ST REMEDIUS, CONFESSOR - 19 JANUARY

 

ALL SAINTS CELEBRATED IN JANUARY

Saints celebrated on the 19th of January

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SAINT REMEDIUS, CONFESSOR

Saint Remedius or, as he is commonly called in his native Tyrol, Romedius, is a hermit who died in the Bal di Non (Anania, Anaunia), in the bishopric of Trent, at the beginning of the fifth century.

HIS FAMILY BACKGROUND

The saint came from the family of the Counts of Thaur, who were closely related to the Counts of Andechs, Dießen and Hohenwart. 

Out of love for Jesus and the poor, he gave away his entire fortune and made a pilgrimage, accompanied by two pious youths named Abram (Deodatus) and David. They visited the tombs of the holy apostles and other places famous for the possession of relics. 

THE PILGRIMAGE

Pious antiquity has handed down to us one of the prayers which St Remedius used to say in these places. It runs thus: 

"Lord Jesus of Nazareth, Son of the living God, through the intercession of the dear saint whose relics are here, I beg you not to reject me, but to protect me from all vain and dangerous cares, above all from the deceit of the sworn enemy of the soul and from all that is a hindrance to my salvation."

THE HERMITAGE IN THE BAL DI NON

After his return from Rome he spent some time with the holy bishop Vigilius of Trento and then built a hermitage in the Bal di Non, where he lived with his two companions. Like the light in darkness, the three hermits shone throughout the valley with piety and virtue. 

THE BEAR'S PENANCE

That he was in regular contact with Vigilius is self-evident. One day, when he again meant to ride to Trento to visit Vigilius he found, as the legend tells, that a bear had torn his horse to pieces and was devouring it. St Remedius, upon this ghastly sight, asked his companion David to bridle the bear in return for what it had done. The saint then rode back and forth to Trento on this bear instead of on a horse, to the great astonishment of the people.  

SPECIAL MASSES

The year of his death is not known. In 1795, Pope Pius VI allowed special Masses to be read in his honour both in the Diocese of Trent, and in the bishopric of Brixen. His companions are also revered as saints by the people.

HIS INTERCESSION

Among the ancient documents in the monastery at Viecht there is a hymn relating to Remedius. For the sake of brevity we only extract the following stanza, because it lists the evils against which he was and is invoked.

Aegrum corpus, angor mentis,

Febris, languor, furor dentis,

Ignis, grando abeant;

Fugue daemon, fugue saga

Et inundans cesset plaga.

Vires aegria redeant.

Body sickness, fear in the heart,

Fever, weakness, toothache,

Fire, hail, away from here!

Flee demons, give way, bad ones,

Along with the inundating floods.

Strength, o weak one, come to you!

THE TRUST IN THE SAINT'S INTERCESSION IS ANCIENT

This trust in this saint is ancient. The relics of the holy hermit, including his walking staff, have always been venerated at Cles. In 1292 a (Benedictine) priory was founded here. Underneath the church is preserved the cave where the saint lived and prayed. A grand annual procession takes place each January 10 and on Pentecost. (Some sources give an additional memorial of his on October 1.)

Information from Stadler's Complete Encyclopedia of Saints