medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Today (14. July) is the feast day of:
Phocas of Sinope (4th cent.?) Phocas was a hermit and gardener who lived
near Sinope (on the Black Sea). According to legend, he fed visitors and
the needy with the proceeds of his garden. He is supposed to have been
denounced as a Christian, condemned without a trial, and soldiers were sent
to kill him. They spent the night at Phocas' guesthouse, asking where the
hermit could be found. Phocas responded that he would help them find their
prey (himself) the next day. During the night he dug a grave for himself,
and in the morning revealed his identity.
Deusdedit (Frithona) (d. 664) Deusdedit was the first Anglo-Saxon
archbishop of Canterbury. Little is known of his life, except that he
helped found the monastery of Medehamstede (Peterborough), founded a
nunnery on the isle of Thanet, and died of plague on the same day as King
Erconbert of Kent.
Boniface of Savoy (d. 1270) Boniface was the uncle of Queen Eleanor, wife
of Henry III of England. Probably thanks to her influence, he crowned his
ecclesiastical career by becoming archbishop of Canterbury in 1243. His
cult developed in Savoy, not England (formally approved in 1838); in
England he proved to be one of the most hated archbishops in the history of
Christian England. He instituted a financial austerity plan (to pay off
his predecessor's debts), but was personally lavish. Boniface also
demanded visitation rights over resistant churches. At St. Bartholomew's,
Smithfield, he is supposed to have knocked the subprior down after the
latter refused to receive Boniface; in the following fight, the monks
discovered that B. was wearing chain mail. So far I haven't seen any
evidence of holiness. Anybody have any notion why this guy should be
regarded as a saint?
Dr. Phyllis G. Jestice
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