medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Today (20. June) is the feast day of:
Alban (3rd or 4th cent.) One of Britain's very few early Christian
martyrs, Alban was a soldier at Verulamium who was converted by a
priest who took refuge in his house, and A. ended up being martyred
instead of him. King Offa of Mercia much later built a monastery on
the site of A's death, the core of the city of St. Alban's.
Silverius (d. 537) Silverius was a son of Pope St. Hormisdas, and
became pope himself in rather complicated circumstances (appointed by
the Ostrogothic ruler, after which Empress Theodora supported another
candidate (Vigilius). When the E. Roman general Belisarius captured
Rome, Silverius was accused of treason and deported, but was later
sent back to Rome for a proper trial---upon which Vigilius imprisoned
S. on the island of Ponza and slowly starved him to death. S's cult
was confined to local calendars in 1969.
Bain (Bagnus) (d. c. 710) Bain was a monk of Fontenelle (Normandy)
and became bishop of Therouanne in 685. After twelve years in office
he returned to his monastery and became abbot there.
Adalbert of Magdeburg (d. 981) Adalbert was a monk of St. Maximin's,
Trier. Otto I chose him (much against his will) to evangelize Kievan
Rus, but he arrived to find that the pro-Christian Duchess Olga was
dead and went home again. A. went on to become abbot of Weissenburg
and first archbishop of Magdeburg in 968.
John of Mater (d. 1139) The Italian John became a Benedictine monk
at a young age but was too "austere" to fit in well. So he went on
to the monastery of Montevergine, but was soon unsatisfied with that.
So he became a popular preacher for a while, and finally established
a monastery of his own at Pulsano near Monte Gargano, which became
the mother house of the Benedictine congregation of Pulsano.
Benignus of Wroclaw (13th cent.) Benignus was a Cistercian monk at
Wroclaw (Poland), killed with many other members of his community
when the Mongols invaded.
Michelina Metelli of Pesaro (blessed) (d. 1356) Nichelina was a
noblewoman from Pesaro. She married the duke of Malatesta (that
doesn't sound right; a duke who was member of the Malatesta family?)
at the age of 12 and was widowed when 20. When their only child died
M. became a Franciscan tertiary, apparently in such dramatic
circumstances that her parents treated her as a lunatic and
imprisoned her for a time. She was released, gave all her
possessions to the poor, and spent the rest of her life in vigorous
asceticism. Her cult was confirmed in 1737.
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