Pierre Hébert (1804-1869). Statue de Sainte Geneviève,
Façade de l'église parisienne Saint-Étienne-du-Mont
Sainte Geneviève
Au début de l'année 451, Attila entraîne ses hordes en-deçà du Rhin, prend, pille et brûle Metz la veille de Pâques (7 avril), remonte la vallée de le Seine et vient assiéger Paris.
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J. F. Gigoux, Sainte Geneviève, 1841, Chapelle Sainte-Geneviève, église Saint-Germain-l’Auxerrois (fondée sur un petit oratoire situé sur le lieu de la deuxième rencontre de Geneviève et de Germain)
- Amen
Nicolas de Plattemontagne. Sainte Geneviève donnant sa protection aux malades, 1680, Musée des Beaux-Arts de Rennes.
Vierge à Paris (✝ 500)
Elle est née à Nanterre vers 420. Alors qu'elle a sept ans, l'évêque saint Germain d'Auxerre, de passage, la remarque et la consacre à Dieu. C'est dans le monde qu'elle mènera sa vie consacrée. En 451, les Huns menacent Paris. Geneviève persuade les parisiens affolés que les Barbares n'attaqueront pas la ville et qu'il est inutile de fuir. En effet Paris est épargné. Puis ce sont les Francs qui viennent l'assiéger. Geneviève s'échappe par la Seine et va quérir du ravitaillement jusqu'à Troyes. Plus tard, elle jouit de la confiance des rois francs et obtient d'eux la grâce des condamnés. Elle se lia d'amitié avec sainte Clotilde. Sa réputation est telle qu'elle se répand jusqu'en Syrie où saint Syméon le Stylite, du haut de sa colonne, se recommande à ses prières. Elle passera sa vie à secourir les pauvres et guérir les malades.
SOURCE : http://nominis.cef.fr/
Charles Sprague Pearce (1851–1914).
Sainte Geneviève, 1887
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Les Miracles de sainte Geneviève, Panthéon, Paris
LA VIE DE SAINTE GENEVIÈVE
1. Une vie bien connue
L’existence de sainte Geneviève, qui se déroule entre la fin chaotique de l’empire romain en Europe et l’établissement de monarchie franque, nous est bien connue par le manuscrit de sa « vita » : il s’agit d’une biographie rédigée, semble-t- il, à la demande de son amie, sainte Clotilde, épouse de Clovis. L’auteur serait un prêtre catholique burgonde. Il est très opposé à l’arianisme, hérésie condamnée au concile de Nicée en 325 (les Ariens niaient la divinité de Jésus qui n’était, selon eux, que la première des créatures).
Il est manifestement très cultivé et connaît les auteurs latins. Il n’a sans doute jamais rencontré Geneviève mais il s’est renseigné auprès de témoins directs.
Ce document aurait été écrit 18 ans après la mort de
la sainte, qui se serait éteinte avant Clovis (511) à 80 ans ; le texte
daterait, par conséquent, des années 520 à 530. Outre une hagiographie
volumineuse, de nombreux historiens ont consacré leurs travaux à la vie de
Geneviève, dont récemment Joël Schmidt (Sainte Geneviève, la fin de la Gaule
romaine, Perrin, 2008).
2. Très tôt consacrée à Dieu
Les éléments fournis permettent de situer la naissance de Geneviève à Nanterre vers 420 et sa mort à Paris vers 500. Ses parents, Sévérus (Franc romanisé) et Gérontie appartiennent à l’autocratie gallo-romaine ; ils donnent à leur fille unique un nom germanique qui signifie « née au sein d’une femme » ; Geneviève est citoyenne romaine et, par le code juridique alors en vigueur, exercera la charge de magistrat municipal de son père (qui commença sa carrière dans l’armée). Il est clair qu’elle dispose d’importants revenus et gère ses vastes domaines dans les environs de Paris et de Meaux.
Elle est encore petite fille (entre 7 et 9 ans) lorsqu’elle rencontre à
Nanterre deux évêques : Germain d’Auxerre et Loup de Troyes. Ceux-ci
voyageaient vers la Grande-Bretagne : à la demande du pape célestin 1er, ils
allaient combattre l’hérésie pélagienne (qui minimisait le rôle de la grâce).
Sur le bord de la Seine, Nanterre est une halte commode. Saint Germain repère
la petite Geneviève et lui propose de se consacrer au Seigneur : après avoir
obtenu son assentiment, il en parle à ses parents. En souvenir de cette
promesse, il remet à l’enfant, comme pendentif, une pièce de monnaie marquée d’une
croix.
3.Le puits de Geneviève
Cet engagement ne fut pas sans problème : un jour Gérontia qui se préparait à aller à l’église demande à sa fille de rester à la maison. Geneviève se met à crier et à pleurer : « je veux garder la promesse du vénérable Germain. Je veux aller à l’église. Je veux mériter d’être une bonne épouse du Christ. » Agacée, la mère la gifla et aussitôt perdit la vue. Vingt-et-un mois plus tard, Gérontia se souvenant des paroles de Geneviève, lui demanda de lui porter de l’eau du puits, elle s’en humecta les yeux et recouvra la vue. Elle était miraculeusement sortie de son aveuglement.
Geneviève doit avoir une vingtaine d’années lorsque l’évêque Villicus l’admet parmi les vierges consacrées à Dieu.
Les rituels de l’époque nous apprennent qu’une telle
demande avait lieu au cours de la messe et que le voile était remis à la
consacrée. Elle mènera dès lors une existence de prière et de pénitence, tout
en conservant des fonctions politiques et économiques importantes.
4.Des responsabilités économiques et politiques
majeures
Vers 25 ans, ses parents étant morts, elle part habiter Paris chez sa « mère spirituelle » (peut-être sa marraine) et succède à son père à la tête du domaine familial et dans la participation à la direction de la ville. Elle s’impose comme une femme d’affaires, propriétaire de riches terres dont elle a fait bénéficier les Parisiens les plus pauvres, et comme une femme politique avisée prenant peu à peu en main les destinées de la célèbre cité.
Elle rencontre de nouveau saint Germain de passage dans la ville. Il entend des
bruits défavorables sa protégée et prend sa défense auprès de Parisiens.
5.Sainte Geneviève face à Attila
Au printemps 451, les Huns d’Attila franchissent le Rhin. Auparavant, ils ont détruit Cologne en faisant un véritable carnage. Ils incendient Metz le 13 avril, Verdun, Laon, St-Quentin, Reims et franchissent la Marne. Le bruit court que les Huns allaient envahir Paris. Les Parisiens voulaient fuir et s’opposent à Geneviève qui le leur déconseille. Ce serait livrer Paris à Attila alors que Geneviève pense qu’il contournera la ville et risquer de se faire tuer en rase campagne. Malgré l’hostilité des Parisiens, elle réunit quelques femmes pour prier le Seigneur de protéger la ville. « Que les hommes fuient, s’ils veulent, s’ils ne sont plus capables de se battre. Nous les femmes, nous prierons Dieu tant et tant qu’Il entendra nos supplications », dit-elle.
En effet, apprenant que Paris était défendu, les Huns optent pour attaquer
Orléans directement, passer la Loire et prendre les terres Wisigothes
d’Aquitaine. C’est à Orléans, le 24 juin 451 qu’ils seront vaincus par Aetius,
arrivé d’Italie. La clairvoyance de Geneviève lui attire la bienveillance du
peuple de Paris. Elle a joui, depuis, d’un grand prestige et d’une grande
autorité.
6.Sainte Geneviève et Childéric
À la suite de l’épisode des Huns, Geneviève entre en relation avec le roi Childéric, puis avec son fils Clovis qui admire beaucoup la future sainte. Elle s’engage pour l’unité de tous les Gallo-Romains et s’opposa aux guerres civiles.
Childéric, roi des Francs et résidant à Paris fait arrêter des prisonniers et
ordonne qu’on les tue en dehors des murs. Pour s’assurer de la neutralité de la
population, il fait fermer les portes de la ville. Geneviève avertie, tente de
sortir et arrivant devant les fortifications, voit la porte s’ouvrir toute
seule. Elle part rejoindre Childéric à qui elle arrache la libération des
prisonniers.
7.L’approvisionnement en blé de Paris
Les Francs, par leur présence permanente dans l’Est et en Ile de France entre 470 et 480, finissent par couper les relations commerciales traditionnelles de Paris.
Les approvisionnements alimentaires venant à manquer, une période de famine s’installe. Geneviève se rend alors à Arcis-sur-Aube pour négocier un ravitaillement. Elle réquisitionne des bateaux et remonte la Seine. Arrivée là-bas, elle est reçue par le tribun Passivus dont elle guérit la femme malade. Elle négocie sur place le blé nécessaire.
Selon la légende, repartant d’Arcis, les barques trop
chargées, l’équipage se met à prendre l’eau, menaçant de couler. Tendant les
mains vers le ciel, Geneviève implore le secours du Christ et la flottille
reprend sur le champ une navigation normale.
8.Sainte Geneviève bâtisseuse et mécène
Sur la route de Senlis, au nord de Paris, se trouve la tombe du martyr Denis dans un cimetière public. Elle demande que l’on bâtisse en ce lieu une basilique en son honneur.
Saint-Denis fut l’un des sept évangélisateurs de la Gaule au IIIe siècle et le premier évêque de Paris. Martyr, il aurait été décapité avec ses compagnons Éleuthère et Rustique, sur le mont des Martyrs (Mons Martyrium: Montmartre), et aurait porté sa tête à l’endroit où fut édifiée, par Dagobert, la première basilique de Saint-Denis. Son identification ultérieure avec Denys l’Aréopagite joua un rôle dans les controverses théologiques du Moyen Âge.
Aux réticences de tous devant les difficultés d’approvisionnement en matériaux de construction, Geneviève réplique qu’on l’informe de la disponibilité des pierres à chaux indispensables. D’anciens fours à chaux et des carrières voisines sont alors retrouvés permettant le commencement de la construction. Par la suite, alors que les charpentiers manquent de boisson, Geneviève multiplie les coupes d’eau, permettant aux ouvriers de se désaltérer.
Plus tard, Geneviève inspirera l’édification de la basilique consacrée à saint
Pierre et saint Paul, sur la future montagne Sainte-Geneviève, dont elle
assurera le mécénat.
9.La consécration de Céline à Meaux
Geneviève rendait visite à Céline qui résidait à Meaux
pour recevoir sa consécration de Vierge. Le fiancé de Céline, apprenant cela,
se répandit en protestations puis en menaces. Elles se sauvèrent vers le
baptistère de la Cathédrale, ouvert par hasard. Dès lors, Céline persévèrera
dans la chasteté et l’abstinence. des prisonniers.
10.Le baptême de Clovis
Geneviève avait formé le projet de conduire Clovis au
baptême ; elle parlait le moyen haut allemand qui était la langue maternelle de
Clovis, ce qui facilitera les choses. Vers 493, au moment où le roi épouse la
Catholique Clotilde, Geneviève se liera d’amitié avec elle et l’on pense
qu’elles prépareront ensemble la célébration du baptême par l’évêque de Reims,
saint Rémi. Plus tard Clovis demandera à être enterré près d’elle, comme
l’atteste Grégoire de Tours en 544 dans son « histoire des Francs ».
11.Amitié spirituelle avec saint Siméon le stylite
Au Ve siècle, vit en Turquie saint Siméon le stylite
dont la fête est fixée au 5 janvier, tandis que celle de Geneviève est au 3.
Tandis qu’il demeurait sur sa colonne, il reçut des marchands gaulois qui lui
parlèrent de Geneviève qu’il connaissait déjà : il leur demanda de la saluer
afin qu’elle priât pour lui. Cela signifie qu’il lui reconnaissait un ascendant
spirituel. Siméon avait alors environ 70 ans et Geneviève 40 seulement. Voilà
un lien qui fut souvent évoqué pour unir les chrétientés d’Orient et d’Occident
en les invitant à faire mémoire de ces deux saints.
12.La mort de sainte Geneviève et sa postérité
« Geneviève s’en alla vers le Seigneur dans une bonne
vieillesse, après avoir vécu plus de dix fois huit ans, et elle fut ensevelie
dans la paix le 3 janvier », écrit sobrement son biographe. Son corps fut
déposé dans un sarcophage de pierre, conservé encore à Saint-Etienne-du-Mont,
dans un tombeau que Clovis avait préparé pour sa propre famille. Dès la seconde
moitié du VIe siècle, l’on célébrait, dans le royaume franc, la messe de sainte
Geneviève à cette date.
13.Le miracle des ardents
Dès le VIe siècle, Grégoire de Tours signale que des miracles se produisent sur le tombeau de sainte Geneviève et que des malades y ont été guéris. L’habitude s’est répandue d’invoquer Geneviève contre toutes les maladies épidémiques et les fièvres. Dans un poème paru en 1532, le célèbre Didier Erasme remercie la sainte de l’avoir guéri d’un accès de fièvre.
