Saints Commemorated In September 1 September St Giles ( or Aegidius , died about 710 )
There are many legends about St Giles , he was one of the most popular saints of the Middle Ages . He may have been born in Athens and became a hermit in France . He built the monastery St Gilles near Arles on land given by king Wamba .
This was on the pilgrim route to Santiago and to the Holy Land and legends attracted pilgrims . St Giles was included in the list of 14 helpers but was not martyred . He became the patron saint of beggars , cripples and lepers and was invoked against cancer and night terrors . His cult spread all over Europe , he is the Patron Saint of Edinburgh , and his name lives in many streets like St Giles , Oxford and St Giles , Cripplegate , London .. The monastery suffered in the 13 th c . from Albigensian wars and never recovered .
Most of the saint ’ s bones were taken to Saint Sernin in Toulouse . 16 September Saint Ninian , Scotland ’ s first Saint , ( died 432 )
He is known as ‘ The Apostle of the Southern Picts ’, variations of his name are Ringan or Trynnian . The date 397 is traditionally given as the start of his mission , but there is no actual historic verification or connection to any known person . He first was mentioned by Bede ca 731 , there is also a 9 th century poem , a vita of 1160 by Alfred of Riveaux . and a 1630 history by James Ussher , Archbishop of Armargh , who gives the traditional date of Ninian ’ s death as 16 Sept 432 .
He was said to have been a Briton , studied in Rome , his Episcopal seat was St Martin in Tours , he founded the first monastery in Scotland at Whithorn , Galloway , where he was buried .
Alfred contributed that Ninian was the son of a Christian king , but Alfred has a political interest since he has a connection to the Scottish Royal family . Ussher thinks that Ninian was Irish and also died in Ireland . Most of Ussher ’ s source is fictional .
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