ST RENATUS OF SORRENTO, BISHOP - 6 OCTOBER

 

ALL SAINTS CELEBRATED IN OCTOBER 

Saints celebrated on the 6th of October

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.

ST RENATUS OF SORRENTO, BISHOP 

Saint Renatus, a Bishop and Confessor of Sorrento (Surrentum) in Naples. The story of this Saint (prodigiosa historia) is woven with so much improbable fairy tale that it is difficult to establish the actual facts. 

It is certain that, since time immemorial, St Renatus has been venerated in that city on October 6th. It is unfortunate that there is no older historical record about him. 

Research into this matter shows that the holy Bishop had come to Sorrento from Rome with the desire to lead a hidden life. After some time, however, he was brought out of his concealment and raised to the episcopal see. He did not like to be thus promoted and went along with it only for reasons of obedience.

Due to certain biographical similarities with another St Renatus, the Bollandists connect our St Renatus with a Saint of the same Christian name, surnamed of Angers.

St Renatus of Angers, Bishop (memorial days: 12th November, 12th April, 20th August, 6th October) allegedly obtained his name from his miraculous raising from the grave by St Mauritius, about which the certified history, however, has no details. Due to oral tradition St Renatus had not survived the first few hours after his birth and had died and even been buried without holy Baptism. Upon the prayers of the holy Bishop St Mauritius the baby was brought back to life. This is why he was named Renatus (born again). 

In fact, Renatus later became his successor to the episcopal chair at Angers. This detail is documented, and took place in A.D. 426. He is sometimes mentioned as the fifth Bishop of Angers; other sources claim him to be the eighth.

Other details are shrouded in mystery. For it seems quite improbable that he - without any ecclesiastical authorisation - should have left his flock to live as a hermit in Sorrento, or even to preside over this city, as some would have it, as Bishop. The latter is most certainly another Bishop of the same name. Owing to this confusion, some have even questioned his very existence. 

The mortal remains of St Renatus initially rested in St Mauritius Church, and came to the cathedral on November 12th of the 9th century. His alleged transfer from Sorrento was committed on April 12th. Other translations happened in 1012, 1082, 1150 and 1255. 

In 1562 the Huguenots stole the precious silver reliquary and burned the relics. What was spared from  them subsequently perished in the unhappy year 1793. What remained of his relics elsewhere was one leg, which was preserved at Our Lady's Church at Chalonnes. Of this, one part each was afterwards given to the Cathedral at Angers and to the Church of St Mauritius in Chalonnes. 

As a result of the legend mentioned, St Renatus is especially venerated by pregnant women. His images usually portrayed this miracle. 

(Information from Stadler's Complete Encyclopedia of Saints, 1858)