ALL SAINTS CELEBRATED IN FEBRUARY
Saints celebrated on the 21st of February
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SAINT GERMANUS AND SAINT RANDAUT OF GRANFELDEN, MARTYRS
(Saints German, Abbot, and Randaut, or Randoald, Martyrs - About the Year 666.) Saint German, or Germanus, was son of a rich senator of Triers, and brought up from the cradle under the care of Modoald, bishop of Triers. At seventeen years of age, he gave all he could dispose of to the poor, and with Modoald’s consent applied himself to Saint Arnoul, who having resigned his dignities of bishop of Metz, and minister of state under Dagobert, then led an eremitical life in a desert in Lorrain, near Romberg, or Remiremont.
That great saint, charmed with the innocence and fervour of the tender young nobleman, received him in the most affectionate manner, and gave him the monastic tonsure.
HE MADE GREAT PROGRESS IN THE SPIRITUAL LIFE
Under such a master the holy youth made great progress in the spiritual life, and after some time, having engaged a younger brother, called Numerian, to forsake the world, he went with him to Romberg, or the monastery of St Romaric, a prince of royal blood, who, resigning the first dignity and rank which he enjoyed in the court of King Theobert, had founded in his own castle, in concert with his friend Saint Arnoul, a double house, one larger for nuns, the other less for monks; both known since under the name of Remiremont, situated on a part of Mount Vosge.
Saint Romaric died in 653, and is named in the Roman Martyrology on December 8, on which his festival is kept at Remiremont, and that of the Blessed Virgin deferred to the day following. He settled here the rule of Luxeuil, or of Saint Columban.
HE JOINED LUXEUIL
Saint German made the practices of all manner of humiliations, penance, and religion, the object of his earnest ambition, and out of a desire of greater spiritual advancement, after some time passed with his brother to the monastery of Luxeuil, then governed by the holy abbot, Saint Walbert.
THE MONASTERIES
Duke Gondo, one of the principal lords of Alsace, having founded a monastery in the diocese of Basel, called Granfield [Granfelden, Granfel], and now more commonly [Münster-Granfelden].
Saint Walbert appointed Saint German abbot of the colony which he settled there. Afterwards the two monasteries of [Ursitz - named after Saint Ursicinus] and of Saint Paul Zu Werd, were also put under his direction, though he usually resided at Granfelden.
THE SUCCESSOR
Catihe, called also Boniface, who succeeded Gondo in the duchy, inherited no share of his charity and religion, and oppressed both the monks and poor inhabitants with daily acts of violence and arbitrary tyranny. The holy abbot bore all private injuries in silence, but often pleaded the cause of the poor.
The duke had thrown the magistrates of several villages into prison, and many ways distressed the other inhabitants, laying waste their lands at pleasure, and destroying all the fruits of their toil, and all the means of their poor subsistence.
THEIR MARTYRS' CROWNS
As he was one day ravaging their lands and plundering their houses at the head of a troop of soldiers, Saint German went out to meet him, to entreat him to spare a distressed and innocent people. The duke listened to his remonstrances and promised to desist; but whilst the saint staid to offer up his prayers in the church of Saint Maurice, the soldiers fell again to killing, burning and plundering: and whilst Saint German was on his road to return to Granfelden, with his companion Randoald, commonly called Randaut, they first stripped them, and then, whilst they were at their prayers, pierced them both with lances, about the year 666. Their relics were deposited at Granfelden, and were exposed in a rich shrine till the change of religion, since which time the canonries, into which this monastery was converted, are removed to Telsberg, or Delmont.
Source: Alban Butler's Lives of the Saints
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