medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Today (7. January) is the feast day of:
Cedd (d. 664) Cedd, born in c. 600 in Northumbria, was active as a
missionary in Mercia, then in 648 founded the monastery of Lastingham in
Yorkshire, which he led until his death. Later Cedd was consecrated as
bishop. He probably died of plague.
Widukind (d. c. 800) A very odd case of a political (?) saint. From the
fifteenth century on, the Saxon nobleman Widukind was honored as a saint at
a variety of places in Germany. Widukind led the Saxon revolt against
Charlemagne---and opposed the introduction of Christianity into Saxony.
Widukind submitted in 785 and received baptism.
Reinold (d. c. 960) Reinold's history may be pure legend. He is supposed
to have been of Carolingian blood, a monk at St. Pantaleon in Cologne. He
oversaw the work of the stonemasons on the monastic church so strictly that
one day they are supposed to have killed him with their hammers and thrown
his corpse in a pond (where it was later found, with the help of a
miracle).
Knut Lavard (d. 1131) Knut was the nephew of St. Knut, king of Denmark.
This younger Knut was born in 1096 and educated at the German court of
Lothar III. In 1115 Knut became duke of south Jutland, and later king of a
part of the Wends. He was very active in spreading Christianity in the
lands under his control. Murdered by a relative in 1131, other relatives
saw to Knut's canonization in 1169. In Denmark he is also honored as a
martyr.
Raimund of Penafort (d. 1275) Raimund was born in c. 1175 near Barcelona,
and from 1210 was a professor of canon law at Bologna. In 1222 he entered
the nascent Dominican order, and in the following years held a variety of
offices in the order and in the larger Church (including confessor and
advisor to Pope Gregory IX). Raimund also worked as a missionary among the
Moors. In 1238 he was elected third general of he Dominican order, in
which office he wrote a new constitution for the order (along with other
important texts.)
Matthew of Girgenti (d. 1450) (blessed) Matthew (Matteo) was from Girgenti
in Sicily. After entering the Franciscan order, he was active as a
wandering preacher. In 1442 Pope Eugenius IV forced Matthew to accept the
bishopric of Girgenti, but he abdicated in 1445 on the grounds of the
strong opposition he found there. His cult was approved in 1767.
Dr. Phyllis G. Jestice
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