Cette réputation vient du miracle des « ardents ». Ce mal a été identifié avec
l’ergotisme dû à une consommation de seigle corrompu. Souvent, au Moyen Age, la
population parisienne en fut victime. Ainsi en 1130, la maladie aurait causé 14
000 morts. L’évêque de Senlis obtint le transfert à Notre-Dame du corps de
Geneviève : trois malades ayant effleuré la chasse furent instantanément
guéris. L’année suivante, le pape Innocent II, venu en France, décida qu’une
fête serait célébrée en commémoration de l’événement. Dans la crypte
archéologique de Notre-Dame se trouve les restes de l’église «
Sainte-Geneviève-des-Ardents ».
14.Patronne des Hauts-de-Seine
Sainte Geneviève est patronne des bergères, des chapeliers, des fabricants de cierges, des tapissiers… Elle était invoquée pour expulser les démons installés dans le corps des femmes !
Le pape Jean XXIII la déclara, en 1963, patronne des gendarmes. À cette occasion, il écrivait : « La vierge sainte Geneviève, lumière de leur patrie, se montra autrefois, ainsi que le souvenir s’en est conservé, le soutien du peuple dans les graves périls et n’a cessé, dans la gloire éternelle, de répandre des bienfaits sur ceux qui la prient. » C’est au titre de « gardiens de l’ordre public » que les gendarmes peuvent la revendiquer comme patronne.
Geneviève est également la patronne de la ville de Nanterre et de l’ensemble du
diocèse du même nom, donc du département des Hauts-de-Seine. Généreuse et
courageuse, sa vie et son œuvre constituent un bel exemple pour la fondation
qui porte son nom !
Sources :
Joël Schmidt, Sainte Geneviève, la fin de la Gaule
romaine, Perrin, 2008
Yvon Aybram, Petite vie de sainte Geneviève, Déclées
De Brouwer, Coll. Art.Poche, 2017
Yvon Aybram, Chemins de foi, en pèlerinage dans le
diocèse de Nanterre, ADN, 2000
Guy Rondepierre, Geneviève de Nanterre, figure
prophétique d’une vie chrétienne moderne, dans Eglise des Hauts-de-Seine n°348,
février 2009
Vie de sainte Geneviève dans
http//:sainte-genevieve.net
SOURCE : https://fondationsaintegenevieve.org/la-vie-de-sainte-genevieve/
.jpg)
Sainte Geneviève ravitaillant Paris assiégé, Panthéon,
Paris
Sainte Geneviève, le siège des francs et le ravitaillement de Paris
Aliénor Goudet - Publié le 02/01/21
En tant que vierge consacrée et magistrate municipale,
Geneviève (423-512) a le souci non seulement des plus pauvres mais de tout le
peuple de Paris. C’est au cours d'une situation particulièrement difficile que
cette sainte montre toutes sa dévotion et son sens du service au peuple qui lui
a été confié.
Paris, 475. L’automne touche à sa fin. Les nuits se
font plus froides et plus longues. Le soleil a disparu depuis longtemps. Cette
nuit encore, de nombreux habitants sont allés se coucher le ventre vide. Les
talents de négociatrice de la magistrate, Geneviève, ont permis à la ville d’éviter le bain de sang,
mais un autre problème se pose. Le siège et le blocus imposés par les francs
ont permis à un nouvel ennemi de pénétrer les murs de la ville : la famine.
Les pauvres meurent dans les rues et les greniers des
riches se vident à une vitesse alarmante. C’est donc dans cette atmosphère
d’angoisse et de faim que la ville s’est endormie. Mais dans une chapelle, une
petite lumière persiste. Enveloppée dans un grand manteau à capuche, une femme
est à genoux devant l’autel.
– Seigneur, dit-elle, veille sur Paris en mon absence. Éclaire mon chemin et donne du courage aux braves qui m’accompagnent dans cette mission.
Lire aussi :
Sainte Geneviève, une femme providentielle
Geneviève remonte sa capuche et quitte alors la petite
chapelle pour rejoindre la Seine, sa petite lanterne à la main. Le père Bessus
est là, ainsi que la quarantaine d’hommes qui ont accepté de braver le blocus
avec elle.
– Tout est prêt, magistrate, dit le prêtre Bessus.
Nous n’attendons que tes ordres.
Geneviève sourit. Elle remercie chacun d’eux et les
bénit une dernière fois avant d’embarquer dans le bateau à la tête de la flotte
de onze vaisseaux. Il s’agit d’abord de quitter Paris aussi discrètement que
possible.
Les hommes ont revêtu des vêtements de francs afin de
passer inaperçus, mais si par malheur on les arrêtait, la supercherie ne
durerait pas. Geneviève prie de nouveau tandis que la petite flotte remonte le
fleuve. C’est alors qu’une brume se lève et s’épaissit rapidement, jusqu’à
recouvrir la Seine et ses berges. Elle ne disparaît qu’au petit matin, lorsque
Paris est bien loin derrière la flottille. Et de nouveau, Geneviève rend grâce.
Mais quelques jours plus tard, un autre obstacle
survient. De violents vents agitent le fleuve et manquent à plusieurs reprises
de faire chavirer les bateaux. Cela dure plusieurs heures. Les bras des rameurs
sont fatigués, et leurs mains, couvertes de cloques. S’ils viennent à perdre
leur cadence, la tempête aura raison d’eux. Geneviève se lève alors au devant
du bateau.
– Ne craignez rien, crie-t-elle aux hommes pour
couvrir le bruit du vent. Et chantez avec moi.
Sur l’air des psaumes implorant la force et la miséricorde de Dieu, les rameurs reprennent leur cadence et chantent avec la magistrate. Enfin, la tempête se calme et encore une fois, Geneviève rend grâce. Une fois en Champagne, elle fait charger les bateaux de grain avant de reprendre le chemin de Paris. Cette fois, le voyage se fait sans encombre sous la bienveillance de son époux des cieux.
Lire aussi :
Paris : rive droite ou rive gauche, baladez-vous dans les pas de
sainte Geneviève
De retour, Geneviève fait vendre le grain à ceux qui
ont les moyens de l’acheter, et fait préparer des pains dans les fours publics
pour les plus pauvres. Mais le devoir est loin d’être fini. Un soir, elle se
rend à la petite basilique de saint Denis pour s’y recueillir. Une fois de
plus, le Seigneur lui a souri.
– Roi des cieux, implore-t-elle, accorde encore à ta
servante la force et la sagesse. Donne-moi les mots justes afin de faire des
francs tes alliés et tes enfants.
Au fond d’elle, Geneviève sait intuitivement que les
francs ont le potentiel de devenir peuple de Dieu. Car s’ils sont païens, ils
n’ont pas choisi la voie de l’hérésie arienne. Mais il lui faudra toute sa
diplomatie et l’aide de Dieu pour épargner Paris et poser la première pierre du
royaume qui deviendra fille aînée de l’Église.
Geneviève rejoint le ciel le 3 janvier 512, après
avoir réussi non seulement à sauver Paris maintes fois, mais à conclure une
alliance avec Clovis I et introduire la foi chrétienne parmi les francs. Elle
est sainte patronne de Paris, du diocèse de Nanterre et de
la Gendarmerie nationale.
Tympan de l'église Sainte-Geneviève de La
Plaine-Saint-Denis. Sainte Geneviève, priez pour nous ǃ
Sainte Geneviève, une sainte pour aujourd’hui
Alors que s’achève la neuvaine à Sainte Geneviève,
organisée à Paris du 3 au 11 janvier, le père Frédéric Lanthonie, curé de
Sainte-Geneviève des Grandes-Carrières, explique pourquoi la sainte patronne de
la capitale est aujourd’hui un exemple pour tous les chrétiens. C’est dans sa
paroisse, la seule du diocèse de Paris à porter le nom de Sainte Geneviève,
qu’est célébrée la dernière messe de la neuvaine, samedi 11 janvier.
Priscille Pavec – Cité du Vatican
Sainte Geneviève est
connue pour avoir détourné, par sa prière, Attila et ses hordes qui
assiégeaient Paris. Elle a également œuvré à la conversion de Clovis et à
l’établissement de la chrétienté en France; son amitié avec Syméon le Stylite,
un syrien, témoigne de l’union entre chrétiens d’Orient et d’Occident. Les
œuvres et les combats de cette femme du 5ème siècle résonnent finalement
toujours à l’oreille des chrétiens d’aujourd’hui.
Une femme d’influence
LIRE AUSSI 03/01/2020
Le
diocèse de Paris célèbre sainte Geneviève, patronne de la ville
«Que les hommes fuient, s’ils veulent, s’ils ne sont
plus capables de se battre. Nous, les femmes, nous prierons Dieu tant et tant
qu’Il entendra nos supplications». Le père Frédéric Lanthonie nous
rappelle cette phrase bien connue, prononcée par Sainte Geneviève alors que les
Huns sont aux portes de Paris. La jeune fille encourage les Parisiens à
demeurer dans leur ville, qui est sauvée par leurs prières. Suite à cet
événement, elle fut proclamée defensor civitas, chargée de la défense de
la cité, et prit part à la vie politique de Paris. Le père Lanthonie pense donc
que la figure de la sainte «vient interpeller nos relations hommes-femmes».
Il estime que «les femmes dans l’Église sont un peu dans la
discrétion du matin de Pâques» mais ont pourtant «beaucoup de choses
à nous dire dans une Église gouvernée majoritairement par des hommes. Il y a là
quelque chose à revivifier dans notre relation baptismale prêtres- laïcs et
aussi hommes- femmes».
La miséricorde en actes
Sainte Geneviève incarne l’esprit de résistance à la
barbarie mais son aura était surtout due, au 5ème siècle, à son engagement
auprès des plus pauvres. Le père Lanthonie évoque cet autre épisode de la vie
de Sainte Geneviève: alors que les Parisiens souffraient de la famine, elle
entreprit une longue excursion pour rapporter du blé au peuple et distribuer du
pain aux miséreux. Le curé de Sainte-Geneviève des Grandes-Carrières rappelle
que certains quartiers de Paris sont, aujourd’hui encore, marqués par une
grande précarité. Dans le 18ème arrondissement où lui-même habite, il
côtoie «la prostitution, une concentration de personnes issues de la
migration qui vivent dans un grand dénuement. Sainte Geneviève rappelle alors
aux Parisiens qu’ils ont des choses à vivre ensemble, ils ne doivent pas
s’opposer [les uns aux autres] mais aller au-delà de la méfiance et de la
violence». Son message dépasse cependant les frontières de Paris et
s’adresse aujourd’hui à tous les catholiques : «On peut retenir de sa
vie qu’elle a pris au sérieux son baptême par la prière, par une vie concrète
de charité (…) elle n’a pas eu peur et je pense qu’elle peut nous permettre de
retrouver une espérance dans un quotidien qui n’est pas toujours facile». Elle
n’a surtout jamais hésité à «réconforter ceux qui tombaient et je crois
qu’elle rejoint vraiment la parole de St Matthieu au chapitre 25 verset
40: Amen je vous le dis, nous dit Jésus, chaque fois que vous l’avez
fait à l’un de ces plus petits qui sont mes frères, c’est à moi que vous l’avez
fait».
Faire vivre Sainte Geneviève au cœur des paroisses
Cette année jubilaire permettra aussi aux paroisses de
redécouvrir la figure de Sainte Geneviève. Dans la paroisse du père Lanthonie,
un jeune artiste a réalisé une fresque retraçant les étapes importantes de la
vie de la sainte, qui sera affichée devant l’église dimanche 12 janvier.
Plusieurs événements jalonneront l’année à venir (visite de l’église, prières
autour de Sainte Geneviève), donnant aux paroisses l’occasion de s’ouvrir et de
se faire connaître. L’objectif est d’interpeller les gens, de les faire se
rencontrer, prier ensemble… et finalement de suivre l’exemple donnée par
Sainte Geneviève, il y a 1600 ans.
VIE DE SAINTE GENEVIÈVE DE PARIS
La bienheureuse vierge Geneviève naquit à Nanterre,
près de Paris, vers 420. Dès sa petite enfance, la grâce de Dieu fût sur elle
et elle était connue de tous pour sa piété.
Saint Germain d’Auxerre, se rendant en Grande-Bretagne
avec saint Loup de Troyes pour y combattre l’hérésie pélagienne, fit étape à
Nanterre, en 429. Il discerna la grandeur spirituelle de la petite fille,
révéla à ses parents que les anges s’étaient réjouis à sa naissance et
prophétisa qu’elle serait grande devant Dieu et devant les hommes. Ayant fait
appeler Geneviève, il lui demanda si elle voulait consacrer sa virginité au
Christ : elle lui répondit que c’était son désir le plus profond. Le
lendemain, saint Germain lui demanda si elle se souvenait de sa promesse ;
Geneviève répondit : « Père saint, je désire garder toujours la parfaite
pureté de l’esprit et du corps ». Alors l’évêque aperçut à ses pieds – de
façon providentielle – une pièce de bronze marquée du signe de la Croix :
il la ramassa et la donna à Geneviève en lui recommandant de la porter toujours
à son cou et de rejeter désormais toutes les parures du monde.
Devenue jeune fille, Geneviève fut bénie comme vierge
consacrée par l’évêque de Paris. Après la mort de ses parents, elle vint
habiter à Paris chez sa marraine, dans l’Ile de la Cité, à l’ombre de la
cathédrale Saint-Etienne. Tombée alors gravement malade et proche de la mort
pendant 3 jours, un ange lui fit connaître en esprit le Royaume céleste.
