medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Today (8. January) is the feast day of:
Apollinaris the Apologist (d. c. 179) Apollinaris was bishop of
Hierapolis (Phrygia). He had a reputation as a teacher and, as his
name implies, wrote a defense of Christianity. Only fragments of A's
works are extant.
Severinus of Noricum (d. c. 480) Severinus' disciple Eugippius wrote
a vita that is still extant. He tells that S. was a hermit in the
East, then moved to Noricum (in what is now Austria) to work as a
missionary. According to Eugippius, S. worked miracles and was
famous for his gift of prophecy. He established several monasteries,
organized aid for people being attacked by Attila and Co., and lived
a very ascetic life. When his followers fled another invasion, they
took S's remains with them to Italy; his relics were moved to Naples
in 910.
Nathalan of Aberdeen (d. c. 678) Legend tells that Nathalan was a
noble who gave up his privileged life in favor of farming. He is
supposed to have "murmured a little against God" when a storm
destroyed his crops, and chose the very uncomfortable penance of
padlocking his right hand to his leg and throwing the key into the
river Dee. He hobbled to Rome in that state. In Rome he bought a
fish---and found the key (unrusted) inside. The pope then (says the
legend) rewarded N. for this evidence of holiness with the bishopric
of Aberdeen. N's cult was confirmed in 1898.
Gudula (d. c. 712) The patron saint of Brussels, unfortunately
little is known of Gudula's life (her vita dates from the 11th
cent.). She came from a family with a great many saints, was
educated at Nivelles, and lived a life of exteme piety.
Albert of Cashel (9th cent.?) Albert is the patron saint of the
archdiocese of Cashel (Ireland). He is supposed to have lived in the
ninth century---although the see of Cashel did not yet exist at that
time. Late legend tells that he was an Englishman, renounced all his
worldly honors, traveled to Jerusalem, etc.
Wulsin (d. 1005) Wulsin (Wulfsin, Wulsige) was an English monk who
became first abbot of the restored Westminster Abbey in c. 980. In
992/3 he went on to become bishop of Sherborne and set out to reform
things with a vengeance. He kicked the secular canons out and
replaced them with monks, rebuilt Sherborne Abbey, and was widely
regarded as a saint.
Lawrence Giustiniani (d. 1455) The Venetian Lorenzo became an
Augustinian canon and soon prior of his community. In 1433 he was
appointed bishop of Castello. L. was famous for charity and good
administration; Pope Nicholas V transferred the metropolitan see from
Grado to Venice and made L. first archbishop of Venice. He was
canonized in 1690.
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