Saint of the Day – 18 January – St Deicolus of Lure (c530-625) Abbot, Founder of the Monastery at Lure, Companion and Disciple of St Columban, some believe Deicolus to be the older brother of St. Gall (c550-c645) who was also one of St Columban’s original 12 companions, Missionary. Born in Leinster, Ireland and died in 625 at Vosges, France of natural causes. Patronages – curing of children’s illnesses, protector of livestock. Also known as – Deel, Deicolo, Deicola, Deille, Delle, Desle, Dichul, Diey, Deicuil, Dicuil.
The Roman Martyrology reads today: “In Brittany, St Deicola, Abbot, disciple of St Columban.”
Born in Leinster, Deicolus and his brother, Gall, studied at Bangor Abbey in County Down. He was selected to be one of the twelve disciples to accompany St Columbanuon his missionary journey.
In 576 he journeyed to France and laboured with Columban in Austrasia and Burgundy. Deicolus is believed to have resided with Columban at the Monastery of Luxeuil from c590.
In 610, when Columban was expelled by King Theuderic II, Deicolus, then eighty years of age, determined to follow his master,but was forced, to abandon the journey due to the inadeguacies of his age and remained behind alone.
Diecolus establishing a hermitage at a nearby Church dedicated to Saint Martin in a place called Lure, in the Diocese of Besançon.
Until his death, he became the apostle of this district, where he was given a Church and a tract of land by Berthelde, widow of Weifar, the lord of Lure. Soon a noble Abbey was erected for his many disciples and the Rule of St Columban was adopted.
Numerous miracles are recorded of Deicolus, including the suspension of his cloak on a sunbeam and the taming of wild beasts.
Clothaire II, the King of Burgundy, recognised the virtues of Deicolus and considerably enriched the Abbey of Lure, also granting Deicolus the manor, woods, fisheries, of the Town which had grown around the Monastery.
Feeling his end approaching, Deicolus conceded the government of his Abbey to Columban, one of his young Monks and retreated to a little Oratory he had built a in honour of the Holy Trinity, where he died on 18 January c625.
His Feast is observed on this day, his birthday into Heaven. So revered was his memory that his name Diacolus, under the shortened French form of Del or Deel and Deela, (being corrupted from Del de Lure) is still borne by many of the children of the Lure district and too, is often found there as a surname. St Diacolus’ cultus is strong in the area of Lure where a Spring associated with St Diacolus has miraculous properties and, in particular, to cure children’s ailments if their garments were washed in this water.
Saint Deicolus is considered a Saint who heals illnesses in young children but also a regarded as a protector of livestock. There are mirackes associated with a wild bear which I have been unable to trace. A pilgrimage takes place today 18 January, to the Chapel of Gerbamont where he died.
His memory is also perpetuated in several other Lorraine Villages. His Vita and Acts were written by a Monk of his own Monastery in the 10th Century.
AnaStpaul 