medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Today (2. July) is the feast day of:
Monegundis (d. 570) Monegundis was a native of Chartres. She turned
to the religious life after her two daughters died, building an
anchorhold in the town, where she lived with no furniture and very
little food. People were attracted when she started performing
miraculous healings, so she moved to Tours, where she lived in a cell
near the shrine of St. Martin. A number of women joined her, forming
the convent of Saint-Pierre-le-Puellier around her cell. Her tomb
was a popular pilgrimage cite until the shrine was destroyed by
Huguenots in 1562.
Swithin (d. 864) Swithin (or Swithun) was a native of Wessex who
became a royal chaplain and then bishop of Winchester in 852. He
became famous for his charity and construction of churches. S. died
on this day in 862 and was buried (at his request) in the ordinary
cemetery. S's feast day was traditionally celebrated on 15. July,
the date of his translatio. Winchester Cathedral was rebuilt and in
971 they decided to move S. indoors. S. protested by causing heavy
rainfall on the date of the translatio, which started a tradition
that if it rains on St. Swithin's day (the 15th) it will rain for the
40 days following.
Otto of Bamberg (d. 1139) The Swabian Otto entered imperial service
and worked for Emperor Henry IV as chancellor. He became bishop of
Bamberg in 1102. He was an exemplary bishop, walking a tightrope
between emperor and pope, reforming a variety of abuses and founding
a lot of monasteries. When Boleslas III of Poland conquered part of
Pomerania he invited O to undertake missionary work. O (with a group
of his priests and laypeople) worked there for a year with great
success, returning several times in future years and organizing the
missionary priests. O. was canonized in 1189.
Peter of Luxembourg (blessed) (d. 1187) Peter was born in 1369, the
sixth son of Guy of Luxembourg. Like so many noble kids, he was put
on a fast-track to ecclesiastical preferment, becoming a canon on
Notre Dame in 1378, archeacon of Dreux and Brussels in 1381, etc.
The Avignon pope Clement VII appointed P bishop of Metz in 1384, and
shortly after the kid became a cardinal. P. proved to be zealous in
his office---until he was kicked out by political opponents. P.
lived a life of extreme asceticism at the papal court after that,
ruining his health and soon dying. Miracles were reported at his
tomb, he was declared to be patron of Avignon in 1432, and he was
beatified in 1527.
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