Dieu lui accorda de lire dans les âmes et d’accomplir
des miracles. Elle délivra de nombreux possédés, par le signe de la Croix, et
guérit beaucoup de malades avec de l’eau ou de l’huile qu’elle bénissait. Elle
ressuscita un enfant qui s’était noyé. Sainte Geneviève fit jaillir une source
pour la guérison des malades dans une grotte proche du hameau de Séquigny, qui
par la suite prit le nom de Sainte-Geneviève-des-Bois.
Malgré tous ces miracles, elle n’échappa point à la
haine ni aux calomnies. Saint Germain d’Auxerre, lors de son second passage à
Paris en 447, dut prendre sa défense contre la foule médisante, en montrant à
tous le sol de sa cellule trempé de ses larmes.
Lorsque le roi des Huns, Attila, s’approcha de Paris,
après avoir pillé une partie de la Gaule, elle exhorta les Parisiens à ne pas
fuir et à prier, en prophétisant que leur ville serait épargnée. Et cela s’accomplit,
en 451, l’année bénie du Concile de Chalcédoine. Pendant une grande famine,
lors du siège de Paris par les Francs, elle remonta courageusement la Seine
avec une flottille de bateaux et ramena des vivres qui sauvèrent la ville de la
faim.
Sainte Geneviève vénérait beaucoup les saints :
elle fit construire une basilique sur le tombeau de saint Denys, à Catheuil –
qui devint par la suite la ville de Saint-Denis- et elle fit un pèlerinage au
tombeau de saint Martin à Tours, où elle délivra un grand nombre de possédés.
Après la naissance au ciel de saint Germain d’Auxerre,
elle rendit régulièrement visite à saint Rémi, évêque de Reims. Une vertu si
éclatante ne put être renfermée dans les Gaules : saint Siméon le Stylite,
ayant entendu parler de ses miracles, se fit recommander à ses prières.
Elle vécut dans le service du Seigneur jusqu’à plus de
80 ans, et naquit au Ciel un 3 janvier, peu après l’an 500. Elle fut inhumée à
Paris sur la colline qui devait par la suite porter son nom, dans la basilique
des Saints-Apôtres Pierre et Paul, érigée par Clovis et sainte Clotilde en
union de pensée avec elle.
Après sa mort, elle continua à veiller sur
Paris : elle arrêta la grande inondation de 822, délivra Paris du siège
des Normands en 886 et sauva la ville du mal des Ardents en 1130. Malgré tous
ces bienfaits et les nombreux miracles qui eurent lieu sur son tombeau,
les Révolutionnaires le profanèrent en 1793 et le peuple de Paris, ingrat,
brûla ses reliques et en jeta les cendres dans la Seine. La nouvelle basilique
Sainte-Geneviève fut profanée et transformée en temple républicain sous le nom
de Panthéon. Néanmoins, sainte Geneviève continue à protéger Paris et la
France.
Elle se manifesta aussi, dans les temps actuels, par
sa sollicitude envers les fidèles orthodoxes chassés de Russie par les
Bolchéviques et elle accorda son aide céleste aux chrétiens d’Occident qui
s’efforcèrent de retrouver les racines de la foi orthodoxe dans la terre des
Gaules.
(Texte élaboré vers 1945 dans l’Orthodoxie
occidentale d’après le Bréviaire de Paris ; entièrement révisé en
1985, puis corrigé et augmenté en 2011, 2017, 2018 et
2019)
Noël Tanazacq / paroisse Sainte-Geneviève
Saint Genevieve
Also known as
- Genovefa
- 3 January
- 28 October (translation of relics)
Profile
When she was seven years
old, Genevieve met Saint Germanus of Auxerre on his way
to England. Germain befriended her
because of her insistence on wanting to live her life for God, and prophesied her future
sanctity. She took the veil at age 15. Prophesied invasions
and disasters for Paris. Could read consciences
and calm the possessed. When Paris was besieged by
the Franks, she encouraged its
defense, organized prayers for God‘s protection of the
city, and led an expedition for food to relieve the siege. Caused a church to
be built on the tomb of Saint Denis. In 1129, the procession of
her relics through Paris is believed to
have ended an epidemic.
Born
- 500 at Paris, France
- interred in the church
of Saints Peter and Paul in Paris
- relics destroyed in 1871
- against plague
- against disasters
- against fever
- French security
forces (chosen
in 1962)
- Paris, France
- WACs
- Women’s Army Corps
- bread (from feeding the people)
- candle
- cattle
- girl restoring eyesight to her mother
- keys
- shepherdess holding a candle which the devil is trying to extinguish and angels are helping to protect
- shepherdess with a coin suspended around her neck
Additional Information
- A Garner of
Saints, by Allen
Banks Hinds, M.A.
- Book of Saints, by the Monks of Ramsgate
- Catholic Encyclopedia
- Fearless Saint
Genevieve, Patron Saint of Paris, by Charlotte M Yonge
- Golden Legend
- Lives of the
Saints, by Father Alban Butler
- New Catholic Dictionary
- Patron Saints for Girls
- Pictorial Half
Hours with the Saints
- Pictorial Lives of the Saints
- Saints of the Day, by Katherine Rabenstein
- Short Lives of
the Saints, by E C
Donnelly
- Virgin Saints and
Martyrs, by Sabine
Baring-Gould
- books
- other
sites in english
- 1001 Patron Saints and Their Feast Days, Australian Catholic Truth Society
- Catholic Fire
- Cathlic Ireland
- Catholic Lane
- Catholic Online
- Celtic Saints
- Independent Catholic News
- Saints Stories for All Ages
- Wikipedia
- images
- video
- webseiten
auf deutsch
- sitios
en español
- Martirologio Romano, 2001 edición
- Santopedia
- sites
en français
- fonti
in italiano
- websites
in nederlandse
- nettsteder
i norsk
- spletne
strani v slovenšcini
MLA Citation
- “Saint Genevieve“. CatholicSaints.Info.
13 May 2020. Web. 3 January 2021.
<https://catholicsaints.info/saint-genevieve/>
Sainte Geneviève gardant ses moutons. École flamande, fin du XVIe siècle (1575-1600). Musée Carnavalet
Many of her neighbours, filled with jealousy and envy, accused Genevieve of being an impostor and a hypocrite. Like Blessed Joan of Arc, in later times, she had frequent communion with the other world, but her visions andprophecies were treated as frauds and deceits. Her enemies conspired to drown her; but, through the intervention of Germain of Auxerre, their animosity was finally overcome. The bishop of the city appointed her to look after the welfare of the virgins dedicated to God, and by her instruction and example she led them to a high degree of sanctity. In 451 Attila and his Huns were sweeping over Gaul; and the inhabitants of Paris prepared to flee. Genevieve encouraged them to hope and trust in God; she urged them to do works of penance, and added that if they did so the town would be spared. Her exhortations prevailed; the citizens recovered their calm, andAttila's hordes turned off towards Orléans, leaving Paris untouched. Some years later Merowig (Mérovée) tookParis; during the siege Genevieve distinguished herself by her charity and self- sacrifice. Through her influenceMerowig and his successors, Childeric and Clovis, displayed unwonted clemency towards the citizens. It was she, too, who first formed the plan of erecting a church in Paris in honour of Saints Peter and Paul. It was begun byClovis at Mont-lès-Paris, shortly before his death in 511. Genevieve died the following year, and when the churchwas completed her body was interred within it. This fact, and the numerous miracles wrought at her tomb,caused the name of Sainte-Geneviève to be given to it. Kings, princes, and people enriched it with their gifts. In 847 it was plundered by the Normans and was partially rebuilt, but was completed only in 1177. This churchhaving fallen into decay once more, Louis XV began the construction of a new church in 1764. The Revolutionbroke out before it was dedicated, and it was taken over in 1791, under the name of the Panthéon, by the Constituent Assembly, to be a burial place for distinguished Frenchmen. It was restored to Catholic purposes in 1821 and 1852, having been secularized as a national mausoleum in 1831 and, finally, in 1885. St. Genevieve'srelics were preserved in her church, with great devotion, for centuries, and Paris received striking proof of the efficacy of her intercession. She saved the city from complete inundation in 834. In 1129 a violent plague, known as the mal des ardents, carried off over 14,000 victims, but it ceased suddenly during a procession in her honour.Innocent II, who had come to Paris to implore the king's help against the Antipope Anacletus in 1130, examined personally into the miracle and was so convinced of its authenticity that he ordered a feast to be kept annually inhonour of the event on 26 November. A small church, called Sainte-Geneviève des Ardents, commemorated themiracle till 1747, when it was pulled down to make room for the Foundling Hospital. The saint's relics were carried in procession yearly to the cathedral, and Mme de Sévigné gives a description of the pageant in one of her letters.
The revolutionaries of 1793 destroyed most of the relics preserved in St. Genevieve's church, and the rest were cast to the winds by the mob in 1871. Fortunately, however, a large relic had been kept at Verneuil, Oise, in the eighteenth century, and is still extant. The church built by Clovis was entrusted to the Benedictines. In the ninth century they were replaced by secular canons. In 1148, under Eugene III and Louis VII, canons from St. Victor'sAbbey at Senlis were introduced. About 1619 Louis XIII named Cardinal François de La Rochefoucauld Abbot ofSt. Genevieve's. The canons had been lax and the cardinal selected Charles Faure to reform them. This holy manwas born in 1594, and entered the canons regular at Senlis. He was remarkable for his piety, and, whenordained, succeeded after a hard struggle in reforming the abbey. Many of the houses of the canons regularadopted his reform. He and a dozen companions took charge of Sainte-Geneviève-du-Mont, at Paris, in 1634. This became the mother-house of a new congregation, the Canons Regular of St. Genevieve, which spread widely over France. Another institute called after the saint was the Daughters of St. Genevieve, founded at Paris, in 1636, by Francesca de Blosset, with the object of nursing the sick and teaching young girls. A somewhat similar institute, popularly known as the Miramiones, had been founded under the invocation of the Holy Trinity, in 1611, by Marie Bonneau de Rubella Beauharnais de Miramion. These two institutes were united in 1665, and the associates called the Canonesses of St. Genevieve. The members took no vows, but merely promised obedienceto the rules as long as they remained in the institute. Suppressed during the Revolution, it was revived in 1806 by Jeanne-Claude Jacoulet under the name of the Sisters of the Holy Family. They now have charge of over 150schools and orphanages.
MacErlean, Andrew. "St. Genevieve." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 6. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1909. 22 Mar. 2015 <http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06413f.htm>.
Transcription. This article was transcribed for New Advent by Fr. Paul-Dominique Masiclat, O.P.
Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres (1780–1867). Sainte Geneviève, patronne de Paris, 1844
ST. GENEVIEVE, OR QENOVEFA, V.,
Charles Le Brun (1619–1690). Sainte
Geneviève tenant un cierge, 1637-1639, Musée des Beaux-Arts de Rouen
(also known as Genovefa)
Born in Nanterre near Paris, France, c. 422; died in Paris, c. 500 Geneviève was born in a village on the outskirts of Paris during the time of Attila the Hun. She was a shepherdess, the only child of Severus and Gerontia, hardworking peasants. Geneviève was so bright and attractive that when Saint Germanus, bishop of Auxerre, was visiting the village with Saint Lupus on their way to Britain in 429 to squelch Pelagianism, he took special notice of the seven-year-old. After his sermon, the inhabitants flocked about them to receive their blessings. Germanus beckoned for her parents and foretold her future sanctity. When he asked Geneviève if she wished to be a spouse of Christ and serve God only, she asked that he bless her and consecrate her from that moment.
SOURCE : http://www.saintpatrickdc.org/ss/0103.shtml
Scènes de la vie de Sainte Geneviève, vitrail, église Saint-Leu-Saint-Gilles.Paris
Fearless Saint Genevieve, Patron Saint of Paris, by Charlotte M Yonge
Four hundred years of
the Roman dominion had entirely tamed the once wild and independent Gauls.
Everywhere, except in the moorlands of Brittany, they had become as much like
Romans themselves as they could accomplish; they had Latin names, spoke the
Latin tongue, all their personages of higher rank were enrolled as Roman
citizens, their chief cities were colonies where the laws were administered by
magistrates in the Roman fashion, and the houses, dress, and amusements were
the same as those of Italy. The greater part of the towns had been converted to
Christianity, though some paganism still lurked in the more remote villages and
mountainous districts.
It was upon these
civilized Gauls that the terrible attacks came from the wild nations who poured
out of the center and east of Europe. The Franks came over the Rhine and its
dependent rivers, and made furious attacks upon the peaceful plains, where the
Gauls had long lived in security, and reports were everywhere heard of villages
harried by wild horsemen, with short double-headed battle-axes, and a horrible
short pike covered with iron and with several large hooks, like a gigantic
artificial minnow, and like it fastened to a long rope, so that the prey which
it had grappled might be pulled up to the owner. Walled cities usually stopped
them, but every farm or villa outside was stripped of its valuables, set on
fire, the cattle driven off, and the more healthy inhabitants seized for slaves.
