Of Martyrs and Their Companions

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This article will  be a major investigative report on the tradition of martyrs who have had "companions," according to the traditional Roman Catholic Calendar.  Starting with the day of January 1, I will go chronologically through this calendar, find its corresponding story in the Roman Martyrology, and simply paste the story of each martyrdom that is entitled "(Name) and Companions" into this article. 

I will then report in chronological order the "mega-group" martyrdoms of the Modern Church (particularly that of "Pedro Kibe and 187 Companions," which includes Tecla and her companions); and finally give my analysis of whether or not the Great Kyoto Martyrs  are worthy to be called "Tecla Hashimoto and Companions" according to the criteria set by the true, traditional Catholic Church, and even by the criteria of the false, Modern Church. 

After each relevant date, the initials "TRCC" will appear to indicate how the martyrs on this date are titled in the "Traditional Roman Catholic Calendar";  then will come the initials "TRM" to indicate the story of those same martyrs as they appear in The Roman Martyrology; and then a "Reflection and Meditation" on the similarities and differences

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between this "companions" martyrdom and that of Tecla and her companions, and whether in this context the latter are worthy of the special distinction of "Tecla Hashimoto and Companions," or whether they deserve to be lumped into a much greater group of martyrs spread throughout Japan over a span of 36 years, as has been done to them in the modern "church."

(This article will be added to periodically until it is finished...)

January 19

TRCC: St. Marius and Companions

TRM: At Rome, on the Cornelian Road, the holy martyrs Marius and his wife Martha, with their sons Audifax and Habbakuk, noble Persians, who came to Rome through devotion in the time of Emperor Claudius.  After they had been beaten with rods, tormented on the rack and with fire, lacerated with iron hooks, and had endured the cutting off of their hands, Martha was put to death in the place called Nympha; the others were beheaded and cast into the fire.

Reflection and Meditation: This martyrdom is very similar to that of Tecla Hashimoto and her family, only instead of two boys being martyred with her and her husband, there were three boys martyred with her and her husband (Pedro, 6; Toma, 8; and Francisco, 14), in addition to two daughters martyred with them (Luisa, 3; and Katarina, 13), and another son (Miguel, the eldest but age not given), who wanted to be martyred with them, but was turned away.  On top of all this, Tecla was six months pregnant at the time.

Furthermore, the martyrdom of Tecla and her family went beyond her immediate family to include 45 other lay martyrs who completed this devout and holy circle of Companions.  So why may St. Marius and Companions--a much smaller unit, and a smaller family than that of the Hashimotos--have their own designation and Feast Day and not Tecla Hashimoto and her companions?