medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Today (10. May) is the feast day of:
Alpheios (d. c. 251 or 258) A legendary passio reports that Alpheios was
martyred at Lentini (Sicily) along with his brothers Philadelphos and
Kyrinos. When the purported bones of the siblings were disocvered in 1517
a popular cult rose, spreading widely from Sicily.
Gordianus and Epimachus (d. c. 362 and c. 250) Little is known of these
two saints; Gordianus was probably killed in the reign of Julian the
Apostate, and Epimachus in the Decian persecution. Their veneration
together developed from the fact that they were buried next to each other
on the Via Latina outside of Rome.
Comgall (d. 605) The most important of the Irish saints named Comgall was
this Comgall, who founded the monastery of Bangor (Northern Ireland) in c.
555. He is best known for extreme asceticism; according to legend seven of
his original followers died of cold and hunger before Comgall moderated his
rigor. Bangor attracted many students under Comgall and his successors;
the Litany of Irish Saints reports, with perhaps a wee bit of exaggeration,
that the saint had 4000 monks under his command. Certainly, though, he
established a center for both learning and asceticism that was long famed
in Ireland, and that may have been the largest monastery in Ireland. The
saint's most famous student was Columbanus of Luxeuil. Comgall may also
have founded Antrim; it was to that monastery that Comgall's relics were
taken when Bangor was plundered in 824.
Solangia (Solange) (d. c. 880) Solange is still venerated in the region of
Bourges (France). She was a poor shepherdess (according to legend a
daughter of the count of Poitou), murdered by a nobleman after she refused
his advances.
Beatrice d'Este (d. 1226) (blessed) Beatrice was the daughter of the
margrave of Este, born in c. 1200. As a child she entered the Benedictine
convent of Salarola near Padua; later she founded the convent of Gemmola.
Beatrice was beatified in 1763.
Juan of Avila (d. 1569) Juan has been named the "apostle of Andalusia."
He was born in Castile in 1499. Juan studied law and theology, then after
ordination became a preacher in southern Spain, organizing a popular
mission and the education of clergy there. Juan was the spiritual director
of many holy Spaniards of his time, including St. John of God and Francis
Borja. Ignatius Loyola wanted to bring Juan into the new Society of Jesus,
but the Andalusian Jesuit provincial blocked this, because Juan's father
had been a convert from Judaism. Juan was beatified in 1894 and canonized
in 1970.
Dr. Phyllis G. Jestice
[log in to unmask]
**********************************************************************
To join the list, send the message: join medieval-religion YOUR NAME
to: [log in to unmask]
To send a message to the list, address it to:
[log in to unmask]
To leave the list, send the message: leave medieval-religion
to: [log in to unmask]
In order to report problems or to contact the list's owners, write to:
[log in to unmask]
For further information, visit our web site:
http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/medieval-religion.html
|