medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Today (26. March) is the feast day of:
Sincheall the Elder (5th cent.) According to
legend, Sincheall was a disciple of St. Patrick,
who became abbot-founder of a monastery and
school at Killeigh (Co. Offaly, Ireland). (For
the record, monasticism doesn't seem to have made
it to Ireland until the next century.)
Braulio of Zaragoza (d. 651) Braulio was a
disciple of Isidore of Seville. He became bishop
of his home city in 631 and was an important
father of the Iberian church. He was also a
hagiographer, and a collection of his letters is
still extant.
Ludger (d. 809) The "apostle of Westphalia,"
Ludger was a Frisian who became a missionary
first in his homeland, then in Saxony and
Westphalia. In 804 he became first bishop of
Münster.
Bertilo (d. c. 880) Bertilo was abbot of
St-Benigne, Dijon. He and several of his flock
were killed at the altar of their own church
during a viking raid.
Basil the Younger (d. 952) Basil was a hermit
who lived near Constantinople; he moved there
after the Muslims suspected him of being a spy
and tortured him. He seems to have recovered
well, since he was a centenarian when he died.
There is an extant biography by one of his
disciples that tells especially of B's prophetic
gifts.
William of Norwich (d. 1144) The first known case
of the Jewish "blood libel." William was a
twelve-year-old boy of Norwich, found murdered in
holy week---and soem months after a nut accused
two Jews of killing him in a parody of the
crucifixion. Little William's cult never won
papal approval, but his shrine was in Norwich
Cathedral and was popular in the Middle Ages.
Peter Marginet (blessed) (d. 1435) The subject
of an unconfirmed cult, Peter Marginet has an
interesting story. He was a monk at the
Cistercian house of Poblet near Tarragona
(Spain), moving up to the office of cellarer.
But he seems to have gotten tired of it, jumped
the cloister wall, and became the head of a gang
of bandits for a few years. But (obviously, or
he wouldn't be on this list) he then repented,
returned to the monastery, and spent the rest of
his life doing penance---with a great deal more
cause than most 15th-century penitential saints.
--
Dr. Phyllis G. Jestice
[log in to unmask]
History Department
University of Southern Mississippi
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