Donatus (d. after 658) was a

bishop A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of di ...

Besançon Besançon (, ; , ; archaic ; ) is the capital of the Departments of France, department of Doubs in the region of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté. The city is located in Eastern France, close to the Jura Mountains and the border with Switzerland. Capi ...

, founder of the monastery Palatium (later Saint-Paul) in Besançon and author of a rule for nuns. He is venerated as a saint since the 11th century; his feast day is August 7.

Background

Donatus was a Frankish aristocrat, son of Duke

Waldelenus Waldalenus, or Wandalenus (late 6th – early 7th century), ''dux'' in the region between the Alps and the Jura, in the Frankish Kingdom of Burgundy, was a Frankish magnate who served as mayor of the Austrasian palace at Metz from 581, during the ...

and his wife Flavia. His family belonged to the earliest supporters of the Irish monk

Columbanus Saint Columbanus (; 543 – 23 November 615) was an Irish missionary notable for founding a number of monasteries after 590 in the Frankish and Lombard kingdoms, most notably Luxeuil Abbey in present-day France and Bobbio Abbey in presen ...

. He was baptized by Columbanus and entered the monastery of

Luxeuil Luxeuil-les-Bains () is a Communes of France, commune in the Haute-Saône Departments of France, department in the Regions of France, region of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté west of Mulhouse in eastern France. History Luxeuil (sometimes rendered Lux ...

. Before 627 he became bishop of Besançon. He founded a monastery in Besançon dedicated to Saint Paul which received them name ''Palatium'' because it was built on the ruins of a palace. The monastery followed the Rule of Columbanus and later become a house of

Augustinian Canons The Canons Regular of St. Augustine are Catholic priests who live in community under a rule ( and κανών, ''kanon'', in Greek) and are generally organised into religious orders, differing from both secular canons and other forms of religio ...

. Most biographical information about Donatus is based on

Jonas of Bobbio Jonas of Bobbio (also known as Jonas of Susa) (Sigusia, now Susa, Italy, 600 – after 659 AD) was a Columbanian monk and a major Latin monastic author of hagiography. His ''Life of Saint Columbanus'' is "one of the most influential works of ...

's ''Life of Columbanus''. References to Donatus in other sources (acts of councils and charters) are listed in Duchesne's ''Fastes épiscopaux de l'ancienne Gaule'', vol. 3.

Rule of Donatus of Besançon

Donatus' mother Flavia founded after the death of her husband a convent in Besançon, probably the monastery Jussa Moutier (''Iussanum monasterium''). Donatus wrote a monastic rule for this foundation in which he combined elements from the

Rule of Benedict The ''Rule of Saint Benedict'' () is a book of precepts written in Latin by St. Benedict of Nursia (c. AD 480–550) for monks living communally under the authority of an abbot. The spirit of Saint Benedict's Rule is summed up in the motto of th ...

, the Rule of

Caesarius of Arles Caesarius of Arles (; 468/470 27 August 542 AD), sometimes called "of Chalon" (''Cabillonensis'' or ''Cabellinensis'') from his birthplace Chalon-sur-Saône, was the foremost ecclesiastic of his generation in Christianity in Merovingian Gaul, Mer ...

and Columbanus' Rule. The Rule of Donatus is the oldest witness for a textual reception of the Rule of Benedict. The text is preserved in

Benedict of Aniane Benedict of Aniane (; ; 747 – 12 February 821 AD), born Witiza and called the Second Benedict, was a Benedictine monk and monastic reformer who had a substantial impact on the religious practice of the Carolingian Empire. His feast day is ...

's ''Codex Regularum''.

References

Literature

* Albrecht Diem, 'New ideas expressed in old words: the Regula Donati on female monastic life and monastic spirituality', in: ''Viator'' 43:1 (2012), pp. 1–38.
L. Duchesne, ''Fastes épiscopaux de l'ancienne Gaule'', vol. 3, Paris: Fontemoing 1915, pp. 213-214.
* Jo Ann McNamara and John E. Halborg, 'The Rule of St. Donatus of Besançon', in: ''Vox Benedictina'' 2 (1985), pp. 85–107 and pp. 181–203 (English translation).
Jo Ann McNamara and John E. Halborg, ''The ordeal of community'', Toronto: Peregrina Pub. 1993 (English translation).

Gérard Moyse, ‘Les origines du monachisme dans le diocèse de Besançon (Ve-Xe siècles)’, in: ''Bibliothèque de l’École des Chartes'' 131 (1973), pp. 21-104 and pp. 369-485, at pp. 372-410.

Gisela Muschiol, ''Famula Dei. Zur Liturgie in merowingischen Frauenklöstern'', Münster: Aschendorff Verlag 1994 (Beiträge zur Geschichte des alten Mönchtums und des Benediktinertums, vol. 41).
*

Adalbert de Vogüé Adalbert is a German given name which means "noble bright" or "noble shining", derived from the words ''adal'' (meaning noble) and ''berht'' (shining or bright). Alternative spellings include Adelbart, Adelbert and Adalberto. Derivative names inclu ...

, ‘La règle de Donat pour l’abbesse Gauthstrude’, in: ''Benedictina'' 25 (1978), pp. 219–313 (edition of the ''Regula Donati''). * Michaela Zelzer, ‘Die Regula Donati, der älteste Textzeuge der Regula Benedicti’, in: ''Regulae Benedicti Studia'' 16 (1987), pp. 23–36.
Victoria Zimmerl-Panagl, ''Donati Regula, Pseudo-Columbani Regula monialium'', ''CSEL'' 98, ''Monastica'' 1, Berlin/Boston: De Gruyter 2015 (critical edition).

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Donatus of Besancon 7th-century Frankish saints Canonizations by Pope Leo XIII Clergy from Besançon Roman Catholic monks 7th-century writers in Latin 7th-century Frankish writers Colombanian saints