Today, 12 October, is the feast of ...
* Maximilian, bishop of Lorch, martyr (284?)
- of wealthy parents, he gave away his inheritance and made
pilgrimage to Rome; pope Sixtus sent him back to do missionary work in
area near Bavaria; survived persecutions of Valerian and Aurelian, but
fell to Numerian, prefect of Noricum
* Felix and Cyprian and 4964 companions, martyrs (c. 484)
- the slow martyrdoms of this community of Christians is
recounted by a contemporary African bishop, Victor of Vita
* Edwin, martyr (633)
- king of Northumbria, he slowly deliberated his conversion to
Christianity while being married to Ethelburga, a Christian; eventually
baptised at Easter 627, on site of present York Minster; slain in a
battle, following years of the most perfect peace
* Ethelburga, abbess of Barking, virgin (c. 678)
- not Edwin's wife, but sister of St Erconwald; when starting a
new abbey, she called for assistance to St Hildlitha, who came over to
help
- several miracles at the abbey involved mystical visions at time
of death (including that of Ethelburga)
* Wilfrid, bishop of York (709) - en route to Rome, St Annemund (bishop
of Lyon) tried to convince Wilfrid to stick around and marry his niece
(remember? cf FEAST 28 September), but did not succeed - Wilfrid,
returning to England, became abbot of Ripon, where he introduced the
Rule of Benedict - very pro-Roman, was leading figure at Whitby (664),
where dating of Easter was settled according to Roman tradition/computus
- his companion Eddius described Wilfrid as 'a quick walker' - a
19th-century biographer of Wilfrid, F.W. Faber, converted to
Catholicism, taking Wilfrid as his confirmation name, built a church
dedicated to Wilfrid, took religious name of 'Brother Wilfrid' in
congregation he founded, whose members became known as 'Wilfridians'; it
is not known whether these Wilfridophiles used to walk quickly
* * * * * * * * *
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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