Peregrine of Auxerre
| Saint Peregrine of Auxerre | |
|---|---|
| Born | Rome |
| Died | c. 304 AD Bouhy, France |
| Venerated in |
Roman Catholic Church Eastern Orthodox Church |
| Canonized | December 27, 1726 |
| Feast | May 16 |
| Attributes | converting pagans; overturning idols; founding Auxerre cathedral; sometimes in the dress of a pilgrim in reference to his name (peregrinus means pilgrim in Latin); snake |
| Patronage | against snake bites |
Saint Peregrine (Peregrinus) of Auxerre (French: Saint Pélérin, Italian: San Pellegrino) (d. ca. 261 AD or ca. 304 AD) is venerated as the first bishop of Auxerre and the builder of its first cathedral. A strong local tradition states that he was a priest of Rome appointed by Pope Sixtus II to evangelize this area at the request of the Christians resident in that part of Gaul. He preached at Marseilles, Lyon, and converted most of the inhabitants of Auxerre to Christianity.
At Intaranum –present-day Entrains-sur-Nohain– Peregrine angered the governor after the saint appealed to the populace to abandon pagan idols; the inhabitants had been dedicating a new temple to Jupiter.
The Martyrologium Hieronymianum states that he was tortured and beheaded at vicus Baiacus (Bouhy) (in present-day Nièvre) during the persecutions of Diocletian.
His lector Jovinian, venerated as a saint, was also martyred with him. Other companions included Marsus, his priest; Corcodomus, his deacon; and Jovian his subdeacon.
Historians postulate that he was probably not a bishop at all, but rather a missionary who had been sent to the rural areas of this region. In the ninth century, churchmen of Auxerre made this local martyr the first bishop of their city.
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