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Obdulia Sept 5
? A holy virgin venerated in Toledo in Spain.

Octavian and Companions March 22
+ 484. Octavian, Archdeacon of the Church in Carthage in North Africa, was martyred with several thousand companions under the Arian Vandal King Hunneric.

Octavius, Solutor and Adventor Nov 20
+ 297. Patron-saints of Turin in Italy where they were martyred.

Oda Oct 23
+ c 723. A princess married to the Duke of Aquitaine in France. As a widow she devoted herself to the care of the poor and suffering. Her shrine is in Amay in Belgium.

Odilo May 11
c 962-1049. Of a noble family in Auvergne in France, he became a monk at the monastery of Cluny in about 990 and abbot in 994. Gentle and kind, he was known for his generosity to the poor.

Odilo Oct 15
+ c 954. A monk at Gorze in Lorraine in France, in 945 he became Abbot of Stavelot-Malmédy in Belgium.

Odo of Beauvais Jan 28
801-880. Born near Beauvais in France, he gave up a military career to become a monk at Corbie. In 861 he became a very influential Bishop of Beauvais.

Odo of Cluny May 11
c 879-942. Born in Maine in the west of France, he became a monk at Baume in 909 and Abbot of Cluny in 927. He freed Cluny from secular interference, paving the way for its rapid growth. He reposed in Tours at the tomb of St Martin.

Odo of Massay June 7
+ 967. Abbot of Massay in France (935-967).

Oda (Odo) the Good June 2
+ 959. Born in East Anglia of Danish parents, he became a monk at Fleury in France, then Bishop of Ramsbury in England and in 942 Archbishop of Canterbury. As Archbishop he played a prominent role under Kings Edmund and Edgar and paved the way for monastic restoration under Sts Dunstan, Oswald (Oda's nephew) and Ethelwold.

Odran Feb 19
+ c 452. A martyr in Ireland.

Odrian May 8
? An early Bishop of Waterford in Ireland.

Odulphus June 12
+ c 855. Born in Brabant in Belgium, he went to Utrecht in Holland and helped enlighten Frisia, founding a monastery.

Oduvald May 26
+ 698. A noble who became a monk and later Abbot of Melrose in Scotland.

Offa Dec 15
c 709. King of Essex in England, he went to Rome and took up the monastic life

Olav of Norway (Olaf, Tola) July 29
995-1030. Son of King Harald of Norway. His early youth was spent as a pirate but in 1010 he was baptised in Rouen in France and in 1013 he helped Ethelred of England against the Danes. In 1015 he succeeded to the throne of Norway and at once called missionaries, mainly from England, to enlighten his homeland. He succeeded in part but was driven from his kingdom. In an attempt to recover it, he fell in battle at Stiklestad. In Norway he is regarded as the champion of national independence.

Olav of Sweden July 30
+ c 950. King of Sweden, martyred by the heathen for refusing to sacrifice to idols at the spot where Stockholm now stands.

Oliva March 5
+ 138. Martyred, perhaps in Brescia in the north of Italy, under the Emperor Hadrian.

Oliva June 3
? A nun at Anagni near Rome.

Oliva (Olivia, Olive) June 10
? A virgin martyr who was venerated in Palermo in Sicily and in Carthage in North Africa.

Oliver (Oliverius, Liberius) Feb 3
+ c 1050. A monk at Santa Maria di Portonuovo in Ancona in Italy.

Olympiades Dec 1
+ 303. By tradition a noble from Rome martyred in Amelia in Italy under Diocletian.

Omer (Audomarus) Sept 9
c 595-670. Born near Constance in Switzerland, he became a monk at Luxeuil and after some twenty years Bishop of Thérouanne in the north of France. In order to enlighten the region, St Omer covered the area with monasteries. The saint himself helped found the monastery of Sithin, around which grew up the town now known as Saint Omer.

Oncho (Onchuo) Feb 8
+ c 600. A pilgrim, poet, and guardian of holy relics and the Celtic tradition. While searching for memorials of the saints, he reposed at Clonmore monastery in Ireland and his body was enshrined there together with the relics which he had gathered.

Onesimus Feb 16
+ c 90. The slave who ran away from his master Philemon, was converted by St Paul in Rome and was the occasion of the Apostle's letter to Philemon.

Onesimus May 13
+ c 361. Fifth Bishop of Soissons in France.

Opportuna Apr 22
+ c 770. Born near Ayesmes in the north of France, she was the sister of St Chrodegang, Bishop of Séez. At an early age she became a nun at the convent of Monteuil, of which she became abbess. She was described as 'a true mother to all her nuns'.

