Today, 25 February, is the feast of ...
* Victorinus and companions, martyrs (284)
- killed in a variety of ways at Diospolis, capital of the
Thebaid; some were crushed in an enormous mortar
(presumably by an equally enormous pestle)
* Caesarius of Nazianzus (369)
- despite having Gregory Nazianzen as his brother, he was
baptized only a short time before his death
* Ethelbert of Kent (616)
- allowed the evangelization of his lands by St Augustine,
and was himself converted on Whitsunday, 597
* Walburga, virgin (779)
- sister of saints Willibald and Winebald, a more famous
feast associated with her was Walpurgisnacht, 1 May
* Tarasius, patriarch of Constantinople (806)
- was chosen to be patriarch, even though he was a layman
(he was chief secretary to the emperor); before his death
he went into a trance, during which he seemed to be
debating with a series of accusers who were analyzing the
actions of his life (it appears that he won the debate
before dying)
* Gerland, bishop of Girgenti (1100)
- born in Besancon, he was likely related to the Norman
rulers of Sicily, where he spent much time converting
Moslems and Jews
* Robert d'Arbrissel, abbot (1117)
- a *charismatic* figure, he started the congregation of
Fontevrault after an education in Paris
* Avertanus and Romaeus (1380)
- Carmelite pilgrims, they died at the gates of Lucca
* Constantius of Fabriano (1481)
- a holy child, he became a Dominican in Florence, where
the death of St Antoninus was made known to him the moment
it took place; when asked why he so seldom laughed, he
replied: 'Because I do not know if my actions are pleasing
to God'
* Sebastian Aparicio (1600)
- to escape temptations to sin, he decided to go to Mexico,
where he helped religious communities with mundane tasks
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Dr Carolyn Muessig
Department of Theology and Religious Studies
University of Bristol
Bristol BS8 1TB
UK
phone: +44(0)117-928-8168
fax: +44(0)117-929-7850
e-mail: [log in to unmask]
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