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Hilary of Poitiers, Saint

(Encyclopedia)Hilary of Poitiers, Saint poitērzˈ, poiˈtyā [key], c.315–367?, bishop of Poitiers from c.350, Doctor of the Church. A convert from paganism, he distinguished himself as a supporter of Athanasius...

New Year's Day

(Encyclopedia)New Year's Day, among ancient peoples the first day of the year frequently corresponded to the vernal or autumnal equinox, or to the summer or winter solstice. In the Middle Ages it was celebrated amo...

Rose of Lima, Saint

(Encyclopedia)Rose of Lima, Saint, 1586–1617, Peruvian Dominican tertiary and mystic, the first canonized saint of the New World, patron of South America and the Philippine Islands. Despite her family's attempt t...

April Fool's Day

(Encyclopedia)April Fool's Day or All Fool's Day, holiday of uncertain origin, known for practical joking and celebrated on the first of April. Prior to the adoption of the Gregorian calendar in 1564, the date was ...

Bede, Saint

(Encyclopedia)Bede, Saint bēˈdə [key] (St. Bede the Venerable), 673?–735, English historian and Benedictine monk, Doctor of the Church, also called the Venerable Bede. He spent his whole life at the monasterie...

Richard of Saint Victor

(Encyclopedia)Richard of Saint Victor, d. 1173, Scottish monk and mystic, prior of the Abbey of St. Victor, Paris. His principal importance is in the history of mystical theology, in which he is a successor to Hugh...

Gregory of Narek, Saint

(Encyclopedia)Gregory of Narek, Saint, c.950–1003, Armenian monk, mystic poet, and theologian, Doctor of the Church. He entered monastic life at an early age, becoming a priest at age 25. Gregory wrote letters, o...

Saint-Germain, Treaty of

(Encyclopedia)Saint-Germain, Treaty of săN-zhĕrmăNˈ [key], any of several treaties signed at Saint-Germain-en-Laye, near Paris, France. 1 The Treaty of Saint-Germain of 1570 terminated the first phase of the Fr...

Seventh-Day Baptists

(Encyclopedia)Seventh-Day Baptists, Protestant church holding the same doctrines as other Calvinistic Baptists but observing the seventh day of the week as the Sabbath. In the Reformation in England the observance ...

Mornay, Philippe de, seigneur du Plessis-Marly

(Encyclopedia)Mornay, Philippe de, seigneur du Plessis-Marly fēlēpˈ də môrnāˈ sānyörˈ dü plĕsēˈ-märlēˈ [key], 1549–1623, diplomat and publicist for the French Protestants, or Huguenots, during th...