medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Scholastica (d. 547) The sister of Benedict of Nursia. Scholastica
figures in Gregory's Dialogues. He tells that S. was a consecrated
virgin from an early age. She settled at Plombariola near Monte
Cassino, and probably founded a convent under Ben's authority. S.
died four years before Ben; when Ben died he was added to S's tomb.
The tomb, by the way, still exists at Monte Cassino. S's relics
apparently ended up at Le Mans, though.
Therein lies a convoluted tale, the Scholastica connected well told by
Goffart (before he got into accommodating various Germanic groups) As I
would reconstruct it, Fleury had a thriving cult center centered on the
sacra of Benedict furta from Monte Cassino in the late 7th century. The
heads of two other monasteries downriver on the Loire saw this prosperity an
fame: abbot Odo of Glanfeuil and the abbess of the convent at LeMans (I
forget the details). Within only a few years of each other in the mid 9th
century, Glanfeuil announced the discovery of the bones of Blessed Maurus,
Benedict's first named disciple at Subiaco (according to Pope Gregory's Life
of Benedict). Almost at the same time, the convent at LeMans announced the
discovery of the bones of Scholastica. Both places became relatively
popular cult centers in their own right, though never rivaling Fleury.
Glanfeuil fell on unhappy days with the invasions of the Vikings; the
community fled to Paris, taking Maurus's bones with them...and he never
returned. If you are taking the Metro you will pass on the way to more
interesting parts of the city, the stop of St-Maur-des-Fossés, site of the
long since destroyed (French Revolution of course) Parisian cult center of
Blessed Maurus. I believe that most, though not all of Scholastica's relics
remained at LeMans, though Fleury and Monte Cassino have occasionally laid
claim to having them.
JBW
om: medieval-religion - Scholarly discussions of medieval religious culture
[mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of Phyllis Jestice
Sent: Thursday, February 09, 2006 8:57 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [M-R] saints of the day 10. February
medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Today (10. February) is the feast day of:
Scholastica (d. 547) The sister of Benedict of Nursia. Scholastica
figures in Gregory's Dialogues. He tells that S. was a consecrated
virgin from an early age. She settled at Plombariola near Monte
Cassino, and probably founded a convent under Ben's authority. S.
died four years before Ben; when Ben died he was added to S's tomb.
The tomb, by the way, still exists at Monte Cassino. S's relics
apparently ended up at Le Mans, though.
Austreberta (d. 704) The noble Frankish girl Austraberta ran away
from an arranged marriage. She took refuge with St. Omer, who
consecrated her as a nun. Her dad was eventually reconciled to her
career choice, and she entered the monastery of Port (now Abbeville).
A. became abbess and went on to run the convent of Pavilly.
William of Malavalla (d. 1157) William was apparently a French
fighting man who saw the light and went on pilgrimage to Rome to get
penance from the pope. Wm. went on to Jerusalem, and ended up
spending eight years in various pilgrimages before settling in
Tuscany as a hermit. He was eventually talked into becoming an abbot
in Pisa, but the monks weren't good enough for him, so he became a
hermit near Siena. Wm. lived a life of extreme mortification; his
disciples became the Gulielmites, an eremitical order. Wm. was
canonized in 1202.
Hugh of Fosses (blessed) (d. 1164) Hugh was born near Brussels. He
entered the service of the bishop of Cambrai, but later became the
first disciple of Norbert of Xanten. H. founded a number of
Premonstratensian houses and wrote the order's rule. When Norbert
was made archbishop of Magdeburg in 1126, H. was elected superior
general of the order.
Clare of Rimini (blessed) (d. 1346) Chiara Agolanti was one of the
extreme ascetics of the later Middle Ages. She was wealthy, married
twice, and lived a quite secular life---until she was converted by a
vision. When her husband died, she took to a regime of self-torture.
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