Today, 9 October, is the feast of...
Dionysius the Areopagite (first century): After a simple mention in Acts
17,34, his cult spread throughout Europe, partly by identification with St
Denis of Paris, partly due to attributed authorship of work on *Divine
Names*, *Mystical Theology*, *Celestial Hierarchy* (main source for
medieval angelology) and *Ecclesiastical Hierarchy* (works actually
composed c. 500).
Demetrius, bishop of Alexandria (231): Said to be eleventh successor of St
Mark. He protested against preaching and teachings of Origen.
Dionysius or Denis, bishop of Paris, Rusticus and Eleutherius, martyrs
(258?): Over their tomb was built the great abbey of Saint-Denis; Denis is
popularly regarded as a patron saint of France.
Publia, widow (370): Lived common life with consecrated virgins and widows
in Antioch. One day, Julian the Apostate happened to walk by their house
and heard them singing Psalm 115 ('The idols of the Gentiles are silver
and gold... they have mouths and speak not... Let them that make them
become like unto them...); this got Julian angry, but the women just kept
singing; although he ordered Publia to be beaten, he never got around to
carrying out his threat of killing the women.
Andronicus and Athanasia (fifth century): Husband and wife, they separated
to take up separate monastic lives. After 12 years, Andronicus met an old
monk, and they became close friends; when the old monk died, it was
discovered that 'he' was Athanasia.
Savin (fifth century): Venerated as apostle of the Lavedan, the area of
the Pyrenees near Lourdes. An eremitical preacher, he was noted for his
miracles: one night, having no dry kindling wood, he lit his candle by the
flames from his own heart.
Gislenus or Ghislain, abbot (c. 680): Resigned a bishopric and became a
hermit; according to legend, King Dagobert I was hunting a bear, which
escaped the king and went to Ghislain, showing the hermit where to found a
monastery.
Gunther (1045): Cousin of St Stephen of Hungary, lived a worldly life
until aged 50, when he fell under the influence of Gothard of Hildsheim.
He atoned for his sins through severe mortification, and constantly
encouraging Stephen in the christianization of his realm. He rationed how
much water his monks could drink.
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Carolyn Muessig
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