Today, 21 October, is the feast of ...
* Hilarion, abbot (c. 371)
- after baptism at age 15, stayed with St Antony for two months
before arranging to go and live in solitude
- he never changed a tunic until it was worn out, and never washed
his hair-shirt
- life was marked by continuous flights from crowds of people
attracted by his miracles; travelled to many parts of the Mediterranean
before dying at age 80 in Cyprus
* Ursula and her maidens, martyrs (?)
- although Pope Benedict XIV tried to eliminate this feast
altogether, it was one of the most popular feasts in medieval northern
Europe
- a church in Cologne was built on the site of the martyrdom
- at end of ninth century, a calendar makes first mention of
Ursula, with 11 companions; within a few years, this number became became
11,000
This change in number is a result of a misreading of the abbreviation in
an inscription at the memorial. Whereas this could have read *XI M.V.*
(*undecim martyres virgines*), this could have been misread as *undecim
milia virginum*. This legend has been discussed at great length; see, M.
Coens in *Analecta Bollandiana* 47 (1929) 80-110.'
* Malchus (fourth century)
- Jerome narrates that Malchus, after living as a hermit,
returned to monastic life following contemplation of a crowd of ants
* Fintan (or Munnu) of Taghmon, abbot (c. 635)
- among the most austere of early Irish monks; an angel normally
visited Fintan twice a week, but when it missed a day due to ministering
to particular needs of St Molua, Fintan was not pleased
* Condedus (c. 685)
- an Englishman who wandered in France until finding seclusion on
island of Belcinac, in the Seine near Caudebec
* John of Bridlington (1379)
- after study at Oxford, took religious habit in Augustinian
priory of Bridlington
- King Henry V attributed his victory at Agincourt to this saint's
intercession (with that of John of Beverley)
* James Strepar, archbishop of Galich (c. 1409)
- Franciscan missionary preacher in Galician Ukraine; was a senator as
well as archbishop
* Peter of Tiferno (1445)
- little known of him, due mainly to destruction by fire of archives of
Dominican friary of Cortona, where he lived most of his life
- used to hold a skull in his hands while preaching
* Matthew, bishop of Girgenti (1450)
- joined Franciscan Conventuals at age 18 in native Sicily, but
left the place to join Bernardino of Siena, and the two became close
friends
* * * * * * * * *
Carolyn Muessig
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