Today, 7 October, is the feast of...
Sergius and Baccus, martyrs (303): When they refused to enter temple of
Jupiter with emperor Maximian, he stripped these soldiers of their
uniforms and made them walk the streets in women's clothes; later they
were martyred separately.
Marcellus and Apuleius, martyrs (?): According to Roman Martyrology, they
were followers of Simon Magus. They were converted by St Peter and
martyred in Rome after his passion.
Justina, virgin martyr (?): After the discovery of her alleged relics in
1117 in Padova, a forged account of her passion was published.
Mark, pope (336): First pope elected after Constantine's 'freeing of
Christianity', he lived less than a year after his election. He is praised
in a poem by pope Damasus.
Osyth, virgin martyr (675): Daughter of a Marcian chief. Osyth was raised
in a nunnery - when married to king of East Saxons, he attempted to
embrace her when he saw a stag and left her to hunt it; when he returned,
she was gone to re-enter religious milieu (proto-football widow?)F ounded
a nunery at a place called Chich; pirates eventually
raided the place and killed her.
Matthew of Mantova, confessor/Dominican (1470): Met a child named Stefana
Quinzani and told her she would be his heiress; when she grew up and he
died, every Friday, she would get a pain in her bosom, as Matthew
used to have.
Feast of Mary's Rosary (established 1573): Established following Christian
victory at Lepanto over Turks Dominicans claim rosary was devised by
Dominic himself, who used it while preaching against the Albigensians -
the use of beads as device for aiding counting of prayer is
ancient, especially among Eastern monks - William of Malmesbury wrote that
Lady Godiva of Coventry (died 1075) bequeathed to a statue of Mary 'the
circlet of precious stones which she had threaded on a cord in order that
by fingering them one after another she might count her payers exactly. In
thirteenth century these were called 'paternosters'; people who made them
were called 'paternosterers'; in London these people worked in street
called 'Paternoster Row'.
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Carolyn Muessig
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