Felix and Regula are Coptic Orthodox and Roman Catholic saints, together with their servant Exuperantius, and are the patron saints of Zürich, their feast day being 11 September in the Gregorian calendar,[1] celebrated on the same day using the Julian calendar (which is the 24th of September Gregorian), the 14th of Tout in the Coptic Calendar.
Wasserkirche church Crypt with 'Martyr stone', the supposed execution site
Detail of a plan of Zürich, 1576. Shown is the Grossmünster, burial place of Saints Felix and Regula, at the river Limmat the Wasserkirche (Water Church), their execution site, and on the left side of the Limmat the Fraumünster Abbey, where important relics of the saints used to be on display to the public.
Felix and Regula were siblings, beheaded in the third century, along with their loyal servant Exuperantius, for converting to Christianity.[2]
Felix and Regula were siblings, and members of the Theban legion under Saint Maurice, stationed in Agaunum in the Valais. When the legion was to be executed in 286, they fled, reaching Zürich via Glarus before they were caught, tried and executed. After decapitation, they miraculously stood to their feet, picked up their own heads, walked forty paces uphill, and prayed before lying down in death. They were buried on the spot where they lay down, on the hilltop which would become the site of the Grossmünster.[3]
The story was revealed in a dream to a monk called Florentius. It largely contributed to the massive conversion of the inhabitants of these regions to Christianity and had such an impact on Zurich that these three saints still appear on the seal of Zurich today.
In the 9th century, there was a small monastery at the location, outside the settlement of Zürich which was situated on the left side of the Limmat. The Grossmünster was built on their graves from ca. 1100, while at the site of their execution stands the Wasserkirche. From the 13th century, images of the saints were used in official seals of the city and on coins. On the saints' feast day, their relics were carried in procession between the Grossmünster and the Fraumünster, and the two monasteries vied for possession of the relics, which attracted enough pilgrims to make Zürich the most important pilgrimage site in the bishopric of Konstanz. The Knabenschiessen of Zürich originates with the feast day of the saints on 11 September, which came to be the "national holiday" of the early modern Republic of Zürich.
With the dissolution of the monasteries by Huldrych Zwingli in 1524, their possessions were confiscated and the graves of the martyrs were opened. There are conflicting versions of what happened then. Heinrich Bullinger claims that the graves were empty save for a few bone fragments, which were piously buried in the common graveyard outside the church. The Catholics, on the other hand, claimed that the reformers were planning to throw the relics of the saints into the river, and that a courageous man of Uri (who happened to be exiled from Uri, and by his action earned amnesty) stole the relics from the church and carried them to Andermatt, where the two skulls of Felix and Regula can be seen to this day, while the remaining relics were returned to Zürich in 1950, to the newly built Catholic church St. Felix und Regula. The skulls have been Carbon 14 dated, and while one dates to the Middle Ages, the other is in fact composed of fragments of two separate skulls, of which one is medieval, and the other could indeed date to Roman times.
Felix & Regula in 'Stuttgarter Passionale' (1130)
Literature (in German)
Hansueli Etter, Urs Baur, Jürg Hanser, Jürg Schneider (Hrsg.): Die Zürcher Stadtheiligen Felix und Regula. Legenden, Reliquien, Geschichte und ihre Botschaft im Licht moderner Forschung. Hochbauamt der Stadt Zürich/Büro für Archäologie, Zürich 1988 ISBN3-905243-01-6
Walter Nigg: Felix und Regula, Aneignung einer Legende. Zürich: SV International, Schweizer Verlagshaus, 1983. ISBN3-7263-6361-0
Jürg Hanser, Armin Mathis, Ulrich Ruoff, Jürg Schneider: Das neue Bild des Alten Zürich. Zürich 1983
Cécile Ramer, Felix, Regula und Exuperantius; Ikonographie der Stifts- und Stadtheiligen Zürichs. Zürich: Antiquarische Gesellschaft, 1973.
^Bischof, Franz Xavier, "Felix and Regula", Religion Past and Present 2011 ISBN9789004146662
^"Siblings carry their severed heads 40 paces to become Zürich’s patron saints", Le News, June 12, 2016
^"The First Christians in Zurich: The Legend of Felix and Regula", Zurich Tourism
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Saints Felix and Regula.
CPG 111, 1470s manuscript containing the legend of Felix and Regula as well as that of Saint Meinrad.
