medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Today (2. August) is the feast day of:
Stephen I (d. 257) Stephen was a Roman. He served as archdeacon of Rome
under two bishops (both martyred) and then himsef became bishop of Rome in
254. Through his short pontificate, Stephen took a very strong position in
favor of forgiveness for repentant sinners (against the hard-liner
Novatianists) and the validity of sacraments administered by heretics, the
latter of which involved him in a long controversy with Cyprian of
Carthage.
Eusebius of Vercelli (d. 371) Eusebius was a Sardinian, educated at Rome
and then employed at Vercelli, eventually as the city's first bishop. He
established a semi-monastic regime for his clergy there, similar to that of
Augustine. Eusebius was a serious scholar; his most notable work was the
composition of the Athanasian Creed. Eusebius stood up for Nicene
orthodoxy, which got him exiled (he returned when Constantius died in 361).
Aetheldritha (d. c. 835) Aetheldritha was a daughter of King Offa of
Mercia. She married the king of East Anglia, but when her husband died
thanks to her father's treachery, AE became a hermit at Croyland. She
stayed there for the rest of her life, winning fame for her prophecies.
Her relics were lost in 870 when the Danes destroyed the monastery.
Plegmund (d. 914) The Mercian Plegmund was a hermit until he was called to
court by Alfred the Great. He helped Alfred write the Old English version
of Gregory's Pastoral Care, and perhaps played a role in the compilation of
the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. In 890 Plegmund became archbishop of
Canterbury. His cult began in the thirteenth century.
Thomas of Hales (of Dover) (d. 1295) Thomas was a Benedictine monk, killed
in a French raid. A cult grew up around his tomb, and Richard II asked for
his canonization, but it never came to pass.
Basil the Blessed (d. 1552) A holy fool in the Russian tradition, Basil
was a shoemaker's apprentice who specialized in eccentric behavior, the
better to humble himself. At the same time, though, he cared for the most
destitute people of Moscow, stealing from shops to give to the poor.
According to legend, Basil even rebuked Tsar Ivan IV the Terrible---and
lived to tell the tale, which suggests the veneration in which these holy
fools were held.
Dr. Phyllis G. Jestice
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