SS. ARCANUS AND AEGIDIUS, HERMITS

SS. ARCANUS AND AEGIDIUS, HERMITS - 1 SEPTEMBER

SAINTS ARCANUS AND AEGIDIUS, HERMITS

[They lived in the 10th century.]

Saint Arcanus, a native of Arcadia, and Saint Aegidius [Saint Giles], of Spain, were hermits at Borgo-di-San-Sepolcro (Burgum, S. Sepulchri) in Umbria, and in a sense the founders of this place.

Both made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem to visit the holy places, and it was probably here that they met and from then onwards journeyed together. Equipped with relics from the Holy Land, they then made a pilgrimage together to Rome to the tombs of the Holy Apostles, in order to also pray in the New Jerusalem.

Afterwards, they continued their travels through the March of Ancona to Venice to visit other holy places in Italy. One day, needing a rest, they sat down by a certain spring (called "the spring of St Peregrine" by the Italian writer Jacobillus), and Saint Arcanus, overcome by sleep, dozed off and heard a voice: "Here is a holy place, stay here, this is where the holy relics that you have brought from Jerusalem are meant to be. An edifice (Burgus) will be constructed on this spot that will become famous one day." This is said to have been followed by a miracle; for when the saint hesitated to follow the voice, the travel bag containing the relics mentioned, which Arcadius had hung upon the branch of a tree, rose into the air of its own accord and did not descend until the saints made a vow to build a church on this spot. So they set to work, and from this settlement of theirs later arose the important town of Borgo, nicknamed S. Sepolcro, because of the holy relics that its founders had brought there from the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem.

After the two holy hermits had lived there for some time in fasting, prayer and all the practices of piety, Saint Arcanus died and was buried in the church he had built. Saint Aegidius is said to have returned to his homeland. There he became abbot of a Benedictine monastery and died in peace. This is the account some hagiographers from the Benedictine order give of Saint Aegidius; but neither the Spanish writers nor Mabillon* mention anything of it.

A Camaldolese monastery was later built on the site of their settlement. The saints themselves must have flourished in the 10th century, since it is reported that they arrived at the place that became Borgo during the reigns of Emperor Otto and Pope John XI (931-936), i.e. around the year 936.

(Information from Stadler's Complete Encyclopedia of Saints, Volume 1, Augsburg, 1858)

*A hagiography source used by the authors

Stadler's Complete Encyclopedia of Saints - Sources and Abbreviations

PRAYER:

Grant, we beseech you, almighty God, that the venerable feast of Saints Arcanus and Aegidius 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

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