California has a delightful example of a non-existent saint in the town
name San Ardo. I couldn't figure out who he was, and finally got an
explanation from the vicar of the Episcopal church there. The town used to
be named San Bernardo, after B of Clairvaux. The post office kept mixing
it up with the much more important city of San Bernardino, though, and
finally they shortened San Bernardo to Ardo to avoid confusion. Maybe
apocryphal, but an entertaining story.
Phyllis
>At 10:08 19/04/99 +0100, you wrote:
>>Today, 19 April, is the feast of ...
>>
>>Expeditus, martyr (no date): It is thought that this saint never
>>existed.
>>
>>Last year Bill East addded:
>>
>>There are several other non-existent saints whose name derives from
>>a linguistic misunderstanding. St Amphibalus - the word means a cloak;
>>and St Aldate - simply the Old Gate, near which, in Oxford, stands the
>>Church of St Aldate's.
>>
>
> Saint Torquatus is -if I am not wrong- another instance of
>non-existent saint. Professor Ladislao Castro (Universidad de Vigo, Spain)
>has done some research on this saint. Sorry, I cannot provide you with a
>full reference, but if someone is interested I can give his address.
>
> Carlos
Phyllis G. Jestice
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