ST ALBINUS, BISHOP OF ANGERS - 1 MARCH

 

ALL SAINTS CELEBRATED IN MARCH 

Saints celebrated on the 1st of March

Prayer to the Angels and the Saints

Heavenly Father, in praising Your Angels and Saints we praise Your glory, for by honouring them we honour You, their Creator. Their splendour shows us Your greatness, which infinitely surpasses that of all creation.

In Your loving providence, You saw fit to send Your Angels to watch over us. Grant that we may always be under their protection and one day enjoy their company in heaven.

Heavenly Father, You are glorified in Your Saints, for their glory is the crowning of Your gifts. You provide an example for us by their lives on earth, You give us their friendship by our communion with them, You grant us strength and protection through their prayer for the Church, and You spur us on to victory over evil and the prize of eternal glory by this great company of witnesses.

Grant that we who aspire to take part in their joy may be filled with the Spirit that blessed their lives, so that, after sharing their faith on earth, we may also experience their peace in heaven. Amen.

SAINT ALBINUS, BISHOP OF ANGERS 

Saint Albinus came from a noble and ancient family that had settled in Brittany but was originally from England. In order to completely cut himself off from the world, he went to the monastery of Cincillac, later called Tintillane, near Angers. Here his striving was solely to attain perfection. After the death of his abbot in 504, he was elected monastery leader. 

ABBOT ALBINUS

After leading his monastic community with great blessings for 25 years, he was appointed bishop by unanimous election of the people and clergy. For humility's sake, he refused to be raised to the episcopal Chair of Angers (Andegavum) raised. Notwithstanding his refusal, he was ordained bishop. He died on March 1, 549 at the age of 81. 

BISHOP OF ANGERS

He possessed the gift of miracles in high degree. Once he healed a lame hand and made three blind men see; He also raised a dead man and delivered a person from being possessed by the devil. Once when King Childebert, who esteemed him exceedingly highly, wished to visit him, it happened that as long as the king drove to him by the right road, he made good progress along it; but if he wished to take paths that were leading in wrong directions, away from his destination, the horse could not be moved until he turned on the right path again. 

THE GIFT OF MIRACLES

Many miracles also happened at his grave. In the year 566 St Germanus, Bishop of Paris, raised his remains and placed them in a reliquary. Most of these relics have always remained at Angers in the famous Abbey of St Albinus, which King Childebert had donated. 

HIS LEGACY

Incidentally, many monasteries in France were placed under his patronage, and many churches and villages there still bear the name of St Albin (St-Aubin). His name occurs in the Roman Martyrology on March 1. As for the artistic representation, St Albinus is usually depicted in episcopal attire.

(Information from Stadler's Complete Encyclopedia of Saints, 1858 - 🎨 St Albinus at the Third Council of Orleans)