medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Today (17. November) is the feast day of:
Gregory the Wonderworker (d. c. 270) Gregory the Thaumaturge, or the
Wonderworker, was born to a noble pagan family in Pontus. He studied law
and rhetoric, and went on to Caesarea to finish his education. There he
became a Christian. Soon after his return to Neo-Caesarea he became
bishop, although there were only 17 Christians in the town at the time. G.
is credited with many miracles, and also with the conversion of many to
Christianity. According to legend, at his death there were only 17 pagans
left in his city.
Acislus and Victoria (early 4th cent.) A and V were martyrs of Cordoba
(Spain). Their Passio, dating from the eighth century, tells that they
were brother and sister, executed in the amphitheater of Cordoba (one
beheaded, the other shot to death with arrows). A Christian lady buried
their bodies on her estate outside the city; the same site was used to bury
the ninth-century martyrs of Cordoba.
Anianus of Orleans (d. 453) The noble Anianus spent most of his life at
Orleans---as disciple of St. Evurtius, priest, abbot, and bishop from 388
on. Anianus won fame for bravery by resisting the Huns, who besieged
Orleans in 451.
Gregory of Tours (d. 594) Member of a senatorial family that included a
number of bishops and saints, Gregory became bishop of Tours in 573.
Besides his voluminous writings, our best source on the early kingdoms of
the Franks, Gregory was a very active administrator who built and repaired
many churches, practiced large-scale charity, was active at the Frankish
court, etc.
Hilda of Whitby (d. 680) Hilda was related to the royal families of
Northumbria and East Anglia, and lived a secular life until age 33. Then
she became a nun and soon abbess; in 657 she founded the double monastery
of Whitby. Hilda was famous for encouraging education and more personally
as a valued advisor to all sectors of society.
Hugh of Lincoln (d. 1200) "Big" Hugh of Lincoln (not to be confused with
the supposed Jewish ritual murder victim) was born in imperial Burgundy,
where he was educated and became an Augustinian canon. At about the age of
25 he became a monk at the Grande Chartreuse. Invited to England by Henry
II, Hugh soon made the Carthusian house at Witham flourish. In 1186 Hugh
was named bishop of Lincoln. In that office, he revived the schools of
Lincoln, expanded the cathedral, tirelessly reformed and cared for his
diocese, and won a reputation for justice that led to his employment as a
judge by both king and pope. Hugh was canonized in 1220, the first
Carthusian to win formal acknowledgement as a saint.
Elizabeth of Hungary (or of Thuringia) (d. 1231) Elizabeth was the
daughter of King Andrew II of Hungary, born in 1207. She was brought up in
Thuringia and in 1221 married the landgrave. E. bore three children before
her husband died of the plague in 1227, and spent enormous amounts of money
on alms, religious foundations, and so on. After her husband's death, her
brother-in-law drove E. from court; she settled at Marburg, where she
became a Franciscan tertiary under the harsh direction of Conrad of
Marburg. Elizabeth died in 1231, and was canonized in 1235.
Salomea of Poland (blessed) (d. 1268) In many ways similar to Elizabeth,
Salomea was a Polish princess, betrothed at age 3 to Coloman of Hungary and
raised in Hungary. Married at 13, she was widowed at 22. She retired from
court, founding a convent of Poor Clares that she entered. She was
beatified in 1673.
Dr. Phyllis G. Jestice
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