Saint of the Day – 1 September – Saint Lupus of Sens (Died 623) Bishop

Saint of the Day – 1 September – Saint Lupus of Sens (Died 623) Bishop of Sens, Priest, Monk at Lérins – where he undertook whatever was required, doing the lowliest duties with great love, Confessor and Missionary – born near Orleans, Gaul (in modern France) and died in 623 in Brienon-sur-Armançon, Yonne, France of natural causes. He was renowned for his love of music and his generosity to the poor. Patronages – against epilepsy, of epileptics. He is also known as St Loup de Sens, Loup de Naud, Leu, Lowe, Lupo.

Lupus was the son of Betton, Count of Tonnerre, “Blessed Betto,” a member of the royal house of the Kingdom of Burgundy. Early in his childhood he displayed a great love of Christ and His Church. His two saintly maternal uncles, Saint Austremius, Bishop of Orleans and Saint Aunarius, Bishop of Auxerre, both arranged his education and eventual Ordination.

St Lupus was so greatly loved and his holiness so highly esteemed that in 609, when the Bishop of Sens died, the King, at the request of the people, appointed the saintly Lupus to replace him. Tradition leaves us this wonderful miracle of St Lupus – whilst celebrating Mass, during the Consecration, a jewel descended from heaven into the elevated chalice.

When Lupus hesitated to acknowledge Clotaire II as the rightful ruler of Burgundy and insisted that the will of God exceeds the will of rulers, Clotaire used the excuse of slander about Lupo and a woman to exile him to Ansenne, a predominently pagan area. Lupus evangelised the people of the area, converting many, including the region’s governor. When Lupus’ replacement in Burgundy, the politically ambitious Monk Monegisil, was killed during a riot, the people demanded the return of their rightful Bishop. Clotaire recalled Lupus and punished those who had spoken against him. He returned triumphantly to Sens, stopping in Paris for the Council of 614.

He was buried in the Monastery of Sainte-Colombe-lès-Sens, which he had founded in Sens.

In 853 his relics were transferred to the new Church dedicated to him. His cult was of special renown during the Middle Ages.

Among the many Churches and Monasteries dedicated to him in France are Saint-Leu-Saint-Gilles in Paris (1235), Saint-Loup of Naud (Provins), and Saint-Loup of Esserent, near Senlis.