medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Today (4. August) is the feast day of:
Aristarchus of Salonika (1st cent.) A companion of St. Paul, Aristarchus
was arrested with Paul at Ephesus, shared his imprisonment, and accordingto
tradition was beheaded with Paul in Rome.
Perpetua (d. c. 80) According to one legend, Perpetua was the wife of St.
Peter. For those who find it unlikely that Peter had a wife with such a
Roman name, however, another tradition makes her a Roman matron, converted
by either Peter or Paul.
Ia and Companions (d. 360) According to legend, Ia was a Greek, perhaps a
slave, who lived in Persia. There she converted so many Persian ladies
that she was caught up in Shapur II's persecution of Christians. Then she
was tortured for months in an effort to get her to apostasize before being
flogged to death and then beheaded---supposedly along with 9000 companions.
Molua (d. c. 609) Molua (Lua) was the abbot and founder of Killaloe (Co.
Care, Ireland). Hardly anything is known of him except that he was a monk
and perhaps a hermit. His main disciple was St. Flannan.
Sithney (?) Sithney (Sezni) is patron of Sithney, Cornwall. His cult is
still alive in Britanny. He makes an interesting appearance in Breton folk
legend (whether medieval or not, and doubtless the product of a long oral
tradition, it still makes a cute story): God revealed to the saint one day
that he was to be the patron saint of girls. Sithney was aghast, and asked
to be excused, saying he'd rather deal with mad dogs than women. Ever
since, sick and mad dogs have been cured by the water of St. Sezni's well.
William Horne and Companions (blessed) (d. 1540) William Horne was a lay
brother at the Carthusian Charterhouse in London. He and his fellows were
executed at Tyburn for denying the Royal Supremacy. William was beatified
in 1886.
Dr. Phyllis G. Jestice
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