medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Today (3. April) is the feast day of:
Pancras of Taormina (1st cent.) Legend tells us that St. Peter sent
Pancras as a missionary to Sicily. There he preached, worked miracles, and
was eventually stoned to death by brigands.
Agape, Irene, and Chione (d. 304) Legend reports that these three women of
Thessolonike took refuge in the mountains when persecution broke out, but
were arrested, refused sacrifice, and were executed. Agape and Chione were
immediately burned alive; Irene was at first spared because of her youth,
was sent naked to the soldiers' brothel (where nobody dared molest her),
and then finally burned.
Burgundofara (d. c. 655/7) Burgundofara (or just Fara, or Fare) was the
daughter of a Frankish courtier. She felt a religious vocation, and when
her father insisted that she marry she became mortally ill. Fortunately, a
holy man happened along and convinced dad to let her become a nun, upon
which she was miraculously healed. B. soon convinced daddy to found the
double monastery now known as Faremoutiers for her. She ruled as first
abbess, encouraging a very ascetic life, directing souls, and training a
surprising number of English princesses and female saints. Her tomb was a
significant miracle-working shrine for many centuries.
Niketas of Medikion (d. 824) Niketas was raised in a monastery, then
became a monk and later abbot at the monastery of Medikion (at the foot of
Mt. Olympus). He joined the opposition to iconoclasm and refused to
recognize the authority of Patriarch Theodotus (whom the emperor had
intruded into the see of Constantinople after deposing the iconodoule
emperor), for which Niketas was exiled to Anatolia. He then caved in,
accepting Theodotus. But N. had a change of heart and publicly repented
his support of the iconoclast party. He was then exiled again, released
when Michael the Stammerer became emperor, and spent the rest of his life
as a hermit.
Richard of Chichester (d. 1253) Richard was the English son of a farmer.
He studied at Oxford, Paris, and Bologna, returning to England to become
chancellor of Oxford and then bishop of Chichester (in a contested election
that delayed his consecration and delapidated his diocese badly). When he
was finally able to settle down to episcopal business, R. proved to be a
model bishop. He was canonized in 1262. Farmer adds the note that it was
Richard who composed the famous prayer: "Thanks be to thee, my Lord Jesus
Christ for all the benefits thou hast given me, for all the pains and
insults which thou hast borne for me. O most merciful redeemer, friend and
brother, may I know thee more clearly, love thee more dearly, and follow
thee more nearly, day by day."
Alexandrina di Letto (blessed) (d. 1458) Alexandrina became a Poor Clare
in 1400, when she was 15. After 23 years, she founded a convent at
Foligno, where she initiated a Franciscan reforming movement.
Dr. Phyllis G. Jestice
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