Optatian July 14
+ c 505. Bishop of Brescia in Italy c 451-505.

Optatus of Milevis June 4
+ c 387. Bishop of Milevis in Numidia in North Africa. He opposed Donatism, writing six treatises against them which were praised by his contemporaries.

Optatus Aug 31
+ c 530. Bishop of Auxerre in France.

Orentius and Patientia May 1
+ c 240. A husband and wife who lived at Loret near Huesca in Spain. An ancient Spanish tradition makes them the parents of St Laurence the Martyr.

Orentius (or Orientius) of Auch May 1
+ c 439. A hermit in the Lavendan valley near Tarbes in France, whom the people of Auch insisted on having for bishop. He was their pastor for over forty years.

Oriculus and Companions Nov 18
+ c 430. Martyrs under the Arian Vandals near Carthage in North Africa.

Ormond (Armand) Jan 23
6th cent. Monk of the monastery of Saint Mairé in France, where he became abbot.

Osburgh (Osburga) March 30
+ c 1018. First abbess of the convent founded by King Canute in Coventry in England.

Osmanna (Osanna) June 18
+ c 700. A nun at the convent of Jouarre in France.

Osmanna (Argariarga) Sept 9
+ c 650. A holy virgin who left Ireland for Brittany and became an anchoress in a hermitage near Brieuc.

Ostianus June 30
? A saint venerated at Viviers in France.

Oswald Feb 28
+ 992. Born in England of a noble Danish family, he was the nephew of St Oda of Canterbury. He went to Fleury in France to learn from monastic life and later became Bishop of Worcester (961), identifying himself with St Dunstan and St Ethelwold in their efforts to revive monastic life in England. St Oswald founded monasteries at Ramsey and at Worcester. In 972 he became Archbishop of York. He repose on his knees after washing the feet of twelve poor people, as was his daily practice.

Oswald Aug 5
604-642. The successor of St Edwin on the throne of Northumbria in England, he was baptised in exile on Iona. In 635 he defeated the Welsh King Cadwalla and so his real reign began. One of his main aims was to enlighten his country and so he called on St Aidan to help him. In 642 he fell in battle at Maserfield fighting against the champion of paganism, Penda of Mercia. He has always been venerated as a martyr and his head is still in St Cuthbert's coffin in Durham.

Oswin Aug 20
+ 651. A prince of Deira, part of the kingdom of Northumbria in England, in 642 he succeeded St Oswald as ruler of Deira, but reigned only nine years, being killed at Gilling in Yorkshire by order of his cousin Oswy. Ever since he has been venerated as a martyr.

Osyth (Osith) Oct 7
+ c 700. Osyth was a princess of the Hwiccas in the west of England. She married Sighere, King of the East Saxons. Their son, the future St Offa, became King in 683, later abdicating. Osyth founded a convent, now St Osyth, on a creek of the River Colne in Essex.

Othmar (Otmar, Audemar) Nov 16
+ 759. Of Germanic origin and already a priest, in 720 he was appointed Abbot of St Gall in Switzerland. Under him a period of prosperity began for the monastery, which soon became the most important in Switzerland. He was persecuted by two lords, unjustly slandered and condemned. He bore his sufferings with great patience, reposing in prison.

Odilia (Otilia, Othilia) Dec 13
+ c 720. By tradition St Ottilia was born blind and for this reason rejected by her family. She was adopted by a convent where she miraculously recovered her sight. Eventually she founded convents at Hohenburg (now Odilienberg) in Alsace in France and at Niedermünster in Germany.

Otteran (Odhran) Oct 27
c 563. An Abbot of Meath in Ireland, he went to Scotland with St Columba and was the first to repose on Iona. His feast is kept in Ireland and he is the main patron of Waterford.

Oudaceus (Eddogwy) July 2
+ c 615. Born in Brittany, he lived in Wales where he became a bishop near Llandaff.

Ouen (Audöenus, Aldwin, Owen, Dado) Aug 24
610-684. He founded the monastery of Rebais in France, was consecrated Bishop of Rouen in 641, attending the Council of Châlons in 644 and reposing at what is now a suburb of Paris, named St Ouen after him.

Owen (Owin) March 4
+ c 680. After working as a steward in the household of St Audrey (Etheldred), he became a monk at Lastingham in England with St Chad. When the latter became Bishop of Mercia, he settled St Owen with other monks at a monastery near Lichfield.