SAINT AVITUS, ARCHBISHOP OF VIENNE

SAINT AVITUS, ARCHBISHOP OF VIENNE - 5 FEBRUARY

SAINT AVITUS, ARCHBISHOP OF VIENNE

St Alcimus Ecditius Avitus was of a senatorian Roman family, but born in Auvergne. His father Isychius was chosen archbishop of Vienne upon the death of St Mammertus, and was succeeded in that dignity by our saint, in 490.

A TREASURE OF LEARNING AND PIETY

Ennodius, in his life of St Epiphanius of Pavia, says of him, that he was a treasure of learning and piety; and adds, that when the Burgundians had crossed the Alps, and carried home many captives out of Liguria, this holy prelate ransomed a great number.

THEY HELD HIM IN GREAT VENERATION

Clovis, king of France, whilst yet a pagan, and Gondebald, king of Burgundy, though an Arian, held him in great veneration. This latter, for fear of giving offence to his subjects, durst not embrace the Catholic faith, yet gave sufficient proofs that he was convinced of the truth by our saint, who, in a public conference, reduced the Arian bishops to silence in his presence, at Lyons.

THE KING WAS BROUGHT OVER TO THE FAITH

Gondebald died in 516. His son and successor, Sigismund was brought over by St Avitus to the Catholic faith.

THE COUNCIL OF EPAONE

In 517, our saint presided in the famous council of Epaone, (now called Yenne,) upon the Rhone, in which forty canons of discipline were framed.

ST AVITUS INSPIRED HIM TO BECOME A MONK

When king Sigismund had imbrued his hands in the blood of his son Sigeric, upon a false charge brought against him by a stepmother, St Avitus inspired him with so great a horror of his crime, that he rebuilt the abbey of Agaunum, or St Maurice, became a monk, and died a saint.

HIS WRITINGS

Most of the works of St Avitus are lost; we have yet his poem on the praises of virginity, to his sister Fuscina, a nun, and some others; several epistles; two homilies on the Rogation days; and a third on the same, published by Dom Martenne; fragments of eight other homilies: his conference against the Arians is given us in the Spicilege.

HIS FEAST DAY

St Avitus died in 525, and is commemorated in the Roman Martyrology on February 5; and in the collegiate church of our Lady at Vienne, where he was buried, on August 20. Ennodius, and other writers of that age, extol his learning, his extensive charity to the poor, and his other virtues.

From Fr Butler's Lives of the Saints

WELCOME

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BL. LUKE KIRBY, PRIEST AND MARTYR - 30 MAY

ALL SAINTS CELEBRATED IN MAY Saints celebrated on the 30th of May WELCOME! BLESSED LUKE KIRBY, PRIEST AND MARTYR 16th century houses, painted by Auguste Mayer He was born in the bishopric of Durham, according to Raissius ; others say at Richmond, in Yorkshire. He was master of arts in one of our universities; but going abroad to Douay, in Flanders, was received into the English college there, 1576, and made priest in 1577; and the year following sent upon the mission. Where he had not been long before he again went abroad, and travelled to Rome, partly for devotion, and partly for further improvement in learning. Here he remained in the English college till 1580, when he returned into England, and was not long after apprehended: for I find by a printed diary of things transacted in the Tower of London from 1580 till 1585, that on the 5th of December, 1580, Luke Kirby, Thomas Cottam , and other priests, were brought to the Tower from other prisons; and that these two, on the 10th...

BL. RICHARD NEWPORT, PRIEST AND MARTYR - 30 MAY

ALL SAINTS CELEBRATED IN MAY Saints celebrated on the 30th of May WELCOME! BLESSED RICHARD NEWPORT, PRIEST AND MARTYR Richard Newport, alias Smith , was born in Northamptonshire and performed his studies abroad, partly in the college of Rheims (if he be the Richard Smith whom I find in the Douay diary sent to Rome in 1586) and partly in that of Rome, where he was made priest. From thence he was sent upon the English mission, and behaved himself in such a manner as justly to acquire the character of a laborious missionary; being withal remarkably successful in bringing home many strayed sheep to the fold of Christ, to which his apostolical way of living did not a little contribute. He was several times apprehended and cast into prison, and twice banished. His name occurs amongst those who were transported in 1606; at which time, we are told, he took that opportunity of making a pilgrimage to Rome, there to pour forth his prayers at the tombs of the apostles, in behalf of thi...

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