Felix and Felicity

I've said before that I have a special, irrational love for St Felicity, as much for her name as for her life-story (though that is, indeed, extremely interesting), and I feel the same way about the various St Felixes. (Partly, I have to confess, because the most wonderful character in this wonderful book is named Felix. The Pillars of the House had a similar effect on my love of the name Lancelot, which I couldn't stand for the Arthurian knight, but love for his Charlotte Yonge namesake!).

And today is the feast of two saints named Felix, this one, of whom I know nothing, and this one, about whom I just learned something. This is particularly delightful:

Felix's special apostolate was amongst the children of the city, with whom his childlike simplicity made him a special favourite. His method with these was to gather them together in bands and, forming a circle, set them to sing canticles of his own composing, by which he taught them the beauty of a good life and the ugliness of sin. These canticles became popular and frequently, when on his rounds in quest of alms, Felix would be invited into the houses of his benefactors and asked to sing. He would seize the opportunity to bring home some spiritual truth in extemporized verse.

This is actually totally something Charlotte Yonge's Felix Underwood would do. I'm just saying.


By the way, if you can identify which classic children's book gave me an abiding love for the names Felix and Felicity (especially for a pair of twins), you might win some kind of prize...