It was during this state
of things that a girl was born to a wealthy peasant at the village now called
Nanterre, about two miles from Lutetia, which was already a prosperous city,
though not as yet so entirely the capital as it was destined to become under
the name of Paris. She was christened by an old Gallic name, probably
Gwenfrewi, or White Stream, in Latin Genovefa, but she is best known by the
late French form of Genevieve. When she was about seven years old, two
celebrated bishops passed through the village, Germanus, of Auxerre, and Lupus,
of Troyes, who had been invited to Britain to dispute the false doctrines of
Pelagius. All the inhabitants flocked into the church to see them, pray with
them, and receive their blessing; and here the sweet childish devotion of
Geneviéve so struck Germanus, that he called her to him, talked to her, made
her sit beside him at the feast, gave her his special blessing, and presented
her with a copper medal with a cross engraven upon it. From that time the
little maiden always deemed herself especially consecrated to the service of
Heaven, but she still remained at home, daily keeping her father’s sheep, and
spinning their wool as she sat under the trees watching them, but always with
her heart full of prayer.
After this Saint
Germanus proceeded to Britain, and there encouraged his converts to meet the
heathen Picts at Maes Garmon, in Flintshire, where the exulting shout of the
white-robed catechumens turned to flight the wild superstitious savages of the
north,—and the Hallelujah victory was gained without a drop of bloodshed. He
never lost sight of Genevicve, the little maid whom he had so early
distinguished for her piety.
After she lost her
parents she went to live with her godmother, and continued the same simple habits,
leading a life of sincere devotion and strict self-denial, constant prayer and
much charity to her poorer neighbors.
In the year 451 the
whole of Gaul was in the most dreadful state of terror at the advance of
Attila, the savage chief of the Huns, who came from the banks of the Danube
with a host of savages of hideous features, scarred and disfigured to render
them more frightful. The old enemies, the Goths and the Franks, seemed like
friends compared with these formidable beings, whose cruelties were said to be
intolerable, and of whom every exaggerated story was told that could add to the
horrors of the miserable people who lay in their path. Tidings came that this
“Scourge of God,” as Attila called himself, had passed the Rhine, destroyed
Tongres and Metz, and was in full march for Paris. The whole country was in the
utmost terror. Every one seized their most valuable possessions, and would have
fled; but Genevicve placed herself on the only bridge across the Seine, and
argued with them, assuring them, in a strain that was afterwards thought of as
prophetic, that, if they would pray, repent, and defend instead of abandoning
their homes, God would protect them. They were at first almost ready to stone
her for thus withstanding their panic, but just then a priest arrived from
Auxerre, with a present for Genevicve from Saint Germanus, and they were thus
reminded of the high estimation in which he held her; they became ashamed of
their violence, and she led them back to pray and to arm themselves. In a few
days they heard that Attila had paused to besiege Orleans, and that Aëtius, the
Roman general, hurrying from Italy, had united his troops with those of the
Goths and Franks, and given Attila so terrible a defeat at Châlons that the
Huns were fairly driven out of Gaul. And here it must be mentioned that when in
the next year, 452, Attila with his murderous host, came down into Italy, and
after horrible devastation of all the northern provinces, came to the gates of
Rome, no one dared to meet him but one venerable bishop, Leo, the Pope, who,
when his flock were in transports of despair, went forth only accompanied by
one magistrate to meet the invader, and endeavored to turn his wrath aside. The
savage Huns were struck with awe by the fearless majesty of the unarmed old
man. They conducted him safely to Attila, who listened to him with respect, and
promised not to lead his people into Rome, provided a tribute should be paid to
him. He then retreated, and, to the joy of all Europe, died on his way back to
his native dominions.
But with the Huns the
danger and suffering of Europe did not end. The happy state described in the
Prophets as “dwelling safely, with none to make them afraid,” was utterly
unknown in Europe throughout the long break-up of the Roman Empire; and in a
few more years the Franks were overrunning the banks of the Seine, and actually
venturing to lay siege to the Roman walls of Paris itself. The fortifications
were strong enough, but hunger began to do the work of the besiegers, and the
garrison, unwarlike and untrained, began to despair. But Genevicve’s courage
and trust never failed; and finding no warriors willing to run the risk of
going beyond the walls to obtain food for the women and children who were
perishing around them, this brave shepherdess embarked alone in a little boat,
and guiding it down the stream, landed beyond the Frankish camp, and repairing
to the different Gallic cities, she implored them to send succor to their
famished brethren. She obtained complete success. Probably the Franks had no
means of obstructing the passage of the river, so that a convoy of boats could
easily penetrate into the town: at any rate they looked upon Genevicve as
something sacred and inspired whom they durst not touch; probably as one of the
battle-maids in whom their own myths taught them to believe. One account indeed
says that, instead of going alone to obtain help, Genevicve placed herself at
the head of a forage party, and that the mere sight of her inspired bearing
caused them to be allowed to enter and return in safety; but the boat version
seems the more probable, since a single boat on the broad river would more
easily elude the enemy than a troop of Gauls pass through their army.
But a city where all the
valor resided in one woman could not long hold out, and in another inroad, when
Genevieve was absent, Paris was actually seized by the Franks. Their leader,
Hilperik, was absolutely afraid of what the mysteriously brave maiden might do
to him, and commanded the gates of the city to be carefully guarded lest she
should enter; but Genevicve learnt that some of the chief citizens were
imprisoned, and that Hilperik intended their death, and nothing could withhold
her from making an effort in their behalf. The Franks had made up their minds
to settle and not to destroy. They were not burning and slaying
indiscriminately, but while despising the Romans, as they called the Gauls, for
their cowardice, they were in awe of their superior civilization and knowledge
of arts. The country people had free access to the city, and Genevicve in her
homely gown and veil passed by Hilperik’s guards without being suspected of
being more than any ordinary Gaulish village-maid; and thus she fearlessly made
her way, even to the old Roman halls, where the long-haired Hilperik was
holding his wild carousal. Would that we knew more of that interview—one of the
most striking that ever took place!
We can only picture to
ourselves the Roman tesselated pavement bestrewn with wine, bones, and
fragments of the barbarous revelry. There were, untamed Franks, their sun-burnt
hair tied up in a knot at the top of their heads, and falling down like a
horse’s tail, their faces close-shaven, except two huge mustaches, and dressed
in tight leather garments, with swords at their wide belts. Some slept, some
feasted, some greased their long locks, some shouted out their favorite
war-songs around the table, which was covered with the spoils of churches, and
at their head sat the wild, long-haired chieftain, who was a few years later
driven away by his own followers for his excesses,—the whole scene was all that
was abhorrent to a pure, devout, and faithful nature, most full of terror to a
woman. Yet there, in her strength, stood the peasant maiden, her heart full of
trust and pity, her looks full of the power that is given by fearlessness of
them that can kill the body. What she said we do not know—we only know that the
barbarous Hilperik was overawed; he trembled before the expostulations of the
brave woman, and granted all she asked—the safety of his prisoners, and mercy
to the terrified inhabitants. No wonder that the people of Paris have ever
since looked back to Genevieve as their protectress, and that in after-ages she
has grown to be the patron saint of the city.
She lived to see the son
of Hilperik, Chlodwig, or, as he was more commonly called, Clovis, marry a
Christian wife, Clotilda, and after a time become a Christian. She saw the
foundation of the Cathedral of Notre Dame, and of the two famous churches of
Saint Denys and of Saint Martin of Tours, and gave her full share to the first
efforts for bringing the rude and bloodthirsty conquerors to some knowledge of
Christian faith, mercy, and purity. After a life of constant prayer and charity
she died, three months after King Clovis, in the year 512, the 89th of her age.
– text taken from Stories of Courage and
Heroism
SOURCE
: https://catholicsaints.info/fearless-saint-genevieve-patron-saint-of-paris-by-charlotte-m-yonge/
Golden Legend – Saint Genevieve
Article
Here followeth the Life
of Saint Genevieve.
The noble Saint
Genevieve was born at Nanterre, beside Paris, in the time of the emperor
Honorius and Theodosius the less, and was with her father and mother unto the
time of the emperor Valentinian. Anon after her nativity, the Holy Ghost showed
unto Saint Germain of Auxerre how she should
serve God holily and virginly, the which thing he told to many. After, she was
sacred of the bishop of Chartres, Viliques, and came to dwell at Paris full of
virtues and of miracles, in the time of Saint Nicasius the martyr, whom the
Hungarians martyred, and after, in the time of Saint Remigius under Childeric,
king of France, and after, under Clovis his son, first christian king of
France, and was named Louis in his baptism, whom Saint Remigius christened. And
an angel of paradise brought to him an ampul full of chrism of which he was
anointed, and also his successors, kings of France, be anointed and sacred at
their coronation. And after, he was of good life, and founded the church that
is now called Saint Genevieve, on the mount of Paris, in the honour of Saint
Peter and Saint Paul, at the request of Saint Clotilde his wife, of whom the body
resteth in the said church, at the incitation of Saint Genevieve, and Saint
Remigius did hallow and dedifie it. The said king did increase much the realm
of France, and franchised it by his puissance from the Romans. He conquered
Melun, and the land Iying by Seine and Loire, Touraine, Toulouse, and all Guienne, and
at his coming to Angouleme the walls of the city fell down. He made Almaine and
Bourgogne his tributaries, he ordained and instituted Paris to be the chief
siege of the realm, and he reigned thirty years, and after, he was interred in
the said church, the year of our Lord five hundred and fourteen. In the time of
the said king lived the said virgin, unto the time of king Clothaire his son,
of which virgin the soul flew into heaven and the body abode in earth, in the
said church, in which she is yet whole and honorably interred, and devoutly
worshipped by the good and devout christian people.
In the time that the
said virgin Saint Genevieve was a child, Saint Germain of Auxerre and Saint Lew of
Troyes, elect of the prelates of France, for to go quench an heresy that was in
Great Britain, now called England, came to Nanterre for to be lodged and
harboured, the people came against them for to have their benison. Among the
people, Saint Germain, by the enseignements of the Holy Ghost, espied out the
little maid Saint Genevieve, and made her to come to him, and kissed her head
and demanded her name, and whose daughter she was, and the people about her
said that her name was Genevieve, and her father Severe, and her mother Geronce,
which came unto him, and the holy man said: Is this child yours? They answered:
Yea. Blessed be ye, said the holy man, when God hath given to you so noble
lineage, know ye for certain that the day of her nativity, the angels sang and
hallowed great mystery in heaven with great joy and gladness; she shall be of
so great merit against God. And of her good life and conversation many shall
take ensample, that they shall leave their sin and shall convert them to God,
and shall live religiously, by which they shall have pardon and joy perdurable.
Then he said to Genevieve: My daughter tell to me, and be not ashamed, if ye
will be sacred and live in virginity unto the death, as espouse of Jesu Christ?
The maid answered: Holy father, ye demand that I desire; there lacketh no more
but that by your prayers our Lord will accomplish my devotion.
The holy man said: Have
firm belief in God, and prove by works the good things that ye believe in your
heart and say with your mouth, and our Lord shall give you force and virtue.
S.Germain held his hand on her head till he came unto the minster, there he
gave to the people the benison. Saint Germain said to the father and mother of
the maid that they should bring her again on the morn to him. When she was
brought again on the morn, Saint Germain saw in her a sign celestial, I wot not
what, and said to her: God thee saluteth, Genevieve. Daughter, rememberest thou
what thou promisedst to me yesterday of the virginity of thy body? Holy father,
said the maid, I remember well that, and by the help of God I desire and think
to accomplish my purpose. Then the ho]y man looked on the ground and saw a
penny signed with the cross, which came by the grace and will of God; he took
it up and gave it her and said: Fair daughter take this and bear it in mind of
Jesu Christ your espouse, and suffer not about you none other arrayment of gold
ne silver, ne of precious stones, for if the beauty of this world surmount a
little your thought, ye shall lose the goods of heaven. He commended her to God,
and prayed her that she would remember him in her orisons and prayers, and
recommended her to father and mother. The two holy bishops went from thence
into England, where were heretics against the faith, which said that children
born of father and mother baptized had no need to be christened, which is not
truth, for our Lord Jesu Christ saith clearly, in the gospel, that none may
enter into the kingdom of heaven if he be not regenerate of water and of the
Holy Ghost, that is to say, regenerate by the sacrament of baptism. By this
scripture, and by semblable, the holy prelates destroyed their false creance
and belief, and by virtue also and by miracles, for in a solemnity of Easter,
by many that were new baptized, in singing Alleluia they chased and drove away
their enemies of Scotland, and strangers of other places, that were come for to
grieve them.
