Saint Vitonus (died 525), also called Vanne or Vaune, became a

monk A monk (, from el, μοναχός, ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a person who practices religious asceticism by monastic living, either alone or with any number of other monks. A monk may be a person who decides to dedica ...

as a young man and was later made

Bishop of Verdun The Bishopric of Verdun was a state of the Holy Roman Empire. It was located at the western edge of the Empire and was bordered by France, the Duchy of Luxembourg, and the Duchy of Bar. Some time in the late 990s, the suzerainty of the Count ...

by King Clovis I.

Narrative

In 486, following the decisive

Frankish Frankish may refer to: * Franks, a Germanic tribe and their culture ** Frankish language or its modern descendants, Franconian languages * Francia, a post-Roman state in France and Germany * East Francia, the successor state to Francia in Germany ...

victory at the Battle of Soissons, Verdun refused to yield to the Franks and was besieged by King

Clovis I Clovis ( la, Chlodovechus; reconstructed Frankish: ; – 27 November 511) was the first king of the Franks to unite all of the Frankish tribes under one ruler, changing the form of leadership from a group of petty kings to rule by a single kin ...

. Firminus, bishop of Verdun, died during the siege. The citizens sent the revered priest Euspicius to treat with the king. After entering the city peacefully, Clovis wished to appoint Euspicius as bishop. He declined, but suggested his nephew, the monk Vitonus, whom Clovis accepted as alternate. Vitonus converted all the

pagan Paganism (from classical Latin ''pāgānus'' "rural", "rustic", later "civilian") is a term first used in the fourth century by early Christians for people in the Roman Empire who practiced polytheism, or ethnic religions other than Judaism. ...

residents in the area, and was known for performing

miracles 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 ...

. Legend has it that he drowned a terrible dragon in the Meuse - which is a traditional description for fighting paganism. Vitonus also founded a college for priests. He died about 525 and was buried at the church of Ss. Peter and Paul.

Veneration

Vitonus was venerated as a saint immediately after his death. Vitonus was

canonised Canonization is the declaration of a deceased person as an officially recognized saint, specifically, the official act of a Christian communion declaring a person worthy of public veneration and entering their name in the canon catalogue of ...

around 850 by his successor Hatton, when local bishops governed the veneration of holy men and women within their own dioceses. A church dedicated to him in Verdun was mentioned in documents as early as 701. The Benedictine Abbey of St-Vanne, dedicated to Vitonius, was established on the site in 952;Goyau, Georges. "Diocese of Verdun." The Catholic Encyclopedia
Vol. 15. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1912. 15 January 2023 today its ruins are within the city's citadel. In 1147, Pope Eugene III carried out the solemn transfer of Vitonius' bones to the new cathedral. The relics have since been lost. Since 1976, the diocese of Verdun has celebrated his memorial day on 12 October together with an earlier bishop, Saint Sanctinus.

References

525 deaths Bishops of Verdun Year of birth unknown {{France-saint-stub