Posted in SAINT of the DAY

Saint of the Day – 15 October – Saint Severus of Trier (Died c455) Bishop and Confessor

Saint of the Day – 15 October – Saint Severus of Triers (Died c455) Bishop and Confessor of Trier in Germany, Defender of the Faith, Misionary and Apostle to the Germans in the lower Moselle region.

The Roman Martyrology reads today: “At Treves (Triers), St Severus Bishop and Confessor.

St Severus, painting on a pillar in Nave of the Church, 1429

Severus is part of a generation formed at the school of shepherds of Gaul of noble Roman origins (Lupus of Troyes, Hilary of Arles, Germanus of Auxerre) in the French Monastery of Lérins.

What we know about Severus is extracted from theVita of St Germanus of Auxerre and he is also mentioned by Constantine of Lyons. Furthermore, Severus appears too in the Life of St Lupus of Troyes and the Ecclesiastical History of the Venerable Bede, in regard to the mission to assist against the heresy of Pelagianism. These combined works brought together the previously separate reports on the journey to Britain and the German Mission.

St Severus Statue in the entrance hall of the Church, 14th Century.

His term as Bishop succeeded the term of Leontius of Triers, who died in 446. One of Severus’ most notable accomplishments was accompanying St Germanus on his second trip to England, at the urgent request of the English Bishops, to combat the virulent Pelagian heresy – this mission took place about the year 446/447.

Upon his return, he took firm possession of his Diocese and evangelised the territories of the Lower Moselle and the Middle Rhine area in Germany. It is also reported that Severus had received the first Papal Privilege for the Trier Diocese.

There is a large Church names and dedicated to St Severus and St Martin, in Triers which was formerly the Cathedral.

St Germanus d’Auxerre (c 378 – c448):
https://anastpaul.com/2018/07/31/saint-of-the-day-31-july-st-germanus-dauxerre-c-378-c-448/
St Lupus of Troyes (c383-c479) Bishop and Confessor:
https://anastpaul.com/2024/07/29/saint-of-the-day-29-july-saint-lupus-of-troyes-c383-c479-bishop-and-confessor/