ALL SAINTS CELEBRATED IN MARCH
Saints celebrated on the 12th of March
SAINT PAUL, BISHOP OF LANGRES
Saint Paul (Paulus) was the first bishop of Langres in Brittany. He came from a distinguished family in Cornwall, Great Britain. Along with his cousin Saint Samson and Saint Gildas he spent his youth under the guidance of Saint Iltut.
Later, Paul obtained Saint Iltut's consent to retire to a desert, where he followed the way of life of the first hermits. At one point, he crossed over to Armorica or Lesser Britain as a priest. There he settled on the small island of Medonia, inhabited by the Osismians, a still idolatrous people, and lived a truly angelic life, hidden from human eyes. Bread and water were his usual sustenance; only on the great feast days he allowed himself fish. Moved by the deplorable blindness of the Osismians, he preached the faith to them. His evangelical work had the happiest of successes. Withur, who was earl or governor of the region, wrote of this to King Childebert, and Paul was ordained bishop. The saint, in his humility, did everything possible to refuse this promotion.
Finally, as bishop, he performed his duties with holy dignity, and God so richly blessed his labours that he soon eradicated all pagan superstitions. Since Withur granted him a house, he formed it into a monastery, which he occupied with monks who had come over to Armorica.
Desperate for solitude, the saint eventually entrusted his episcopate to one of his disciples, so that he could spend the rest of his days in quiet seclusion. He died on March 12 around the year 573, at almost 100 years of age.
His relics were taken to Fleury or Saint Benoit-sur-Loire during the Norman invasions; but eventually they were scattered by the Calvinists. The old diocesan breviary states his feast as October 10, but this seems to be the date of the transfer of his relics, for in the old breviary of Nantes and the breviaries of several other dioceses it is specified as March 12. (II. 108–120)
(Information from Stadler's Complete Encyclopedia of Saints, Volume 4, Augsburg, 1875, p. 723)
Stadler's Complete Encyclopedia of Saints - Sources and Abbreviations
PRAYER:
Grant, we beseech you, almighty God, that the venerable feast of Saint Paul may increase our devotion and promote our salvation. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.
➡️ More information about Saint Paul
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