It happed on a day that
Geronce, the mother of the holy maid Genevieve, went on an holy and festal day
toward the minster, and her daughter went after, saying that the faith that she
had promised to Saint Germain she should keep by the help of God and that she
should oft go to the minster to the end that she might desire to be the espouse
of Jesu Christ, and that she might be worthy of his love. The mother was angry
and smote her on the cheek. God avenged the child that the mother became blind,
and that in twenty-one months she saw not. When the mother had been long in
this pain, which much annoyed her, she remembered of the goodness that Saint
Germain had said of her daughter, and called her and said: My daughter, go to
the pit and fetch me water; the maid went hastily; when she was at the pit she
began to weep because her mother had lost her sight for her sake, and took up
water and bare it to her mother. The mother stretched her hands to heaven, and
took the water with great faith and reverence, and made her daughter to sign
her with the sign of the holy cross and wash her eyes, and anon she bepan for
to see a little. When she had twice or thrice washed, her sight came whole to
her again as it had been tofore. After this it happed that the holy maid was
offered to the bishop of Chartres, Viliques, for to be sacred with two other
elder maidens; for men offered them after their age. But the holy bishop knew
by the Holy Ghost that Genevieve was the most worthy and digne, and said to
her, that was behind, that she should come before, for God had then sanctified
her. After the death of her father and her mother the holy damsel came and
dwelt at Paris for to assay and prove her there, and for to avail the more she
was sick of the palsy, so much that it seemed that her members were disjoined
and departed that one from that other, whereof she was so sore tormented that
during three days she was kept as for dead, for there appeared on her no sign
of life save that her jowes were a little red. In this space and time, as she
confessed after, an angel led her in spirit whereas the rest was of good folk,
and where the torment was of evil people. Afterward she showed to many the
secrets of their consciences, as she that was taught and enseigned of the Holy
Ghost. The second time Saint Germain returned from England and came to Paris
the people almost all went against him with great joy, and tofore all other
things Saint Germain demanded how Genevieve did, but the people, which more is
inclined to say evil of good people than well, answered that of her was
nothing, in blaming her, which was to her a praising. Of other men’s praising
is none the better, ne of others blaming is none the worse, therefore the holy
man set nought of their jangling, but as soon as he entered into the city he
went straight to the house of the holy virgin whom he saluted in so great
humility that all they marvelled, and showed to them that dispraised her, the
ground wet of her tears, and recited to them the beginning of her life, and how
he found at Nanterre that she was chosen of God, and recommended her to the
people.
Tidings came to Paris
that Attila, the felon king of Hungary, had enterprised to destroy and waste
the parts of France, and to subdue them to his domination. The burgesses of
Paris, for great dread that they had, sent their goods into other cities more
sure. Saint Genevieve warned and admonished the good women of the town that
they should wake in fastings and in orisons, by which they might assuage the
ire of our Lord and eschew the tyranny of their enemies, like as did sometime
the two holy women Judith and Esther. They obeyed her, and were long and many
days in the church in wakings, fastings and in orisons. She said to the
burgesses that they should not remove their goods, ne send them out of the town
of Paris, for the other cities that they supposed should be more sure, should
be destroyed and wasted, but by the grace of God, Paris should have none harm.
And, some had indignation at her, and said that a false prophet was risen and
appeared in their time, an began among them to ask and treat whether they
should drown her or stone her. Whilst they were thus treating, as God would,
came to Paris, after the decease of Saint Germain, the archdeacon of Auxerre, and when he understood
that they treated together of her death, he came to them, an said: Fair sirs,
for God’s sake do not this mischief, for she of whom ye treat, Saint Germain
witnesseth that she was chosen of God in her mother’s belly, and lo! here be
the letters that he hath sent to her in which he recommendeth him to her prayers.
When the burgesses heard these words recited by him of Saint Germain, and saw
the letters, they marvelled and feared God, and left their evil counsel and did
no more thereto. Thus our Lord kept her from harm, which keepeth alway them
that be his, and defendeth, after that the apostle saith, and for her love did
so much that the tyrants approached not Paris, thank and glory to God and
honour to the virgin. This holy maid did great penance in tormenting her body
all her life, and became lean for to give good example. For sith she was of the age of fifteen years unto fifty, she fasted every
day save Sunday and Thursday. In her refection she had nothing but barley
bread, and sometime beans, the which, sodden after fourteen days or three
weeks, she ate for all delices. Always she was in prayers in wakings and in
penances, she drank never wine ne other liquor, that might make her drunk, in all
her life. When she had lived and used this life fifty years, the bishops that
were that time, saw and beheld that she was over feeble by abstinence as for
her age, and warned her to increase a little her fare. The holy woman durst not
gainsay them, for our Lord saith of the prelates: Who heareth you heareth me,
and who despiseth you, despiseth me, and so she began by obedience to eat with
her bread, fish and milk, and how well that, she so did, she beheld the heaven
and wept, whereof it is to believe that she saw appertly our Lord Jesu Christ
after the promise of the gospel that saith that, Blessed be they that be clean
of heart for they shall see God; she had her heart and body pure and clean.
There be twelve virtues virginal, saith Hermes Pastor, without which no virgin
may be agreeable to God, that is to wit: Faith, abstinence, patience,
magnanimity, simplesse, innocence, concord, charity, discipline, chastity,
truth, and prudence. These virtues accomplished the holy virgin by work, she
taught and enseigned by word, and showed oft by ensample.
Oft and tofore all other
holy places, she visited the place whereas rested Saint Denis and his fellows,
and had great devotion to edify upon the said holy bodies a church, but she had
not whereof. On a time came to her the priests, as oft they had done
tofore, to whom she said: Reverend Fathers in God, I pray and require that each
of you do his power and his devoir to assemble matter whereof might be made and
edified a church in the honour of the glorious martyrs Saint Denis and his
fellows, for the place where they rest ought much to be worshipped and doubted,
which first taught to our ancestors the faith. Dame, answered the priests, we would fain, and
have great will thereto, but we can get no chalk ne lime. Then said the holy
virgin with a glad cheer in prophesying as she that was replenished by the Holy
Ghost: Go ye I pray you to Paris upon the great bridge, and bring that ye shall
find there. They went thither and abode there a while, marvelled and abashed.
And anon came by them two swineherds speaking together, of which that one said:
As I went yesterday after one of my sows, I found a fournil of lime
marvellously great, that other answered: And I found in the wood under the root
of a tree that the wind had thrown down a fournil of lime of which I trow was
never none taken away. When the priests heard this they had
great admiration, and blessed our Lord that had given such grace to Genevieve
his handmaid. They demanded where the fournils were, and after returned and
told to the virgin what they had found. She began to weep for joy, and as soon
as the priests were gone and
departed, she set on her knees and was all the night in orisons and in tears,
in requiring help of God to perform this work, and on the morn early, all mat
and travailed of waking, she went to Genese, a good priest, and prayed him that he
would do his pain and labour that the church might be edified, and told him
tidings of the lime. When Genese heard this he was all amarvelled, and fell
down to her feet and promised to her that night and day he would do his labour
to accomplish her commandment. By the help of God and of Saint Genevieve, and
of the people of Paris, the said church was begun in the honour of the blessed
martyrs Saint Denis, Saint Rustique, and Saint Eleuthere which now is called
Saint Denis de Lestree. There be yet the holy bodies where our Lord showeth
fair miracles, for as the workmen entended to make the edificee each after his
craft, it happed that their drink failed and was done, and Genese the priest said to Genevieve,
which knew not hereof, that she should talk with the workmen so long that he
might go to Paris and fetch drink. When she heard this she demanded for the
vessel that they had emptied, and it was brought to her; she made them to
depart from her. Then she kneeled down on her knees and prayed God with warm
tears to help her, and when she felt that our Lord had heard her prayer, she
arose up, and made the sign of the cross upon the said vessel, and a marvellous
thing happed, for the vessel was full. The workmen drank their bellyful, and as
oft as they would, unto the time the church was perfectly made, whereof they
thanked our Lord.
The holy virgin had
devotion to wake the night that our Lord rose from death to life, after the
custom and statutes of ancient fathers. It happed on a time that she put her on
the way, tofore day, to go to the said church of Saint Denis, and made to bear
a candle burning tofore her. The night was dark, the wind great, and it rained
fast, which quenched the light of the candle.The maidens that were in her
company were sore troubled; she asked after the candle, and as soon as she had
it in her hand it was lighted by God’s will again, and so she bare it burning
unto the church.
Another time when she
had ended her prayer, a candle that she held, lighted in her hand by the grace
of God. Semblably in her cell, on a time was a candle lighted in her hand
without any fire of this world, of which candle many sick folk by their faith
and reverence have been healed. That taper is kept yet at Notre Dame de Paris.
A woman which by the temptation of the devil, which to his power always
deceiveth the good, stole away her shoes, but as soon as she was at home she
lost her sight. When she saw that our Lord had avenged the wrong that she had
done to the virgin, she did her to be led to her with the theft. When she came
tofore the holy virgin she fell down to her feet, and required her of
forgiveness and restoring of her sight. Genevieve, that was right debonair,
took her up from the ground, and in smiling, gave to her the sight again of her
eyes.
The holy virgin on a
time went to Laon, and the people of the town went out against her, among whom
were the father and mother of a maid that had been nine years so paralytic that
none might show the jointure of her members. They besought and required Saint
Genevieve that she would visit the sick maid. She went and saw her, and sith made her prayer as she was accustomed, and after, handled the
members of the maid, and commanded her to do on her clothes and hosen and
shoes. Incontinent she arose in good health in such wise that she went unto the
church with the people. The folk that saw this, blest our Lord, that had given
such grace to his damsel Genevieve, and when she returned they conveyed her,
singing with great joy. The king of France, Childeric, how be it he was a
paynim, held her in great reverence, so did also the barons of France, for the
fair miracles that she did in the name of our Lord Jesu Christ.
Whereof It happed on a
time that the said king held certain prisoners judged to death, but because
Genevieve should not demand them, he issued out of Paris, and made to shut the
gates after him. The holy virgin knew it anon, and went hastily after him for
to help to deliver them. As soon as she came to the gates, they opened without
key, all the people seeing which, thought it a great wonder. She pursued the
king and obtained grace for the prisoners.
In the parts of the
Orient beyond Antioch, was a good man named Simeon, which had despised this
world, and was of marvellous holy life, which demanded of Saint Genevieve of
the merchants that went in to those parts, and by them he saluted her much
honourably, and recommended him unto her prayers. It was a great marvel that the
holy man which had never seen ne heard speak of her did do greet her by her
name. Verily the friends of God that know his will and do thereafter, have
tidings that one from that other by administration of the Holy Ghost, they
shall never be separate ne departed, as Saint Ambrose being at Milan knew of
the death of Saint Martin at Tours.
At Meaux was a noble
damsel which was named by her proper name Celine, which, when she had heard of
the grace that God had given to Saint Genevieve, she required her to change her
habit. A young man had fianced and trothed her, which had great indignation
when he heard of those tidings, and came to Meaux in a great ire, where the two
virgins dwelt; and when they knew of his coming they fled unto the church.
There happed a fair miracle, for as they came to the church door, which was
locked and fast shut, the door that was so locked opened by his gree by
himself; thus Saint Genevieve delivered Saint Celine from peril and from the
contagion of the world, the which persevered in abstinence, and in chastity to
her end. In this time the said Celine offered to Saint Genevieve one, her
chamberer, which had lain sick two years and might not go; the holy virgin
handled her members with her worthy hands and anon she was whole and in good
point.
There were brought to
her twelve men that were wood and beset with devils, unto Paris, which were over hard
bestead and tormented of the enemy, the virgin had great pity, and went to
prayer and orisons in requiring our Lord, with salt tears, that by his grace
and goodness he would deliver them of this pestilence; and as she persevered in
her prayers, they were hanged in the air in such manner as they touched
nothing. She arose from her prayer, and said that they should go to Saint
Denis, the wood men answered that they might not but she unbound them; the
virgin which was for them in great sorrow commanded that they should go; then
anon they suffered them to be led secretly, their hands bound behind their
backs. She went after them, and when she was in the church of Saint Denis, she
stretched herself on the ground in orisons and in weepings. Thus as she
persevered in prayers and weepings, the wood men cried with a high voice that
they approached whom the virgin called in to their help. None ought to doubt
that the enemy, that saw that he must needs issue and go out, signified by the
mouth of the demoniacs, that the apostles, martyrs and other saints, that the
holy virgin called, came unto her help by the gift of God, which is ready to do
the will of them that dread him and call him in truth. When the holy virgin
heard this that they said, she arose up and blessed each after other with the sign
of the cross, and anon they were delivered of the enemies. They that were
present felt so great stench that they doubted nothing but the souls were
delivered from the vexation of the devil, and blessed our Lord for this
miracle.
There was at Bourges a damsel, which
heard speak of the great renomee of this holy saint, and came to Paris for to
speak to her. She had been sacred, but after the consecration she had lost her
virginity. The holy Genevieve demanded of her if she was a virgin nun, or wife,
or a widow. She answered that she was a virgin sacred; Genevieve said nay,
telling to her the place and time of her defloration and the man that had done
the fait. When she saw that it was for nought that she said she was a virgin,
her conscience remorsed her, and fell down to her feet in requiring pardon. In
semblable wise the holy Genevieve discovered to many the secrets of their
consciences, which be not here written because it were over noyous and long to
write.
