February 9
in the Month of the Passion of Our Lord
Saint Cyril of Alexandria (444).
He is a Doctor of the Church, and was "the soul of the Council of Ephesus" in 431. This was an Ecumenical Council, the third one and it defended the Divine Maternity of the Blessed Virgin Mary against a diabolical heretic, a bishop named Nestorius. It was this Council, and largely due to Saint Cyril's inspiration, which gave us the last half of the Hail Mary: "Holy Mary, Mother of God. pray for us sinners," to which was later added, "now and at the hour of our death, Amen."
Saint Apollonia (249).
She was a noble and valiant Catholic woman of Alexandria in Egypt. She was burned to death for professing the Catholic Faith, after all her teeth were torn out. Saint Apollonia is the patroness of Catholic dentists.