medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Today (16. October) is the feast day of:
Martinian and companions (d. 458) Martinian and his three brothers
were slaves in Africa when the Arian king Genseric started
persecuting catholics; they were converted to catholic Christianity
by Maxima, another slave. Their master insisted that Martinian marry
Maxima (who had taken a vow of virginity). They fled to a monastery
but were brought back and flogged. Later freed, Maxima entered a
monastery, while the brothers took to preaching---until they were
executed by the Vandal authorities.
Gall (d. c. 635) The Irish Gall was a disciple of Columbanus and
accompanied him to Francia. He followed C. into exile in 610, but
did not accompany him to Italy because of illness. Instead, G.
became a hermit in what is now Switzerland. He's regarded as the
apostle of the Swiss. G. died sometime between 627 and 645, and the
great monastery of St. Gall was later founded on the site of his
hermitage.
Lull (d. 786) Lull was educated at Malmesbury in England and at the
age of 20 went off to Germany to be a missionary under Boniface, whom
he succeeded as archbishop of Mainz.
Anastasius of Cluny (d. 1085) Anastasius was a Venetian who became a
monk at Mont St. Michel, became a hermit, and in c. 1066 became a
monk at Cluny. He went on a mission to Spain for Gregory VII for
some years, reforming monasteries and helping to organized the
Spanish church. A. eventually returned to Cluny, but ended his life
as a hermit near Toulouse.
Hedwig (d. 1243) Hedwig (or Jadwiga) was the daughter of a Bavarian
count. She married Duke Henry of Silesia at age twelve. H.
encouraged her husband to found monasteries and hospitals. They had
seven children. When her husband died, H. entered a convent. She
was canonized in 1267.
A modern saint: Gerard Majella (d. 1755) Gerard was the son of a
southern Italian tailor. He tried to join the Capuchins but was
turned down, so in time he opened a tailor shop. In 1748 he became a
lay brother in the Redemptorist order, serving the members as tailor
and infirmarian. He became known for his flamboyant spiritual gifts,
including bilocation, prophecy, ecstasies, and visions. G. was
canonized in 1904 and is the patron saint of childbirth, for no good
reason that I can see.
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