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Today, 16 October, is the feast of ... Martinian and other martyrs, and Maxima (458): Maxima, a holy maiden, converted Martinian and some other slaves of Arian King Genseric to Christianity, who ended up getting martyred while Maxima retired to a monastery. Gall (635): Famous disciple of Columban; refused abbacy of Luxeuil. Where two bishops had failed, Gall exorcized a demon from a girl, the evil spirit leaving her in the form of a black bird (a crow?). His own fame has been surpassed by the monastery bearing his name, built on the site of his hermitage on the Steinach. Mommolinus, bishop of Noyon (686): A monk at Luxeuil, he became a missionary and bishop of Noyon, following St Eloi (Eligius). Bercharius, abbot (696?): Another Luxeuil monk, he founded a monastery in the forest of Der. While sleeping he was stabbed by a young monk, who immediately felt so terrible that he summoned the community to help save the abbot, but it was too late. Lull, bishop of Mainz (786): Native of kingdom of West Saxons, went to Germany to assist Boniface. Eventually succeeding and burying Boniface, governed diocese of Mainz for thirty years. Late in life he retired to his abbey at Hersfeld, where he died. Anastasius of Cluny (1085): After heeding Hugh of Cluny's request to join his monastery, he was ordered by pope Gregory VII to convince the Spanish to give up their Mozarabic liturgy for the Roman. Afterward lived as a preaching hermit for several years, before dying en route to recommence monastic life; buried at Doydes. Bertrand, bishop of Comminges (1123): Bishop for fifty years. Once, the people of the Val d'Azun were so upset with having earlier treated the bishop badly that they promised to give in perpetuity to the see of Comminges all the butter that was made in Azun every year during the week before Whitsunday; this they did until the Revolution - associated with miracle of the 'Great Pardon' at his cathedral. Hedwig, widow (1243): Aunt of St Elizabeth of Hungary - after bearing some children, she convinced her husband to agree to a celibate marriage - after 1209 she spent most of her life based at Trebnitz monastery, but spent her time administering her many activities aiding the poor; noted for ascetic living and working of miracles. ******************************************* Carolyn Muessig [log in to unmask] %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%