Abraham Fischer

Abraham Fischer (1850–1913) was a South African statesman. He was the sole Prime Minister of the Orange River Colony in South Africa, and when that ceased to exist joined the cabinet of the newly formed Union of South Africa.

Biography

He was educated at the South African College, and became a lawyer in Cape Colony, joining the bar in 1875. In 1873 he married Ana Robertson, the daughter of Scottish immigrants to the Free State. He became interested in the politics of the Orange Free State, and in 1878 became a member of the Orange Free State's Volksraad. He became vice-president of the Volksraad in 1893, a member of the executive council in 1896, and took part in many colonial and interstate conferences. He headed a joint deputation from Transvaal and Orange Free State to Europe and America during the Boer War to solicit support for the Boers, returning in 1903 to practice law in the newly formed Orange River Colony.

Continuing to promote the Boer cause, he helped form the Oranje Unie party in May 1906 and became its chairman; the party won the majority of seats in the colony's first elections that were held in November 1907. On 27 November, he was chosen as Prime Minister, and stayed in that position until it ceased to exist with the union of 31 May 1910. He then joined the cabinet of the Union of South Africa as Minister of Lands. He was made Privy Councillor in 1911 and became Minister of the Interior and Lands in 1912.

Saint Abraham (Ethiopian)

Abraham is a saint of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church. His feast day is celebrated May 5.

References

Sapor of Bet-Nicator

Sapor of Bet-Nicator (also known as Shapur of Bet-Nicator) was the Christian bishop of Bet-Nicator.

He was reported with 4 companions to King Shapur II, on the basis of their having preached against the Zoroastrian religion. After being subjected to prolonged torture, Bishop Sapor died in prison on November 20, 339.

His companions in martyrdom included Abraham.

There is no record of a feast day for these individuals.

References

Abraham in the Catholic liturgy

Abraham figures prominently in Catholic liturgy. Of all the names of the Old Testament used in the liturgies of the Roman Rite, a special prominence accrues to those of Abel, Melchisedech, and Abraham through their association with the idea of sacrifice and their employment in this connection in the most solemn part of the Canon of the Mass. Abraham's name occurs so often and in such a variety of connections as to give him, among Old Testament figures, a position of eminence in the liturgy, perhaps surpassed by David alone.

Roman Martyrology (Martyrologium Romanum)