ST PATIENS, BISHOP OF METZ - 8 JANUARY

 

ALL SAINTS CELEBRATED IN JANUARY

Saints celebrated on the 8th of January

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SAINT PATIENS, BISHOP OF METZ 

In the documents at Metz it is claimed the following - which seems somewhat incompatible with his Latin name - that Patiens came from a distinguished Greek family in Asia Minor. When the Evangelist St John proclaimed the Gospel there, St Patiens joined him. 

EVENTS IN ASIA MINOR

St John - so it says - had it divinely revealed to him that the episcopal see at Metz had become vacant following the recent death of St Felix. According to the legend St John then sent this loyal and dear disciple to Gaul, and when he parted, gave him a tooth that he pulled out of his own mouth without any pain as a pledge of love with the words: "Take this souvenir from me and leave it in the place that the Lord has will show you; the rest of my limbs are in the hands of my Creator, who has protected me in every tribulation up to now."

HE EXHORTED HIM TO BE PATIENT

In addition, the holy Apostle exhorted his pupil to be patient. He gave Patiens his blessing, whereupon Patiens set off on the journey to Gaul.

HE BUILT A CHAPEL IN HONOUR OF ST JOHN

Once there, he wonderfully not only understood the language of the people, but was also able to express himself in it and teach the people. He built a chapel at Metz, which he named after St John, Apostle, and placed in it John's tooth relic. St Patiens, who is numbered fourth in the order of the bishops of Metz,  is said to have died around the year 152. 

Information from Stadler's Complete Encyclopedia of Saints