Today, 26 September, is the feast of...
Cyprian, martyr, and Justina, virgin martyr (no date, but early legend):
Cyprian, extremely learned in black magic, failed in trying to seduce
the beautiful Justina; left his arts behind him (including his alliance
with the Devil himself) and converted to Justina's faith. How they died:
she was scourged, he was torn with iron hooks they both were boiled in a
cauldron of pitch before being beheaded.
Colman of Lann Elo, abbot (611): One of 12 saints of this name in
Ireland for the month of September alone; wrote Alphabet of Devotion.
Nilus of Rossano, abbot (1004): Left his family for monastic life.
Generally held to be the founder of the monastery of Grottaferrata
John of Meda (1159): Two years ago John Wickstrom gave the list some
very valuable information concerning this saint. That posting reads as
follows:
*I did some work on the Humiliati a few years ago: here is the entry on
John of Meda from *BS*:
Giovanni da Meda from *Biblio. Sanctorum*
Saint? Born in province of Milan. Towards end of 11th c of the family of
Oldrati (Oldradi); after a vision of the Virgin, he went to Milan where
founded first order of Humil. composed solely of clerics, in the present
palace of Brera (till 1571 a monastery of the order). He founded several
other monasteries in dioc. of Milan and in Lombardy, amongst which S
Maria in Rondineto near Como where he lived (giving him the name John of
Como) Died at Brera 26 Sept. 1159. But this is all legendary material,
flatly contradicted by historical fact of the order's founding. Stephani
denied his existence, while Zanoni says not even known if or where
canonized and whether worshipped as a saint or blessed.
Sources:
*Vies des saints*, ix, 529
*Ency call*, vi, col 570
*Storia di Milano*, iv, 161-5.
I looked up his vita in the *VS* and decided that he was a legendary
figure was invented by the Humiliati who needed a holy founder, since
they had coalesced gradually as a group of lay penitents in the 12th
century Milan. (The article in the *VS* is a good one in the de la Haye
tradition.) There is no mention of him in the liturgical texts of the
Humiliati whatsoever until the Renaissance breviary of 1537, a wholly
new text that changed much from medieval office books of the order. Of
course the order was suppressed in 1571 after they took a shot at
Charles Borromeo, who had been sent to reform them.*
(Thanks John Wickstrom for a classic posting to the list!).
Lucy of Caltagirone, Franciscan tertiary (13th): Mistress of novices;
had special devotion to the Five Wounds.
Dalmatius Moner, Dominican (1341): Another 'flying saint'. Was known as
'the brother who talks with angels'; but with women he would not talk at
all, except over his shoulder. His hagiographer reports that his
personal appearance was somewhat unattractive.
**********************************
Dr Carolyn Muessig
Department of Theology and Religious Studies
University of Bristol
Bristol BS8 1TB
UK
phone: +44(0)117-928-8168
fax: +44(0)117-929-7850
e-mail: [log in to unmask]
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