medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Today (24. January) is the feast day of:
Babylas (d. c. 250) Babylas was a bishop of Antioch, martyred during
the Decian persecution. My source also tells that B. refused to
allow Emperor Philip the Arabian into his church until he had done
penance for murdering his predecessor. Isn't it contested whether
Philip was even a Christian? This sounds like the wishful thinking
of a later Antiochene hagiographer who had heard of Ambrose barring
his church against Emperor Theodosius.
Felician and Messalina (d. 254) Felician worked as a missionary in
Umbria and was first bishop of Foligno. He served as bishop for c.
50 years before being arrested during Decius' persecution. He was
tortured and flogged and died of his wounds just outside of Foligno,
when he was being taken off to Rome for execution. Messalina, B's
devoted follower who had tended to him in prison, was clubbed to
death at the same time.
Macedonius (d. 430) Macedonius, dubbed "the barley eater" because he
lived on nothing but barley for 40 years, was a Syrian hermit and
famous miracle worker.
A modern saint: Francis de Sales (d. 1622) Francis was a noble, born
in Savoy. He was a good scholar, receiving a doctorate in law at the
age of 24. He opted for the religious life, though, and was ordained
in 1593 and made provost of Geneva. F. became a missionary to
Calvinist areas and claimed thousands of re-converts to Roman
Catholicism, besides new converts. F. became bishop of Geneva in
1622. He was one of the greatest leaders of the Catholic
Reformation--founder of schools, able administrator of his diocese,
and co-founder of the Order of the Visitation along with Frances de
Chantal. F's *Introduction to the Devout Life* and *Treatise on the
Love of God* are recognized spiritual classics. F. was beatified the
same year that he died (the first formal beatification held in New
St. Peter's); he was canonized in 1665, and declared a doctor of the
church in 1877. As if that weren't enough, F. was named patron saint
of the Catholic press in 1923.
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