Today, 26 September, is the feast of...
Cyprian, martyr, and Justina, virgin martyr (no date, but early legend):
Cyprian, extremely learned in black magic, failed in trying to seduce the
beautiful Justina; left his arts behind him (including his alliance with
the Devil himself) and converted to Justina's faith. How they died: she
was scourged, he was torn with iron hooks they both were boiled in a
cauldron of pitch before being beheaded.
Colman of Lann Elo, abbot (611): One of 12 saints of this name in Ireland
for the month of September alone; wrote Alphabet of Devotion.
Nilus of Rossano, abbot (1004): Left his family for monastic life.
Generally held to be the founder of the monastery of Grottaferrata
John of Meda (1159): Last year John Wickstrom gave the list some very
valuable information concerning this saint. That posting reads as follows:
*I did some work on the Humiliati a few years ago: here is the entry on
John of Meda from *BS*:
Giovanni da Meda from *Biblio. Sanctorum*
Saint? Born in province of Milan. Towards end of 11th c of the family of
Oldrati (Oldradi); after a vision of the Virgin, he went to Milan where
founded first order of Humil. composed solely of clerics, in the present
palace of Brera (till 1571 a monastery of the order). He founded several
other monasteries in dioc. of Milan and in Lombardy, amongst which S Maria
in Rondineto near Como where he lived (giving him the name John of Como)
Died at Brera 26 Sept. 1159. But this is all legendary material, flatly
contradicted by historical fact of the order's founding. Stephani denied
his existence, while Zanoni says not even known if or where canonized and
whether worshipped as a saint or blessed.
Sources:
*Vies des saints*, ix, 529
*Ency call*, vi, col 570
*Storia di Milano*, iv, 161-5.
I looked up his vita in the *VS* and decided that he was a legendary
figure was invented by the Humiliati who needed a holy founder, since they
had coalesced gradually as a group of lay penitents in the 12th century
Milan. (The article in the *VS* is a good one in the de la Haye
tradition.) There is no mention of him in the liturgical texts of the
Humiliati whatsoever until the Renaissance breviary of 1537, a wholly new
text that changed much from medieval office books of the order. Of course
the order was suppressed in 1571 after they took a shot at Charles
Borromeo, who had been sent to reform them.*
(Thanks John Wickstrom for a classic posting to the list!).
Lucy of Caltagirone, Franciscan tertiary (13th): Mistress of novices; had
special devotion to the Five Wounds.
Dalmatius Moner, Dominican (1341): Another 'flying saint'. Was known as
'the brother who talks with angels'; but with women he would not talk at
all, except over his shoulder. His hagiographer reports that his personal
appearance was somewhat unattractive.
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Carolyn Muessig
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