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Today, 24 April, is the feast of ... Ivo, bishop (no date): Since before 1281, Ivo has been regarded as the patron of Saint Ive, near Liskeard in east Cornwall. Mellitus, archbishop of Canterbury (624): Was a Roman abbot whom Pope Gregory the Great sent to England in 601 as the head of a second band of missionaries to assist St Augustine. Egbert, bishop (729): By his patient reasoning, he convinced the monks of Iona to accept the Roman use in regard to the great paschal controversy. William Firmatus, hermit (1090): Animals played a great role in William's life, in particular an ape and a boar. William was converted to the religious life after having a dream in which he saw an ape sitting upon a money chest. He interpreted this ape as a symbol for his tendency to avarice. William, like many other saints, had a great power over animals. In fact he was able to convert a destructive boar into a tame and God-fearing animal by making the boar fast for twenty-four hours. ***************** Carolyn Muessig Department of Theology and Religious Studies University of Bristol Bristol BS8 1TB UK [log in to unmask] %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%