medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Today (6. February) is the feast day of:
Dorothy (d. c. 304) Yet another virgin martyr, killed at Caesarea in
Cappadocia. Legend tells that D. was mocked on the way to her education by
a young man named Theophilus, he demanded fruits from the garden of
paradise, since she said she was going there. Sure enough, she prayed, and
an angel appeared with a basket containing three apples and three roses.
Theophilus was converted and martyred too. Dorothy's medieval cult
centered in Italy and Germany.
Mel (d. 488) Mel was a bishop of Ardagh, according to legend a Briton and
disciple of Patrick.
Vedast (Vaast) (d. 539) Vedast was bishop of Arras, important in the
conversion of the Franks. After becoming bishop of Arras in 499, he built
from a foundation of one ruined church a strong Christian diocese that came
to include Cambrai. In art he is often shown with a wolf carrying a goose
in its mouth---Vedast rescued the goose for its poor owners.
Amand (d. c. 675) Amand was a native of lower Poitou. He became a monk,
then a recluse for fifteen years. In 628 he was consecrated bishop with no
fixed see, and spent the rest of his life preaching in Flanders and
Carinthia, founding monasteries, etc. A's cult was popular in Flanders and
Picardy.
Photius (d. c. 891) Photius had a lay career under the Byzantine emperor,
rising to the position of secretary of state. In 858, though, when P was
about 50 years old, Emperor Michael III exiled the patriarch of
Constantinople---and named the layman Photius as his successor. As
patriarch, Photius was an important theological writer, but probably won
his Orthodox canonization more because of his long struggle against papal
presumption---especially fighting against Pope Nicholas I.
Gerald of Ostia (d. 1077) Gerald was a Cluniac monk who rose to the
position of prior. He succeeded Peter Damian as cardinal bishop of Ostia.
G. was active as a papal legate in both France and Germany, which led to
his imprisonment by Henry IV of Germany.
Dr. Phyllis G. Jestice
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