Saint Maurilius (french: Maurille) (''c''. 336 – 453), a priest originally from

Milan Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...

, was the

bishop of Angers The Roman Catholic Diocese of Angers (Latin: ''Dioecesis Andegavensis''; French: ''Diocèse d'Angers'') is a diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in France. The episcopal see is located in Angers Cathedral in the city of Anger ...

between 423 and 453.

Alban Butler Alban Butler (13 October 171015 May 1773) was an English Roman Catholic priest and hagiographer. Biography Alban Butler was born in 1710, at Appletree, Aston le Walls, Northamptonshire, the second son of Simon Butler, Esq. His father died when ...

, ''Butler's Lives of the Saints, Volume 9: September'', edited by Paul Burns (

Collegeville, Minnesota Collegeville is an unincorporated community in St. Wendel Township, Stearns County, Minnesota, United States, near St. Joseph. The community is located near the junction of Collegeville Road and Old Collegeville Road. Nearby is Saint John's Abb ...

: The Liturgical Press, 2000),
page 114
“St Maurilius of Angers, Bishop (453). What is now known to be the only authentic Life of St Maurilius was written in about 620 by Magnobodus (Maimbodo), one of his successors. It relates that Maurilius was born in Milan but moved up into ... ” He played an early role in the

Christianization Christianization ( or Christianisation) is to make Christian; to imbue with Christian principles; to become Christian. It can apply to the conversion of an individual, a practice, a place or a whole society. It began in the Roman Empire, conti ...

Gaul Gaul ( la, Gallia) was a region of Western Europe first described by the Romans. It was inhabited by Celtic and Aquitani tribes, encompassing present-day France, Belgium, Luxembourg, most of Switzerland, parts of Northern Italy (only during ...

. In the seventh century, a devotion to St. Maurilius began. David King, �
Angers Cathedral
��, (book review of Karine Boulanger’s 2010 book, ''Les Vitraux de la Cathédrale d’Angers'', the 11th volume of the ''Corpus Vitrearum'' series from France), ''Vitemus: the only on-line magazine devoted to medieval stained glass'', Issue 48, February 2011, retrieved 17 December 2013. A biography of him was written by Magnobodus and, in 873, his body was transferred to the

Cathedral of Angers Angers Cathedral (french: Cathédrale Saint-Maurice d'Angers) is a Roman Catholic Church (building), church dedicated to Saint Maurice in Angers, France. It is the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Angers, Bishops of Angers. Built between the ...

, which had already been dedicated to St.

Maurice Maurice may refer to: People * Saint Maurice (died 287), Roman legionary and Christian martyr * Maurice (emperor) or Flavius Mauricius Tiberius Augustus (539–602), Byzantine emperor *Maurice (bishop of London) (died 1107), Lord Chancellor and ...

. Two hundred years later, St. Maurilius was frequently mentioned together with St. Maurice as the patron saints of the Cathedral but eventually St. Maurice became the primary patron of the Cathedral. Nevertheless, on 16 August 1239, the remains of St. Maurilius were placed in a new urn but they were scattered in 1791, when the Cathedral was vandalized during the

French Revolution The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are considere ...

. Butler, ''op. cit.''
page 115
Only a few small parts were recovered and they are now kept at the Cathedral. Vouziers-08-église-E01

Vouziers Vouziers () is a commune of the Ardennes department, northern France. Vouziers is the burial place of the pioneer First World War fighter pilot Roland Garros, after whom the Stade Roland Garros in Paris (the location of the French Open tennis ...

, in the

Ardennes The Ardennes (french: Ardenne ; nl, Ardennen ; german: Ardennen; wa, Årdene ; lb, Ardennen ), also known as the Ardennes Forest or Forest of Ardennes, is a region of extensive forests, rough terrain, rolling hills and ridges primarily in Be ...

region of France, the ''Église Saint-Maurille'' hurch of St. Mauriliuswas dedicated to him in the twelfth century. The feast day of St. Maurilius is 13 September. He is the patron saint of Angers, invoked by fishermen and gardeners. In art, he is represented as a bishop with a fish holding a key or a garden spade. He can be seen in one of the stained glass windows of the south side of the

choir A choir ( ; also known as a chorale or chorus) is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform. Choirs may perform music from the classical music repertoire, which ...

of the Cathedral of Angers and also in the tapestries of Angers from the 15th and 16th Centuries. Louis de Farcy, ''Les tapisseries de la Cathédrale d’Angers'' 'The Tapestries of the Cathedral of Angers''(Angers: Josselin-Belhomme, 1901), pages 120-125.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Maurilius of Angers Gallo-Roman saints 5th-century Christian saints 330s births 453 deaths