Saint Caraunus of Chartres (or Caranus, Caro, Chéron) was a 1st or 5th century Christian missionary in Gaul who was murdered by robbers.
His feast day is 28 May.
Life
According to legend, Caronus was a Roman of the 1st century A.D. who was a brilliant student in Rome.
He converted to Christianity and came via Marseille to Gaul to preach the Christian faith.
He was assigned by King Brenn of the
Carnutes
The Carnutes or Carnuti (Gaulish: 'the horned ones'), were a Gallic tribe dwelling in an extensive territory between the Sequana (Seine) and the Liger (Loire) rivers during the Iron Age and the Roman period.
Name
They are mentioned as ''Carn ...
to a group of three priests sent by
Saint Denis to evangelize the south of the
ÃŽle-de-France
The ÃŽle-de-France (; ; ) is the most populous of the eighteen regions of France, with an official estimated population of 12,271,794 residents on 1 January 2023. Centered on the capital Paris, it is located in the north-central part of the cou ...
.
He was assassinated by brigands on the road from
Ablis
Ablis () is a commune in the Yvelines department in north-central France.
History
During the Franco-Prussian War
The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the War of 1870, was a conflict between the Second ...
to
Chartres
Chartres () is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Eure-et-Loir Departments of France, department in the Centre-Val de Loire Regions of France, region in France. It is located about southwest of Paris. At the 2019 census, there were 1 ...
on the 5th day before the
calends
The calends or kalends () is the first day of every month in the Roman calendar. The English word "calendar" is derived from this word.
Use
The Romans called the first day of every month the ''calends'', signifying the start of a new lunar pha ...
of June in the year 98 A.D.
He was canonized in Chartres around 800 A.D.
There are doubts about the veracity of this story, which may have been a 9th-century essay by a school pupil asked to write a story about a saint.
Another version says that Caraunus flourished in the 5th century A.D.
He was born in Gaul to a Christian family of Roman origin.
After his parents died he gave away all his possessions and became a hermit.
A bishop ordained him as a deacon, and he became an itinerant preacher.
Near
Chartres
Chartres () is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Eure-et-Loir Departments of France, department in the Centre-Val de Loire Regions of France, region in France. It is located about southwest of Paris. At the 2019 census, there were 1 ...
he found a small group of Christians descended from the converts of Saints Potentianus and Altinus.
From them he selected disciples to assist him in his preaching, and left for Paris.
At a distance of from Chartres they encountered a band of robbers.
His disciples hid, but the robbers killed him when they found he had nothing of value.
He was buried near Chartres, and later an abbey and a church were built over his grave.
Legacy
The town of
Saint-Chéron, Essonne, between Chartres and Paris, takes his name.
The
Stained glass windows of Chartres Cathedral include a stained glass window depicting the history of Saint Chéron in Bay 15.
There are eleven rows, each with two panels and border panels with rosettes, florets and interlacing.
The lowest row represents the stonemasons, sculptors and donors.
The other rows show scenes of the saint's life.
Monks of Ramsgate account
The
Monks of Ramsgate
St Augustine's Abbey or Ramsgate Abbey is a former Benedictine abbey in Ramsgate. It was built in 1860 by Augustus Pugin and is a Grade II listed building. It was the first Benedictine monastery to be built in England since the Reformation. In ...
wrote in their ''
Book of Saints
St Augustine's Abbey or Ramsgate Abbey is a former Benedictine abbey in Ramsgate. It was built in 1860 by Augustus Pugin and is a Grade II listed building. It was the first Benedictine monastery to be built in England since the Reformation. In ...
'' (1921),
Butler's account
The hagiographer
Alban Butler
Alban Butler (13 October 171015 May 1773) was an English Roman Catholic priest and hagiography, hagiographer. Born in Northamptonshire, he studied at the English College, in Douai, Douay, France where he later taught philosophy and theology. He s ...
(1710–1773) wrote in his ''Lives of the Fathers, Martyrs, and Other Principal Saints'' under May 28,
Notes
Citations
Sources
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Caraunus, Chartres
Gallo-Roman saints
5th-century deaths