medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Today (19. January) is the feast day of:
Branwalader (6th cent.) A Celt of some variety, perhaps Welsh, although
one martyrology describes him as the son of a Cornish king. Branwalader
worked with St. Samson in Cornwall and the Channel Islands. Perhaps he
made it to Brittany; at least in the tenth century the English King
Athelstan obtained some relics of B from Breton clerics who were refugees
from the vikings.
Blathmac of Iona (d. c. 823) The Irish Blathmac is the subject of a praise
poem by Walahfrid Strabo. According to WS, Blathmac was an Irishman of
royal family who gave up the throne to become a monk. He was an abbot in
Ireland, but gave it up to go to Iona. There he was acting abbot when word
came of an impending viking raid. B. had the shrine with the relics of
Columcille hidden, then gave the monks the choice of whether to flee or
stay. Blathmac and all the other monks who stayed were killed when they
refused to reveal the hiding place of the shrine.
Cnut (d. 1086---on 10. July, but today is his preferred feast day) Cnut
became king of Denmark in 1081. He was active in deepening the young
Christianity of his kingdom, endowing churches, protecting clergy, exacting
tithes, etc. Cnut's subjects were finally driven to rebel, under the
leadership of his brother Olaf, and besieged C in the church of St. Alban
at Odensee. The king and eighteen of his followers were killed while
kneeling before the altar. His main claim to "martyr" status seems to be
death in a church, but his cult was nevertheless confirmed by Paschal II in
1101.
Wulfstan (d. 1095) Wulfstan was an English monk and from 1062 on bishop of
Worcester. He is the first English bishop known to have made systematic
visitations of his diocese, he promoted clerical celibacy, rebuilt his
cathedral, built churches, and encouraged Worcester's position as a center
of literature and culture. Wulfstan's cult began almost immediately after
his death.
Henry of Finland (d. 1156) Henry was an Englishman, made bishop of Upssala
(Sweden) by the English papal legate (Nicholas Breakspear, future Hadrian
IV) in 1152---until then, Henry had been a member of the legate's staff.
After the Swedes defeated the Finns in battle in 1154, Henry baptized them
and stayed behind to work as a missionary. He was killed by a recent
convert who was angry at Henry excommunicating him.
Andrew of Peschiera (blessed) (d. 1485) Andrew became a Dominican at the
age of fifteen. Soon he went to northern Italy, where he began a mission
among the poor and the many heretics of the region that lasted for 45
years. In the process, A. worked many miracles, won many heretics back to
Catholicism, and raised money to build an impressive series of churches,
hospitals, schools, and orphanages.
Dr. Phyllis G. Jestice
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