Saint Paterne
d'Avranches
Évêque d’Avranches (+ 565)
Pair ou Pern.
Est-il le même que celui de Vannes,
ce n'est pas si sûr. La similitude des noms ne conduit pas à l'assimiler à
l'évêque de Vannes. Saint Paterne, ou saint Pair, naquit à Poitiers. Il fut
d'abord moine à Saint-Jouin-de-Marnes avec saint Scubillion. Puis tous deux
partirent vers la Normandie pour y trouver la solitude d'un ermitage. Mais
l'évêque de Coutances l'en tira pour l'ordonner prêtre puis évêque d'Avranches.
Si grande fut sa vertu qu'on le canonisa du vivant même de son compagnon, saint
Scubillion, qui le rejoignit près de Dieu dix ans plus tard.
"Saint Pair et Saint
Scubillion: Nés à Poitiers après 480, ces deux moines portent l'Évangile dans
le Cotentin et s'arrêtent à Scissy. Ils fondent des monastères de Coutances,
Bayeux, Rennes, Le Mans. Saint Pair est élu évêque d'Avranches." (diocèse
de Coutances et Avranches où ils sont fêtés le 16 avril)
Au pays de Coutances,
vers 565, le trépas de saint Patern (Pair ou Pern) évêque d’Avranches, qui
fonda beaucoup de monastères et fut élu à l’épiscopat à l’âge de soixante-dix
ans. Il mourut en se rendant au monastère de Sciscy, où il fut inhumé. Avec lui
est commémoré son compagnon saint Scubilion, mort le même jour et inhumé avec
lui à Sciscy.
Martyrologe romain
"Dieu de miséricorde, par la prédication de l'évêque Saint Pair, tu as appelé nos aïeux à la foi. Accorde nous à sa prière et à celle de Saint Scubillion, son compagnon, de marcher dans la vérité de l'évangile"
(prière de l'office - calendrier diocésain de Coutances et Avranches)
SOURCE : http://nominis.cef.fr/contenus/saint/6591/Saint-Paterne-d-Avranches.html
Statue de Saint Paterne, Église Sainte-Anne de Buais, Manche
Saint Paterne ou
saint Pair, évêque d'Avranches, et saint Scubilion, le compagnon de
sa solitude. 565.
Pape : Jean III.
Roi de France : Sigebert
Ier.
" Efforcez-vous
d'affermir votre vocation et votre élection par les bonnes oeuvres."
II Pet., I, 10.
Saint Paterne, dit
autrement saint Pair, naquit à Poitiers, ville de Guyenne, vers l'an 480, de
parents fort illustres par leur noblesse et par les charges qu'ils possédaient.
Son père y remplissait des fonctions importantes. Après la mort de celui-ci, Julite,
sa veuve, éleva son fils dans les principes qu'une mère vertueuse peut inspirer
à ses enfants, et le jeune Paterne fit de grands progrès dans l'exercice de la
loi chrétienne.
Il avait ainsi atteint sa
vingtième année, lorsque cédant à une inspiration du ciel, il prit l'habit
religieux au monastère d'Ansion, appelé depuis Saint-Jouin-de-Marnes. Son
esprit d'ordre, sa discrétion, son amour de la régularité persuadèrent à son
abbé qu'il remplirait bien la charge de cellérier, et en effet il s'en acquitta
de manière à prouver qu'un jour il pourrait diriger des affaires autrement
importantes.
Bientôt, il voulut
chercher une solitude plus retirée, afin d'y vivre selon une pratique plus
parfaite de l'humilité, de la mortification et de la pénitence. Il s'en ouvrit
à son confrère nommé Scubilion et ils s'enfuirent en secret dans une région
lointaine pour se fixer dans la Normandie, non loin de la ville de Coutances,
ville déjà pourvue d'un évêché. Il n'y vécurent pas longtemps sans que le
peuple, attiré vers eux par des vertus qui l'édifiait, ne leur rendît bientôt
importunes des visites journalières qui leur ôtaient la liberté de la prière et
des saints exercices. Ils y vécurent quelques temps comme des ermites, en
un lieu fort solitaire ; enfin, un homme de bien de ce pays les pria d'aller à
un village nommé Scicy, pour en convertir les habitants qui vivaient encore
dans les ténèbres du paganisme. Ils y allèrent et y semèrent le bon grain de
l'Évangile ; mais cette terre, n'étant pas disposée à le recevoir, ne produisit
pas le fruit qu'on pouvait en attendre. Au contraire, les habitants, féroces
comme des bêtes sauvages, les accablèrent d'outrages.
