medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Today (31. July) is the feast day of:
Joseph of Arimathea (1st cent.) Joseph was a member of the Jewish
sanhedrin and secret disciple of Jesus. He buried Jesus' body in his own
tomb after the crucifixion. Much later legend reports that Joseph went to
Britain with twelve disciples---and the Holy Grail. They settled at
Glastonbury.
Calimerius (d. c. 190) Calimerius was a Greek, but educated in Rome. He
became bishop of Milan, and evangelized the Po Valley. C. was martyred
under Commodus by being thrown down a well.
Fabrius of Mauritania (d. 300) Fabrius was a Roman soldier, beheaded after
he refused to carry an "idolotrous" Roman standard.
Germanus of Auxerre (d. 448) A Gallo-Roman, Germanus was trained in law,
married, and became governor of the Armorican border province. In a
notable career change, though, he became bishop of Auxerre in 418.
Germanus' background was useful in his new profession: he represented the
people of his diocese in tax negotiations, and the bishops of Gaul sent him
to Britain to refute Pelagianism. On his second mission to Britain,
Germanus led an army against the Picts and Saxons---the "Alleluia victory"
described by Bede. Germanus died in Ravenna while on yet another mission,
this time representing rebellious Bretons before the emperor.
Neot (d. c. 877) Neot became a monk at Glastonbury, but later settled as a
hermit at the place later named St. Neots (Cambridgeshire).
Helen of Skovde (d. c. 160) Helen was an aristocrat from Vastergotland
(Sweden). She was married young and soon widowed, and then devoted her
time and wealth to the poor. On her return from a pilgrimage to the Holy
Land relatives of her son-in-law murdered her. After miracles at Helen's
tomb in Skovde, Alexander III authorized her cult, and she was venerated as
a martyr. Her cult was widespread in meieval Sweden and parts of Denmark.
Giovanni Colombini (d. 1367) (blessed) Giovanni was a rich merchant and
gonfaloniere of Siena. He seems to have been thoroughly disagreeable,
ambitious, and avaritious, but converted to the religious life upon reading
the vita of St. Mary the Egyptian. After that, Giovanni devoted himself to
good works and formed the lay order of the Gesuati, which was approved
shortly before his death.
Ignatius of Loyola (d. 1556) The life of the founder of the Jesuits marks,
at least in my humble opinion, one of the most important turning points
from late medieval to early modern spirituality (for Catholics). Ignatius
was the son of a Basque noble family, the youngest of eleven children. He
was brought up to be a soldier. Serious wounds and a long convalescence in
1521 led to his conversion to the religious life. After a long retreat
(during which he wrote the first draft of the Spiritual Exercises) and a
pilgrimage to Jerusalem, Ignatius went back to school, becoming a Paris MA
in 1534. He gathered six disciples, and they all vowed to serve the Church
in whatever way the pope thought fit, although originally hoping to preach
in Palestine. The newSociety of Jesus won papal approval in 1540, and
Ignatius spent the rest of his life in Rome, directing his nascent Jesuits.
Ignatius was canonized in 1622.
Dr. Phyllis G. Jestice
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