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medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture

Today (21. April) is the feast day of:

Apollonius (d. 185)  Apollonius was probably from 
Greece or Asia Minor; Jerome says he was a Roman 
senator.  A disgruntled servant denounced A. as a 
Christian, and he was tried by the senate.  Two 
versions of his passio exist, in Greek and 
Armenian.  They agree that A. made an impassioned 
defense of Christianity's moral superiority.  The 
Greek text says he died after prolonged torture; 
the Armenian says simply that he was beheaded. 
In the Middle Ages this A. was confused with the 
Apollonius who died with St. Philemon and with 
the Apollos who is connected with Paul in Acts 
and 1 Corinthians.

Anastasius I of Antioch (d. 599)  Anastasius 
became patriarch of Antioch in 559.  He was 
well-educated and pious, but spent 23 years in 
exile thanks to imperial religious politics.

Beuno (6th or 7th cent.)  Beuno was a saint 
active in northern Wales.  He founded the 
monastery of Clynnog Fawr (in modern Gwynedd), 
and probably other monasteries or churches.  His 
Welsh vita dates to the fourteenth century.  It 
tells that B. was the uncle of St. Winifred and 
credits him with a lot of legendary miracles.

Anselm (d. 1109)  Anselm was a native of Aosta. 
He went to Burgundy to study, then moved to the 
monastery of Bec in Normandy, where he became a 
monk in 1060.  He became one of the great 
scholars of the era, was elected abbot in 1078, 
and was made archbishop of Canterbury in 1093. 
Anselm was soon embroiled in controversy with the 
English king and spent some of his episcopate in 
exile.  Which perhaps gave him more time to write 
his many letters and major treatises.  Anselm 
appears never to have been formally canonized; 
Thomas Becket tried to arrange it in 1163, but no 
decision appears to have been made at the time. 
His cult did well, though, especially in 
Flanders.  A. was declared a doctor of the church 
in 1720.

John I of Valence (d. 1146)  John was a native of 
Lyons and was made a cathedral canon there when 
young.  He left to become a monk at Cīteaux and 
was sent on to help found the monastery of 
Bonnevaux, which he served as first abbot.  In 
1141 J.was appointed bishop of Valence.  His cult 
was approved in 1903.

Bartholomew of Cervere (blessed) (d. 1466)  The 
Piedmontese Bartholomew became a Dominican and 
ended up as inquisitor in Pedmont.  He was 
ambushed and murdered by heretics on his way to 
Cervere.  His cult was confirmed by Pius IX.
-- 
Dr. Phyllis G. Jestice
Associate Professor & Chair
History Department
University of Southern Mississippi
118 College Dr. #5047
Hattiesburg, MS  39406
(601) 266-5844

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