isidore the Farmer, , was a Spanish day laborer known for his goodness toward the poor and animals. He is the Catholic patron saint of farmers and of Madrid and of La Ceiba, Honduras....
- Blessed Jacinta Marto, visionary
Defined narrowly, a visionary is one who purportedly experiences a vision or apparition connected to the supernatural. At times this involves seeing into the future. The visionary state is achieved via meditation, drugs, lucid dreams, day dreams, or art...
at FátimaOur Lady of Fátima is a title given to the Blessed Virgin Mary with respect to reported apparitions of her to three shepherd children at Fátima in Portugal on the 13th day of six consecutive months in 1917, starting on 13 May. The three children were Lúcia Santos and her cousins, siblings Jacinta...
— Roman Catholic
- St. Jane Frances de Chantal
Saint Jane Frances de Chantal is a Roman Catholic Saint, who founded a religious order after the death of her husband.-Life:...
— Roman Catholic nun
- St. Job of Pochayiv-Orthodox monk from western Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Russia to the east; Belarus to the north; Poland, Slovakia, and Hungary to the west; Romania and Moldova to the southwest; and the Black Sea and Sea of Azov to the south. The city of Kiev is both the capital and the largest city of...
- St. John Bosco
Saint John Bosco , born Giovanni Melchiorre Bosco, also called Don Bosco, was an Italian Catholic priest and educator, who put into practice the dogma of his religion, employing teaching methods based on love rather than punishment...
— Roman Catholic
- St. Philoteia of Argeș - Eastern Orthodox child Martyr
- St. Paraskevi of Iași - Eastern Orthodox nun, relics kept in the cathedral of Iași
Iaşi , is a city and municipality in Moldavia, in north-eastern Romania...
- St. John Jacob of Hozevit - Romanian Orthodox monk
- Father Ilie Lăcătușu - Romanian Orthodox priest, Anti-Communist Martyr
- St. John Vianney
Jean-Baptiste-Marie Vianney was a French parish priest who in the Catholic Church is venerated as a saint and as the patron saint of all priests. He is often referred to as the "Curé d'Ars"...
— Roman Catholic, Curé (parish priest) of ArsArs , or Arsim is a mildly offensive Hebrew slang term for the Israeli stereotype of a low-class young man who wears flashy jewelry and tight clothing. A woman fitting this stereotype is an Arsit, the word formed by adding the Hebrew feminine ending "it" to the Arabic word "Ars"...
- Blessed Josaphata Hordashevska
Josaphata Hordashevska a Ukrainian Greek-Catholic nun, was the first member of the Sisters Servants of Mary Immaculate. In 1869, Mykhaylyna Hordashevska was born in Lwów...
— Greek-Catholic nun from western Ukraine
- St. Joseph of Cupertino — Roman Catholic monk
- Juliana Falconieri
Saint Juliana Falconieri was the Italian foundress of the Sisters of the Third Order of Servites ....
— Roman Catholic nun
- St. Louis Orione — Roman Catholic
- Blessed Margaret of Castello
Margaret of Castello is a Roman Catholic Church patron of the poor, crippled, and the unwanted.She was born blind, lame, deformed, hunchbacked and a midget, into a family of nobles in the castle of Metola, in southeast of Florence. As a child, her parents imprisoned her for 14 years so no one...
— Roman Catholic
- St. Margaret Mary Alacoque
Marguerite Marie Alacoque or Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque was a French Roman Catholic nun and mystic, who promoted devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus in its modern form.-Early life:...
— Roman Catholic nun
- Blessed Maria Angela of Astorch — Roman Catholic nun
- St. Maria Crucificada — Roman Catholic nun
- Venerable Maria de Jesus de Ágreda
María Fernández Coronel y Arana, Abbess of Ágreda or, known in religion as Sor María de Jesús de Ágreda , also known as the Lady in Blue and the Blue Nun, was born and died in Ágreda, a town located in the province of Soria, Castile and León, Spain...
