ON S. GENESIA, VIRG. MART.
HONORED AT CHIERI IN PIEDMONT.
A compilation from the tradition of the place, concerning the body brought thither and found.
Genesia, Virgin Martyr, honored at Chieri in Piedmont (S.)
D. P.
[1] At Chieri, a notable town, Asked what Piedmont was, a certain man is said to have not ineptly replied, a city which encompasses three hundred miles within its circuit. For, besides cities truly so called, three notable for Episcopal See, under the Metropolitan of Turin, it is said to contain about five hundred and fifty walled towns; among which many, yielding nothing to cities, one is Chieri; concerning which in the Atlas of Blaeu it is read, that adorned by Frederick Barbarossa with the title of Maxima-Villa, it is in truth such, both for the nobility of churches, convents, Patroness S. Genesia is venerated on this day, and buildings of every kind; and for the wealth of its inhabitants and the fertility of the soil: where there are many noble families, many opulent merchants. It is six or seven miles distant from Turin to the East; and at the interval of one mile it looks toward its neighbor to the north, the village of Antecellium, commonly called Andesen: between which was found the body of S. Genesia the Virgin and Martyr, when it gave occasion for contention; this contention was settled by a miracle, and the found treasure is said to have yielded to the people of Chieri, who wished her annually to be honored with a feast on this 8th of June; perhaps because the miracle happened on such a day, or it was anciently so venerated in the church of S. Genesia, said to have stood in that place, but now utterly perished.
[2] Concerning that Saint are said to have written William Baldesano, Canon of the Metropolitan of Turin, concerning whom Piedmontese writers in his Ecclesiastical History of Western Italy, not yet seen by us, but the diligence of the author being known to those who have his Sacred Theban History, published at Turin in the year 1598 and more fully in 1604; and Paulus Britius, made Bishop of Alba in the year 1642, in MS. Additions to Baldesano; likewise some ancient MSS. of the notable Collegiate of Chieri. Hence, when we asked for some information, some conjecture, not likely things. there replied to us in the year 1689 the Rector of our College there, R. P. John Francis Dabray, that it was the opinion of the aforesaid authors, founded on the Relics of SS. Julian and Basilia found together, that she was one of the thousand disciples of this woman, who died with their teacher; whose body, together with the Relics of the aforesaid two Saints, some citizen brought thither from Antioch, returning from the holy war after that city was occupied by the Christians in the year 1098. The Acts of those Saints were illustrated on the 9th of January by our Godfrey Henschen, from which since it is established that they suffered in Egypt, not in Syria; and the older Hieronymian Martyrology ascribes them to Antinoo; he rightly judged that Antiochia had crept in for Antinoia (for so it is also written), the more easily because Antioch in Syria also had a famous Martyr Julian, to be commemorated by us this month on the 21st day. But neither in the Acts of those Egyptians is any Genesia named, so that the conjectures founded on the simultaneous translation of Relics are to be held altogether most uncertain. Wherefore I preferred to treat of her separately in this place.
[3] I took care therefore through our men at Chieri, to inquire again, what at least concerning the discovery and present cult I could write more certainly; and I received a reply of this sort from the above-praised Rector, However by tradition it is held, from tradition rather than from any certain monument of letters: That a certain herdsman traversing with plough-oxen a field, situated between the town of Chieri and the village of Antecellium, the oxen stood with their knees bent. Struck by the novelty of this matter, the herdsman, as he turned his eyes and mind hither and thither, beheld a sepulcher uncovered by the plough; and at the same time digging deeper into the earth, he found a casket; in which were preserved the relics of the holy Julian, and Basilissa, and Genesia. The whole matter being made public, the oxen knelt down at the place of the hidden chest, at once the people of Chieri and Antecellium flowed together, and since each people was excessively desirous of the heavenly treasure, it came to this, that they proceeded to settle the dispute by arms. This being perceived, in order to consult for peace, the Bishop took counsel, of placing the sacred Relics upon a chariot, which a pair of untamed oxen should draw; thus stipulating the peace of those standing by, that when the oxen advancing should have come to a fork, of which one part led to Chieri, the other to Antecellium, the treasure should belong to that people, [and the contention arisen for her settled by a miracle in favor of the people of Chieri] in whose city or village they should stop. The road being therefore taken at a headlong course with the oxen pressing on, it was plainly done by divine power, that they should take their way toward Chieri: where, no delay being interposed, they brought the chariot to the great temple of the notable Collegiate of holy Mary of the Stair. The Community of Chieri observes, that every year when it experiences the heavens noxious to the earth, either by excessive drought, or by more frequent than is fitting rains, the Relics being exposed for public worship, and being carried around the whole church for nine days, who invoke the Saint for rain or fair weather. it is so accustomed happily to conciliate it to itself: for it turns its ears to the vows of those praying, so that for the most part the heaven turns either to rains, or to fair weather, according to the demand of the time.
ON SAINTS MARCIAN AND JOCUNDUS,
MARTYRS IN EGYPT.
From copies of the Hieronymian Martyrology.
CommentaryMarcian, Martyr in Egypt (S.)
Jocundus, Martyr in Egypt (S.)
G. H.
The four copies of the Hieronymian Martyrology open this eighth day of June with these words: VI Ides of June in Egypt of Marcian. In the Corbie copy, published at Paris with the fourth volume of the Specilegium by Luc d'Achery, is added the companion Jocundus, as also in the ancient Martyrology of the same monastery of Corbie: wherefore we also did not wish to separate the same. Notker also so begins the same day: In Egypt the birth of S. Martian, whom very many MSS. refer to, and with them Greven in his Additions to Usuard. On the fifth day are celebrated as Martyrs in Egypt Marcian, Nicander, and Apollonius, also inscribed in the said copies of the Hieronymian Martyrology: from whom because this one perhaps was different, with this premonition we have determined to set him forth on this day; especially because the companion Jocundus is added, different from the companions previously named.