medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Today (1. January) is the feast day of:
Mary, mother of God (in the Middle Ages, the feast of the
circumcision of Christ)
Eugendus (d. c. 510) Eugendus was abbot of Condat in the Jura
mountains (near Geneva). He was noted for his learning and
asceticism.
Fulgentius of Ruspe (d. 533) Fulgentius was the son of a noble
Carthaginian family. He became a monk and, in 508, bishop of Ruspe
(Tunisia). F. was soon banished to Sardinia (along with about 60
other catholic bishops), returning to Africa in 515. Although the
Arian king Thrasimund was impressed by his defense of orthodoxy, F.
was soon sent to Sardinia again, only returning when a new king,
Hilderic, converted to orthodox Christianity in 523.
Peter of Atroa (d. 837) Peter became a monk under St. Paul the
Hesychast at the age of 18, and succeeded Paul as abbot in 805.
Peter was a noted miracle worker and monastic organizer. He avoided
the iconoclast controversy by dispersing his monks and taking to the
road himself to avoid persecution.
William of St-Benigne (d. 1031) William of Volpiano was a noble
Lombard, born in 962. He became a monk at Locadio, but in 987 met
Mayolus of Cluny and was so impressed that he joined the Cluniac
craze. Wm. was sent to reorganize first the monastery of St-Sernin,
then St-Benigne in Dijon, which itself became a major reform center.
He also refounded Fecamp in Normandy.
Odilo of Cluny (d. 1049) Born the same year as William of
St-Benigne, Odilo was the other great exponent of the Cluniac reform
in the early decades of the eleventh century. O. became coadjutor of
Cluny at the age of 29, and succeed Majolus as abbot in 994. He took
a leading role in the peace of God movement, introduced the feast of
"All Souls," and spread Cluniac customs far and wide.
Zdislava Berka (d. 1252) The Bohemian Zdislava was an excessively
pious child who tried to run away to the forest at age seven to be a
hermit. Eventually her father arranged her marriage to a count, and
they in time had four children. Z. was extremely charitable, giving
refuge to victims of the Mongols, etc. Her cult was confirmed in
1907, and she was canonized in 1995.
**********************************************************************
To join the list, send the message: join medieval-religion YOUR NAME
to: [log in to unmask]
To send a message to the list, address it to:
[log in to unmask]
To leave the list, send the message: leave medieval-religion
to: [log in to unmask]
In order to report problems or to contact the list's owners, write to:
[log in to unmask]
For further information, visit our web site:
http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/medieval-religion.html
|