Today, 20 April, is the feast of ...
Marcellinus, bishop of Embrun (374): Towards the end of his life he was
persecuted by the Arians. As a result of this persecution he was forced
to spend his remaining years hiding in the Auvergne mountains.
Marcian, monk (488): When Marcian sought admittance to the monastery in
Auxerre founded by St Germanus, the abbot, to test Marcian's commitment,
gave him the lowest possible post - that of cowman and shepherd. Marcian
happily accepted the post. It soon became apparent that Marcian
had a strange power over animals: the birds flocked to eat out of his
hands; bears and wolves departed at his command; and when a hunted wild
boar fled to him for protection, he defended it from its assailants and
set it free. After his death, the abbey took the name of this humble
monk.
Caedwalla, king (689): Caedwalla campaigned to obtain and enlarge the
West Saxon kingdom. After several years of savage fighting, he made a
pilgrimage to Rome where he received baptism at the hands of Pope
Sergius I on Easter eve 689. The king was taken ill almost immediately
afterwards, and died while still wearing his white baptismal garment -
according to Bede this was just as Caedwalla had wished to die.
Hugh of Anzy, prior of Anzy-le-Duc (930)
Hildegund, Cistercian novice (1188): Daughter of a knight of Neuss. At
the age of twelve, she and her father made a pilgrimage to the Holy
Land. To protect Hildegund, he dressed her as a boy and called her
Joseph. Her gender remained a secret to the end of her life. According
to her *vita*, she was received into a Cistercian monastery. She never
took vows and died a novice. Her life was written by the monk who had
been charged to instruct her. She had confided her adventures to him,
but never her gender. It wwas only after her death, that it was
discovered that Hildegund
was a woman.
Agnes of Montepulciano, prioress and abbess (1317): Agnes was elected
abbess of a convent in Porcena at the ripe age of fifteen. She was also
known for her many miracles: received holy communion from an angel;
floated in the air while in ecstasy; after experiencing ecstasy, her
cloak and the place where she was kneeling were covered with white
manna. The manna was so abundant that it appeared as if Agnes had just
come in from a blizzard.
Simon of Todi, hermit of St Augustine (1322): Was a distinguished
preacher and became prior of several houses of his order. In a general
chapter grave accusations were made against him in his absence by some
of his brethren. Although he could have cleared himself, he chose rather
to suffer in silence than to court an inquiry which would have caused
scandal and might have led to more dissension in the order.
*****************
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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