— Roman Catholic nun
- Blessed Maria de Jesus Torres — Roman Catholic nun
- Blesed Maria de San Jose — Roman Catholic nun
- St. Maria Francisca Illagas — Roman Catholic nun
- Venerable Maria Jesus Delgado — Roman Catholic nun
- Blessed Maria Margaret Caiani — Roman Catholic nun
- St. Maria Mazarello — Roman Catholic nun
- Blessed Mary of the Divine Heart
Blessed Mary of the Divine Heart , born Maria Droste zu Vischering, was a noble and Roman Catholic nun best known for influencing Pope Leo XIII's consecration of the world to the Sacred Heart of Jesus...
— Roman Catholic nun
- St. Matrona of Chios
Chios is the fifth largest of the Greek islands, situated in the Aegean Sea, seven kilometres off the Asia Minor coast. The island is noted for its strong merchant shipping community, its unique mastic gum and its medieval villages...
— Orthodox
- St. Miguel Febres Cordero
Saint Miguel Febres Cordero FSC was a member of the Order of the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools. He was born Francisco Febres Cordero Muñoz on November 7, 1854 at Cuenca, Ecuador and died at Premià de Mar, Spain on February 9, 1910.- Background :Francisco was born crippled to...
— Roman Catholic
- Blessed Narcisia de Jesus — Roman Catholic
- St. Nicholas of Tolentino — Roman Catholic
- St. Peter Julian Eymard — Roman Catholic priest
- Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati
Pier Giorgio Frassati was an Italian Catholic activist. He has been beatified by the Roman Catholic Church.He was born in Turin into a wealthy family, who owned a newspaper called La Stampa...
— Third Order of St. Dominic
- St. Pio of Pietrelcina
St. Pio of Pietrelcina , also known as Saint Padre Pio, was a Capuchin priest from Italy who is venerated as a saint in the Catholic Church. He was born Francesco Forgione, and given the name Pio when he joined the Capuchins; he was popularly known as Padre Pio after his ordination to the priesthood...
— Roman Catholic priestA priest or priestess is a person having the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities. Their office or position is the priesthood, a term which may also apply to such persons collectively.Priests and priestesses...
- St. Rita of Cascia
Saint Rita of Cascia is an Italian Augustinian saint.-Early life:St. Rita was born at Roccaporena near Spoleto, Umbria, Italy....
— Roman Catholic nun
- St. Sabbas the Sanctified
Saint Sabbas the Sanctified , a Cappadocian-Greek monk, priest and saint, lived mainly in Palestine. He was the founder of several monasteries, most notably the one known as Mar Saba...
— monk venerated in Catholicism and Orthodoxy
- St. Salvator of Horta — Roman Catholic
- Blessed Sebastian de Apparisio — Roman Catholic
- St. Sergius of Radonezh
Venerable Sergius of Radonezh —also translated as Sergey Radonezhsky or Serge of Radonezh was a spiritual leader and monastic reformer of medieval Russia. Together with Venerable Seraphim of Sarov, he is a venerated Russian saint.-Early life:The date of his birth is unclear: it could be 1314,...
— Orthodox monk
- St. Silvan -- Roman Catholic Martyr
A martyr is somebody who suffers persecution and death for refusing to renounce a belief, usually religious.-Meaning:...
- Venerable Solanus Cassey — Roman Catholic
- St. Stanislaus Kostka — Roman Catholic
- Blessed Stephen Bellesini — Roman Catholic priest
- St. Sunniva of Norway — Roman Catholic martyr, from Selja
Selja may refer to:*Selja, Selje, Norway*Selja, Sweden, Sweden*Selja Gorges, Tunisia...
island
- St. Thorlac of Iceland — Roman Catholic bishop of Skalholt
Skálholt is an historical site situated in the south of Iceland at the river Hvítá.-History:Skálholt was, through eight centuries, one of the most important places in Iceland. From 1056 and until 1785, it was one of Iceland's two episcopal sees, along with Hólar, making it a cultural and political...
- St. Ursula Ledóchowska — Roman Catholic nun
- St. Vasyl Velychkovsky — Ukrainian Greek-Catholic priest, died in Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, in south central Canada, near the eastern edge of the Canadian Prairies, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers...
, body found incorrupt 30 years later
- St. Veronica Giulianni — Roman Catholic nun
- St. Vincent de Paul
Vincent de Paul was a Catholic priest dedicated to serving the poor, who is venerated as a saint.-Life:De Paul was born in Landes, Gascony, France, to a peasant family. He had three brothers and two sisters....
