Jeron (Hieron), St.
JERON (HIERON), ST.
Priest and missionary to the Frisians; a.k.a. Hieron or Iero; martyred by the Northmen, 856? Differing traditions place his birth in Egmond, Holland, England, or Scotland. When brought before a tribal assembly and sharply questioned, Jeron bore eloquent witness in the best tradition of the Roman martyrs, quoting fluently from the Scriptures. He was then tortured and slain. The saint's head is at Noordwijk, the scene of his martyrdom. Other relics are at St. Adalbert's monastery in Egmond. In the late Middle Ages, and again recently, his cult has been popular in Holland and miracles have been attributed to him.
Feast: Aug. 17; Aug. 18 (Diocese of Haarlem).
Bibliography: Acta Sanctorum Aug. 3:475–479. o. opperman, Fontes egmundenses (Utrecht 1933) 181–307. a. m. zimmermann, Kalendarium Benedictinum: Die Heiligen und Seligen des Benediktinerorderns und seiner Zweige, 4 v. (Metten 1933–38) 2:591. h. j. a. coppens, Algemeen Overzicht der Kerkgeschiedenis van Noord-Nederland (2d ed. Utrecht 1902) 96–97.
[r. balch]