medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Today (3. November) is the feast day of:
Winifred (or Gwenfrewi) (d. c. 650) Winifred is perhaps best known
thanks to Ellis Peters' Brother Cadfael mysteries---she's central to
the plot of *A Morbid Taste for Bones* and appears frequently in
other novels of the series. W. was a Welshwoman, the sister of St.
Beuno. Her legend tells that a man named Caradog tried to rape W.,
and when W. resisted he cut off her head. But her head was restored
by Beuno, Caradog was melted, and W. became a nun at Gwytherin. The
spring at the site where W's head fell was a great pilgrimage center
for centuries.
Rumwald (7th cent.) A rather odd legendary figure. Rumwald is
supposed to have been a Northumbrian prince who was born, proclaimed
his faith at his baptism, preached to his parents, and died at the
age of 3 days.
Hubert (d. 727) Hubert was a courtier in the service of Pepin of
Heristal (the Carolingian mayor of the palace). He turned to
religion after he went hunting one day and saw a stag with a crucifix
between its antlers. He became a priest and bishop of Maastricht in
c. 705. H. moved the see to Liege, converted many people in his
diocese, and worked a lot of miracles.
Pirminus (d. 753) Pirmin was from Aragon or southern Francia. He
settled in the Rhineland and rebuilt the monastery of Dissentis.
Then he went on and founded the monastery of Reichenau, the first
Benedictine monastery in Germany. He was exiled and went to Alsace,
where he founded Murbach and Amorbach.
Amicus (d. c. 1045) Amicus was a priest at Camerino (Italy) who
became a hermit and then a monk. He spent the last years of his life
at Fonte Avellana, where he died at the reputed age of 120.
Malachy (d. 1148) Mael Maedoc Ua Morgair was a native of Armagh,
Ireland. He became abbot of Bangor and in 1125 was named bishop of
Connor. He became the first non-hereditary archbishop of Armagh for
generations (not without difficulties, including armed conflict),
although after a few years he resigned the archbishopric. Malachy
stands out as a reformer, especially since our main source about his
life comes from the pen of his friend Bernard of Clairvaux. M.
became papal legate, introduced both the Cistercian order and canons
regular to Ireland, and encouraged major clerical reform. B. of
Clairvaux pronounced M. a saint in his requiem mass; he received
formal papal canonization in 1190.
A modern saint: Martin de Porres (d. 1639) Martin de Porres was born
in Lima, Peru, the bastard son of a Spanish knight and a Panamanian
woman. He became a Dominican lay brother and spent the rest of his
life ministering to African slaves, helping the poor, caring for the
sick, and, by the way, manifesting supernatural gifts including
bilocation and the ability to fly. He was canonized in 1962 and is
the patron of interracial justice.
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