Saint Veranus of Cavaillon (french: Véran, ''Vrain''; it, Verano) (died c. 590) was a
French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
saint
In religious belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of Q-D-Å , holiness, likeness, or closeness to God. However, the use of the term ''saint'' depends on the context and Christian denomination, denominat ...
, with a cultus in Italy. He was born at
Vaucluse
Vaucluse (; oc, Vauclusa, label= Provençal or ) is a department in the southeastern French region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur. It had a population of 561,469 as of 2019.[bishop of Cavaillon
The former French diocese of Cavaillon (''Lat.'' dioecesis Caballicensis) existed until the French Revolution as a diocese of the Comtat Venaissin, a fief of the Church of Rome. It was a member of the ecclesiastical province headed by the Metropol ...]
.
Gregory of Tours
Gregory of Tours (30 November 538 – 17 November 594 AD) was a Gallo-Roman historian and Bishop of Tours, which made him a leading prelate of the area that had been previously referred to as Gaul by the Romans. He was born Georgius Florenti ...
writes of
miracle
A miracle is an event that is inexplicable by natural or scientific lawsOne dictionary define"Miracle"as: "A surprising and welcome event that is not explicable by natural or scientific laws and is therefore considered to be the work of a divin ...
s performed by Veranus, including the expulsion of a
dragon
A dragon is a reptilian legendary creature that appears in the folklore of many cultures worldwide. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but dragons in western cultures since the High Middle Ages have often been depicted as ...
. He is also remembered as a leader in charitable works and as a patron of local monasteries, not only in France but also in Italy, particularly in the city of
Albenga
Albenga ( lij, Arbenga; la, Albingaunum) is a city and ''comune'' situated on the Gulf of Genoa on the Italian Riviera in the Province of Savona in Liguria, northern Italy. Albenga has the nickname of ''city of a hundred spires''. The economy is ...
, where he was instrumental in the conversion of the people to Christianity.
In the early 11th century some of his
relics
In religion, a relic is an object or article of religious significance from the past. It usually consists of the physical remains of a saint or the personal effects of the saint or venerated person preserved for purposes of veneration as a tangi ...
were transferred from his place of burial to
Orléans
Orléans (;["Orleans"](_blank)
(US) and [Cavaillon Cathedral
Cavaillon Cathedral (''Cathédrale Notre-Dame-et-Saint-Véran de Cavaillon'') is a former Roman Catholic church located in the town of Cavaillon, Vaucluse, France. It is in the Romanesque architectural style, built in the 11th-13th century.
The ...]
, which is dedicated to him, but some were sent to
Albenga Cathedral
Albenga Cathedral ( it, Cattedrale di San Michele Arcangelo, links=no, Duomo di Albenga) is a Roman Catholic cathedral dedicated to Saint Michael in the city of Albenga, in the province of Savona and the region of Liguria, Italy. It is the seat of ...
in
Liguria
Liguria (; lij, Ligûria ; french: Ligurie) is a Regions of Italy, region of north-western Italy; its Capital city, capital is Genoa. Its territory is crossed by the Alps and the Apennine Mountains, Apennines Mountain chain, mountain range and is ...
, where they are still preserved in a shrine.
Placenames
The French villages of
Saint-Véran
Saint-Véran (; oc, Sent Veran ˆsã vˈʀã is a commune in the Hautes-Alpes department in southeastern France in the Queyras Regional Natural Park.
Geography
Saint-Véran, located in the French Alps, is the most elevated commune in France and ...
and
Saint-Verain are named after him.
[In the ]U.S.
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...
, localities seemingly dedicated to the saint, such as Fort Saint Vrain
Fort Saint Vrain was an 1837 fur trading post built by the Bent, St. Vrain Company, and located at the confluence of Saint Vrain Creek and the South Platte River, about 20 miles (32 km) east of the Rocky Mountains in the unorganized territ ...
, Colorado, and St. Vrain, New Mexico, as well as the St. Vrain Creek in Colorado
Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of t ...
, are mostly derived from Ceran St. Vrain
Ceran St. Vrain, born Ceran de Hault de Lassus de Saint-Vrain (May 5, 1802 – October 28, 1870), was the son of a French aristocrat who immigrated to the Spanish Louisiana in the late 18th century; his mother was from St. Louis, where he was b ...
(May 5, 1802 - October 28, 1870), co-founder of the Bent-St. Vrain Company.
In Fontaine de Vaucluse there is a church called after the Saint. It was the place of his birth and in the small church there is a tomb reputed to be that of the Saint.
Notes
External links
Musee de ConteSantiebeati.it: San Verano di CavaillonSaint of the Day, October 19: ''Veranus of Cavaillon''at ''SaintPatrickDC.org''
Catholic Online: Veranus
Bishops of Cavaillon
6th-century Frankish bishops
590 deaths
6th-century Frankish saints
Year of birth unknown
{{France-saint-stub