medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Today (25. August) is the feast day of:
Maginus (d. c. 236) Maginus was a missionary in Catalonia. According to
tradition, he was beheaded with a toothed sickel.
Genesius of Arles (d. c. 303) Legend reports that Genesius was a notary in
the law court of Arles. He got so fed up with the persecution of
Christians that one day he quit his job and fled the town, looking for a
bishop to baptize him. The bishop refused to do so, but said that shedding
blood for Christ would have the same effect as baptism. So Genesius got
his baptism, when he was caught and beheaded. A later permutation of the
legend moves Genesius to Rome, and reports that he was a comic actor who
suddenly converted and porfessed his faith in the middle of acting an
anti-Christian satire.
Patricia (d. c. 665) Patricia was a relative of the Byzantine empire. She
fled from Constantinople to Rome to escape marriage. Once there, she gave
away her goods and then set out on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, but died
in Naples.
Ebbe (d. 683) Ebbe was a daughter of King Ethelfrith of Northumbria. She
fled to Scotland when her father died. Later, Ebbe became a nun and then
abbess at Coldingham (Berwickshire). She was famous for her wisdom and won
a great reputation for holiness. Her relics were discovered in the late
eleventh century, leading to new popularity for her cult.
Gregory of Utrecht (d. 775) Gregory was a Frank of good family. He met
Boniface and started travelling with him while still a youth. Gregory
played an important role in the conversion of the Frisians, serving as
abbot and head of a school in Utrecht. In 754, when Boniface and his large
number of companions were killed, Gregory took over the Frisian mission
himself, although he never became a bishop (thanks to some family problems
with the Carolingian court).
Louis IX (d. 1270) Louis became king of France in 1226 (at the age of 12).
His piety (and love of crusading) caught the attention of his age, and
Louis was made the model Christian king. Although both of Louis' crusades
were disasters, he was certainly famous for his attention to impartial
justice, honesty, and devotion to the passion. Louis was canonized in 1297
by Boniface VIII (does anyone know the story behind this? Isn't this the
year after the bull Clericis laicos was promulgated? It's hard to imagine
Boniface VIII doing the French royal family a favor).
Dr. Phyllis G. Jestice
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