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Today, 7 April, is the feast of ... Hegesippus, (180): Remembered(?) as the Father of Church History. By birth a Jew and a member of the church of Jerusalem. Unfortunately only a few chapters remain of the five books which he wrote on the history of the Church. Aphraates, (345): Hermit whose miracles not only cured men and women but also Emperor Valens' favourite horse! George the Younger, Bishop of Mitylene (816) -Remarkable for his generosity in almsgiving, for his humility and for the rigorous and prolonged fasts which caused people to say that he must be an angel because he lived without food or drink. Celsus or Ceallach, Archbishop of Armagh (1129) - Assiduous in conducting visitations, in conserving the temporalities of his see, and in restoring ecclesiastical discipline. Aybert (1140): Aybert wore many hats, hermit, cellarer, priest, spiritual advisor to bishops, canonesses, scholars and humble peasants. Herman Joseph (1241): As a little boy he would enter church and converse familiarly with the Virgin Mary and the Holy Child as he knelt before their statue. Once when he offered them an apple he was overjoyed when the hand of the Madonna extended to accept it. Ursulina, virgin (1410): When she was fifteen a divine voice several times bade her to go to Avignon to urge Pope Clement VII to renounce his claim to the papacy. She did go (twice!) much to Pope Boniface IX's pleasure, but to no avail. While she was in Avignon she was accused of sorcery and narrowly escaped trial. William of Scicli, Franciscan tertiary and hermit (1411) - Seldom left his hermitage except to visit the sick poor for whom he had great compassion. *************** 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] %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%