E00166: Gregory of Tours, in his Life of *Patroclus (hermit of Berry, ob. 576, S00064), tells of the death of the saint, a contest over possession of his body, and miracles at his grave in the monastery at Colombier (central Gaul). From Gregory's Life of the Fathers, written in Latin in Tours (north-west Gaul), 573/594.
Creators: name: Pnowakowski
Publisher: name: University of Oxford
Year: 2014
Subjects: History

description: Gregory of Tours, Life of the Fathers 9.3<br><br>[Patroclus] obiit in senectute bona, sanctitate praecipua. Qui aquis ablutus feretroque inpositus, ferebatur ad monasterium suum, ubi se vivens sepelire mandaverat. Tunc archipresbiter Nereensis vici, collecta clericorum cohorte, voluit vi auferre glebam sancti corpusculi, videlicet ut ad vicum suum, unde egressus fuerat, sepeliretur. Sed cum furibundus veniens vidisset a longe pallam quae sanctus tegebat artus eximio albere nitore, ita nutu Dei est metu perterritus, ut omni velocitate revocaret ab animo, quod male conceperat levitatis arbitrio, coniunctusque psallentio in exequiis sancti progressus, tumulavit eum cum reliquis qui aderant fratribus in ipso Columbariense monasterio.<br><br>Ad cuius sanctum sepulchrum Prudentia caeca cum alia Lemovicina puella similiter lumine viduata, ut sepulchrum sanctum in oratione osculatae sunt, lumen recipere meruerunt. Maxonidius autem post quintum caecitatis suae annum, hoc tumulum sanctum adiit, lumenque recepit. Inergumini vero Lupus, Theodulfus, Rucco, Scopilia, Nectariola, Tacihildis ad hoc sancti tumulum sunt mundati; sed et puellae duae de Lemovicino venientes, oleo quod ipse sanctus benedixit perunctae, a nequitia qua obsedebantur mundatae sunt. Et cotidie ibidem ad corroborandam fidem degentium operatur Dominus, qui perpetualiter glorificat sanctos suos.<br><br><br>'(...) he [Patroclus] died at a pious age and in perfect sanctity. After his body had been washed and placed on a bier he was carried to his monastery, where he had, while living, directed that he should be buried. The archpriest of Néris assembled a gang of clerics, planning to take the body of the holy man by force in order to bury it in the village from which the saint had once come. But as he came forward in anger he saw from afar that the cloth which covered the remains of the holy man was of an extraordinary shining whiteness. He was then, by God's will, so afraid that he immediately repented of the plan that he had conceived so lightly. He joined those who sang the office of the dead and assisted in the funeral with the other brothers who were present at the monastery of Colombier.'<br><br>At the tomb of the saint a blind woman called Prudentia and a young girl from Limoges, also deprived of sight, were found deserving, and received the light as soon as they kissed the tomb. Maxonidius also, after five years of blindness, came to the holy tomb and received the light. And the possessed, Lupus, Theodulfus, Rucco, Scophilia, Nectariola and Tacihildis, were also cleansed at the tomb of the saint. There were also two girls who came from Limoges, who were anointed with oil that had been blessed by the saint, and were thereby delivered of the evil spirit that assailed them. And in that place every day the Lord, who perpetually glorifies His saints, works miracles in order to confirm the faith of the people.'<br><br>Text: Krusch 1969, 254-255. Translation: James 1991, 69-70, lightly modified.