 |
 |
Today, 2 May, is the feast of ... Exsuperius and Zoe, martyrs (135) Athanasius, archbishop of Alexandria (373) Waldebert, abbot (665): The third abbot of Luxeuil. Under his government the Rule of St Columban was superseded by that of St Benedict, and he obtained for Luxeuil from Pope John IV the privilege already conceded to Lerins and Agaunum of being free from episcopal control. Ultan, abbot (696): Ultan and his more celebrated brothers, St Fursey and St Follian, were Irish monks who crossed over to East Anglia, where they founded the abbey of Burgh Castle, near Yarmouth, on territory bestowed upon them by King Sigebert I. Wiborada, virgin and martyr (926): While her brother studied at the monastery of St Gall, Wiborada made his vestments and even helped in the covering of books in the abbey library. Her brother taught her Latin whereby she could join him in the saying of the offices. Later in her life she foretold her own death at the hands of invading Hungarians. Conrad of Seldenburen, lay brother of the abbey of Engelberg (1126): The Benedictine abbey of Engelberg owed its foundation to Conrad, a scion of the princely family of Seldenburen. After the founding of this abbey he devoted the rest of his fortune to establishing a convent for women. He then retired from the world receiving the habit of a lay brother. From his peaceful retreat Conrad emerged at the bidding of this superior to meet a claim which had been made on some of the property he had bestowed upon the abbey. At Zurich he went unsuspectingly to a meeting arranged by his opponents, who fell upon him and killed him. The body of Conrad was brought back to Engelberg, where it remained uncorrupted until the abbey was burnt down in 1729. Mafalda, Cistercian (1252): When she felt that her last hour was approaching she directed that she should be laid on ashes. After her death, her body shone with a wonderful radiance and when it was exposed in 1617 it was as flexible and fresh as though the holy woman had only just died. Carolyn Muessig [log in to unmask] %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%