medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Today (30. September) is the feast day of:
Gregory the Illuminator (d. c. 330) Gregory was the great organizer
of Christianity in Armenia. He converted the king and got
Christianity declared the official religion. As bishop of Ashtishat
he built up a native clergy and did a lot of evangelizing, eventually
consecrating his son to succeed him (his see seems to have been
hereditary for some time).
Jerome (d. 420) Showing impeccable timing, considering the Vulgate
discussion currently raging on the list, Jerome died on this day in
420. He was a native of Strido (Dalmatia),studied at Rome, and was
baptized in 360 (at about the age of 18). After travel and further
study he became an ascetic, finally in 382 making his way back to
Rome. There, Pope Damasus encouraged him to translate parts of the
Bible into good Latin. He also gathered a circle of pious women
around him---scandalous rumors about his relations with them seem to
have finally driven him from the city. J. finally settled (with
circle of female disciples) in Bethlehem, where St. Paula paid for
construction of three convents and a monastery. He spent the rest of
his life translating, commenting, and getting involved in theological
disputes.
Honorius of Canterbury (d. 653) The Roman Honorius was one of the
monks sent to England by Gregory the Great. He became archbishop of
Canterbury in 627.
Simon of Crepy (d. 1082) Simon was count of Crepy (in France),
raised at the court of William the Conqueror. S. wanted to be a
monk; William wanted S. to marry his daughter Adela. The legality of
the marriage was uncertain (Simon was related to Queen Mathilda) and
so he set off to Rome to inquire---on the way, he snuck off to the
monastery at Condat and became a monk. His rank made him an
effective mediator in some of the many disputes of the eleventh
century.
A modern saint: Frederick Albert (blessed) (d. 1876) FA was a native
of Turin and became a parish priest there. He was very good at the
job. Most notably, he concerned himself with the children who roamed
the streets, either because their parents were working or because
they had been abandoned, founding the Sisters of St. Vincent de Paul
of the Immaculate Conception to tend to them. FA was offered a
bishopric, but refused it. He was beatified in 1984.
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