Saint of the Day – 7 May – Saint Placid (Died c675) Abbot of the Abbey of Saint Symphorian in Autun in France. He was probably both born and died in the 7th Century in France. Also known as – Placidus, Plait.
There is very little information about Saint Placid who became the Abbot of the Monastery at Autun. His existence is certain, as attested by the ancient cult paid to him in the Abbey and Basilica of Saint Symphorian in Autun.
However, precise chronological data is lacking and his figure remains elusive, the object of uncertainty and conjecture.
There is no certain knowledge about his birth, his education or his path of faith. His Episcopal identity itself is doubtful: some ancient martyrologies indicate him as the Bishop of Autun but his name does not appear in the official list of Bishops of the Diocese.
The only certainty concerns his role as the Abbot of the Abbey of Saint Symphorian in Autun. It is presumed that he governed the Abbey before 731, the year in which the Basilica was burned and destroyed by the Saracens.
The Martyrology of St Jerome mentions Saint Placidus on 7 May, attributing to him the title of Priest and Abbot of the Abbey of Saint Symphorian. His Liturgical memory is fixed for this date.
Despite the scarcity of biographical information, Saint Placid remains a venerated figure in local tradition. His memory is preserved in the Basilica of Saint Symphorianus (below), rebuilt after the Saracen destruction. His hagiography, although fragmentary, represents an important part in the history of the Church of Autun and of Benedictine monasticism.
AnaStpaul 