Burgundofara (died 643 or 655), also Saint Fara or Fare, was the founder and first
Abbess
An abbess (Latin: ''abbatissa''), also known as a mother superior, is the female superior of a community of Catholic nuns in an abbey.
Description
In the Catholic Church (both the Latin Church and Eastern Catholic), Eastern Orthodox, Coptic ...
of the
Abbey of Faremoutiers
Faremoutiers Abbey (french: Abbaye Notre-Dame de Faremoutiers) was an important Merovingian Benedictine nunnery (re-established in the 20th century) in the present Seine-et-Marne department of France. It formed an important link between the Merovin ...
.
Life
Her family is knowns as the Faronids, named after her brother
Saint Faro Saint Faro (or Burgundofaro; died 675 AD), Count of Guînes, was bishop of Meaux. The family to which Faro belonged is known as the Faronids and is named after him.
He is canonized as a saint in the Eastern Orthodox Church and Roman Catholic Chur ...
. Her name may mean: 'She who moves the Burgundians'.
Jonas of Bobbio
Jonas of Bobbio (also known as Jonas of Susa) (Sigusia, now Susa, Italy, 600 – after 659 AD) was a Columbanian monk and a major Latin monastic author of hagiography. His ''Life of Saint Columbanus'' is "one of the most influential works o ...
's
life
Life is a quality that distinguishes matter that has biological processes, such as signaling and self-sustaining processes, from that which does not, and is defined by the capacity for growth, reaction to stimuli, metabolism, energ ...
of
Columbanus
Columbanus ( ga, Columbán; 543 – 21 November 615) was an Irish missionary notable for founding a number of monasteries after 590 in the Frankish and Lombard kingdoms, most notably Luxeuil Abbey in present-day France and Bobbio Abbey in pr ...
reports that she was blessed by the
Irish
Irish may refer to:
Common meanings
* Someone or something of, from, or related to:
** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe
***Éire, Irish language name for the isle
** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...
monk
A monk (, from el, μοναχός, ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a person who practices religious asceticism by monastic living, either alone or with any number of other monks. A monk may be a person who decides to dedica ...
when a child:
Then Columban went to the city of Meaux
Meaux () is a commune on the river Marne in the Seine-et-Marne department in the Île-de-France region in the metropolitan area of Paris, France. It is east-northeast of the centre of Paris.
Meaux is, with Provins, Torcy and Fontainebleau, ...
. There he was received with great joy by a nobleman Hagneric (Chagneric, father of Burgundofara), who was a friend of Theudebert ing_Theudebert_II.html"_;"title="Theudebert_II.html"_;"title="ing_Theudebert_II">ing_Theudebert_II">Theudebert_II.html"_;"title="ing_Theudebert_II">ing_Theudebert_II_a_wise_man,_and_a_counsellor_grateful_to_the_king,_and_was_fortified_by_nobility_and_wisdom._..._Columban_blessed_his_house_and_consecrated_to_the_Lord_his_daughter_Burgundofara,_who_was_still_a_child,_and_of_whom_we_shall_speak_later.
Jonas's_life_of_Burgundofara_picks_up_the_tale._She_is_betrothal.html" "title="Theudebert_II">ing_Theudebert_II.html" ;"title="Theudebert_II.html" ;"title="ing Theudebert II">ing Theudebert II">Theudebert_II.html" ;"title="ing Theudebert II">ing Theudebert II a wise man, and a counsellor grateful to the king, and was fortified by nobility and wisdom. ... Columban blessed his house and consecrated to the Lord his daughter Burgundofara, who was still a child, and of whom we shall speak later.
Jonas's life of Burgundofara picks up the tale. She is betrothal">betrothed
An engagement or betrothal is the period of time between the declaration of acceptance of a marriage proposal and the marriage itself (which is typically but not always commenced with a wedding). During this period, a couple is said to be ''fi ...
against her will, and against Columbanus' prediction, and straight away falls deathly sick. Her father Chagneric says to Eustasius of Luxeuil Abbey, Luxeuil, who happens to be present, "Would that she might return to health and devote herself to divine service!" Burgundofara recovers, thanks to Eustasius's prayers, but her father goes back on his word and decides to give her away in marriage. She discovers this, and flees to the church of
in Meaux. There her brothers
catch her, and are set on killing her for disobeying their father Chagneric, but the timely arrival of Eustasius settles matters.
With Eustasius's support, and the approval of Bishop Gundoald of Meaux, Burgundofara established an abbey on her father's lands. First called ''Evoriacum'', it was later renamed Faremoutiers in her honour.
Studies of Burgundofara's life, and those of noble heiresses in similar situations, lead some writers to conclude that in fact the abbey was very likely established with her father's blessing,