Today, 31 December, is the feast of ...
* Silvester I, pope (335)
- relieved emperor Constantine of his leprosy, and baptized
him
* Columba of Sens, virgin and martyr (?)
- a Spanish girl, she was baptized at Vienne and beheaded
at the fountain of Azon on the road to Meaux; her cult was
spread over France, Spain and parts of Italy
* Melania the Younger, widow (439)
- a wealthy Roman patrician, she eventually was permitted
to lead a religious life, during which she not only helped
the poor but also copied books (in the tenth century,
manuscripts were extant that were attributed to her hand
* Israel (1014)
- he was a canon regular at Dorat in the Limousin
Happy last day of the 'second millennium'!
George Ferzoco
University of Leicester
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