Today, 28 September, is the feast of... Wenceslaus of Bohemia, martyr (929): Grandmother was St Ludmilla - after celebrating the feast of Cosmas and Damian, he was murdered by his brother Boleslaus's men. Despite the famous Christmas carol named after him, there was not a widespread popular devotion to Wenceslaus in England. Exsuperius, bishop of Toulouse (412): Famous for his generosity. Requested from pope St Innocent I a list of the authentic books of the Bible; this list remains authoritative in the Roman Catholic Church. Eustochium, virgin (419): She and her mother, St Paula, had St Jerome as their spiritual director. Jerome dedicated to her his work concerning the keeping of virginity. Faustus, bishop of Riez (493): A semi-Pelagian made good. A great preacher: St Sidonius would shout himself hoarse during Faustus's sermons (interesting phenomenon!). Annemund, bishop of Lyon, martyr (658): Such an admirer of St Wilfrid of York, who stopped in Lyon with Benedict Biscop en route to Rome, that he offered to adopt him and give him his niece to marry; Wilfrid had other things to do, and said no. According to hagiographer Eddius (and, in turn, Bede), the queen-regent St Bathildis was responsible for Annemund's murder by soldiers, at Macon. Lioba, virgin (780): Of a good Wessex family, she was sent by St Boniface to Germany (with Thecla, Walburga and other female saints); there (but not in England) is her feast celebrated. Lorenzo di Ripafratta, Dominican (1457): As novice director in the priory of Cortona, he directed St Antonino and Fra Angelico. John of Dukla, Franciscan (1484): A patron of Poland and Lithuania; influenced by St Giovanni da Capestrano. Bernardino da Feltre, Franciscan (1494): Often credited with the authorship of *Anima Christi* (but this prayer was written in the previous century), he opened a series of montes pietatis (a sort of holy pawnshop for the poor). Francesco da Calderola, Franciscan. (1507): Colleague of Bernardino da Feltre. **************************** Carolyn Muessig Department of Theology and Religious Studies University of Bristol 3 Woodland Road Bristol BS8 1TB UK fax: +44.117.929.7850 phone: +44.117.928.8168 [log in to unmask] %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%