Saint of the Day – 13 January – Saint Viventius Benedicente of Blera (Died 484) Bishop

Saint of the Day – 13 January – Saint Viventius Benedicente of Blera (Died 484) Bishop of Blera, in the Province of Viterbo, Italy, during which time he also became a Hermit. Patronage – of Blera, the City and the Diocese. Also known as – Vivenzio. Additional Memorials – Easter Monday, 2nd Sunday in May, 11 December in Blera.

According to an oral tradition, Viventius was an illustrious and beloved Bishop of Blera from 457 to 484. There is indeed a very strong oral tradition about this Saint, rich in poetic and evocative details but, unfortunately, no document of historical value which can help us to reconstruct the phases of his earthly life.

According to tradition, the Bishop, in addition to his devout and holy life, he administered the Diocese with firmness but also with the gentleness of a father, dedicated his free time from pastoral commitments, to assisting the sick and especially the dying. One day two unbelieving and vicious nobles, irritated by the admonitions of the Bishop, who invited them to convert, decided to play an atrocious prank on him, to discredit him in the eyes of the faithful. Having bribed the servants, they had his tunic replaced with a female one during the night. Then they woke him, begging him to rush to a house in the town to assist a dying man. In order not to waste time, Viventius did not even light the lamp but putting on his female dress in the darkness, which was only distinguishable from his own by a few gatherings, without noticing anything. Arriving at the house of the dying man, he found the two nobles there who publicly reprimanded him for that unusual garment, saying to those present: D“o you see how brazen this Bishop is who we venerate as a saint? Not only does he associate intimately with women but he is not even ashamed of dressing in their clothes!”

When, the next day, the population found out about it, they accused him of having caused a scandal with his unacceptable behavior, some even tried to stone him. Barely saved from the angry crowd, Viventius gathered the Priests protesting his innocence and telling them that he would leave Blera forever. He retreated to a cave about seven miles away, on the slopes of the Norchia valley, in a place called “the seven caves” to atone, not for his non-existent error but, for those of his slanderous persecutors. Despite his distance he continued to direct the Diocese through his Priests who came to visit him.

When, thanks to a vision, he knew that he would soon die, he sent for one of his spiritual daughters who had become blind in old age, ordering her to go to Blera to ask the faithful to come and fetch him with a cart on which he would return to the Town. That it was Providence that wanted it was understood from a miraculous event – some indomitable bulls, yoked to the wagon, suddenly became tame. The woman, who wanted to escape that embassy, ​​objected that her blindness prevented her from doing so. “Go, daughter, and you will see, ” replied Viventius and at those words her sight returned.

Faced with the miracle, the inhabitants of Blera hastened to carry out the Bishop’s orders, realising, with amazement that the docile bulls were heading, without any apparent guide, to the Hermit’s cave. Viventius boarded the cart which, instead of following the shortest route, crossed the borders of the Diocese while the bells of the villages across which the wagon travelled, rang in celebration, even though no bell-ringer was present. Iit was theproof of his innocence. Arriving in Blera, he blessed the population, who had repented for having believed those impostors and finally died – it was 13 December which has become his liturgical feast.

His body was buried in the Collegiate Church of Blera which is dedicated to the Assumption of the Blessed Mother and our St Viventius. The Crypt therein, with cross vaults embellished with stuccos and capitals, houses the Tomb of the Saint. The marble portal of the Church is surmounted by the bust of Viventius. We also find an image of the Saint inside the Church – he is depicted on a large canvas together with San Sensia and the Madonna Assunta. A Chapel in the right nave of the Collegiate Church is also dedicated to St Viventius.

In fact, the Saint is much loved, the veneration of the Patron Saint is still strongly felt and rooted in the souls of the Bleranians.  According to some, Saint Viventius (the name derives from the Latin Vicentius and means ‘who is filled with vitality’) was the Confessor of Vergy in France, who is also celebrated today.

The Martyrology of Usuardo mentions him on 13 January and from there he passed into the Roman Martyrology on the same date. In Blera, our Saint is celebrated on 11 December. But such a loved Patron has 2 further celebrations, which consist of pilgrimages to his hermitage (prior to becoming the Bishop), one on Easter Monday and the other on the second Sunday of May. The Bleranrians, therefore, celebrate their Saint three times a year – on the occasion of the two pilgrimages and on 11 December.