medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Today (20. January) is the feast day of:
Fabian (d. 250) Fabian became bishop of Rome in 236. He is credited with
dividing Rome into seven deaconries and for undertaking building works in
the cemeteries. He was the first victim of the Decian persecution in Rome.
His body was rediscovered (in the church of St. Sebastian, where it had
been moved) in 1915.
Sebastian (d. c. 300) Sebastian was a victim of Diocletian's persecution.
According to his fifth-century, highly colored Acta, S. was captain of
Diocletian's praetorian guard. Discovered to be a Christian (after
comforting several who were martyred), Diocletian ordered S. shot to death
with arrows. Thus all the art of Sebastian looking like a porcupine. But,
despite the iconography, Sebastian failed to die of this treatment; he was
miraculously revived and turned up at the palace again the next day. So he
was beaten to death with clubs.
Euthymius the Great (d. 473) Euthymius was a native of Armenia, where he
became a priest and supervisor of monasteries. But at about the age of 30
he moved to Palestine where he became a hermit. He attracted a band of
disciples and won great fame, including from the Arabs (he healed the son
of a sheikh).
Fechin (d. 665) A native of Connacht, Fechin founded a series of
monasteries, starting with Fore (Westmeath).
Eustochium (or Eustochia) Calafato (d. 1468) Born to a noble family of
Sicily, this saint became a Poor Clare at the age of 10 (after seeing a
vision of the crucified Christ) and took the name Eustochium. Despite her
difficulties winning admission (the community refused to accept E. because
her brothers said they would burn down the convent if they did, so E. had
to win over both parties), she soon found the convent of her choice too
lax. So in 1457 she founded a community of stricter observance, where she
became abbess. She was devoted to poverty and penitential practices, and
wrote a treatise on the Passion (not extant). She died at the age of 35.
Her sanctity was proven by her incorrupt body after death; the cult won
formal approval in 1782 and E. was canonized in 1988.
Dr. Phyllis G. Jestice
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