Today in History: A severed head restored

It was a day like today.

Travelers to Europe since Victorian times can be grateful that it was on November 3, 1801 that Karl Baedeker was born. He was the editor of the eponymous Baeder’s Guides that stalwart Englishmen used as a reference in their Grand Tours of the Continent.

The western Church commemorates on this date St. Winifred, a Welsh virgin of exemplary piety who was beheaded by Caradoc, an infamous prince of North Wales. Winifred was the sister of St. Beuno. According to tradition, after her beheading on June 22 after refusing submission to Caradoc, her head was miraculously restored by Beuno. Undeterred by the temporary separation of head and body, Winifred went on to become abbess at a convent of a double monastery in Denbigshire. There she died fifteen years later. A spring arose at the site where her head fell and has been called Holywell or St. Winifred’s Well ever since. For many years it was a pilgrimage destination and the scene of miracles.

Today is also the feast day of St. Martin de Porres, the son of a Spanish military official and an African-American woman. He died in Peru in 1639. He was notable for his holiness and remains one of the most popular saints in Latin America. He busied himself as a member of the Dominican order in helping the poor and healing the sick. To him are attributed many healings and miracles. In Christian iconography, he is often depicted wielding a broom since he considered all work, however humble, to be sacred.

Orthodox Christians and Catholics of the Byzantine Rite commemorate today the Renovation of Church of St. George the Great-Martyr, patron saint of England. Pious Christians built a new church in honor of St George at Lydda during the reign of Emperor St Constantine (305-337 AD). When the church was consecrated, the relics of the holy Great Martyr George (whose feast is celebrated April 23) were transferred there, and many miracles took place before them.

Words of Wisdom: Rabbi Shmelka of Nikolsburg often said that the poor man does more for the rich man than the rich man does for the poor. And the guest does more for the host than the host does for the guest.