medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Today (5. July) is the feast day of:
Modwenna (7th cent.?) Modwenna was a virgin saint who lived as a hermit
near Burton-on-Trent (England). She has been confused with the Irish
Monenna, an also with the following saint.
Morwenna (6th cent.?) Morwenna (Mwynen) has been confused with Modwenna.
Apparently, though, Morwenna was born to an Irish-Welsh family that settled
in northern Cornwall. Morwenstow in Cornwall is named after her, and was
(is?) the site of her holy well.
Athanasius the Athonite (d. c. 1003) Athanasius was born in Trebizond in
c. 920. After a period as a teacheri n Constantinople, he became a monk,
and then in 958 migrated to Mt. Athos---from an early date the home of a
variety of hermits. With support from his patron (Emperor Nicephorus II)
Athanasius built the first monastery on the mountain, dedicated in 963.
Athanasius suffered much opposition from the hermits who were already
there, who naturally resented a stranger turning up and trying to impose
discipline on them; it took the support of another emperor to bring them to
heel. Athanasius in time won them over, and surely his death when the
cupola of his church fell in on him was a pure accident.
Antonio Zaccaria (d. 1539) Antonio was born in Cremona (Italy) in 1502.
He became a physician, and his care for poor patients inspired him to
become a priest. Abandoning his medical career, he then devoted himself to
the reform of the clergy, creating a congregation of regular clerics known
as the Barnabites, living under a rule and completely devoted to pastoral
ministry.
Dr. Phyllis G. Jestice
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