medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Today (17. July) is the feast day of:
the Scillitan Martyrs (d. 180) This group of martyrs from Scillium
(Tunisia) are the subjects of the earliest martyrdom account from the
African church. They were twelve Christians (7 men, 5 women) who
were arrested and arraigned in Carthage. When they refused to make
an offering to the state gods they were beheaded.
Ennodius (D. 521) Magnus Felix Ennodius was born in Arles to an
important Gallo-Roman family. After his education he married, but
after some years he and his wife both embraced the religious life.
E. became bishop of Ticinum in c. 514, served on diplomatic missions
for Pope Honorius, helped the poor, built churches, and was an
important author.
Kenelm (d. c. 812) An Anglo-Saxon royal saint, legend tells that
Kenelm was seven when he became king of Mercia. But his evil sister
bribed K's teacher to murder the kid so *she* could claim the throne.
So K. was murdered, but when the body was discovered and buried (at
Winchcombe in Gloucestershire) there were miracles, so of course he
was a saint. There doesn't seem to be very much historical substance
to this legend.
Leo IV (d. 855) The Roman Leo was elected pope in 847. He repaired
the walls of Rome (frequently attacked by Muslim raiders in this
period), built a wall (the "Leonine" wall) around St. Peter's and
Vatican Hill, and restored churches.
Clement of Okhrida and companions (d. 916) Clement was the first
Slav to become a bishop, in Bulgaria in the reign of Khan Simeon.
Clement founded the monastery of Okhrida (near Velitsa, Bulgaria),
which became his primatial see. He was a very successful missionary,
and is regarded as one of the seven apostles of Bulgaria (all
commemorated today).
Nerses Lampronazi (d. 1198) Nerses was the son of a Cilician prince.
He became a major scholar, theologian, and exegete. He was ordained
in 1169, spent time as a hermit, and became archbishop of Tarsus in
1176. He tried very hard to effect the reunion of the Armenian
Church with Rome, and eventually succeeded in 1198.
A modern saint: Mary Magdalen Postel (d. 1846) MM was a native of
Barfleur, France. She opened a school for girls when she was 18;
with a hiatus during the hot years of the French Revolution, she
worked the rest of her life in religious education. Eventually she
and some companions founded the Sisters of the Christian Schools of
Mercy. She was canonized in1925.
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