Saint of the Day – 23 October – Saint Severinus of Cologne (c330-c400) Bishop, Confessor

Saint of the Day – 23 October – Saint Severinus of Cologne (c330-c400) the third Bishop of Cologne, Confessor, Defender of the Faith against heretics, Miracle-worker. He heard about the death of St Martin of Tours by the message of Angels’ voices. He founded a Monastery in honour of the Martyrs, Saints Cornelius and Cyprian, which is nowadays the Basilica of St. Severinus. Born in Bordeaux, France and died in c400 of natural causes. Patronages – of Cologne, of weavers, for rain, against natural misfortunes and drought.Also known as – Severin, Severino.

The Roman Martyrology reads: “At Bordeaux, St Severinus, Bishop of Cologne and Confessor.”

Severinus was taking a walk in a field while still a Priest when he heard a voice tell him he would one day be appointed as the Bishop of Cologne. When he asked when that would happen, he was told when his staff produced buds and flowers. Immediately, he ‘planted’ his staff into the ground, it budded and he was called to Cologne.

There are only two written sources which provide clues about Severinus’ life and tenure – ‘The Cologne Bishops’ Lists,‘ which have been created in the early Middle Ages, list him as the third incumbent after St Maternus and St Euphrates.

Furthermore, Saint Severinus is remembered as a great opponent of the spread of the heretical Christological doctrine developed by the Monk and theologian, Arius, commonly called Arianism and condemned in 325 by the Council of Nicaea.

Around 580, Bishop St Gregory of Tours (Episcopate 573-594). also describes the life of his predecessor, St Martin, who died in 396 or 397. It mentions Martin’s death and his soul’s ascension into Heaven, which the Cologne Bishop Severinus experienced in a vision, when he visited the holy sites of his Episcopal City of Cologne with Clerics. From this miraculous record, it can be concluded that Severinus was the Bishop in Cologne at the time of St Martin of Tours’ death. The image below shows one of the many miracles of St Severinus – raising a man from the dead, although we have no account of this great prodigy.

From his death, St Severinus was highly venerated in Cologne. The shrine of St Severinus, built in 1819, is raised in the rear area of ​​the High Choir. In it are the bones of the Saint. Furthermore, a Crucifixsbelonging to our Saint, is preserved in the Church..

In 1999, a reconnaissance of his remains was carried out, during which a document was confirmed which asserts the transfer of the bones of Saint Severino by Bishop Wigfried of Cologne (924-953).