Stremonius or Saint Austremonius or Saint Stramonius or Austromoine, the "apostle of
Auvergne
Auvergne (; ; oc, label= Occitan, Auvèrnhe or ) is a former administrative region in central France, comprising the four departments of Allier, Puy-de-Dôme, Cantal and Haute-Loire. Since 1 January 2016, it has been part of the new region Au ...
," was the first
Bishop of Clermont
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Clermont (Latin: ''Archidioecesis Claromontana''; French: ''Archidiocèse de Clermont'') is an archdiocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in France. The diocese comprises the department of Puy-d ...
. He is venerated 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 ...
.
Legend
During the consulship (in 250 AD) of the Emperor
Decius
Gaius Messius Quintus Traianus Decius ( 201 ADJune 251 AD), sometimes translated as Trajan Decius or Decius, was the emperor of the Roman Empire from 249 to 251.
A distinguished politician during the reign of Philip the Arab, Decius was procl ...
and
Vettius Gratus, according to
Gregory of Tours, who calls him Stremonius,
Pope Fabian
Pope Fabian ( la, Fabianus) was the bishop of Rome from 10 January 236 until his death on 20 January 250, succeeding Anterus. A dove is said to have descended on his head to mark him as the Holy Spirit's unexpected choice to become the next pope ...
sent out seven bishops from Rome to
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 ...
to preach the Gospel:
Gatien to Tours,
Trophimus
Trophimus ( el, Τρόφιμος, ''Tróphimos'') or Trophimus the Ephesian ( el, Τρόφιμος ὁ Ἐφέσιος, ''Tróphimos ho Ephésios'') was a Christian who accompanied Paul of Tarsus, Paul during a part of his third missionary jou ...
to Arles,
Paul
Paul may refer to:
*Paul (given name), a given name (includes a list of people with that name)
* Paul (surname), a list of people
People
Christianity
*Paul the Apostle (AD c.5–c.64/65), also known as Saul of Tarsus or Saint Paul, early Chri ...
to Narbonne,
Saturnin
Saint Saturnin of Toulouse ( la, Saturninus, oc, Sarnin, french: Saturnin, Sernin, ca, Serni, Sadurní, gl, Sadurninho and pt, Saturnino, Sadurninho, eu, Satordi, Saturdi, Zernin, and es, Saturnino, Serenín, Cernín) was one of the ''" ...
us to Toulouse,
Denis to Paris,
Martial to Limoges, and Austromoine to Clermont
''Historia Francorum'', i.30.
At Clermont he is said to have converted the senator
Cassius of Clermont
Saint Cassius of Clermont is venerated as a Christian martyr of the 3rd century. He was a senator who was converted to Christianity by Austromoine.
Cassius was killed with Victorinus (a pagan priest who had also been converted by Austremonius), Ma ...
and the pagan priest Victorinus, to have sent
St. Serenus to
Thiers, St. Marius to
Salers
Salers (, ) is a commune in the Cantal department in south-central France.
It is famous for the Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) cheeses Cantal and Salers. It is also famous for the Salers breed of cattle that originated in this com ...
, and
Antoninus into other parts of Auvergne, and to have been beheaded. A tradition states that
Saint Austremonius
Stremonius or Saint Austremonius or Saint Stramonius or Austromoine, the "apostle of Auvergne," was the first Bishop of Clermont. He is venerated as a saint in the Catholic Church.
Legend
During the consulship (in 250 AD) of the Emperor Decius ...
ordered
Nectarius of Auvergne
Saint Nectarius of Auvergne (also known as ''Nectarius of St-Nectaire, Nectarius of Limagne, Necterius of Senneterre'') (french: Nectaire) is venerated as a 4th-century martyr and Christian missionary. Life
According to Gregory of Tours, Nectar ...
to Christianize the plain of
Limagne
The Limagne () is large plain in the Auvergne region of France in the valley of the Allier river, on the edge of the Massif Central. It lies entirely within the ''département'' of Puy-de-Dôme. The term is sometimes used to include this, and t ...
in the
Massif Central
The (; oc, Massís Central, ; literally ''"Central Massif"'') is a highland region in south-central France, consisting of mountains and plateaus. It covers about 15% of mainland France.
Subject to volcanism that has subsided in the last 10,0 ...
.
Veneration
His veneration was highly localized, but at Clermont he was moved back in time, to the 1st century AD, along with others of the Apostles to Gaul, such as
Saint Martial
Saint Martial (3rd century), called "the Apostle of the Gauls" or "the Apostle of Aquitaine", was the first bishop of Limoges. His feast day is 30 June.
Life
There is no accurate information as to the origin, dates of birth and death, or the acts ...
, to become one of the "seventy-two Disciples of Christ", and was claimed to have been a converted Jew who came with
St. Peter from
Palestine 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 ...
and subsequently became the Apostle of Auvergne, as well as of
Berry and
Nivernais
Nivernais (, ) was a province of France, around the city of Nevers, which forms the modern department of Nièvre. It roughly coincides with the former Duchy of Nevers.Abbey of Mozac
Mozac Abbey is a former Cluniac monastery in the commune of Mozac near Riom in Auvergne, France.
History
A monastery was founded here in either 533 or 680 by Saint Calminius (''Saint Calmin'') and his wife, Saint Namadia. Calminius is said to ...
, where the body of the saint was transferred in 761.
Havey, Francis. "St. Austremonius." The Catholic Encyclopedia
Vol. 2. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1907. 12 April 2019 The ''Vita'' was rewritten and amplified by the monks of Issoire
Issoire (; Auvergnat: ''Issoire'', ''Ussoire'') is a commune in the Puy-de-Dôme department in Auvergne in central France.
Geography
Issoire is located on the river Couze, near its confluence with the Allier, SSE of Clermont-Ferrand on the ...
, who retained as a relic the saint's head. There is a further elaborated ''Vita'' of the late 11th century, with new episodes, made at the same time as a forgery of a charter of Pippin (the Short or one of two kings of Aquitaine being intended). The tomb was opened in 1197.
Gregory of Tours, who was born in Auvergne in 544 and was well versed in the history of that country, looks upon Austremonius as one of the seven envoys who, about 250, evangelized Gaul; he relates how the body of the saint was first interred at Issoire, being there the object of great veneration, before the body, though not the head, was translated
Translation is the communication of the meaning of a source-language text by means of an equivalent target-language text. The English language draws a terminological distinction (which does not exist in every language) between ''transla ...
to Clermont.
The possibility that the major dioceses of Gaul each needed an apostolic figure, and that where the historical details had lapsed (compare Gatien of Tours) one had to be supplied, to serve local pride, should not be entirely dismissed.
Gallery
image:Statue_saint_Austremoine.jpg
File:Cl-Fd Saint-Eutrope Austremoine.jpg
Image:Statue St Austremonius Issoire.jpg
Image:Châsse calmin mozac 6.JPG
Image:Life Saint-Austremoine Issoire bottom.jpg
Image:Life Saint-Austremoine Issoire middle.jpg
Image:Martyrdom Saint-Austremoine Issoire top.jpg
References
External links
BQR sources hagiographiques
Hagiographic sources for Auvergne (in French)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Austromoine
3rd-century deaths
Bishops of Clermont
3rd-century bishops in Gaul
3rd-century Christian saints
Gallo-Roman saints
Year of birth unknown
Legendary Romans