medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture

Today (28. January) is the feast day of:

Valerus of Saragossa (d. 315)  Valerus became bishop of Saragossa during
Diocletian's persecution.  While his archdeacon (Vincent of Saragossa) was
martyred, Valerus was exiled to Anet (France), where he died.

Jacob the Hermit (6th cent.?)  Jacob, the product of many legends, was a
hermit of very ascetical convictions.  He is supposed to have lived in
various caves in Palestine for 50 years, moving around to discourage
visitors.  He spent the last years of his life lying in a stone
sarcophagus.

Johannes of Reome (d. c. 540)  Born in Dijon in c. 450, Johannes became a
hermit in Reome.  More and more disciples gathered around him; he
eventually found the burden of leading them too great, and fled to the
monastery of Lerins.  There he learned about the monastic life, returned to
Reome, and formed his followers into a monastic community.

Charlemagne (d. 814)  Charlemagne was canonized by the antipope Paschal III
in 1165.  This was never recognized by a legitimate pope, although Pope
Benedict xiv gave him the title "blessed" in the eighteenth century.
Although his canonization has a strongly political flavor, Charlemagne did
a great deal for Christianity, including providing much of the force behind
a wide-ranging ecclesiastical reform movement, converting a lot of people
to Christianity (admittedly by force in many cases), and cementing the
Carolingian-papal alliance that would have such long-term implications for
western Christendom.

Odo of Beauvais (d. after 881) (blessed)  Odo was one of the great Frankish
churchmen of the ninth century.  He was born in c. 800 near Beauvais, was a
soldier, and then became a monk at Corbie.  From 851 on he was abbot of
Corbie, and in 861 became bishop of Beauvais.  His reform of his diocese
was very influential throughout northern France.  His cult won formal
approval from Pope Pius IX (1846-1878).

Julianus of Cuenca (d. 1208)  Julianus, born in c. 1127 in Burgos (Spain),
was a priest and archdeacon of Toledo, and in 1196 became second bishop of
Cuenca in Castile.  He was noted for his mildness and care for the poor,
for whom he personally collected money.  His cult was approved in 1551.

Thomas Aquinas (translation)  (d. 1274)  Thomas was one of the greatest
scholars and theologians of the Middle Ages.  He was the son of the graf of
Aquino, born in c. 1225 near Naples.  He studied at Naples, then became a
Dominican, and from 1248 to 1252 was a student of Albertus Magnus in
Cologne.  After that, Thomas worked in both Paris and Italy as a theology
professor and preacher, besides writing his various summae, etc. in his
spare time.  He so impressed his contemporaries that he was given the title
"doctor communis" (amended in later centuries to "doctor angelicus").  He
was canonized in 1323, and named a doctor of the Church in 1567.  His
primary feast is today, rather than on his death day (7. March).


Dr. Phyllis G. Jestice
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