Saint of the Day – 13 February – Saint Castor (Died c400) Priest, Hermit, evangeliser. Born in Aquitaine in France and died in around 400 in Karden , today part of Treis-Karden on the Moselle in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Patronage – of the City of Koblenz, in Germany. Also known as – Castore, Kastor, … of Karden. The name Castor is derived from Greek and means “the excellent one.”
According to the legendary life story from the 10th/12th Century, Castor was a student of the Saint Bishop Maximinus of Trier and was Ordained a Priest by him.
He lived as a Hermit in Karden and there, united disciple companions to lead an exemplary pious life. Castor’s companions included the Aquitanian pilgrim Saint Potentinus and Potentinus’ two sons Felicius and Simplicius.
A tale tells how Castor asked Moselle boatmen for salt. But they only mocked him and wanted to continue sailing. Suddenly a violent wind arose and whipped the waves so high that the boat threatened to capsize. In their distress, the boatmen begged the man of God for help. Castor knelt down and prayed – as suddenly as it had come, the storm subsided. The pagan boatmen were converted by this miracle and thanked Castor with plenty of salt.
Castor died at Karden at an advanced age.
Castor’s cult maintained in Trier was – like that of Potentinus of Steinfeld – evidently intended to strengthen influence in the Lower Moselle region, since the area actually belonged to the Diocese of Mainz. Bishop Wiomad of Trier found – again possibly to document a claim to this area – bones in Karden around 782 which were identified as Castor’s Relics and transferred them to the Church then dedicated to St Paulinus of Trier which then received the Patronage of Castor. In 836, most of these Relics were then brought by Archbishop Hetti of Trier to Koblenz, to the later Collegiate Church built by him, of which Castor became the Patron; this Church was rebuilt in the 11th/12th Century as a Basilica dedicated to St Castor.
AnaStpaul 