A woman whom the holy
virgin had healed, had a child of the age of four years which felI in a pit, he
was therein the space of three hours. The mother came and drew it out, and bare
it all dead unto the saint, in rending her hair and beating her breast and
paps, and weeping bitterly, and laid the child dead at her feet. The holy
virgin covered it with her mantle, and after, she fell down in her prayers and
wept, and anon after, when she ceased of her weeping, our Lord showed a fair
miracle, for the child that was dead revived, the which was baptized at Easter
after, and was named Celonier because she was raised in the cell of Saint
Genevieve. There came from Meaux a man to this holy virgin which had his hand
dried unto the wrist, and she handled his joints and fingers, and made thereon
the sign of the cross, and anon the hand became all whole.
Genevieve that knew
well, that our Lord Jesu Christ was baptized the day of Epiphany, and after,
went into desert in giving enseignement to them that be regenerate in the
sacrament of baptism, to fast, wake and adore busily, and to accomplish by work
the grace that they have taken in the baptism, by the ensample of sweet Jesu
Christ. Then entered the holy virgin in to her cell the Sunday tofore the said
feast, and abode there as recluse unto the Thursday, absolute in waking, in
prayers, in tastings and orisons. Thither came a woman to see her, more for
curiosity than for good faith, and therefore God punished her, for as soon as
she approached the door of the cell she lost her sight and became blind, but
the holy maid by her debonairty, and by her prayer gat her sight again, and by
the sign of the holy cross, when she issued out of her cell in the end of Lent.
In the time that the
city of Paris was assieged by the term of ten years, like as the ancient
histories rehearse, there followed so great famine and hunger that many died
for hunger. The holy virgin, that pity constrained her, went to the Seine for
to go fetch by ship some victuals. When she came unto a place of Seine, whereas
of custom ships were wont to perish, she made the ship to be drawn to the
rivage and commanded to cut down a tree that was in the water, and she set lier
to prayer. Then, as the ship should have smitten upon the tree it fell down,
and two wild heads, grey and horrible, issued thereout, which stank so sore
that the people there were envenomed by the space of two hours, and never after
perished ship there, thank be to God and to his holy saint.
Unto Arcy, the castle,
went this holy virgin, and there came against her a great lord which required
her that she should visit his wife, which had had long time the palsy. The holy
virgin went and visited her which had been long sick, with prayers and orisons,
and after, blessed her with the sign of the cross, and commanded her that she
should arise. She then, that had been four years sick and might not help
herself, arose, which seeing, all the people thanked our Lord.
From Arcy she went to Troyes
in Champagne. The people came to meet with her, and offered to her great
multitude of sick people without number. She blessed them and signed them with
the sign of the cross, and incontinent they were healed in the sight of all the
people, which marvelled much and rendered thankings to our Lord. There was
brought to her a man, which by the punition of God was made blind, because he
wrought on the Sunday; and a blind maid also. The holy virgin blessed them in
the name of the Father, and Son, and of the Holy Ghost, and anon their sight
was restored to them. There was a sub-deacon present and saw this; he went and
fetched a child which had been sick ten years of the fevers right sore, the
holy virgin did do bring holy water and blessed it and gave him drink, and that
done, by the grace of God, the child was in good health. In this time many took
of the cuttings of her vesture by devotion, whereof many sick were healed, and
many vexed by spirits were delivered and remised in to their good mind.
From Arcy returned the
holy virgin to Paris with eleven ships charged with victual. Wind, tempest, and
orage assailed them so strongly that they weened to have perished without
remedy, the holy virgin lift up her hands to heaven requiring help of our Lord,
and anon the tempest ceased. Then Bessus, a priest that was present
and saw it, which tofore had trembled for fear, began to sing for joy: Cantemus
domino gloriose. All that there were thanked our Lord that had saved them by
the prayer of the damsel Genevieve. When the goods came to Paris that she had
brought, she departed them and gave for the love of God to some poor, wool, and
to others whole loaves of bread, and sometimes she so hasted for pity that she
took the loaves hot out of the oven secretly and gave it to the poor. The women
marvelled why she took their loaves, but they spake ne said nothin, and they
much doubted that they should not find their count ne tale. But notwithstanding
that she had so taken, by the grace of God they found all their loaves and
lacked none, by the merits of the holy saint. Her hope was nothing in worldly
things, but in heavenly, for in the holy scriptures that saith: Who so giveth
to the poor lendeth for a vaile. The reward which they receive that give to
poor people, the Holy Ghost had showed to her long tofore, and therefore she
ceased not to weep, to adore, and to do works of pity, for she knew well that
she was none other in this world but a pilgrim passing.
There was at Meaux a
burgess that by the space of four years he might not hear ne go, he did him be
brought to the holy virgin which dwelt at Paris, and required her that she
would restore to him his health and hearing. She touched his ears and blessed
him, and anon he was whole, and went and heard as he did before, thanking our
Lord.
On a time the holy
virgin went to Orleans. A woman named Fraterne was in great sorrow for her
daughter that lay dying. Anon, as she wist the coming of the holy virgin, she
went to her to Saint Aiguen where she found her in prayer. Fraterne fell down
to her feet saying: Dame Genevieve give me again Claude my daughter. When
Genevieve saw the good faith of her, she said: Discomfort thee nothing, thy
daughter is in health, the which by the marvellous puissance of God, at the
word of the holy virgin, was brought from the wicket of death, and came all
whole against her mother, and met with her at the portal of the house. The
people thanked our Lord for this fair miracle.
In the said city there
was a servant culpable against his master; the holy maid prayed his master that
he would forgive him his trespass. The master, as felonous and proud, deigned
not to do it at her request. Then said the holy virgin: Though ye despise me,
our Lord will not have me in despite. As soon as he was at home he was taken
with a hot fever ague, which vexed him in such wise that he might not sleep of
all the night. On the morn he came to the holy virgrin, running with open mouth,
like a bear of Almaine, the tongue hanging out, and foaming like a boar,
requiring pardon, which would give no pardon. The saint had pity on him and
blessed him, and the fever left him, thus made she the master whole and the
servant excused.
From Orleans the holy
woman went to Tours by the water of Loire, where she suffered many perils. When
she arrived at Tours great foison of demoniacs came against her out of the
church of Saint Martin, and the spirits cried by the mouth of them that were
mad and vexed, which were burnt by the merits of Saint Martin and Saint
Genevieve, and the perils that the virgin had in the water of Loire, they had
done it by envy. The holy virgin went into the church of Saint Martin whereas
she healed rnany demoniacs by prayers and by the sign of the cross, and the
demoniacs said at the hour of the torment that, the fingers of the saint burnt
about them as tapers inflamed with fire of heaven. Hereof heard three men which
kept their wives mad; they went to the church and prayed her that she would
visit their wives. The blessed virgin, which was debonair, went and visited
them and delivered them from the enemy by unction of holy oil and by prayer.
Anon after, it happed as she was in orisons in a corner in the church of Saint
Martin that, one of the singers was so sore vexed with the enemy that he ate
his members, which went out of the chancel and came straight to the holy
virgin. The blessed virgin commanded the spirit to issue out. He answered: If
he issued, he would issue by the eye. She commanded that he should no longer
abide ne dwell there, and then he issued out anon wold he, nold he, by the flux
of the womb, and left foul enseigns and tokens, and the sick man was all whole
and in good mind, whereof he thanked our Lord. They of Tours honoured much this
blessed virgin, how well it was against her will. On a time as she was at her
door she saw a maid pass by bearing a burette of oil; she called her and asked
what she bare, she answered and said, oil which she had bought. The holy maid
which saw the enemy sit on the mouth of the burette, blew on it, and the
burette brake; she blessed the oil and bade the maid bear it forth safely. The
people that saw this had great marvel that the enemy could not hide him, but
that she perceived him, and thanked our Lord. There was brought to her a child
by his friends which was dumb, blind, and lame; the blessed virgin anointed him
with the holy oil, and the same hour he saw clearly, spake and went, and
received health entirely.
In the territory of Meaux
the holy maid did do labour a field that she had, and a storm and tempest of
wind and rain arose which troubled much the workmen. She lay down stretching on
the earth, in orison and prayer, and our Lord showed there a fair miracle, for
the rain fell on all the corn in the fields thereabout, and in her field fell
not one drop. Another time as she was on the Seine there was a great tempest,
and she besought God of help, and anon it ceased in such wise that they that
were present saw well that our Lord at her request and for her love made wind
and rain to cease. All sick men that she anointed with holy oil devoutly, were
healed and made whole.
It happed so that on a
time when she would have anointed a demoniac she found no oil in her ampul,
whereof she was so sorry that she wist not what to do, for there was no bishop
present for to bless it. She lay down in orisons and prayers, beseeching God
that he would deliver the man from the enemy. Our Lord showed there two fair
virtues, for as soon as she arose her ampul was full of oil, being in her
hands, of which she anointed the madman, and anon he was delivered of the
wicked spirit, which ampul, with the oil, saw the same man that wrote her life
eighteen years after her decease. Many other miracles without number showed our
Lord for the love of the holy and blessed saint, Saint Genevieve, the which
lived in this world full of virtues and miracles more than four score years,
and departed out of this world and died worthily the third day of January, and
was buried in the mount of Paris called Mount Parlouer, and is now called the
Mount of San Genevieve, in the church of Saint Peter and Paul, the which, as
said is at the beginning, the King Louis, sometimes called Clovis, did do make
by the exhortement of this holy virgin, for the love of whom he gave grace to
many prisoners at her departing. And after, there were many fair miracles which
by negligence, by envy, and not recking, were not written, as he confessed that
put her life in Latin, except two which he set in the end of his book as here
followeth. Unto the sepulchre of the holy virgin was brought a young man that
was so sick of the stone that his friends had no hope of life. In great weeping
and sorrow they brought him thither requiring aid of the holy virgin. Anon
after their prayer, the stone issued, and he was forthwith all whole as he had
never been sick. Another man came thither that gladly wrought on the Sunday,
wherefor our Lord punished him, for his hands were so benumbed and lame that he
might not work on other days. He repented him and confessed his sin, and came
to the tomb of the said virgin, and there honoured and prayed devoutly, and on
the morn he returned all whole, praising and thanking our Lord, that by the
worthy merits and prayers of the holy virgin, grant and give us pardon, grace,
and joy perdurable. After the death of the blessed virgin Saint Genevieve was
assigned a lamp at her sepulchre in which the oil sourded and sprang like water
in a well or fountain. Three fair things showed our Lord by this lamp, for the
fire and light burned continually, the oil lessed not ne minished, and the sick
people were healed there. Thus wrought our Lord by the merits of the blessed
virgin corporally, which much more abundantly worketh by her merits to the souls
spiritually. Many more miracles hath our Lord showed at her sepulchre which be
not here written, for it would be over long to remember them all, and yet daily
be showed, wherefore in every necessity and need let us call on this glorious
saint, the blessed Genevieve, that she be mediatrix unto God for us wretched
sinners, that we may so live and amend us in this present life that we may come
when we shall depart hence by her merits unto the life perdurable in heaven. Amen.
SOURCE : https://catholicsaints.info/the-golden-legend-the-life-of-saint-genevieve/
Scènes de la vie de Sainte Geneviève, vitrail,
église Saint-Leu-Saint-Gilles.Paris
Patron Saints for Girls: Saint Genevieve
Towards the decline of
the fourth century, the Church was desolated by one
of the most deadly heresies that it had ever experienced. Pelagius, the author
and propagator of this heresy, denied original sin and the necessity of the
grace of Jesus Christ. In a word, he strove to undermine the very foundations
of our holy religion.
At first he did not dare
to avow himself and his errors openly, for he dreaded that he might thus shock
the feelings of all Christendom, by denying the ancient and universally
received doctrine. In order, therefore, to pervert the souls of the faithful,
he enveloped his perfidious teachings in equivocal language, hoping thus to
succeed in his fatal project. Pelagius was aided by a disciple of his named
Celestius, who contributed largely to the diffusion of the errors disseminated
by this impious sect; one of them dogmatized the East, and the other made
Africa and Italy the scenes of his unholy labors.
During that time, one of
their disciples named Agricola, sowed the seeds of this new heresy in England,
which was then known by the designation of Great Britain. The Catholics of that
island, terrified by the spread and progress of the heresy, had recourse to the
French bishops, whom they besought to send them orthodox priests to check the
torrent of evil that swept over the whole country. The prelates whom they
addressed, assembled in 429, to deliberate on the means by which they could
succor and save the Britons. In that assembly, held, as it would appear, in the
city of ArIes, Saint Germain of Auxerre, and Saint Lupus of Troyes, were chosen
to proceed to Britain for the purpose of combating the heresy.
The two Saints having
set out for England, passed through Nanterre, a village situated about two
leagues from Paris. Scarcely had they arrived, when they were surrounded by a
vast multitude, imploring their benediction. In that assemblage was a young
girl, aged seven years. Her name was Genevieve, and she was born in that very
village of Nanterre towards, the close of the year 422.
Her father was called
Severus, and her mother Geronce. Although there was nothing extraordinary in
the appearance of the child, Saint Germain, enlightened by the Holy Ghost,
signalled her out of the crowd that pressed around him. He caused her and her
parents to approach him, and to the latter he foretold the future sanctity of
their child. He added that she would carry out the resolution she had formed of
serving God, and that her example would promote the sanctification of others.