— Roman Catholic priest
- St. Virginia Centurione Bracelli
Saint Virginia Centurione Bracelli , is a saint in the Roman Catholic Church from Genoa, Italy.Virginia was born on April 2, 1587, in Genoa, Italy to a noble family...
— Roman Catholic
- Vissarion Korkoliacos
Vissarion Korkoliacos , also spelled as Visarion or Vissarion Korkoliakos, , was a Greek Orthodox monk of the Agathonos Monastery, close to Lamia, Central Greece...
— Greek Orthodox monk
- St. Zita
Saint Zita was an Italian saint, the patron saint of maids and domestic servants. She is also appealed to in order to help find lost keys.-Life:...
— Roman Catholic
- Christian Friedrich von Kahlbutz
Christian Friedrich von Kahlbutz was a German knight, who is today most famous because of the state of preservation of his body; no noticeable mummification process was used upon his death...
— German Knight
- St. Pishoy — Coptic Orthodox monk
Popes, Bishops and Patriarchs
- Pope Blessed Innocent XI - Roman Catholic Pope. Innocent XI died in 1689 and when exhumed from his tomb for beatification, reportedly well preserved. Today his body lies with the body of Pope St Pius X at the Vatican. The face and hands are lined with a silver coating.
- Pope Saint Pius V — Roman Catholic Pope
- Pope Blessed Pius IX — Roman Catholic Pope
- Pope Saint Pius X — Roman Catholic Pope
- Pope Blessed John XXIII
Blessed Pope John XXIII , born Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli , known as Blessed John XXIII since his beatification, was elected as the 261st Pope of the Roman Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City on October 28, 1958.He called the Second Vatican Council but did not live to see it to completion,...
— Roman Catholic Pope
- St. Tikhon — Orthodox Patriarch of Moscow
- Claudius of Besançon
Saint Claudius of Besançon , sometimes called Claude the Thaumaturge , was a priest, monk, abbot, and bishop. A native of Franche-Comté, Claudius became a priest at Besançon and later a monk. The Catholic Encyclopedia writes that “The Life of St...
— French bishop and abbot
- St. Cuthbert
St Cuthbert of Lindisfarne was an Anglo-Saxon monk and bishop in the Kingdom of Northumbria which at that time included, in modern terms, north east England and south east Scotland as far as the Firth of Forth. Afterwards he became one of the most important medieval saints of England, with...
— Anglo-SaxonAnglo-Saxons is the term usually used to describe the invading Germanic tribes in the south and east of Great Britain from the early 5th century AD, and their creation of the English nation, to the Norman conquest of 1066...
, venerated by Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox and Anglicans
- Mgr. Gabriel Manek SVD
The Divine Word Missionaries, also known as SVDs are members of the Society of the Divine Word . They are an international order of Roman Catholic brothers, priests and seminarians numbering 6,102 members working in 67 countries...
— Roman Catholic Archibishop of Flores, Indonesia (1918–89)
- St. Innocent
St. Innocent of Irkutsk was a missionary to Siberia and the first bishop of Irkutsk in Russia.In 1721 he was consecrated bishop of Pereyaslavl in preparation for his leadership of the Orthodox mission to China. As a bishop he was not permitted entry to China and was therefore appointed to the see...
— Orthodox bishop of IrkutskIrkutsk is one of the largest cities in Siberia and the administrative center of Irkutsk Oblast, situated by rail from Moscow. Population: -History:...
- St. John (Maximovitch) of Shanghai and San Francisco
Saint John of Shanghai and San Francisco was a noted Eastern Orthodox ascetic and hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia who was active in the mid-20th century...
— Orthodox archbishop
- St. Josaphat Kuntsevych — Greek-Catholic metropolitan from Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Russia to the east; Belarus to the north; Poland, Slovakia, and Hungary to the west; Romania and Moldova to the southwest; and the Black Sea and Sea of Azov to the south. The city of Kiev is both the capital and the largest city of...
, martyr, murdered in Polotsk, relics enshrined in Rome
- St. Raphael (Hawaweeny) of Brooklyn
Raphael of Brooklyn , also known as Father Raphael, was born as Raphael Hawaweeny in Beirut, Lebanon, of Damascene Syrian parents. He was first educated at the Damascus Patriarchal School that had become the leading Greek Orthodox institution of higher learning in the Middle-East under the...
