medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Today (3. April) is the feast day of:
Pancras of Taormina (d. c. 90?) A legend tells that Pancras was a
native of Antioch, converted by Peter and sent as a missionary to
Sicily, where he is supposed to have become first bishop of Taormina.
The legend reports that he was very successful, but was eventually
murdered by bandits.
Sixtus I (d. c. 127) Sixtus was a native of Rome and became bishop
of the city about ten years before his death. Tradition tells that
he was martyred, but no details have survived. He was responsible
for decrees ordering that people should join clergy in saying the
Sanctus at mass, and that only clergy should touch altar vessels.
Agape, Chionia, and Irene (d. 304) Three sisters of Thessalonica, A,
C, and I were found guilty of possessing Christian holy texts (which
Diocletian had banned). Put on trial, they compounded their offense
by refusing to sacrifice to the state gods. A and C were then burned
alive. I was sent off to a brothel, where she was chained (naked) to
encourage abuse. She got through that unmolested, so was then
killed, either by burning or with an arrow through the throat.
Burgundofara (d. 657) A noble Frankish woman, Burgundofara refused
her father's demands that she marry and instead convinced him to
build a convent for her, where she became abbess. Originally called
Evoriacum, the place came in time to be named Faremoutier after her.
Nicetas (d. 824) Nicetas was a Bithynian whose father became a monk
and took N. along with him when the latter was still a small boy. N.
in time became abbot of a community at the foot of Mt. Olympus. He
and a group of other abbots refused to recognize a patriarch of
Constantinople who had been imposed by the empire, for which N. was
exiled and abused. He then weakened and accepted the intruded
patriarch---only to publicly repent of this soon afterwards. So he
was exiled again. Allowed to return, N. spent the end of his life as
a hermit.
Richard de Wyche (d. 1253) Richard was a native of Worcestershire.
He studied at Oxford, Paris, Oxford again, and then Bologna. On
return to England, he was appointed chancellor of Oxford. He moved
around a lot after that, but ended up as bishop of Chichester---over
the protests of Henry III. He proved to be an exemplary bishop, and
was canonized in 1262.
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