On hearing this, Genevieve told him that she had long before made up her mind
to live in perpetual virginity, and to have no other title than that of spouse
of Jesus Christ. “Be of good heart, my child,” said the holy prelate; “act with
earnestness, and struggle to prove by thy works that which thou believest in
thy heart, and professest with thy lips; the Lord will sustain thee, and will
give thee the strength that is required to carry out thy holy resolution.” On
the spot he blessed her, and consecrated her to God; he then conducted her to
the Church of Nanterre, whither he was followed by a vast crowd of spectators.
During the chanting of
the Psalms, that is to say, during the time they were reciting Nones and
Vespers, Saint Germain kept his hands stretched out over Genevieve’s head. He
detained her near his person during the repast, and did not dismiss her till
her parents had promised to bring her back to him on the day before his
departure from Nanterre. Severus and Geronce conducted their child to Saint
Germain at the appointed hour. “Daughter,” said Saint Germain to her,
“rememberest thou the promise thou didst make to God yesterday?”
“Yes,” replied the holy
child, “I do remember, it, and I hope to be faithful to it through God’s good
grace.”
The bishop, charmed by
this beautiful answer, exhorted her to persevere in the same sentiments. He
then gave her a copper medal, on which was engraved the figure of the cross,
telling her to wear it always round her neck, that it might serve to remind her
of the consecration she had made of her person to God. “Thou art now,” said he,
“the spouse of Jesus Christ, and as such thou must put away from thee necklaces
of pearl, bracelets, gold and silver trinkets, and all wordly adornments.”
This exhortation of the
holy bishop would lead us to believe that Saint Genevieve was of a noble and
opulent family; but the ancient breviary of Paris, and the immemorial tradition
of the place of her birth, incline us to think that her father was a shepherd. It
is probable that he belonged to a class of persons who were rich, and tended
their flocks according to the venerable patriarchal custom.
Ever since the day of
her interview with Saint Germain, Genevieve looked on herself as separated from
the society of men, and notwithstanding her extreme youth she had no longer
desire for anything except excercises of Christian piety.
Let us record a singular
instance of this fact. Her father, going one day to the Church of Nanterre,
refused to take his daughter along with him; all the importunities of the poor
child were unavailing, and the mother, in a moment of thoughtlessness and
passion, dealt her a blow. But God immediately punished this hasty act, by
depriving Geronce of sight. She remained blind for twenty months. God, at last,
was pleased to restore her vision after she had washed her eyes twice or thrice
in water which her daughter had brought from a well, and over which she had
made the sign of the cross. Herein originated the devotion to the well of
Nanterre, the water of which, according to the tradition of the country, was
blessed by Saint Genevieve.
As soon as the Saint had
attained her fifteenth year, she was presented, along with two other maidens,
to receive the sacred veil of religion from the hands of her bishop. Although
Genevieve was the youngest of the three, the bishop gave her the first place,
observing at the same time that the Lord had already sanctified her. These
words evidently alluded to what had occurred in the presence of Saint Germain
and Saint Lupus.
Genevieve, having lost
her father and mother, took up her abode at Paris, in the house of a woman who
was her godmother. Thither she brought along with her that spirit of
mortification which ever since the moment of her consecration to God, enabled
her to embrace the greatest penitential austerities. She seldom ate more than
twice a week – Sunday and Thursday; although her food consisted only of a
little barley and beans. She denied herself the use of wine, and never drank
anything but water. She continued to live thus till she was fifty years of age.
Then, in obedience to the counsels of some bishops, she consented to use a
little milk and some fish.
To the exercises of
mortification, she joined an inviolable purity of body and soul, profound humility,
vivid faith, ardent charity, uninterrupted prayer and a spirit of compunction,
which during her hours of prayer, gave to her eyes an abundant source of tears.
The fervor with which she accomplished the precepts and counsels of the gospel,
was amply recompensed by the interior consolations that are never found in the
vain and fleeting joys of this world.
Nevertheless, her virtue
was to be tested by tribulations, and God permitted her enemies to form a
league against her. They ridiculed her mode of life, and hoping to succeed in
ruining her, they flattered themselves that they had discovered the opportunity
in the candid style, with which she spoke of the extraordinary favors
communicated to her by the Holy Ghost. They treated her as a visionary and a hypocrite,
and by means of odious and base insinuations, (means always resorted to by
envious and little minded), they succeeded in exciting the indignation of the
people against her. This storm continued to rage till the arrival of Saint
Germain of Auxerre, who passed through Paris on his second visit to Great
Britain. The holy prelate, who was intimately conversant with the knowledge of
God’s mysterious ways, and who knew that even the purest souls cannot escape
calumny, refused to believe the public tale. In order to confound them, he made
a diligent investigation of Genevieve’s conduct, and after establishing her
innocence on the most unerring information, he took up her defence, and
overwhelmed the whisperers and calumniators with shame.
But this calm was not
destined to last long, and the torch of persecution was soon relit. Let us hear
how this came to pass. In the year 451, Attila, king of the Huns, crossed the
Rhine and entered France. This ferocious conqueror who styled himself the Scourge
of God, placed all his glory in destruction and desolation. He was wont to
say that no harvest should ever grow where his horse’s hoofs had trampled. The
news of this barbarian’s approach filled the people with terror and
consternation; his fierce soldiers spread death and desolation along their line
of march, which was marked by rapine, murder. and fire. The inhabitants of
Paris being seized with terror, and no longer confiding in the strength of
their city’s walls, resolved to abandon it, and secure themselves in some place
more strongly fortified. Genevieve, inspired by that confidence in God which
has rendered the names of Judith and Esther so celebrated, far from losing
courage, exhorted the Parisians to works of repentance, assuring them that they
should experience the effects of the Divine protection, if they would only
merit it by fastings, and supplications for mercy. Some women, moved by her
discourses, shut themselves up with her in the public baptistery, and there
passed many days in the exercises of prayer and penance. As for the others,
they treated the Saint as a false prophetess, and they carried their folly so
far as to threaten her life. She was saved, however, from their fury by the
intervention of the archdeacon of Auxerre, who was sent by Saint Germain to
give her presents of things that he had blessed, as a sign of union and
Christian love.
This marked attention on
the part of Saint Germain, clearly showed how much he esteemed Genevieve; and
seeing it, her persecutors began to reflect and grow ashamed of their impiety.
They were brought back speedily to a sense of their duty, and they soon began
to entertain sentiments more conformable to humanity and religion. They now
fasted rigidly, and besought the God of hosts to avert the calamities that were
lowering over them; and as soonn as they learned that Attila had altered his
projected march on Paris, they found that the prediction of Saint Genevieve
were realized to the very letter.
Thenceforth, their
veneration for her increased daily, for, along with the gift of prophecy, she
possessed the power of performing miracles, many of which God was pleased to
operate through her agency in Paris, Troyes, Meaux, Orleans, and Tours. The
fame of her sanctity was now wafted to distant countries, and Saint Simon
Stylites sent a messenger from the East to supplicate the aid of her prayers.
The sainted creature who
had so much influence with her God, most certainly deserved the confidence and
veneration of the people. They fully proved that they placed great confidence
in her at the time when Childeric, king of the Franks, was besieging Paris; and
indeed they were not deceived. The besieged were threatened with a famine, and
Genevieve placed herself at the head of those who were sent to collect food, accompanying
them to Arcis-sur-Aube and as far as Troyes. They succeeded beyond their most
sanguine hopes, and they returned to Paris in safety, despite the many dangers
which they had to encounter. After the fall of Paris, Childeric,
notwithstanding that he was a pagan, did homage to her virtue, and at her
instances performed many acts of clemency. In this respect he was imitated by
his son Clovis, who invariably released his prisoners when our Saint besought
their liberation.
Genevieve cherished a
profound devotion for Saint Martin of Tours and Saint Denis of Paris. She went
frequently to venerate the relics of the former, and built in honor of Saint
Denis and his companions in martyrdom, a church on the spot where they had shed
their blood for Jesus Christ.
She also projected the
Basilica sacred to Saints Peter and Paul, commenced by King Clovis and
completed by Queen Clotilda, whose holy life has been described in this series.
At length after having spend eighty-nine years in the practice of every good
work, she died on the third of January, A.D. 512, five weeks after Clovis the
first of the French Christian kings.
– from Patron Saints for Girls, by Erwin Steinback,
1905
SOURCE
: https://catholicsaints.info/patron-saints-for-girls-saint-genevieve/
Scènes de la vie de Sainte Geneviève, vitrail, église Saint-Leu-Saint-Gilles.Paris
Pictorial Lives of the Saints – Saint Genevieve, Virgin
Genevieve was born at
Nanterre, near Paris. Saint Germanus, when passing through, specially noticed a
little shepherdess, and predicted her future sanctity. At seven years of age
she made a vow of perpetual chastity. After the death of her parents, Paris
became her abode; but she often travelled on works of mercy, which, by the
gifts of prophecy and miracles, she unfailingly performed. At one time she was
cruelly persecuted; her enemies, jealous of her power, called her a hypocrite,
and tried to drown her; but Saint Germanus, having sent her some blessed bread
as a token of esteem, the outcry ceased, and ever afterwards she was honored as
a Saint. During the siege of Paris by Childeric, King of the Franks, Genevieve
went out with a few followers and procured corn for the starving citizens.
Nevertheless Childeric, though a pagan, respected her, and at her request
spared the lives of many prisoners. By her exhortations again, when Attila and
his Huns were approaching the city, the inhabitants, instead of taking flight,
gave themselves to prayer and penance, and averted, as she had foretold, the
impending scourge. Clovis, when converted from paganism by his holy wife, Saint
Clotilda, made Genevieve his constant adviser, and, in spite of his violent
character, became a generous and Christian king. She died within a few weeks of
that monarch, in 512, aged eighty-nine.
A pestilence broke out
at Paris in 1129, which in a short time swept off 14,000 persons, and, in spite
of all human efforts, daily added to its victims. At length, on November 26th,
the shrine of Saint Genevieve was carried in solemn procession through the
city. That same day but three persons died, the rest recovered, and no others
were taken ill. This was but the first of a series of miraculous favors which
the city of Paris has obtained through the relics of its patron Saint.
Reflection – Genevieve
was only a poor peasant girl, but Christ dwelt in her heart. She was anointed
wHh His Spirit, and with power; she went about doing good, and God was with
her.
SOURCE : https://catholicsaints.info/pictorial-lives-of-the-saints-saint-genevieve-virgin/
Détail d'une verrière de la basilique Sainte-Clotilde, à Paris, représentant Sainte Geneviève, et datée de 1854. Carton de Galimard, réalisation par Antoine Lusson (fils) et Edouard Bourdon, son beau-frère et associé.
Virgin Saints and Martyrs – Geneviève of Paris
Saint Geneviève was born
and lived in a time of frightful disaster, unparalleled in the history of
Europe. From the commencement of the fifth century a veritable deluge of
diverse nations, driven on one by another, inundated the crumbling empire, and
gave the signal for its complete ruin.
The Franks, under the
long-haired Clodion, traversing the forest of the Ardennes, and rolling to the
banks of the Somme, had seized on Amiens, Cambrai, Tournai, after having burnt
Trèves, and sacked Cologne. The citizens, of Trèves, which had been the
residence of emperors since Maximian, had been slaughtered in the circus to
which they had fled. The amphitheatre, which under Constantine has streamed
with the blood of the Barbarians, was now heaped with the bodies of Romans.
Cologne had been revelling in drunken orgy, when a slave ran to announce that
the Franks were on the walls. The citizens had not the manhood to rise from
table so as to die standing. Their blood mingled with the wine of their
overturned cups. God chastised Roman vices with disgrace as with iron. In this
fifth century three societies stood face to face – the Old Roman polity, the
Barbarian, and the Church. Rome went to pieces under the blows of the
Barbarians, but the Barbarian in turn was subjugated by Christianity.
Saint Geneviève was born
at Nanterre, about seven miles from Paris, in 422 or 423. The old name of the
place, Nemetdoor, is purely Celtic, as is her name, which is the same as
Gwenever or Gwenhwyvar in Welsh. Her father was named Severus, and her mother
Gerontia, the female form of Geraint. There can be no doubt whatever that she
was of Gallic origin, but Latinised, and a Christian.
One word, before
proceeding, about the authority for her life. This is a biography, written
eighteen years after her death, by the priest Genes, her spiritual director. He
learned from the saint the general outline of the incidents in her childhood,
and these he dressed up in what he believed to be literary style.
Late in the Middle Ages
it was said that Saint Geneviève had kept sheep for her father, and she is now
generally represented as a shepherdess; but there is no early authority for
this, although the fact is very probable. In the year 429 Saint Germain, Bishop
of Auxerre, and Saint Lupus, Bishop of Troyes, at the entreaty of the British
Church, commissioned for the work by a Council of Gallican bishops, left their
dioceses to visit our island, there to withstand the Pelagian heresy, which was
making way.
Saint Germain was well qualified
to go to Britain, as he was of Celtic origin, and his sister was the wife of
Aldor, brother of Constantine I, King of Devon and Cornwall.
