History Roman Catholic Diocese of Orléans

1 history

1.1 saints
1.2 pilgrimages
1.3 later history

history

to gerbert, abbot of st. pierre le vif @ sens (1046–79), due detailed narrative according saint savinianus , saint potentianus sent sens st. peter st. altirius; latter, said, came orléans first bishop. before ninth century there no historical trace in diocese of sens of apostolic mission of st. altinus, nor in diocese of orléans before end of fifteenth. diclopitus first authentic bishop; figures among bishops of gaul (about 344) ratified absolution of st. athanasius. other bishops of period are: st. euvertius (who features in calendar of book of common prayer), 355 385, according m. cuissard; anianus (385-453), invoked aid of patrician Ætius against invasion of attila, , forced huns raise siege of orléans [see gregory of tours, history of franks ii.6-7]; st. prosper (453-63); st. monitor (about 472); st. flou (flosculus), died in 490; st. eucherius (717-43), native of orléans , monk of jumièges, protested against depredations of waifre, companion of charles martel, , first exiled prince cologne, liège, , died @ monastery of st. trond.

orléans cathedral, dedicated holy cross, built 1278 1329; after being pillaged huguenots in 1560s, bourbon kings restored in 17th century.

after victory on alamanni, frankish king clovis bent on sack of verdun, archpriest there obtained mercy fellow-citizens. st. euspicius , nephew st. mesmin (maximinus), clovis gave domain of micy, near orléans @ confluence of loire , loiret, monastery (508). when euspicius died, said st. maximinus became abbot, , during rule religious life flourished there notably. monks of micy contributed civilization of orléans region; cleared , drained lands , taught semi-barbarous inhabitants worth , dignity of agricultural work. in eighth century, theodulfus restored abbey of micy , @ request st. benedict of aniane sent fourteen monks , visited abbey himself. last abbot of micy, chapt de rastignac, 1 of victims of 1792 september massacres , @ paris, in prison of l abbaye.

from micy monastery, counted many saints, monastic life spread within , around diocese. st. liphardus , st. urbicius founded abbey of meung-sur-loire; st. lyé (lætus) died recluse in forest of orléans; st. viatre (viator) in sologne; st. doulchard in forest of ambly near bourges. st. leonard introduced monastic life territory of limoges; st. almir, st. ulphacius, , st. bomer in vicinity of montmirail; st. avitus (died 527) in district of chartres; st. calais (died before 536) , st. leonard of vendœuvre (died 570) in valley of sarthe; st. fraimbault , st. constantine in javron forest, , aforesaid st. bomer (died 560) in passais near laval; st. leonard of dunois; st. alva , st. ernier in perche; st. laumer (died 590) became abbot of corbion. st. lubin (leobinus), monk of micy, became bishop of chartres 544-56. saint ay (agilus), viscount of orléans (died after 587), protector of micy.

saints

among notable saints of diocese are:

st. baudilus, nîmes martyr (third or fourth century)
the deacon st. lucanus, martyr, patron of loigny (fifth century)
the anchorite st. donatus (fifth century)
st. may, abbot of val benoît (fifth century)
st. mesme, virgin , (perhaps) martyr, sister of st. mesmin (sixth century)
st. felicule, patroness of gien (sixth century)
st. sigismund, king of burgundy, who, order of merovingian clodomir, , despite entreaties of st. avitus, thrown (524) wife , children
st. gontran, king of orléans , burgundy (561-93), confessor
st. loup (lupus), archbishop of sens, born near orléans, , mother st. agia (first half of seventh century)
st. gregory, former bishop of nicopolis, in bulgaria, died recluse @ pithiviers (1004 or 1007)
st. rose, abbess of ervauville (died 1130)
blessed odo of orléans, bishop of cambrai (1105–13)
the leper st. alpaix, died in 1211 @ cudot visited queen adèle of champagne, widow of louis vii
st. guillaume (died 1209), abbot of fontainejean , subsequently archbishop of bourges
the dominican blessed reginald, dean of collegiate church of st. aignan, orléans (died 1220)
the englishman st. richard, studied theology @ orléans in 1236, bishop of chichester in 1244, friend of st. edmund of canterbury

