Saint of the Day – 14 April – St Abundius the Sacristan (Died c564) Confessor, Sacristan of St Peter’s Basilica in Rome, Layman. Pope St Gregory I the Great wrote of his life, which was filled with many graces. Died in .564 of natural causes. Also known as – Abonde. Patronage – of Sacristans.
The Roman Martyrology reads today: “At Rome, St Abundius, resdident Sacristan of the Church of St Peter.”
Abundius’ holy life was reportedly an inspiration to all who knew him and several miracles were attributed to him, during his life. For one, he is reported as having miraculously cured a gout sufferer by his prayers.
Another wonderful miracle wrought by the intercession of Abundius is told by Saint Gregory the Great in his Dialogues (Book III, Chapter 25). St Gregory reports that there was a young woman who was suffering from palsy and had been praying to Saint Peter to be cured. The Saint appeared to her in a vision and told her to go to Abundius to be cured. The woman did not know Abundius but sought him out at the Basilica and engaged in the following conversation with him:
“The maid … suddenly met with him whom she sought for and asking for him of himself, he told her that he was Abundius. Then quoth she: ‘Our shepherd and Patron, blessed St Peter the Apostle, hath sent me that you should help me of this my disease.’
‘If you be sent by him,’ quoth Abundius, ‘then rise up’ and taking her by the hand, he forthwith lifted her up upon her feet and from that very hour, all the sinews and parts of her body became so strong that no sign of her former malady remained.”
In the same work, St Gregory also makes note of another saintly Sacristan of Saint Peter’s, Theodore, who lived before Abundius.
St Abundius is remembered at St Peter’s today where his holy Relics are enshrined.
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