Jonatus or Jonath (died ) was a

Christian monk Christian monasticism is the devotional practice of Christians who live ascetic and typically cloistered lives that are dedicated to Christian worship. It began to develop early in the history of the Christian Church, modeled upon scriptural ex ...

. He was a monk at the monastery of Elnone under Abbot

Amandus Amandus ( 584 – 679), commonly called Saint Amand, was a bishop of Tongeren-Maastricht and one of the great Christian missionaries of Flanders. He is venerated as a saint, particularly in France and Belgium. Life The chief source of details ...

. He served as the first abbot of the monastery of Marchiennes from 641, according to the '' Annals of Marchiennes''.. This monastery had been founded as a male community by Amandus, but Jonatus introduced nuns., at 285 and n. This took place not long after he became abbot, according to the '' Chronicle of Marchiennes''. The first nun was

Rictrude Rictrude (Rictrudis, Richtrudis, Richrudis) (c. 614–688) was abbess of Marchiennes Abbey, in Flanders. The main early source for her life is the ''Vita Rictrudis'', commissioned by the abbey, and written in 907 by Hucbald. Life She was from a no ...

. Around 652, Jonatus became the third abbot of Elnone., s.v. "Jonatus". According to one 12th-century source, he governed Elnone on two separate occasions, first before becoming abbot of Marchiennes and then holding both abbeys simultaneously while Amandus was on his third pilgrimage to Rome. He spent his later years at Marchiennes. He died on 1 August around 690 or 695., s.v. "Jonath". He is recognized today as a saint in the

Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

. His feast is on 1 August in the revised 2004 edition of the

Roman Martyrology The ''Roman Martyrology'' ( la, Martyrologium Romanum) is the official martyrology of the Catholic Church. Its use is obligatory in matters regarding the Roman Rite liturgy, but dioceses, countries and religious institutes may add duly approved ...

, but he is not listed in the

General Roman Calendar The General Roman Calendar is the liturgical calendar that indicates the dates of celebrations of saints and mysteries of the Lord (Jesus Christ) in the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church, wherever this liturgical rite is in use. These celebra ...

. The translation of his relics was also celebrated around Marchiennes into modern times on 8 April. The earliest source for Jonatus' life is the work of

Hucbald Hucbald ( – 20 June 930; also Hucbaldus or Hubaldus) was a Benedictine monk active as a music theorist, poet, composer, teacher, and hagiographer. He was long associated with Saint-Amand Abbey, so is often known as Hucbald of St Amand. Deeply i ...

. In the 12th century, Galbert of Marchiennes wrote an account of his posthumous miracles, the ''Miracula Ionati''. The ''Annals'' and ''Chronicle'' of Marchiennes are later sources. All of these sources were written after the raids of the

Vikings Vikings ; non, víkingr is the modern name given to seafaring people originally from Scandinavia (present-day Denmark, Norway and Sweden), who from the late 8th to the late 11th centuries raided, pirated, traded and se ...

in the late 9th century had resulted in the loss of Marchiennes's original documents. Jonatus is also listed as the third in the 12th-century list of abbots, the ''Series abbatum Sancti Amandi Elnonensis''. While the ''Chronicle of Marchiennes'' describes him as "simple" (''simplex''), one 12th-century source from Elnone praises his "knowledge" (''scientia''). Some modern scholars, beginning with

Jean Mabillon Dom Jean Mabillon, O.S.B., (; 23 November 1632 – 27 December 1707) was a French Benedictine monk and scholar of the Congregation of Saint Maur. He is considered the founder of the disciplines of palaeography and diplomatics. Early life Mabil ...

have proposed that Jonatus is the same person as

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 ...

, who was with Amandus between 638 and 641. No medieval source ever identifies the two or equates their names. One 12th-century source, the ''Poleticum Marcianensis cenobii'', does name the first abbot as Jonas. Iliana Pagani has argued that the traditions of the two are so different that there is no reason to believe they refer to the same person. Alexander O'Hara has argued that the distinctiveness of the regional traditions only speaks to their authenticity and that it is highly unlike that there were two different people with such similar and unusual names active in the same circles at the same time.

References

Further reading