st. maurus, called france st. innocent, bishop of le mans, , sent thither st. benedict, resided @ orléans 4 companions in 542. st. radegonde, on way noyon poitiers in 544, , st. columbanus, exiled luxeuil @ close of sixth century, both visited orléans. charlemagne had church of st. aignan rebuilt , reconstructed monastery of st. pierre le puellier. in cathedral of orléans on 31 december, 987, hugh capet had son robert (born @ orléans) crowned king. innocent ii , st. bernard visited fleury , orléans in 1130.

pilgrimages

the principal pilgrimages of diocese are: our lady of bethlehem, @ ferrières; our lady of miracles in orléans city, dating seventh century (joan of arc visited sanctuary on 8 may 1429); our lady of cléry, dating thirteenth century, visited kings philip fair, philip vi, , louis xi, wore in hat leaden image of notre dame de cléry , wished have tomb in sanctuary dunois, 1 of heroes of hundred years war, interred.

later history

the people of orléans impressed preaching of blessed robert of arbrissel in 1113 invited found monastery of la madeleine, re-visited in 1117 st. bernard of thiron. charitable deeds of king st. louis @ puiseaux, châteauneuf-sur-loire, , orléans, present @ translation of relics of st. aignan (26 october 1259), , went care poor of hôtel dieu, known. pierre de beaufort, archdeacon of sully , canon of orléans, was, gregory xi (1371-8), last pope france gave church; created cardinal jean de la tour d auvergne, abbot of st. benoît-sur loire. blessed jeanne de valois duchess of orléans , after separation louis xii (1498) established, in sixteenth century, monastery of l annonciade @ châteauneuf-sur-loire. etienne dolet (1509–46), printer, philologian, , pamphleteer, executed @ paris , looked upon martyr of renaissance , native of orléans. cardinal odet de coligny, joined reformation 1560, abbot of st. euvertius, of fontainejean, ferrières, , st. benoît. admiral coligny (1519–72) (see saint bartholomew s day) born @ châtillon-sur-loing in present diocese. @ beginning of religious wars, orléans disputed between followers of guise family , of protestant condé. in vicinity of orléans, duke francis of guise assassinated on 3 february 1562.

the calvinist jacques bongars, councillor of king henry iv of france, collected , edited chronicles of crusades in gesta dei per francos , born @ orléans in 1554. jesuit denis petav (petavius), renowned scholar , theologian, born @ orléans in 1583. st. francis of sales came orléans in 1618 , 1619. venerable mother françoise de la croix (1591–1657), pupil of st. vincent de paul, founded congregation of augustinian sisters of charity of notre dame, born @ petay in diocese. miramion family, marie bonneau celebrated in annals of charity under name of mme de miramion (1629–96), belonged marriage, orléans. st. jane de chantal superior of orléans convent of visitation in 1627. mme guyon, celebrated in annals of quietism, born @ montargis in 1648.

france saved english domination through deliverance of orléans joan of arc (8 may 1429). on 21 july 1455, rehabilitation publicly proclaimed @ orléans in solemn procession, , before death in november 1458, isabel romée, mother of joan of arc, saw monument erected in honour of daughter, @ tournelles, near orléans bridge. monument, destroyed huguenots in 1567, set again in 1569 when catholics once more masters of city. until 1792, , again 1802 1830, 1842 present day, great religious feast, celebrated 8 may of every year @ orléans in honour of joan of arc, attracted multitudes.

the church of orléans last in france take again roman liturgy (1874). sainte croix cathedral, perhaps built , consecrated st. euvertius in fourth century, destroyed fire in 999 , rebuilt 1278 1329; protestants pillaged , destroyed 1562 1567; bourbon kings restored in seventeenth century.