Eustace of Luxeuil (c. 560 – c. 626), also known as Eustasius, was the second
abbot of
Luxeuil from 611. He succeeded his teacher
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 ...
, to whom he had been a favorite disciple and
monk. He had been the head of the monastic school.
Life
Eustace was born in Burgundy and became a monk at Luxeuil.
When Columbanus, the founder of Luxeuil, was banished from the Kingdom of Burgundy, on account of his reproving the morals of King
Theuderic II, he recommended his community choose Eustace as his successor. Subsequently, Columbanus settled at Bobbio in Italy.
[Cullen, John. "St. Eustace." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 5. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1909. 6 Dec. 2014]
/ref> After the death of Theuderic, Clothaire II sent Eustace to Bobbio to ask Columbanus to return, but the exiled abbot declined.[Englebert, Omer. ''The Lives of the Saints'', Barnes & Noble Publishing, 1951]
Under the administration of Eustace, the monastery acquired renown as a seat of learning and sanctity. Through the royal patronage, its benefices and lands were increased, King Clotaire II devoting a yearly sum, from his own revenues, towards its support. Eustace and his monks devoted themselves to preaching in remote districts, not yet evangelized, chiefly in the north-eastern extremities of Gaul. Their missionary work extended even to Bavaria. Between the monasteries of Luxeuil in France and that of Bobbio in Italy (both founded by Columbanus), connection and intercourse seem to have long been kept up.[
During his abbacy, the monastery contained about 600 monks and produced both bishops and saints, including Acarius, ]Amatus
::''This article is not about St. Aimé, who is also called ''Saint Amatus'' and has the same memorial day''
Saint Amatus, (c.560-c.627)) also called Amatus of Grenoble or Saint Ame or Aimee, was a Colombanian monk and hermit. Together with S ...
, Audomar
Saint Audomar (died 670), better known as Saint Omer, was a bishop of Thérouanne, after whom nearby Saint-Omer in northern France was named.
Biography
He was born of a distinguished family of Coutances, then under the Frankish realm of Neust ...
, and Romaric.[ Eustace was noted for his humility, continual prayer, and fasting.][ Eustasius undertook missionary journeys to the Variscans on the river Doubs and as far as Bavaria. Around 625 he founded a monastery on the island of Herrenchiemsee. He was succeeded as abbott by Waldebert.
A tradition states that he cured Sadalberga of blindness. Upon returning from Bavaria, her father, Gundoin, Duke of Alsace provided hospitality to the abbot on his travels. Duke Gundoin and his wife brought two of their sons for the abbot's blessing but were hesitant to present the blind child. Through the prayers of Eustace the child was cured of her blindness.][
His ]feast day
The calendar of saints is the traditional Christian method of organizing a liturgical year by associating each day with one or more saints and referring to the day as the feast day or feast of said saint. The word "feast" in this context d ...
is March 29.
References
*
External links
Biografie der Diözesanbibliothek Münster
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Eustace Of Luxeuil
560s births
620s deaths
French abbots
7th-century Frankish people
7th-century Frankish saints
Colombanian saints
Year of birth uncertain
Year of death uncertain
Year of birth unknown
Baiuvarii