Albinus of Angers

Saint Albinus of Angers
Saint Albinus at the Third Council of Orléans
Bishop
Born	c. 470 AD Vannes, Brittany
Died	550 AD Angers, France
Venerated in	Roman Catholic Church Anglican Church
Major shrine	Saint-Aubin, Angers
Feast	March 1
Patronage	invoked against pirate attacks

Saint Albinus of Angers (French: Saint-Aubin) (c. 470 – March 1, 550) was a French abbot and bishop. Born to a noble Gallo-Roman family at Vannes, Brittany, St. Albinus was a monk and from 504 C.E. Abbot of Tintillac (which no longer stands; its location has not been satisfactorily identified). His reputation spread during the twenty-five years in which he served as abbot. In 529, St. Albinus was elected, against his wishes, Bishop of Angers.

He campaigned against incestuous weddings, such as those that occurred between members of the nobility. He participated in the Third Council of Orléans (538) after King Childebert granted permission for this council to take place. Albinus sought advice from St. Caesarius of Arles after seeing laxity in other bishops.

Tradition states that he helped all in distress, using diocesan funds to free hostages from pirates. Another tradition states that he clashed with King Childebert, who had imprisoned a woman called Etherie, from Douille near Angers. Unable to secure her release Albinus visited her in prison, and the soldier who tried to resist him fell dead at his feet. This so impressed the king that he allowed St. Albinus to bail her out.

Another legend relates that St. Albinus once prayed far into the night for some men imprisoned in the Tower of Angers. Suddenly a great stone collapsed from the wall, allowing their escape.

St. Albinus died in 550 and was buried in the church of Saint-Pierre at Angers. In 556, a church was dedicated to him and his body was buried in its crypt. Near this church an abbey arose, called Saint-Aubin.

St. Gregory of Tours remarks on the cult of St. Albinus, which later became diffused in Germany, England, and Poland, making St. Albinus a popular saint during the Middle Ages.St. Venantius Fortunatus, a near contemporary, wrote a life of this saint.