Gaudentius of Ossero (

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

: ''Gaudentius Auxerensis'';

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

: ''Gaudenzio di Ossero'') was

bishop of Ossero The Diocese of Ossero or Diocese of Osor (Latin: ''Dioecesis Arbensis'') was a Roman Catholic diocese located in the port town of Ossero on the island of Cres in Primorje-Gorski Kotar County in western Croatia. In 1828, it was suppressed along wit ...

, on the island of Lussino (today Lošinj, Croatia) in the Istrian March from 1030 to 1042. June 1 is his Feast Day.

Life

A ''Vita'' was composed by an anonymous monk in the mid to late 11th century.Nikolic, Zrinka. ''Saints of the Christianization Age of Central Europe (Tenth-Eleventh Century)'', (Gabor Klaniczay, ed.), Central European University Press, 2013, p. 341
/ref> According to his ''Vita'', Gaudentius was a native of

Osor Osor may refer to these places and jurisdictions : * Osor, Croatia, town, former bishopric and present Latin Catholic titular see * Osor, Girona, village in Catalonia * Bishop of Osor * Open Source Observatory and Repository The Open Source Obse ...

, where he later became bishop. Gaudentius was persecuted by other ecclesiastical leaders.Bunson, Matthew et al. "Gaudentius of Ossero", ''Our Sunday Visitor's Encyclopedia of Saints'', OSV Publishing, 2003
Falsely accused, he travelled to

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

in 1032 to defend his name. His request to abdicate his see was declined, and he was sent back with letters of approbation. On the way home, he fell ill in

Ancona Ancona (, also , ) is a city and a seaport in the Marche region in central Italy, with a population of around 101,997 . Ancona is the capital of the province of Ancona and of the region. The city is located northeast of Rome, on the Adriatic S ...

, and stayed there to recover. He then resigned his see in 1042, and became a

Benedictine , image = Medalla San Benito.PNG , caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal , abbreviation = OSB , formation = , motto = (English: 'Pray and Work') , foun ...

monk under Saint

Peter Damian Peter Damian ( la, Petrus Damianus; it, Pietro or '; – 21 or 22 February 1072 or 1073) was a reforming Benedictine monk and cardinal in the circle of Pope Leo IX. Dante placed him in one of the highest circles of '' Paradiso'' ...

. He died in 1044 of natural causes. A church was built in his name in Ossero (today

) in the 14th century. It still currently holds his relics in the altar.

The legend

There is a legendary history of St. Gaudentius. It is believed that his reforms did not comply with the wishes of some noblemen from Ossero, who took advantage of the instability within the papal state and attacked him. Bishop Gaudentius escaped and hid at the base of Mount Ossero. There he lived in a cave for one year. The cave was full of snakes and while he was repenting, he begged God for mercy to free these islands forever from poisonous snakes. He escaped to

and he continued with his penitential life in the Benedictine monastery in

, Italy, where he died on May 31, 1044. One hundred years later, all the bells of Ossero started to ring by themselves early before dawn. Later that day, the citizens found a wooden chest in the sea under the town wall. In it, there was another iron chest with the body of St. Gaudentius. He was proclaimed the patron saint of the town and the whole island. His remains are now in the altar of the church named after him.

References

External links

* http://saints.sqpn.com/saint-gaudentius-of-ossero/ {{DEFAULTSORT:Gaudentius Of Ossero 1044 deaths Medieval Italian saints 11th-century Italian Roman Catholic bishops 11th-century Christian saints Italian Benedictines Istrian Italian people Year of birth unknown