(Greek: agios, holy; grapho, write)
Writings or documents about holiness, holy persons, the saints. Beginning with martyrologies, or lists and brief records of those who suffered for the faith, and calendars giving the dates of their martyrdom or feasts, these writings soon included lives, passions, or acts, the narratives of their sufferings, known, when collected together, also as passionaries or legendaries and later as sanctorals, sanctuaria, or sanctilogia. The modern collections began in the 15th century. The Bollandists in the century following were the first to put the study of these writings on a scientific basis in their great collection of "Acta Sanctorum." Mabillon, Ruinart, Assemani, have also done their share. "Les Petits Bollandistes" is a most useful collection, but Alban Butler's "Lives of the Saints" is for English readers a treasury of sacred lore and piety.
This dictionary contains not only definitions and explanations of every subject in Religion, Scripture, tradition, doctrine, morals, sacraments, rites, customs, devotions and symbolism, but also accounts of the Church in every continent, country, diocese; missions, notable Catholic centers, cities, and places with religious names; religious orders, church societies, sects and false religions. It has brief articles also on historical events and personages, on the Old Testament and New, and on popes, prelates, priests, men and women of distinction, showing what the Church has done for civilization and correcting many errors which have hitherto passed for history.Wikipedia
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