medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Today (31. July) is the feast day of:
Germanus of Auxerre (d. 448) Germanus was a lawyer and in time
became governor of a border region of Gaul. But, as seems to have
been strangely popular at the time (I find it hard to imagine making
any governor I've ever heard of a bishop), in 418 he became bishop of
Auxerre. He changed to an austere life, endowed churches, built a
monastery, etc. In 429 he went to Britain to argue with Pelagians,
during which he is supposed to have mustered a force of Britons who
defeated invaders by shouting "Alleluia." He seems to have been
something on the line of the Augustine of Gaul---he mediated
disputes, was vastly influential, convinced imperial officials not to
attack rebels, was a theologian, etc.
Neot (d. c. 880) According to legend, Neot was a monk at Glastonbury
who went on to become a hermit in Cornwall (at what is now St. Neot).
His kinsman King Alfred went to him for advice.
Helen of Skovde (d. c. 1160) Helen was a noble Swede. When her
husband died she gave all her possessions to the poor and went on
pilgrimage to Rome. When she returned, she was accused of murdering
her son-in-law, found guilty, and executed. When it was too late, it
was discovered that the guy's servants had done the murdering. There
were miracles at Helen's tomb and a cult developed, authorized in
1164.
An almost modern saint: Ignatius of Loyola (d. 1556) The Spaniard
Ignatius turned to the religious life after being seriously injured
in war. During his rather extended study to become a priest he drew
together a group of men who became the first Jesuits. It's difficult
to say what Ignatius' greatest influence on Christian life and
thought was---this founding of the Society of Jesus or his creation
of the Spiritual Exercises, which millions have used as a pathway to
deeper religious life. He was canonized in 1622.
A modern saint: Justin de Jacobis (d. 1860) Justin joined the
Vincentian order at a young age and in 1839 was sent to serve the
Catholic mission in Ethiopia. The Ethiopians deeply resented Roman
Catholics missionizing them, and Catholicism ended up proscribed.
Jacobis spent time as a fugitive, was imprisoned for a time, but
ended up being released and spending the rest of his life as a
missionary along the Red Sea coast. He was canonized in 1975.
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