Saint Mommolin of Fleury (or Mommole, la, Mummolus), was the second abbot of

Fleury Abbey Fleury Abbey (Floriacum) in Saint-Benoît-sur-Loire, Loiret, France, founded in about 640, is one of the most celebrated Benedictine monasteries of Western Europe, and possesses the relics of St. Benedict of Nursia. Its site on the banks of the Lo ...

Saint-Benoît-sur-Loire Saint-Benoît-sur-Loire (, literally ''Saint-Benoît on Loire'') is a commune in the Loiret department in north-central France. Monastery This town hosts the '' Abbaye de Fleury'', also known as the ''Abbaye de Saint Benoît'' (Saint Benedict A ...

for 30 years between September 632 and January 663.

Life

was founded by Leodebod, Abbot of Saint-Agnan of Orléans, in the 7th century. Mommolin became its second or third abbot. In 660 Mommolin sent an expedition to transfer the remains of

Benedict of Nursia Benedict of Nursia ( la, Benedictus Nursiae; it, Benedetto da Norcia; 2 March AD 480 – 21 March AD 548) was an Italian Christian monk, writer, and theologian who is venerated in the Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Orient ...

and his sister

Scholastica Scholastica (c. 480 – 10 February 543) is a saint of the Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Churches and the Anglican Communion. She was born in Italy. According to a ninth century tradition, she was the twin sister of Benedict of Nursia. ...

from the Territorial Abbey of

Monte Cassino Monte Cassino (today usually spelled Montecassino) is a rocky hill about southeast of Rome, in the Latin Valley, Italy, west of Cassino and at an elevation of . Site of the Roman town of Casinum, it is widely known for its abbey, the first h ...

(now in Italy) to the Abbey of Fleury (now in France). Mommolin sent one of the monks to Monte Cassino, where the monastery had been ruined by the

Lombards The Lombards () or Langobards ( la, Langobardi) were a Germanic people who ruled most of the Italian Peninsula from 568 to 774. The medieval Lombard historian Paul the Deacon wrote in the ''History of the Lombards'' (written between 787 and ...

, with the mission of stealing the saints' relics from their grave in the church. The monk, who was accompanied by some monks from the monastery of Mans, succeeded in the mission. The relics of Scholastica were given to Mans and those of Benedict to Fleury Abbey.

Adrevald of Fleury Adrevald ( – 878) was a Benedictine monk and writer. He was born in a village near the Abbey of Fleury, which he later entered as a monk. He acquired considerable reputation by his writings, especially ''Opusculum de corpore et sanguine Domini'', ...

gives a more complete account. He says a monk from Fleury named Aigulphus had a dream in which he learned that the tombs of the two saints had been ruined. Mummolus gave him permission to attempt to retrieve their relics, and he was joined by some monks from Le Mans. Miraculous aid led them to the tomb at Monte Cassino and helped them smuggle the bodies to Fleury. A new monastery was founded in Le Mans for the relics of Scholastica. In Fleury, Mummolus planned to bury Benedict in the church of Saint Peter, but a miraculous shaft of light came from the smaller church of the Virgin Mary, which was taken as a sign that the relics should be placed there. The name of Saint-Benoît-sur-Loire (Saint Benedict on the Loire) refers to this alleged transfer. The possession of the relics of the founder of the

Benedictine Order , 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 ...

brought great prestige to the monastery, and attracted many pilgrims who were inspired by miracles performed through the saint to make donations to the monastery. The monks of Monte Cassino dispute this story, and the shrine of Saint Benedict in Monte Cassino is still a place of pilgrimage for Benedict's followers. At the end of his life Mommolin made the pilgrimage to

Santiago de Compostela Santiago de Compostela is the capital of the autonomous community of Galicia, in northwestern Spain. The city has its origin in the shrine of Saint James the Great, now the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, as the destination of the Way of St ...

. Exhausted, he returned to

Béarn The Béarn (; ; oc, Bearn or ''Biarn''; eu, Bearno or ''Biarno''; or ''Bearnia'') is one of the traditional provinces of France, located in the Pyrenees mountains and in the plain at their feet, in southwest France. Along with the three Bas ...

then crossed the

Landes de Gascogne The Landes de Gascogne (in Gascon, classic spelling ''las Lanas de Gasconha'', Fébusienne spelling ''leus Lanes de Gascougne''), or Gascony Moors, is a natural region of France of nearly . It extends over three departments: Gironde, Landes and ...

. There, he stopped at Aureilhan, where he made a spring of water appear. On his arrival in

Bordeaux Bordeaux ( , ; Gascon oc, Bordèu ; eu, Bordele; it, Bordò; es, Burdeos) is a port city on the river Garonne in the Gironde department, Southwestern France. It is the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, as well as the prefectur ...

in 679 he was quickly welcomed by the

Benedictines , 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 ...

of the Sainte-Croix Abbey. There he acquired a reputation for holiness before dying, shortly after. The people of Bordeaux came in large numbers to his funeral and subsequently attributed to him all the benefits they received.

Iconography

The iconography of this saint is rare. One example is a painting at the Sainte-Croix abbey in Bordeaux by the French painter Guillaume Cureau: ''Saint Mommolin healing a possessed person'' dated 1647.

Notes

Citations

Sources

* * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Mommolin of Fleury 7th-century Frankish saints 663 deaths