— Orthodox bishop
- St. Ubaldo Gubbio — Roman Catholic bishop
Christian kings and queens
- St. Olga, grand duchess of Kyivan Rus' (Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Russia to the east; Belarus to the north; Poland, Slovakia, and Hungary to the west; Romania and Moldova to the southwest; and the Black Sea and Sea of Azov to the south. The city of Kiev is both the capital and the largest city of...
), Orthodox saint, died in 969-Europe:* Boris II succeeds Peter I as Tsar of Bulgaria.-Africa:* The Fatimids conquer Egypt and move their capital from Kairouan to Fustat, subsequently founding a new capital city just north of Fustat, and naming it Cairo.-Asia:...
. During the rule of St Volodymyr it was reportedly discovered that her body had not undergone corruption.
- St. Volodymyr, grand duke of Kyivan Rus' (Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Russia to the east; Belarus to the north; Poland, Slovakia, and Hungary to the west; Romania and Moldova to the southwest; and the Black Sea and Sea of Azov to the south. The city of Kiev is both the capital and the largest city of...
), Orthodox saint, died July 15, 1015, body found incorrupt in 1635.
- St. Olav, king of Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a country in Northern Europe occupying the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, as well as Jan Mayen and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard under the Spitsbergen Treaty...
, Roman Catholic saint. In 1075, his incorrupt body was enshrined in what became Nidaros CathedralNidaros Cathedral is a church in located in Trondheim, Norway. It was the cathedral of the Norwegian archdiocese, from its establishment in 1152 until its abolition in 1537. Since the Reformation, it has been the cathedral of the Lutheran bishops of Trondheim or Nidaros in the Diocese of Nidaros....
.
- St. Edmund I of England, king of East Anglia. In c. 915
-Asia:* The kings of Goryeo and Silla send emissaries to Abaoji of the Khitan while he is encamped on the banks of the Yalu River.-Births:* William III of Aquitaine* Abu Shakur Balkhi, Persian poet* Vratislaus I of Bohemia...
his body was found to be incorrupt and was transferred to nearby Bedricsworth, later called Bury St. EdmundsBury St Edmunds is a historic market town in the county of Suffolk, England and formerly the county town of West Suffolk. It is the main town in the borough of St Edmundsbury and known for the ruined abbey near the town centre....
(venerated by Roman Catholics, Orthodox, Anglicans).
- St. Edward the Confessor
Edward the confessor , son of Æthelred the Unready and Emma of Normandy, was one of the last English kings of England and is usually regarded as the last king of the House of Wessex, ruling from 1042 to 1066 Edward the confessor ...
, king of England (venerated by Roman Catholics, Orthodox, Anglicans)
- St. Ferdinand III, Roman Catholic king of Leon and Castile (Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain , is a country located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.
[The Spanish constitution does not establish any official denomination of the country, even though España , Estado español and Nación española are used interchangeably...]
). His body is claimed to still be incorrupt. Many miracles were reported at his tomb, and Clement X canonized him in 1671.
- St. Casimir
Saint Casimir Jagiellon , was a Polish-Lithuanian prince from the Jagiellon dynasty who became a patron saint of Poland, Lithuania, and youth....
, Patron Saint of PolandPoland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe . Poland is bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
and LithuaniaLithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the southernmost of the three Baltic states. Situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, it shares borders with Latvia to the north, Belarus to the southeast, Poland, and the Russian exclave of...
— Roman Catholic
- Saint Elizabeth of Portugal
Saint Elizabeth of Portugal also known as Elizabeth of Aragon was queen consort of Portugal and is a saint of the Roman Catholic Church.-Marriage:...
, queen consort of PortugalPortugal , officially the Portuguese Republic , is a country located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of mainland Europe and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the west and south and by Spain to the north and east...
— Roman Catholic
- Blessed Mafalda of Portugal
Infanta Mafalda of Portugal was a Portuguese infanta , later Queen consort of Castile for a brief period. She was the second youngest daughter of King Sancho I of Portugal and Dulce Berenguer. She was born c. 1190....
, queen consort of Castile — Roman Catholic