Saint of the Day – 19 December – St Avitus (Died c530) Abbot of Saint-Mesmin de Micy Abbey near Orleans and later at his own Monastery now called St Avy of Chateau-dun. St Avitus was renowned for demonstrating the grace of prophecy. Also known as – Adjutus, Avit, Avy. Additional Memorial – 17 June on some calendars.
The Roman Martyrology reads today: “At Orleans, St Avitus, an Abbot renowned for the spirit of prophecy.”
Avitus was a native of Orleans and retiring into Auvergne, took the monastic habit together with St Calais in the Abbey of Menat, at that time very small; though afterwards enriched by Queen Brunehault and by St Boner, the Bishop of Clermont.
The two Saints soon after returned to Micy, a famous Abbey situated on the Loiret, a league and a half below Orleans. It was founded towards the end of the reign of Clovis I. by St Euspicius a holy Priest and his nephew, St Maximin, or Mesmin, whose name this Monastery, which is now of the Cistercian order bears.
Many call St Maximin the 1st Abbot, others St Euspicius the 1st, St Maximin the 2nd and St Avitus the 3rd. But our Saint and St Calais, did not remain very long at Mici, although St Maximin gave them a gracious reception.
In quest of a closer union with God, Avitus, who had succeeded St Maximin, soon after resigned the Abbacy, as Lethuld, a learned Monk of Micy, assures us and, with St Calais lived as Hermits in the territory now called Dunois, on the frontiers of la Perche.
Others joining them, St Calais retired into a forest in Maine and King Clotaire built a Church and Monastery for St Avitus and his companions. This is at present a Carmelite Nunnery called St Avy of Chateau-dun and is situated on the Loire at the foot of the hill on which the Town of Chateau-dun is built, in the Diocese of Chartres.
Three famous Monks, Leobin, afterwards Bishop of Chartres, Euphronius and Rusticus, attended our Saint to his happy death which happened about the year 530. His body was carried up the Loire to Orleans and buried with great pomp in that City. A Church was built over his Tomb which still subsists and his Feast is kept in Orleans, Paris and in other places.
Some distinguish St Avitus Abbot of Micy from the Abbot of Chateau-dun but all circumstances show that it was the same holy man who retired from Mici into the territory of Chateau-dun. See the life of St Avitus published by Henschenius in 1701 and also the New Paris Breviary on the 17th of June.
AnaStpaul 