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Today, 10 March, is the feast of ... * Codratus and companions, martyrs (258?) - these Corinthian Christians were tortured in a variety of ways before having their heads chopped off * the Forty Martyrs of Sebastea (320) - tortured for their Christianity by being left on a frozen lake, with fires buring along the shores in an attempt to lure them to the warmth (and apostasy) * Macarius, bishop of Jerusalem (c. 335) - following the orders of Constantine, he built a church on the spot where the Empress Helen had discovered the site of Christ's sepulchre * Simplicius, pope (483) - remembered mainly for being stuck as pope when the western empire was crumbling completely * Kessog, bishop and martyr (sixth century) - according to one legend, he left his native Ireland and was martyred; his body, embalmed with sweet herbs, was brought to Scotland and buried at Luss -- from these herbs, which germinated and were called in Gaelic 'luss', the parish afterwards derived its name - national patron of Scotland before St Andrew was chosen as such * Anastasia Patricia, virgin (no date) - supposedly a beautiful and virtuous maiden, she was sought for by Justinian upon the death of his wife Theodora; on hearing of this, she fled into the desert, dressed as a man and lived as a hermit * Droctoveus or Drotte (c. 580) - first abbot of the Parisian abbey now known as St- Germain-des-Pres * Attalas (627) - succeeded St Columban as abbot of Bobbio * Himelin (c. 750) - Irish priest, he died at Vissenaeken, near Tirlemont in Brabant, returning home from a pilgrimage to Rome * Andrew of Strumi (1097) - as a young man, he was active among the Milanese Patarines; later, becoming a Vallombrosan abbot, he acted as peacemaker between emperor Henry IV and pope Urban II * John of Vallombrosa (c. 1380) - imprisoned for the practise of necromancy, he repented, and obtained permission to live as a hermit; friend of Catherine of Siena * Peter Geremia (1452) - on the eve of taking his degree at the University of Bologna, he converted to a religious life; becoming a Dominican, he lived first in Bologna, then in his native Palermo * John Ogilivie (1615) - Scottish Jesuit martyr * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Dr Carolyn Muessig Department of Theology and Religious Studies University of Bristol Bristol BS8 1TB UK phone: +44(0)117-928-8168 fax: +44(0)117-929-7850 e-mail: [log in to unmask] %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%