medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Today (11. November) is the feast day of:
Menas of Egypt (d. c. 300) It's not certain who Menas was---perhaps an
Egyptian officer in the Roman army martyred at Alexandria. His cult became
extremely popular in both Egypt and Phrygia. He's still popular with the
Coptic Church, which says that the Allies won the Battle of El Alamein (WW
II) thanks to Menas' intervention. As a thank offering his shrine at
Abu-Mina has been restored, and is now once again a pilgrimage center.
Athenodorus (d. c. 304) Athenodorus was a Mesopotamian martyr of
Diocletian's persecution. He was tortured, but couldn't be executed,
because the executioner dropped dead on the spot and everyone was afraid to
take over the job. So Athenodorus obligingly died of his own accord.
Martin of Tours (d. 397) Martin was born in what is now Szombathely,
Hungary, the son of a Roman army officer. At the age of 15 he joined the
imperial cavalry, and five years later converted to Christianity (legend
says that this was after he gave half his cloak to a beggar and had a
vision of Christ). He succeeded in obtaining his discharge and became a
disciple of Hilary of Poitiers and then head of a community of monks at
Liguge (which may have been the first monastery in Gaul). In 372 he became
bishop of Tours (founding the monastery of Marmoutier nearby, where he
escaped on occasion). Martin was an enormously charismatic and influential
bishop, regularly embroiled with the other bishops of Gaul, who don't seem
to have wanted a scrubby monk among their number. His tomb at Tours was a
popular pilgrimage shrine for many centuries.
Bertwin (d. c. 698) Bertwin was an Anglo-Saxon monk, one of the early
missionaries to the Continent. He served as missionary bishop in the area
around Namur (Belgium), and founded the monastery of Malonne.
Theodore Studites (d. 826) Theodore was from Constantinople. He became a
monk and abbot at Saccudion. His community was dispersed for opposition to
Emperor Constantine VI, but Empress Irene recalled Theodore and refounded
his monastery at Studios. This house became a great center of monastic
revival in the east, its influence reaching to Russia, Romania, and
Bulgaria besides imperial lands. Theodore himself was exiled again shortly
before his death for opposing iconoclasm.
Bartholomew of Rossano (blessed) (d. 1065) Bartholomew was a Calabrian
Greek, who accompanied St. Nilus to Grottaferrata and became its second
abbot. He was also a famous composer of Greek hymns.
Agnes of Bavaria (blessed) (d. 1532) Perhaps a sign that the cult of
saints in Bavaria had gotten out of hand. Agnes was a daughter of Duke
Ludwig IV. She was being educated at the Poor Clare convent in Munich when
she died, at the age of seven.
Dr. Phyllis G. Jestice
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