Today, 19 February, is the feast of ...
* Mesrop, bishop (441): Known as 'Mesrop the Teacher'. In his attempt to
carry out missionary work in Armenia, Mersop felt hindered by the fact
that the Bible and the liturgy were in Syriac and that there was no
adequate way of writing them in Armenian. He decided to reconstruct an
Armenian alphabet, the chief basis being the lower case letters of the
Greek alphabet. Mesrop is thought to be responsible for the first Armenian
translation of the Bible. Mesrop also preached and taught throughout
Georgia, setting up schools and creating a Georgian alphabet.
* Barbatus, bishop of Benevento (682): Influential preacher who converted
many pagans to Christianity.
* Beatus of Liebana (c. 798): A humble monk and priest who wrote and
preached in order to counteract the Nestorian heresy taught by the
archbishop of Toledo, Elipandus.
* Boniface, bishop of Lausanne (1260): He began his career as a university
lecturer in Paris. After becoming discouraged by student strikes, he
decided to leave Paris and move to Cologne where he taught in the
cathedral school. Two years later he was elected bishop of Lausanne. He
went to Lausanne full of zeal but found himself continually opposed and
misunderstood throughout the 8 years of his episcopate. While preaching,
he denounced the weaknesses of the clergy. Having incurred the enmity of
Frederick II, Boniface was attacked and badly wounded. Convinced that he
was unfit for his office, he went to the pope and begged to be released
and his request was granted. Boniface returned to Brussels, his
birthplace. He resided at the Cistercian nunnery at La Cambre where the
abbess invited him to stay. He spent the rest of his life within the
precincts of the abbey.
* Conrad of Piacenza, pilgrim and hermit (1351): After having accidentally
burnt down some neighbouring villages, Conrad, who belonged to a noble
family, had to pay for the damages. Nearly all his possessions were
depleted. This sequence of events caused him and his wife to decide to
take up the religious life. His wife entered a convent of the Poor Clares,
while Conrad became a pilgrim and attached himself to some hermits who
lived under the rule of Franciscan tertiaries. From that time he led a
life of extraordinary piety, and soon his fame began to bring him visits
from his former fellow-citizens. In spite of all attempts to hide himself,
the fame of his sanctity spread far and wide, and when a famine occurred
numerous people sought his help. Through his prayers relief came at once
to the stricken inhabitants, and from that time his cell was besieged by
sufferers of all kinds. He was particularly invoked for 'ruptures' on
account of the large number of people who owed their quick recoveries from
hernias to his intercession.
* Alvarez of Cordova (c. 1430): An effective Dominican preacher. Despite
his advanced age he continued to teach and preach. In his earlier years he
was confessor and adviser of the Queen-mother of Castile, Catherine, who
was the daughter of John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster.
* * * * * * * * * * *
Carolyn Muessig
Department of Theology and Religious Studies
University of Bristol
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