SAINT PATROCLUS, RECLUSE - 19 NOVEMBER

 

ALL SAINTS CELEBRATED IN NOVEMBER

Saints celebrated on the 19th of November

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SAINT PATROCLUS, RECLUSE

Saint Patroclus (French: Parre), recluse in Berry (Ducatus Bituricensis), came from a well-to-do family there and in his youth tended his father's flock. 

Later he devoted himself to his studies and was admitted to the house of a noble at the court of Childebert in Paris. Meanwhile his mother had become a widow and called her son home. Soon after, however, he had himself tonsured by Bishop Arcadius of Bourges. 

At first Saint Patroclus lived in fellowship with other clergymen, and evidently inclined to devote himself to pastoral care, as he also received the other ordinations, including the diaconate, but later retired to the village of Neris, where he built a house of prayer in honour of Saint Martin and, in addition to strict penitential works, occupied himself with teaching the children of the neighbourhood. His holiness was soon recognised in the whole area and possessed people were brought to him from everywhere, whom he freed from the evil influence. 

After he had established a convent for a community of pious women near his house of prayer, he left the village of Neris in search of greater solitude. He took only carpenter's tools with him to build a cell in some forest, and carried out this design. 

About five hours from his new cell, he built the Colombiere monastery without entering it himself, so as not to leave his quiet seclusion. Raised to the priesthood, he redoubled his penances: He wore a hair shirt, never drank wine, and ate only bread moistened with salt water. He only interrupted the prayer to read the Scriptures, or to undertake work. He died around A.D. 577, after 18 years of severe penance. Various miracles took place at his tomb in Colombieres. The Gallic martyrologies state his feast day as November 19 (Mg. But.).

(Information from Stadler's Complete Encyclopedia of Saints, Volume 4, Augsburg, 1875)

Stadler's Complete Encyclopedia of Saints - Sources and Abbreviations

PRAYER:

Grant, we beseech you, almighty God, that the venerable feast of Saint Patroclus 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.

Sources of these articles (in the original German): books.google.co.uk, de-academic.com, zeno.org, openlibrary.org