ALL SAINTS CELEBRATED IN DECEMBER
Saints celebrated on the 31st of December
VENERABLE GUNTHER, BISHOP OF REGENSBURG
Gunther (Guntharus, Guntharius)(Günther), a monk of St Emmeram Monastery in Regensburg (Ratisbon), was made bishop by Emperor Otto I. In Hundii Metr. Salisb. he is referred to as Guntharius, the 11th bishop of Regensburg.
His elevation is recounted as follows: Emperor Otto was staying in Regensburg when the episcopal see happened to be vacant. He received an instruction in a dream that he should choose as bishop the person who would be the first to meet him at the monastery the following day. When Otto arrived at St Emmeram at daybreak, Gunther was the one who opened the gate for him. The emperor asked him what he would give him if he made him bishop, to which Gunther replied with a smile: "My shoes." The emperor then revealed his dream to the other brothers who then, with the consent of the clergy and the people, elected him bishop.
Gunther ruled for just six months. Seized by a serious illness, he felt that his death was near. So he had the ground sprinkled with ashes and laid himself down on it. There on the floor, he died with tears of contrition in the year 938. Lechner* lists this humble, austere bishop as “venerable”. Bucelin*, too, mentions him. After his death Gunther was buried at St Emmeram. (Lech.)
(Information from Stadler's Complete Encyclopedia of Saints)
*A hagiography source used by the authors
Stadler's Complete Encyclopedia of Saints - Sources and Abbreviations
Sources of these articles (in the original German): books.google.co.uk, de-academic.com, zeno.org, openlibrary.org
Comments
Post a Comment