On his way to the coast
he passed through Nanterre. The people, hearing of his approach, lined the
road, and with them were the children in goodly numbers.
As Germain and Lupus
advanced, the eye of the former rested on a fair little girl of seven, whose
devout look, and sweet, innocent face, arrested him. He stood still, and called
her to him, then stooped and kissed her on the brow, and asked her name. He was
told that she was called Geneviève. The pleased parents now stepped up, and the
venerable bishop asked, “Is this your child?”
They answered in the
affirmative.
“Then,” said Germain,
“happy are ye in having a child so blessed. She will be great before God; and,
moved by her example, many will decline from evil and incline to that which is
good, and will obtain remission of their sins, and the reward of life from
Christ.” And then, after a pause, he said to the young girl, “My daughter,
Geneviève.” She answered, “Thy little maiden listens.”
Then he said, “Do not
fear to tell me whether it be not your desire to devote yourself body and soul
to Christ.”
She answered, “Blessed
be thou, father, for thou hast spoken my desire. I pray God earnestly that He
will grant it me.”
“Have confidence, my
daughter,” said Germain; “be of good courage, and what you believe in your
heart and confess with your lips, that take care to perform. God will add to
your comeliness both virtue and strength.”
Then they went into the
church and sang nones and vespers, and throughout the office Bishop Germain
rested his right hand on the fair little head of the child.
That evening, after
supper had been eaten and they had sung a hymn, Germain bade Severus retire
with his daughter, but bring her to him again early next morning. So when day
broke, Severus returned with the child, and the old bishop smiled, and said,
“Welcome, little daughter Geneviève. Do you recollect what was said yesterday?”
She answered, “My
father, I remember what I promised, and with God’s help what I promised that I
will perform.”
Then Saint Germain
picked up a brass coin from the ground, which had the sign of the cross on it,
and which he had noticed lying there whilst he was speaking; and he gave it to
her, saying, “Bore a hole in this, and wear it round thy neck in remembrance of
me, and let no other ornament, or gold or silver or pearls, adorn thy neck and
thy fingers.” Then he bade her farewell, commending her to the care of her
father, and pursued his journey.
Now, we may ask, How
much of this is true? Almost everything. Geneviève was certain never to forget
how the old bishop had stopped her, when a little mite of seven, how he had
asked her name, had made her promise to love and fear God; how in church his
hand had rested all through the service on her head, and how he had given her
the coin to wear. But as to the prophecy relative to her future, and to his exacting
of her a promise to be a nun, all that may be the make-up of Genes, writing
after she had been a blessing to the people of Paris, and had embraced the
monastic life.
At the age of fifteen
she and two other girls somewhat older than herself presented themselves before
the bishop to be veiled as dedicated virgins. It was remarked that, although
Geneviève was the youngest, yet the bishop consecrated her first.
After their dedication
they returned to their homes; for, at that time, it was not a matter of course
that consecrated virgins should live in community.
About this time her
mother suffered from inflamed eyes, and for twenty-one months, or nearly two
years, could not see to do her household work. Accordingly, Geneviève was of
immense assistance to her. She was wont repeatedly to bathe her mother’s eyes
with water from the well, and this in time reduced the inflammation, so that
eventually Gerontia recovered her sight.
At last Geneviève lost
both her parents, and now, having no home duties to restrain her, she went to
Paris into a religious community.
In 447 Saint Germain
again visited Britain about the same trouble which had occasioned his first
journey; and when, on his way, he came to Paris, he inquired for the little
girl whom he had blessed at Nanterre eighteen years before.
Genes tells us that some
spiteful people sought to disparage her; but Germain would not hearken to them,
and sent for and communed with her.
What caused them to make
light of her was probably this. She had adopted a life of great asceticism,
eating nothing but barley bread and beans, and that only twice in the week; and
remaining within her cell, conversing with none from Epiphany till Easter.
There were a number of
people in Paris who did not like these extravagances; and it was these, in all
probability, who spoke against her to Saint Germain. But, as we shall see
presently, by this means she did acquire an enormous power over the people of
Paris, which she used for good.
Saint Germain had
probably but just returned from Britain before a new and terrible scourge broke
upon Gaul.
In 451, the Huns, headed
by their king, Attila, burst in. In two columns this vast horde had ascended
the Danube. One of these drew several German peoples along with it, eager for
plunder, whilst the other fell on and crushed the isolated Roman stations. This
agglomeration of invaders met at the sources of the Danube, crossed the Rhine
at Basle, where the proximity to the Black Forest favoured the construction of
rafts for passing over.
The Franks, who occupied
the right bank of the Rhine, extended their hands to the Huns. The Burgundians,
however, offered a vain resistance, and were cut to pieces. The Huns, entering
Gaul, completed the destruction of what had been left standing by Vandals,
Suevi, and Alans. Attila, following the Rhine as he had the Danube, devastated
Alsace. Strasburg, Spires, Worms, ruined by preceding invasions, had not risen
from the dust. Mayence was sacked, Toul sank in flames, Metz had its walls and
towers overthrown after a few months’ resistance. The savage conquerors
massacred all, even to the children at the breast. They fired the town, and
long after its site could only be recognised by the Chapel of Saint Stephen,
which had escaped the conflagration.
Several cities opened
their gates to Attila: they hoped to find safety in submission; they did but
expedite their destruction. Despair gave courage to others, but no heroism
availed against these devouring hordes. Rheims and Arras were delivered over to
the sack. The host broke up into fractions, which ravaged the country, carrying
everywhere fire and sword.
Attila advanced to the
Loire.
Then it was that a panic
fell on the inhabitants of Paris. In madness of fear, they prepared to desert
it: the rich in their chariots and waggons, the poor on foot.
It was now that Saint
Geneviève stood forward and rebuked their cowardice. Whither could they fly?
The enemy penetrated everywhere. The Hun gained audacity by the universal
panic. Better man their walls, brace their hearts, and resist heroically.
The Parisian mob,
headlong and cruel, as such a mob has ever been, howled at her, and prepared to
pelt her with stones and cast her into the Seine, when, opportunely, appeared
the Archdeacon of Auxerre, sent expressly to Geneviève from the bishop, just
returned from Britain, and now dying, bearing Blessed Bread to her, that he had
sent in token of affectionate communion. This loaf, the eulogia, was that from
which the bread for the Communion had been taken, and which remained over. It
had been blessed, but not consecrated; and it was sent by bishops to those whom
they held in esteem.
Such a token of regard
paid to Geneviève by one so highly esteemed awed the rabble, and they swung
from one temper to another. They were now amenable to her advice. They closed
the gates, accumulated the munitions of war, and made preparations to stand a
siege; but Attila did not approach. He foresaw that it would take him too long
to reduce so strong a place. On the 14th of June, 451, the Huns encountered
their first repulse. They were driven from the siege of Orleans. On the field
of Châlons-sur-Marne, the memorable battle was fought between Aetius, the Roman
general, and Attila. “It was a battle,” says the historian Jornandes, “which
for atrocity, multitude, horror, and stubbornness has not had its like.” The
field was heaped with the dead, but it resulted in the expulsion of the Huns
from Gaul.
Feeling a great
reverence for Saint Denis, Geneviève desired greatly to build a church on the
scene of his martyrdom; and she urged some priests to undertake the work. But
they hesitated, saying that they had no means of burning lime – it was a lost
art. Then, so runs the tale, one of them suddenly recollected having heard two
swineherds in conversation on the bridge over the Seine. One had said to the
other: “Whilst I was following one of my pigs the other day, I lit in the
forest on an ancient abandoned lime-kiln.”
“That is no marvel,”
answered the other, “for I found a sapling in the forest uprooted by the wind,
and under its roots was an old kiln.”
The priests inquired
where these kilns were and used them, and Geneviève set the priest Genes, who
was afterwards her biographer, to superintend the work of building the church.
It shows to what a
condition of degradation the art of building had fallen, when the Parisians
were unable to burn lime without old Roman kilns for the purpose.
A little incident, very
simple and natural, was afterwards worked up into a marvel. She was going one
night from her lodging to the church for prayers, carrying a lantern, when the
wind, which was violent, extinguished it. She opened the lantern, when a puff
of wind on the thick red glowing wick rekindled the flame. This was thought
quite miraculous. It is a thing that has happened over and over again with
tallow candles when the snuff is long.
In the year 486,
Childeric, King of the Franks, laid siege to Paris, which had remained under
Roman governors. The siege lasted ten years, to 496. It cannot have been
prosecuted with much persistence.
The Frank army reduced
the city to great straits, and famine set in. The poor suffered the extremity
of want, and were dying like flies. No one seemed to know what to do. All
energy and resourcefulness had deserted those in authority. Geneviève alone
showed what steps should be taken: she got into a ship, and was rowed up the
Seine, and then up the Aube to Arçis, where she knew that she could obtain
corn. In the Seine was a fallen tree with a snag that had been the cause of the
loss of several vessels, but no one had thought of removing the obstruction.
Geneviève made her boatmen saw up the tree and break it, so that it floated
down stream and could effect no further mischief. Another instance of the
condition of helplessness into which the debased provincials of Gaul had
fallen: they neither could build lime-kilns nor keep their rivers open for
traffic. She got together what provisions she could at Arçis, then went on upon
the same quest to Troyes, and finally laded eleven barges with corn, and
returned with them to the famished city. As they neared Paris a strong gale was
blowing, and the barges being laden very heavily ran some risk, especially as
here also there were snags in the water. But with patience and trouble they
were manœuvred through these impediments, and the convoy arrived in Paris, with
the priests singing, and all who were in the boats joining, “The Lord is our
help and our salvation. The Lord hath delivered us in the time of trouble.”
The joy and gratitude of
the Parisians knew no bounds. Afterwards, when the city did fall, Childeric
resolved on executing a great host of captives; but Geneviève, in a paroxysm of
compassion, rushed to him, fell on her knees, and would not desist from
intercession on their behalf till he had consented to spare them.
At length, worn out by
age, she died in 512, and was buried in Paris, where now stands the Panthéon.
The church was desecrated at the Revolution, and turned into a burial-place for
Mirabeau, the regicide Lepelletier de Saint-Fargeau, the brutal Marat,
Dampierre, Fabre, Bayle, and other revolutionaries. The bodies of Voltaire and
Rousseau were also transferred to it.
In 1806 it was again
restored as a church, but was once more turned into a temple after the July
revolution of 1830. Once again consecrated in 1851, it was finally secularised
in 1885 for the obsequies of Victor Hugo.
– text and illustration taken from Virgin
Saints and Martyrs, by Sabine Baring-Gould, F Anger, illustrator,
published in New York, 1901
SOURCE
: https://catholicsaints.info/virgin-saints-and-martyrs-genevieve-of-paris/
«Monaca casalinga», quindi. Ma solo per un po’ di tempo.
Nel 451 gli unni di Attila giungono minacciosi nella Gallia del nord, riempiendo di terrore Parigi. Fuggire con il patrimonio, si pensa nell’alto ceto. Ma nel clima di fuggifuggi generale, emerge la reazione di Genoveffa: si deve rimanere a Parigi, e resistere. Genoveffa «mette in campo» la sua influenza spirituale sulle donne dei grandi casati, e anche l’autorevolezza della sua famiglia, i legami con i potenti. E raggiunge il suo obiettivo: le obbediscono, anche se non tutti (alcuni diffidano da lei e la vorrebbero morta). Risolve poi la situazione la vittoria del generale romano Ezio, che sconfigge Attila presso Chàlon-sur-Marne. Ed ecco che Genoveffa diventa un’«eroina nazionale», la donna più celebre e stimata di Francia; e di lei si parla anche in Medio Oriente.
Mantiene sempre ottimi e frequenti rapporti col re Childerico, e così farà poi anche con suo figlio Clodoveo, che unificherà quasi tutta la Gallia sotto il dominio franco.
Genoveffa è una donna consacrata, ma viaggia lungo il paese per occuparsi anche di necessità pubbliche, come i trasporti e i rifornimenti alimentari in tempo di carestia.
Quando muore, più che 80enne, già da tempo è venerata come santa. Re Clodoveo e sua moglie Clotilde edificheranno una basilica per custodire i suoi resti, che però poi verranno quasi completamente bruciati durante la Rivoluzione francese.
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Autore: Maurizio Misinato
Sainte Geneviève, patronne de Paris, devant l'Hôtel de
Ville; à droite, les Huns repoussés, vers 1620, 130,5 X 172, Musée Carnavalet , Salle Henri III
Statue de Sainte Geneviève au pont de la Tournelle de Paris.
Voir ausssi : https://www.sainte-genevieve.net/
[Décryptage] Sainte Geneviève de Paris, un chemin de
lumière. Narthex, Publié le : 1er Avril 2020 : https://www.narthex.fr/reflexions/le-sens-des-images/decryptage-sainte-genevieve-de-paris-un-chemin-de-lumiere
Sainte
Geneviève : Patronne de Paris - Religion & Spiritualité [archive], KTO (54 min, Youtube) : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hJ_Y49j9Io
Orthodoxie-TV :
Sainte Geneviève de Paris [archive] (29 min, Youtube): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szU3AJ_3wx0