(in German)
Saints Germain et Randoald, Martyrs
February 22, 2023
felix, regula, this, article, require, copy, editing, grammar, style, cohesion, tone, spelling, assist, editing, september, 2022, learn, when, remove, this, template, message, this, article, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, improve, th. This article may require copy editing for grammar style cohesion tone or spelling You can assist by editing it September 2022 Learn how and when to remove this template message This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Felix and Regula news newspapers books scholar JSTOR December 2021 Learn how and when to remove this template message Felix and Regula are Coptic Orthodox and Roman Catholic saints together with their servant Exuperantius and are the patron saints of Zurich their feast day being 11 September in the Gregorian calendar 1 celebrated on the same day using the Julian calendar which is the 24th of September Gregorian the 14th of Tout in the Coptic Calendar Saints Felix Regula amp ExuperantiusJesus and Felix Regula Exuperantius 1506MartyrsBornEgyptDied11 September 286Grossmunster SwitzerlandVenerated inCoptic Orthodox ChurchEastern Orthodox ChurchOriental Orthodox ChurchesRoman Catholic ChurchMajor shrineSts Felix and Regula at ZurichFeast11 SeptemberPatronageZurichWasserkirche church Crypt with Martyr stone the supposed execution site Detail of a plan of Zurich 1576 Shown is the Grossmunster burial place of Saints Felix and Regula at the river Limmat the Wasserkirche Water Church their execution site and on the left side of the Limmat the Fraumunster Abbey where important relics of the saints used to be on display to the public Felix and Regula were siblings beheaded in the third century along with their loyal servant Exuperantius for converting to Christianity 2 Contents 1 History 2 Literature in German 3 See also 4 References 5 External linksHistory EditFelix and Regula were siblings and members of the Theban legion under Saint Maurice stationed in Agaunum in the Valais When the legion was to be executed in 286 they fled reaching Zurich via Glarus before they were caught tried and executed After decapitation they miraculously stood to their feet picked up their own heads walked forty paces uphill and prayed before lying down in death They were buried on the spot where they lay down on the hilltop which would become the site of the Grossmunster 3 The story was revealed in a dream to a monk called Florentius It largely contributed to the massive conversion of the inhabitants of these regions to Christianity and had such an impact on Zurich that these three saints still appear on the seal of Zurich today In the 9th century there was a small monastery at the location outside the settlement of Zurich which was situated on the left side of the Limmat The Grossmunster was built on their graves from ca 1100 while at the site of their execution stands the Wasserkirche From the 13th century images of the saints were used in official seals of the city and on coins On the saints feast day their relics were carried in procession between the Grossmunster and the Fraumunster and the two monasteries vied for possession of the relics which attracted enough pilgrims to make Zurich the most important pilgrimage site in the bishopric of Konstanz The Knabenschiessen of Zurich originates with the feast day of the saints on 11 September which came to be the national holiday of the early modern Republic of Zurich With the dissolution of the monasteries by Huldrych Zwingli in 1524 their possessions were confiscated and the graves of the martyrs were opened There are conflicting versions of what happened then Heinrich Bullinger claims that the graves were empty save for a few bone fragments which were piously buried in the common graveyard outside the church The Catholics on the other hand claimed that the reformers were planning to throw the relics of the saints into the river and that a courageous man of Uri who happened to be exiled from Uri and by his action earned amnesty stole the relics from the church and carried them to Andermatt where the two skulls of Felix and Regula can be seen to this day while the remaining relics were returned to Zurich in 1950 to the newly built Catholic church St Felix und Regula The skulls have been Carbon 14 dated and while one dates to the Middle Ages the other is in fact composed of fragments of two separate skulls of which one is medieval and the other could indeed date to Roman times Felix amp Regula in Stuttgarter Passionale 1130 Literature in German EditHansueli Etter Urs Baur Jurg Hanser Jurg Schneider Hrsg Die Zurcher Stadtheiligen Felix und Regula Legenden Reliquien Geschichte und ihre Botschaft im Licht moderner Forschung Hochbauamt der Stadt Zurich Buro fur Archaologie Zurich 1988 ISBN 3 905243 01 6 Walter Nigg Felix und Regula Aneignung einer Legende Zurich SV International Schweizer Verlagshaus 1983 ISBN 3 7263 6361 0 Jurg Hanser Armin Mathis Ulrich Ruoff Jurg Schneider Das neue Bild des Alten Zurich Zurich 1983 Cecile Ramer Felix Regula und Exuperantius Ikonographie der Stifts und Stadtheiligen Zurichs Zurich Antiquarische Gesellschaft 1973 See also EditSaints Felix and Regula patron saint archiveReferences Edit Bischof Franz Xavier Felix and Regula Religion Past and Present 2011 ISBN 9789004146662 Siblings carry their severed heads 40 paces to become Zurich s patron saints Le News June 12 2016 The First Christians in Zurich The Legend of Felix and Regula Zurich TourismExternal links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Saints Felix and Regula CPG 111 1470s manuscript containing the legend of Felix and Regula as well as that of Saint Meinrad University of Zurich Die Stadt Zurich und ihre Martyrer ein multimedialer Pfad in German Orthodox Vesper in honor of St Felix St Regula and St Exuperantius Saints Germain et Randoald Martyrs Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Felix and Regula amp oldid 1108030470, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
