medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Today (15. June) is the feast day of:
Vitus (d. c. 304) Vitus (Veit) was a very important saint in the Middle
Ages, although his biography is uncertain. According to tradition, Vitus
was born on Sicily, the son of pagan parents but raised by his Christian
grandmother. He is supposed to have been martyred in Diocletian's
persecution. A much later vita reports that the saint was seven years old
at the time, and that his grandmother and his teacher were killed with him.
Relics of St. Vitus spread through the breadth of Europe, including Paris
and in the St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague (they have his head). Corvey on
the Weser was also a center of his cult for many centuries.
Abraham of St-Cirgues (d. c. 477) Abraham was born in Persia, where during
the Christian persecution he was imprisoned and abused for five years.
After he managed to flee, Abraham made his way to Clermont (France), where
he founded the monastery of St-Cirgues and became its first abbot. Boh
Gregory of Tours and Sidonius Apollinaris wrote about his life and works.
Landelin of Lobbes (d. 686) Landelin was of noble birth, born in northern
France in c. 625. He had a wild youth and finally became a robber---but
repented his misdeeds, converted to religious life, and undertook two
pilgrimages to Rome. After that Landelin became a monk and priest. He
founded a series of monasteries, of which the most famous is Lobbes.
Eigil of Fulda (d. 822) Eigil was born in c. 752. Perhaps best known
today for his vita of his relative Sturmi, Eigil was an important figure of
the early ninth century in his own right. In 818 he became abbot of Fulda,
and was responsible for building the Salvator church and the church of St.
Michael, as well as rebuilding the monastery.
Bernard of Aosta (of Menthon) (d. 1081) Bernard was born in the valley of
Aosta (northern Italy) and went to Paris to study philosophy and law. He
later became archdeacon of Aosta, becoming a noted preacher and the founder
of the hospice in the Alpine pass that was later named after him. Bernard
was canonized in c. 1120.
Gebhard of Salzburg (blessed) (d. 1088) Gebhard became archbishop of
Salzburg in 1060. He is responsible for founding the diocese of Gurk, as
well as the monastery of Admont. Gebhard was a firm papal supporter during
the Investiture Contest (despite having been imperial chancellor before his
consecration as bishop); as a result he was banished from his diocese from
1077 to 1086.
Isfried (d. 1204) In recent times, the cult of Isfried has been regaining
popularity in northern Germany, most notably in Hamburg. Isfried was a
Praemonstratensian canon, and from 1159 active as provost of Jerichow in
the diocese of Magdeburg. In 1179/1180 Isfried became the second bishop of
Ratzeburg in Scleswig-Holstein. Tradition reports that he succeeded in
organizing the diocese, after earlier work had been destroyed by the Wends,
and that he was responsible for building the cathedral.
Dr. Phyllis G. Jestice
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