Cependant, les deux
saints personnages se retirèrent dans une caverne où il vécurent pendant trois.
Au bout de ce temps, l'abbé d'Ansion, Générosus, qui, admirant l'excès de leur
pénitence, essaya néanmoins de la modérer : il reconduisit saint Scubilion au
monastère poitevin, et recommanda saint Paterne à l'évêque de Coutances,
Léontien. Ce prélat, connaissant les talents que Dieu vait donné pour la
prédication de l'Evangile à notre Saint, l'ordonna diacre d'abord, puis prêtre
en 512.
Saint Paterne fit bien
profiter le talent du Seigneur et, rejoint par saint Scubilion sur ordre de
l'abbé d'Ansion, il entreprit de convertir la contrée de Scicy, d'arracher les
restes de l'idolâtrie, et, de faire ainsi pour toutes les contrées qu'il
parcourut avec son saint confrère : le Cotentin, le Bessin, le pays du Mans,
d'Avranches, de Rennes en Bretagne (à ce sujet, on ne confondra pas saint
Paterne, dit l'Ancien, premier évêque de Vannes au Ve siècle, que l'on fête au
15 avril, et dont une magnifique église de cette ville porte le nom et conserve
une infime et précieuse partie de ses reliques). Il établit dans toutes ces provinces
des monastères qu'il peupla de saints religieux dont il fut le supérieur et
l'abbé.
Dieu l'honora de si
grands et de si fréquents miracles, que le bruit de sa sainteté se répandit
bientôt à la cour de Childebert, roi de France ; et ce prince l'envoya prier de
venir à Paris. Ce ne fut sur son parcours que miracles : par ses prières et le
signe de la croix, il rendait la vue aux aveugles, délivrait les possédés, etc.
Après avoir satisfait à
ce que le roi désirait de lui, il s'en retourna en sa première solitude du
Cotentin, près de Scicy, jusqu'à ce que Notre Seigneur Jésus-Christ lui fit
voir en songe trois saints évêques décédés depuis peu, saint Melaine, saint
Léontien et saint Vigor le consacré lui-même évêques. Pensant être trompé par
une illusion, saint Paterne n'en parla à personne, mais bientôt l'évêque
d'Avranches décéda et il fut porté sur le siège épiscopal par la volonté
unanime du clergé et du peuple.
Saint Paterne gouverna
cette église l'espace de treize ans avec tout le zèle et toute la sollicitude
d'un vigilant prélat. Il assista au troisième concile de Paris, en 557, et, de
retour à Avranches, il tomba malade le lendemain de Pâques, alors qu'il se
disposait à rendre visite au monastère de Scicy qu'il avait fondé et qui était
si cher à son coeur puisque c'est saint Scubilion qui en était l'abbé.
Se sentant en danger, il
envoya prier saint Scubilion de le venir assister en ce dernier passage. Mais
son messager en rencontra un autre en chemin, qui venait de la part de ce saint
abbé, aussi tombé malade, lui faire la même prière. Ainsi, l'évêque et l'abbé
moururent le même jour, le 16 avril 565, pour se rencontrer ensemble à une même
heure devant le tribunal de Dieu et dans la possession de l'éternité
bienheureuse.
Nos deux Saints
choisirent leur sépulture dans l'église du monastère de Scicy. Il arriva de
plus, que les convois, dont l'un était conduit par saint Lô (ou Laud), évêque
de Coutances, et l'autre par Lascivius, évêque d'un autre lieu, arrivèrent
ensemble et au même moment devant la porte de l'église du monastère.
RELIQUES
Les reliques de saint
Paterne et de saint Scubilion se trouvent toujours dans l'église de Scicy -
devenue aujourd'hui Saint-Pair-sur-Mer -, qui est depuis longtemps l'église
paroissiale.
Des parties de ces
reliques ont été détachées et ont été transportées à Issoudun et à Orléans, où
l'on bâtit des églises du nom de saint Paterne. Il faut mentionner que celle
d'Issoudun n'existe plus : elle fut ravagée pendant la tempête révolutionnaire.
Les saintes reliques ont été sauvé par un brave homme et existent toujours et
sont conservées dans l'église Saint-Cyr de la même ville. Cette ville avait
aussi reçu des reliques de saint Paterne l'Ancien, premier évêque de Vannes ;
les bêtes sauvages révolutionnaires s'en emparèrent et les détruisirent.
