Saint of the Day – 21 May – St Hospitius (Died 581) Confessor, Hermit, Ascetic, Penitent, Spiritual Guide, gifted with the Charisms of Prophecy and physical cures, Miracle-worker. Believed to have been born in Egypt in the 6th Century, he died in 581 in France. Patronage – of the French Town of San-Sospis named after him. Also known as – Sospis, Hospitus, Ospicio, Ospizio.
The Roman Martyrology reads today: “At Nice, in France, St Hospitius, Confessor, distinguished by the virtue of abstinence and the spiorit of prophecy.”
Having retired to a tower near Villafranca, not far from Nice, Hospitius led a life devoted to prayer and the mortification of the flesh. His home, now known as St-Sospis in his honour, was the scene of a life stripped of all comforts – bread, herbs and dates made up his frugal diet, while heavy chains and a rough hair shirt encircled his body.
Hospitius was not only a model of austerity but also, included among his gifts, God had graced him with the ability to foresee the future. Famous is the prophecy he pronounced about the invasion of the Lombards – he accurately predicted the raid which would devastate Nice in 574. Hospitius was seized by these raiders but his life was spared when he worked a miracle in favour of his attacker, who subsequently embraced the Faith and then the religious life and was known personally to St Gregory of Tours. It was from this former Lombardian soldier that St Gregory, to whom we are indebted for the meagre details of the Saint’s life, learned of the austerities and numerous miracles of the saintly Hermit. This Statue of the event is displayed in the Church dedicated to St Hospitius in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat (Alpes-Maritimes, France).
Hospitius’ fame spread far beyond the confines of his tower, attracting to his hermitage, countless pilgrims in search of comfort and cures. Numerous miracles were attributed to his intercession, including the cure of a man blind from birth and another, who was deaf and mute. It is said that the very dust of his tomb possessed healing properties.
Hospitius foretold his death and died around 581, surrounded by a devotion which has never waned over the many centuries. Even today, his figure inspires the faithful with his testimony of unshakable faith, strength of spirit and self-denial. He was buried by his friend, Austadius, the Bishop of Nice.
His memory is celebrated every year on 21 May and his Relics are kept in the Cathedral of Nice and in several other Churches in the Diocese.
Information about Saint Hospitius comes to us mainly from the works of Saint Gregory of Tours, his contemporary, who briefly described his life and virtues, much of this information gleaned from a Religious disciple of our Saint. Various biographies dedicated to the Saint were written over time but unfortunately none of them have reached us.
The figure of St Hospitius is closely linked to the history of Provence in the 6th Century, a period marked by barbarian invasions and political upheavals. His prophecy on the arrival of the Lombards makes him an eyewitness to crucial events which shaped the future of the region.
AnaStpaul 