medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Today (15. December) is the feast day of:
Christiana (Nina, Nino) (d. c. 340?) Christiana was a Christian girl,
captured and brought to Georgia as a slave. She impressed people with her
devotion and thaumaturgic powers, including a cure of the queen of Georgia.
She ended up teaching the king about the "new religion," after which he
sent to Constantine asking for missionaries. This story was reported by
Rufinus in c.403; there are doubts about its historic accuracy.
Silvia (Silviana) of Constantinople (d. c. 420) Silvia was regarded as one
of the most learned women of her time. She was active in combatting
heresy.
Offa of Essex (d. c. 709) Offa was son of King Sighere of the East Saxons
and Osith. O. became king in c. 707---Bede says he was a popular ruler.
But in 709 he forsook his marriage and abdicated. He went to Rome, where
he became a monk and died soon afterwards.
Paul of Latros (d. 955) Paul was a hermit in the Latros mountains of
Anatolia, honred as a councillor and helper of people in need. Like so
many hermits, he ended up getting fed up with the stream of visitors he
attracted and fled to the island of Patmos---but he returned soon. A major
monastery developed around Paul's hermitage.
John Discalceat (d. 1349) John was a stonemason who became a Franciscan
and a priest. He won fame for his asceticism as pastor of a church in
Rennes, where he carried out his duties barefoot (thus his nickname). He
died of plague.
Dr. Phyllis G. Jestice
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