medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
The missionary activity in Holland of the Englishman Marchelmus (d. prob. later 8th cent.) is attested to in the Vita of St. Gregory of Utrecht (BHL 3680), in the Vita prima of St. Ludger (BHL 4937), and in the Vita antiqua of St. Lebuin (BHL 4812). A disciple of St. Willbrord, he was assigned by bishop Gregory to work with Lebuin and was associated with him in the building of a church at today's Wilp (Gelderland). From there he evangelized parts of Overijssel; he was in Oldenzaal when he died at a very advanced age. By the end of the Middle Ages relics believed to be those of Marchelmus were in Deventer with those of Lebuin. His appearance under the name Marcellinus in the fabricated Vita of St. Swithbert falsely ascribed to him in 1472 by the latter's actual author Dirck Franckenszoon Pauw led to his being so recorded in martyrologies of the late fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. Cardinal Baronio followed suit in the early Roman Martyrology. Though the error was pointed out by Bolland in 1668 in _AA.SS._, Mart. I., and by Stiltingh in 1723 in _AA.SS._, Jul. III., successive revisers of the Roman Martyrology retained the misnomer until 2001, when Marchelmus was entered for the first time under the name by which he appears in the genuinely early narrative sources.
Today is Marchelmus' day of commemoration in the Roman Martyrology.
Best,
John Dillon
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