ON SAINT LEO MONK OF THE ORDER OF S. BASIL.
AT BOVA IN LOWER CALABRIA.
CommentaryLeo, monk of the order of S. Basil, at Bova in Lower Calabria (S.)
G. H.
Ferdinand Ughellus tom. IX of Italia sacra, about to treat of the Bishops of Bova, among other things prefaces these things: Bova is an ancient inland city of Lower Calabria, situated on a most lofty mountain, walled around by precipitous rocks on every side, at the fifth mile from the strait, inhabited by families more or less four hundred. There is moreover the city of Bova, with the neighboring village Africo a county by title, subject to the Archbishop of Reggio in temporal things. They used the Greek rite in sacred things up to the Pontificate of Gregory XIII. Body in the Cathedral. Here is preserved the body of B. Leo, monk of S. Basil from the village of Africo: whose feast they keep on the third Nones of May. Almost the same things on S. Leo has Hieronymus Marafioti book 2 of the Chronicle of Calabria folio 155. Which Ferrarius adorns thus in the Catalog of Saints of Italy on this day V May.
[2] encomium from Ferrarius. Leo in Further Calabria, in which the Bruttii peoples are, in the territory of Bova born and piously by his parents educated, as a youth enters the order of S. Basil, in which he followed such a norm of life, that he obtained much praise of sanctity, both living and dead shining with miracles: on account of which he obtained no mediocre veneration among his citizens. His body at Bova in the Cathedral temple honorably placed on this day chiefly is venerated. Thus Ferrarius, who celebrates the same again in the general Catalog of Saints, citing the tablets of the Bovan church. Mention is made of him also by Paul Regius on the Saints of the Neapolitan kingdom. The rest is hidden: nor is there hope of obtaining more, unless perhaps somewhere there is preserved a Life
written in Greek: which whoever shall send to us, to be inserted in the supplement of this month, will deserve well of the Saint, well of our work, and of all posterity.