Saint of the Day – 24 August – St Ouen (c610-684) Bishop and Confessor of Rouen, Founder of many Monasteries including Fontenelle – today’s St Wandrille, Royal Advisor, a gifted poet and writer. Born in around 610 near Soissons in France and died on 24 August 684 near Clichy-la-Garenne , today a district of Paris. Patronages – against deafness, of the deaf. Additional Memorial – 31 March, translation of St Ouen’s Relics. Also known as – Aldovin, Aldowin, Aldwin, Audaenus, Audeon, Audoeno, Audoen, Audoenus, Audoin, Dado, Dadon, Owen.
The Roman Martyrology reads today: “At Rouen, St Ouen, Bishop and Confessor.”
Ouenwas the son of the Frankish nobleman, Autharius of La Ferté , who was in the service of the Merovingian King Chlothar II and his first wife Aiga, brother of St Ado of Jouarre, was raised at the Royal Court like him and received the blessing of St Columban the Younger, as a child.
Ouen grew to exercise great political influence and was a leading figure in a circle of nobles and Bishops. He became chancellor at the Court of King Dagobert I and promoted monasticism.
In 635 he founded the Monastery in Rebais and was able to establish its independence. In 641 he became the Bishop of Rouen, where he founded several Monasteries, including , in 648, Fontenelle – today’s St Wandrille.
He also had great influence as an advisor to the Court in Paris and defended the independence of Neustria. Around 675 Ouen made a pilgrimage to Rome. There he visited the Shrines and Sanctuaries, distributed alms to the poor of Rome and collected Relics to take back to Rouen.
After Ebroin, the Chancellor’s death in 681, Ouen went to Cologne and succeeded in restoring peace between Neustria and Austrasia but died shortly thereafter at the Royal villa at Clichy on 24 August 684.
He was buried in the Church of Sant-Peter which he himself had built. The former Abbot of Fontenelle, Ansbert, succeeded Ouen as Bishop and had his predecessor reburied behind the High Altar, then the equivalent of a Canonisation.
Ouen wrote a Vita of his great friend, the wonderful St Eligius. This biography, which is one of the most authentic historical monuments of the 7th Century, contains a store of valuable information regarding the moral and religious education of that time and testifies to the life of St Aurea of Paris.
More on our Saint above, when a Saint is known by many names, these things happen: https://anastpaul.com/2020/08/24/saint-of-the-day-24-august-saint-audoin-ouen-of-rouen-c-605-684-bishop/
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