.jpg)
Vitrail
de l'église Saint-Paterne d'Orléans (Loiret, France)
Stained
glass window of Saint Paternus church of Orléans (Loiret, France)
Also
known as
Paternus of Coutances
Paternus of Scissy
Foix
Padarn
Pair
Patier
Paterno
16
April on some calendars
23
September on some calendars
Profile
Son of Patranus. Monk at
Ansion, France. Hermit near
Coutances, France. Bishop of Avranches, France.
Born
c.568 of
natural causes
hermit bishop with serpents around
him
Additional
Information
Book
of Saints, by the Monks of
Ramsgate
Book
of Saints, by the Monks of
Ramsgate
Lives
of the Saints, by Father Alban
Butler
Saints
of the Day, by Katherine Rabenstein
books
Our Sunday Visitor’s Encyclopedia of Saints
Saints
and Their Attributes, by Helen Roeder
other
sites in english
images
video
sitios
en español
Martirologio Romano, 2001 edición
fonti
in italiano
MLA
Citation
“Saint Paternus of
Avranches“. CatholicSaints.Info. 9 December 2023. Web. 15 April 2024.
<https://catholicsaints.info/saint-paternus-of-avranches/>
SOURCE : https://catholicsaints.info/saint-paternus-of-avranches/
Église Saint-Paterne d'Orléans, Loiret
Église Saint-Paterne d'Orléans, Loiret
Église Saint-Paterne d'Orléans, Loiret
Paternus of Avranches B (RM)
(also known as Pair of Coutances)
Born at Poitiers, France,
c. 482; died c. 574 (or 563). Saint Pair joined the monks of Ansion and later
became a hermit near Coutances. Eventually he was consecrated bishop of
Avranches, Normandy. He is often confused with Saint Padarn (Benedictines). In
art, Saint Paternus is a hermit bishop with serpents around him (Roeder).
SOURCE : http://www.saintpatrickdc.org/ss/0416.shtmlApril 15
Église
Saint-Pair de Saint-Pair-sur-Mer, Manche
St.
Paternus, Bishop of Avranches, Confessor
[Called
by the French Patier, Pair, and Foix.] HE was born at Poitiers,
about the year 482. His father, Patranus, with the consent of his wife, went
into Ireland, where he ended his days in holy solitude. Paternus, fired by his
example, embraced young a monastic life in the abbey of Ansion, called, in succeeding
ages, Marnes, and at present, from the name of a holy abbot of that house, St.
Jovin des Marnes, in the diocess of Poitiers. After some time, burning with a
desire of attaining to the perfection of Christian virtue, he passed over to
Wales, and in Cardiganshire founded a monastery called Llan-patern-vaur, or the
church of the great Paternus. He made a visit to his father in Ireland: but
being called back to his monastery of Ansion, he soon after retired with St.
Scubilion, a monk of that house, and embraced an austere anchoretical life in
the forest of Scicy, in the diocess of Coutances, near the sea, having first
obtained leave of the bishop and of the lord of the place. This desert, which
was then of a great extent, but has been since gradually gained upon by the
sea, was anciently in great request among the Druids. St. Pair converted to the
faith the idolaters of that and many neighbouring parts, as far as Bayeux, and
prevailed with them to demolish a pagan temple in this desert, which was held in
great veneration by the ancient Gauls. St. Senier, called in Latin Senator, St.
Gaud, and St. Aroastes, holy priests, were his fellow hermits in this
wilderness, and his fellow labourers in these missions. St. Pair, in his old
age, was consecrated bishop of Avranches by Germanus, bishop of Rouen. The
church of Avranches was exceedingly propagated in the reign of Clovis, or his
children, by St. Severus, the second bishop of the see, who built the famous
abbey which still bears his name, in the diocess of Coutances, and is honoured
at Rouen on the 1st of February, at Avranches on the 7th of July. St. Pair
governed his diocess thirteen years, and died about the year 550, on the same
day with St. Scubilion. Both were buried in the same monument, in the oratory of
Scicy, now the parish church of St. Pair, a village much frequented by
pilgrims, near Granville, on the sea-coast. In the same oratory was inferred
St. Senator, or Senier, the successor of St. Pair, in the see of Avranches, who
died in 563, and is honoured on the 18th of September. This church 1 is
still enriched with the greater part of these relics, and those of St. Gaud,
except those of SS. Severus and Senier, which have been translated to the
cathedral at Rouen, and portions of St. Senier’s are at St. Magloire’s and St.
