ALL SAINTS CELEBRATED IN FEBRUARY
Saints celebrated on the 21st of February
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SAINT GERMANUS, ABBOT OF GRANFEL, MARTYR
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Saint Germanus, Abbot of Granfel, was the son of wealthy parents from Trier. According to Butler* (III. 157), his father was a well-to-do senator. He was taught and educated by the local bishop, Modoald, who lived around the year 624. At the age of 17, following the counsel of the Divine Saviour, he gave his wealth to the poor and placed himself under the spiritual guidance of Saint Arnold (or Arnulf) - who had previously served as Bishop of Metz and as a minister to King Dagobert I, but later became a hermit at Saint Mont, near Remiremont in Lorraine. At the urging of this saint, Germanus and his brother Numerian first entered a monastery founded by Saint Nomarich on a mountain in the Vosges, following the Rule of Saint Columban - a monastery that later came to be known as Remiremont. Subsequently, both brothers moved to the monastery of Luxeuil, then governed by Abbot Walbert, where Germanus was ordained a priest. Around this time, Duke Gondon - one of the foremost nobles in Alsace - founded the monastery of Granfel [Granfelden] (or Grandis Vallis, also widely known as Münsterthal). Although it was then located within the Diocese of Basel, it now falls under the Diocese of Strasbourg. Abbot Walbert, seeking someone to lead the monks sent there, found no one more worthy than Saint Germanus. According to Butler* (III. 158), he was also entrusted with the governance of the monasteries of Saint Ursitz and Saint Paul. Unfortunately, Bonifacius (referred to as Cathicus by some sources), the successor to Duke Gondon, was not of a virtuous disposition; he abused his authority to plunder churches, monasteries, and the poor. Saint Germanus addressed this with him in all seriousness, but instead of mending his ways as he had promised, he ordered his soldiers to kill the saint with lance thrusts. His companion, the blessed Randoaldus (French: Randaul), also fell with him. This took place in the year 666. Their remains were kept at the monastery of Granfel, which was later converted into a collegiate church. During the "Reformation," the canons were forced to flee with these relics to Delsberg (Delmont). (III. 263.)
(Information from Stadler's Complete Encyclopedia of Saints, Volume 2, Augsburg, 1861, p. 410)
*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 Saint Germanus 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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