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 until 236. At the beginning
of the Decian persecution he was arrested and eventually died in prison.
Sebastian (d. c. 288) One of the best-known Roman martyrs (especially in
the late Middle Ages and Renaissance, since artists could legitimately
paint him near-naked). His cult dates from the 4th century and his acta
are from the 5th century (but unreliable). They tell that Sebastian was an
army officer who enjoyed the favor of Diocletian until it was discovered
that he was Christian. So he was tied to a tree, used for archery
practice, left for dead, either resurrected or nursed back to health by a
handy virgin saint, and finally clubbed to death.
Euthymius the Great (d. 473) Euthymius was an Armenian, a priest and monk
who became supervisor of the monasteries in his region. But in 406 he went
to Jerusalem, where he became a great father of the Judaean desert. He was
a very important supporter of Chalcedonian Christianity in the period when
the Monophysites seized the bishopric of Jerusalem.
Fechin (d. c. 665) Fechin was from Sligo, Ireland. He was the founding
abbot of several monasteries, most notably Fore in Westmeath.
Maurus of Cesena (d. 946) Maurus was a Roman, a nephew of Pope John IX.
He became a monk and abbot of Classe (Ravenna) in 926. In 934 he became
bishop of Cesena. He built a hermit's cell near the city for retreats,
which was the core of the Benedictine monastery of Santa Maria del Monte.
Benedict Ricasoli (d. 1107) Benedict was from near Florence. His parents
founded him his own Vallombrosan monastery, but in time he became a hermit.
Desiderius of Therouanne (d. 1194) Desiderius (Didier) was bishop of
Therouanne in France. He founded the Cistercian monastery of Blandecques,
and shortly before his death retired to another Cistercian monastery.
Eusebius of Esztergom (blessed) (d. 1270) Eusebius was a cathedral canon
in Esztergom (Hungary). But he resigned and became a hermit in the forest
of Pisilia, where he organized all the hermits of the area into a monastic
congregation, the "Hermits of St. Paul," who followed the Augustinian rule.
The congregation spread through central Europe but were mostly wiped out
in the Napoleonic period; there are still some in Poland. E. was never
officially beatified, but has a cult in Hungary.
Dr. Phyllis G. Jestice
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