Victor’s at Paris. St. Pair is titular saint of a great number of churches in
those parts. See his life in Mabillon, sæc. 2. Ben. p. 1103. Gallia Christ.
Nova, t. 11. p. 471. Fleury, l. 33. t. 7. The abridgment of his life by
Rouault, curate of St. Pair’s, printed in 1734, stands in need of a critical
hand.
Note
1. Near this oratory stood the ancient
monastery of Scicy, which Richard I., duke of Normandy, united to that of St.
Michael on Mount Tumba, which he founded in 966, upon the spot where before
stood a collegiate church of canons, built in 709, by St. Aubert, bishop of
Avranches. It is called St. Michael’s on the Tomb, or at the Tombs, because two
mountains are called Tombs, from their resemblance to the rising or covering of
graves. On one of these, three hundred feet high, which the tide makes an
island at high water, stands this famous monastery, enriched with many precious
relics, and resorted to by a great number of pilgrims. See a curious
description of this place in Dom. Beaunier’s Recueil général des Evêches,
Abbayes, &c. p. 725, t. 2. [back]
Rev. Alban Butler
(1711–73). Volume IV: April. The Lives of the Saints. 1866.
.jpg)
Bannière
double face découverte dans la sacristie et représentant St Paterne et une
Vierge à l'enfant en majesté, Église Saint-Paterne de Bellou-sur-Huisne
Saint Paternus
Bishop of Avranches
(482-565)
Saint Paternus was born
at Poitiers, of illustrious Christian parents, about the year 482. His father,
Patranus, with the consent of his wife went to Ireland to end his days as a
hermit in holy solitude. Paternus, fired by his father's example, embraced
monastic life in the Abbey of Marnes, France. After some time, desiring to attain
the perfection of Christian virtue by a life of penance in solitude, he retired
with a companion monk of the Abbey, Saint Scubilion, and in the forests of the
diocese of Coutances near the sea, embraced an austere anchorite's life
resembling that of Angels more than of men. An abbot of that region who knew of
him recommended Paternus to the bishop of Coutances, who ordained him a deacon
and then a priest in 512. He and Saint Scubilion then evangelized the western
coasts and established several monasteries, of which he was the abbot general.
Many miracles honored his apostolate among the pagan populations.
In his old age he was
consecrated bishop of Avranches while his former companion, Saint Scubilion,
had become abbot of a monastery founded by the two missionaries. When Saint
Paternus fell ill he felt his end was near, and he sent to his dear friend to
come and assist him in his last illness. But the same fate had befallen
Scubilion, who for his part had sent a messenger to Paternus. The two
hermit-missionaries, each of whom had become the spiritual father of many,
departed this life on the same day, April 16, 565, the thirteenth year of the
pontificate of Saint Paternus. They were afterwards buried on the same day in
the church of the monastery of Scicy, a region they had evangelized together.
Reflection. God richly
blesses the friendships of those who love and fear Him, for He Himself is its
source and the bond which unites.
Les Petits Bollandistes:
Vies des Saints, by Msgr. Paul Guérin (Bloud et Barral: Paris, 1882), Vol.
4
SOURCE : https://magnificat.ca/cal/en/saints/saint_paternus.html
Pictorial
Lives of the Saints – Saint Paternus, Bishop
Article
Saint Paternus was born
at Poitiers, about the year 482. His father, Patranus, with the consent of his
wife, went into Ireland, where he ended his days in holy solitude. Paternus,
fired by his example, embraced a monastic life in the abbey of Marnes. After
some time, burning with a desire of attaining to the perfection of Christian
virtue, he passed over to Wales, and in Cardiganshire founded a monastery
called Llanpatern-vaur, or the church of the great Paternus. He made a visit to
his father in Ireland; but being called back to his monastery of Marnes, he
soon after retired with Saint Scubilion, a monk of that house, and embraced an
austere anchoretical life in the forests of Scicy, in the diocese of Coutances,
near the sea, having first obtained leave of the bishop and of the lord of the
place. This desert, which was then of great extent, but which has been since
gradually gained upon by the sea, was anciently in great request among the
Druids. Saint Paternus converted to the faith the idolaters of that and many
neighboring parts, as far as Bayeux, and prevailed upon them to demolish a
pagan temple in this desert, which was held in great veneration by the ancient
Gauls. In his old age he was consecrated bishop of Avranches by Germanus,
Bishop of Rouen. Some false brethren having created a division of opinion among
the bishops of the province with respect to Saint Paternus, he preferred
retiring rather than to afford any ground for dissension, and, after governing
his diocese for thirteen years, he withdrew to a solitude in France, and there
ended his days about the year 550.
