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medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture Today (29. April) is the feast day of: Ava (Avia) (d. c. 845) Ava was a Frankish royal niece. She was blind in childhood but enjoyed a miraculous cure. Then she became abbess at Denain in Flanders. Hugh the Great (d. 1109) Hugh, born in 1024, became a monk at Cluny in 1039 and abbot in 1049. He served as abbot of the massive Cluniac confederation for 60 years, in his spare time advising nine popes, multiple rulers, and supervising the building of Cluny III. He was canonized in 1120. Robert of Molesmes (d. 1110) Robert was from near Troyes. He became a monk and abbot, but left his monastery to be head of an eremitical community that grew into the monastery of Molesmes. But he grew dissatisfied with the observance here and in 1098 with companions founded the "new monastery" at Citeaux. The monks of Molesmes got the pope to order Robert back to their monastery, but he is still regarded as one of the three founders of the Cistercian order. Robert Gruthuysen of Bruges (blessed) (d. 1157) The subject of an uncomfirmed cult among the Cistercians, Robert was a native of Bruges who became a monk under Bernard, then in 1139 was sent to be first abbot of Dunes. In 1153 he succeeded Bernard as abbot of Clairvaux. Peter Martyr (d. 1252) Peter was a native of Verona, the son of Waldensians---so it probably shocked them when he became a Dominican in 1221 and was appointed inquisitor of Lombardy. He was a successful preacher in northern and central Italy until two disgruntled heretics ambushed and killed him on the road. He was canonized the very next year. Perhaps too hastily; in 1969 his cult was confined to local and "particular" calendars. He's the guy often shown in art with a large knife stuck in his head. Catherine of Siena (d. 1380) Declared a doctor of the church in 1970 and a "patron of Europe" in 2000, Catherine was part of the extremely large family of a Sienese wool-dyer. She vowed chastity when seven years old and became a Dominican tertiary at age 15. C. continued to live at her family home for the 33 years of her life, helping the poor, nursing plague victims, being "heroically penitential," and winning a lot of disciples. She wrote over 400 letters (which included convincing Gregory XI to return to Rome in 1376---so she can be said to be a primary cause of the Great Schism) and a major work of mystical theology, the *Dialogue*. She was canonized in 1461. -- Dr. Phyllis G. Jestice [log in to unmask] History Department University of Southern Mississippi ********************************************************************** To join the list, send the message: join medieval-religion YOUR NAME to: [log in to unmask] To send a message to the list, address it to: [log in to unmask] To leave the list, send the message: leave medieval-religion to: [log in to unmask] In order to report problems or to contact the list's owners, write to: [log in to unmask] For further information, visit our web site: http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/medieval-religion.html