Saint of the Day – 18 January – Saint Volusian of Tours (Died 496) Bishop

Saint of the Day – 18 January – Saint Volusian of Tours (Died 496) Bishop of Tours from 488 until his death. Died on 18 January 496, whilst in exile, of natural causes. Patronage – of Foix, France. Also known as – Volusian of Foix, Volusianus… Volusien…

The Roman Martyrology reads: “At Tours in France, St Volusian, Bishop, who was made captive by the Goths and in exile, gave up his soul to God.”

Volusian had been born into a family of senatorial rank, very wealthy, a relative of the Bishop who preceded him, St Perpetuus and he lived in the days when Clovis was the King of the Franks,

Volusian was the Bishop of Tours, in France, the see made famous by St Martin two Centuries earlier. He lived at a time before clerical celibacy and was married to a woman unfortunately notorious for her violent temper which was a great trial to the Bishop. His time was too, a fearful one, when the barbarian invasions had begun and the fear of these barbaric Goths was extreme.

In writing to a friend of his, a certain Bishop Ruricius, of nearby Limoges Diocese, Volusian expressed his fear of the Goths who were beginning to terrorise his Diocese. Ruricius humorously replied:
“timere hostem non debet extraneum qui consuevit sustinere domesticum” — that is, “anyone who already has a terrible enemy at home, he has nothing to fear from external ones.”

As the Goths began to overrun Volusian’s Diocese, Volusian was driven from his See and sent into exile into Spain. St Gregory of Tours, who succeeded Volusian a Century later, as the Bishop of Tours, describes the turmoil of the times and it is from his writings that we have received the little knowledge we have of St Volusian. But we are unsure of where he died. It is simply known that he was driven from his See, went into exile and died after ruling as Bishop for seven years.