Reflection – The greatest
sacrifices imposed by the love of peace will appear as naught if we call to
mind the example of our Saviour, and remember His words, ” Blessed are the
peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God.”
MLA
Citation
John Dawson Gilmary Shea.
“Saint Paternus, Bishop”. Pictorial Lives of the
Saints, 1889. CatholicSaints.Info.
6 March 2014. Web. 15 April 2024.
<https://catholicsaints.info/pictorial-lives-of-the-saints-saint-paternus-bishop/>
SOURCE : https://catholicsaints.info/pictorial-lives-of-the-saints-saint-paternus-bishop/
_%C3%A9glise_Saint-Paterne%2C_statue_Saint_Paterne.JPG)
Statue
Saint Paterne, église Saint-Paterne, Thibouville (Eure, Fr)
San Paterno di
Avranches Vescovo
V-VI sec.
Monaco gallese vissuto
fra il V ed il VI secolo. Nato in Galles, Paterno divenne monaco a Llanbadarn
Fawr, evangelizzando il Galles. In età avanzata, fu eletto vescovo di
Avranches, in Normandia. E’ tra i fondatori del monastero di Lianbadarn Fawr
vicino Aberystwyth in Galles. La sua attività principale fu l’evangelizzazione
delle popolazioni ancora pagane dell’isola albionica. Godette di una grande
popolarità nel Medio Evo.
Martirologio
Romano: A Scissy nel territorio di Coutances in Francia, deposizione di
san Paterno, vescovo di Avranches, che fondò molti monasteri e, eletto ormai
settuagenario alla dignità episcopale, graditissimo a Dio, rese in monastero il
suo spirito.
San Paterno, monaco
gallese del V-VI secolo, è una figura emblematica della cristianizzazione della
Britannia e della Gallia. La sua vita, ricca di eventi e di insegnamenti, ci
offre uno spaccato affascinante di un periodo storico di grande fermento
religioso e culturale.
Le origini e la vita monastica
Paterno nacque in Galles, in un'epoca in cui l'isola era ancora in gran parte
pagana. La sua famiglia, di nobile lignaggio, gli impartì un'educazione
cristiana che influenzò profondamente il suo futuro percorso. Attratto dalla
vita monastica, si unì alla comunità di Llanbadarn Fawr, un monastero situato
vicino ad Aberystwyth. In questo ambiente di rigore e spiritualità, Paterno
crebbe nella fede e sviluppò le sue doti di predicatore e di studioso.
L'evangelizzazione della Britannia
Animato da un profondo zelo apostolico, Paterno si dedicò con ardore
all'evangelizzazione delle popolazioni pagane della Britannia. Le sue
predicazioni, semplici e persuasive, unite al suo esempio di vita virtuosa,
riscossero un grande successo. Numerosi furono i villaggi che, grazie al suo
ministero, si convertirono al Cristianesimo.
Il viaggio in Gallia e l'episcopato di Avranches
In seguito, Paterno si recò in Gallia, dove la sua fama di santità e di
dottrina lo precedeva. Fu accolto con grande venerazione dal clero e dal
popolo, e venne eletto vescovo di Avranches, una diocesi della Normandia.
All'età di settant'anni, Paterno assunse con umiltà e dedizione la guida della
sua Chiesa.
L'opera episcopale e la fondazione di monasteri
Durante il suo episcopato, Paterno si dedicò con instancabile zelo alla cura
pastorale del suo gregge. Promosse la costruzione di chiese e di monasteri, che
divennero centri di evangelizzazione e di cultura cristiana. La sua fama di
santità attirò numerosi discepoli, che egli guidò con saggezza e amore paterno.
La morte e la venerazione
San Paterno morì serenamente a Scissy, nel territorio di Coutances, in Francia.
La sua memoria è stata venerata fin dai tempi antichi. Il suo nome è stato
inserito nel Martirologio Romano e la sua festa liturgica si celebra il 15
aprile.
Autore: Franco Dieghi
SOURCE : https://www.santiebeati.it/dettaglio/91287
Voir aussi : http://orthodoxievco.net/ecrits/vies/synaxair/avril/paterne.pdf
