Today, 17 February, is the feast of ...
* Theodulus and Julian, martyrs (309)
- Eusebius tells the story of these two men who were
martyred in the wake of the killing of fellow martyrs
Elias, Jeremy and companions (see FEAST 16 February)
* Loman, bishop (c. 450?)
- nephew of St Patrick, he accompanied his uncle to
Ireland, and was granted land at Trim on which to found a
new bishopric
* Fintan of Cloneenagh, abbot (603)
- an early source declares: 'Generous Fintan never consumed
during his time aught save the bread of woody barley and
muddy water of clay'
* Finan, bishop of Lindisfarne (661)
- an Irish monk of Iona, he succeeded St Aidan and became
Lindisfarne's second bishop; active in conversion of the
Middle English and the East Saxons
* Silvin, bishop (c. 720)
- worked in the north of France, preaching to non-
Christians; spent much time and effort in ransoming slaves;
for forty years he lived solely on herbs and fruit, and ate
no bread
* Evermod, bishop of Ratzeburg (1178)
- converted to religious life by St Norbert, he first
assisted Norbert in Antwerp (home of medieval-religionist
Marleen Boel-Cre), then eventually became head of abbey
dedicated to the Virgin Mary in Magdeburg, before becoming
bishop, in which office he became known as an apostle of
the Wends
* Reginald of Orleans (1220)
- one of the first Dominicans, he received the vision from
the Virgin Mary that he and his companions should where the
white woollen scapular; the first of the original group of
Preachers to die, he was buried in Paris, in Notre-Dame-
des-Champs
* Luca Belludi (c. 1285)
- Franciscan preacher, who was greatly responsible for
popularizing the cult of St Antony of Padua
* Andrea d'Anagni (1302)
- related to popes Alexander IV and Boniface VIII, he left
his noble lifestyle behind and became a Franciscan
laybrother
- a little anecdote for our list's vegetarian members (and
others) ...
'One day, when [Andrea] was ill and unable to take his
ordinary food, a friend brought him some roasted birds. The
saint, touched with pity at the sight of the innocent
creatures, would not eat, but, making the sign of the cross
over them, commanded them to resume their feathers and fly
away. He was instantly obeyed, and the little birds,
restored to life, took flight with chirps of joy.'
* Pietro da Treia (1304)
- one of the early Franciscans, his life was marked by
tireless preaching and by many visions and levitating
ecstasies
* William Richardson, martyr (1603)
- the last to be martyred during the reign of Queen
Elizabeth I
******************
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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