Alnobertus or Aunobertus
Acta Sanctorum, May 16
Source text: Public Domain. English translation/apparatus/encoding: CC BY-NC 4.0, Wroot Press.
https://actasanctorum.org/may/day-16/alnobertus-or-aunobertus.html
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ON ST. ALNOBERTUS OR AUNOBERTUS
BISHOP OF SÉEZ IN NORMANDY.

7TH CENTURY.

[Commentary]

Alnobertus, or Aunobertus, Bishop of Séez in Normandy (S.)

G. H.

The Séez or Saiensis city, by the ancients
Vagoritum called, the head of the Sessui,
commonly Seez in Normandy situated, toward the Le Mans
province, and with a Cathedral Church
adorned, among its Bishops
had St. Alnobertus, or Aunobertus:
who was present at the Council of Rouen, [The time of his See:] in the year 692
held under St. Ansbertus the Archbishop, as on February 9, in
this man's Life chapter VI is indicated. And this note of the time,
in which he lived, the only one is had: but how-many-eth of his Church to be reckoned
he is Bishop, is unknown: since the Catalogues by John Chenu,
Claude Robert and the Sammarthani printed are not without their
faults, while Milehardus, whom these long before St. Aunobertus
place, after him to have sat we have shown at the Life of St.
Cerenicus the Deacon, on the day May 7 illustrated.

[2] We have a Breviary, to the use of the notable Church
of Séez about the year 1582 by Louis Huchet
revised, [the sacred cult May 16] in which is prescribed, the feast of St. Alnobertus,
Bishop of Séez and Confessor, to be celebrated on
the day May 16, with an ecclesiastical Office of nine as they call them Lessons;
and this is prescribed the Prayer: O God who the present
day of B. Alnobertus Your Confessor and Pontiff
by his sacred passing have consecrated, grant we beseech,
in the shown through his institutes steps to proceed, that of the same
in the region of the living we may merit with the joys to be mingled.
On the same day the same celebrate Greven and Molanus,
in their Additions to Usuard, in these words: In the city
of Séez, of B. Alnobertus, of that same city the Bishop
and Confessor. There followed then Canisius in the Martyrology
Germanic, Ferrarius in the Catalogue general and
Saussay in the Gallican Martyrology, who with this him eulogy
adorns: On the same day at Séez St. Alnobertus, Bishop likewise
and Confessor, of admirable virtue: who with sanctity's
and doctrine's charismata shining, the Council
of Rouen under St. Ansbertus of this metropolis
the Prelate attended; and with of pious labors the heat and sweat
boiled down, possessed of rest eternal in the heavenly hall
made was. Thus Saussay: who again on the day
June 15, [whether also June 15,] a like of praise formula brings forth, and asserts
on that day his into a Bishop Ordination to be celebrated;
multiplying the error of Galesinius, who him, whom to celebrate
on the day the 17th of the Kalends of June he ought, referred to the day
the 17th of the Kalends of July, no made of Ordination mention.
Galesinius follows Ferrarius, alleging the tables of the Church
of Séez. But in these, as above we have shown, only is celebrated
his memory this May 16 or the 17th of the Kalends
of June. Hippolytus Vrayet, a monk of Corbie, sent to
us the Fasti of the Saints of the monastery of St. Medard of Soissons,
in which on this May 16 these things are read: Of St. Adalbertus
or Aldobertus, Aldebertus, Anobertus, Bishop
of Soissons, before the Episcopate and after the abdication
of the Episcopate was Abbot of St. Stephen of Cociacus.
In the Sammarthani Bishop of Soissons is
the 24th Adalbertus, about whom besides the bare name nothing they
knew of him. Claude Dormay, in the History of Soissons in the year
1663 printed, nothing also about him knew, except that
he succeeded Warimbertus, and a successor had St. Gaudinus,
about whom we treated February 11, and said about the year
620 to have departed, before whom about the beginning of the said century
sat Adalbertus. But a wonder it would be him to be celebrated on this
day, and that to be unknown to Dormay, who all things there found
discussed. Hence a doubt to us arose, whether he is Aunobertus,
Bishop of Séez, about whom the rest are
to be understood.

[3] These few things collected I began to prepare the Acts of St. Evermundus
(who is said by error by St. Alnobertus an Abbot consecrated)
to be edited on the day June 10, where this man is adorned with the following
titles. There was, says the author, Alnobertus, [His virtues.]
wholly in the confession of the Lord founded, in tongue eloquent,
in aspect Angelic, in countenance comely, with of morals
honesty illustrious, with wisdom endowed, with chastity
shining, cheerful in adversities, in prosperity timid,
in daily food to too great parsimony given,
with justice signal, of faith, hope and charity adorned
with gems, with the merits of holy virtues most celebrated.
This therefore a man so great, when the fame of the blessed man Evermundus
he heard, through his Archdeacon Fortunatus offered
to him prayers and gifts with an Episcopal benediction.
But returned the Archdeacon, with great
exultation what he had seen, indicated. The Bishop moreover
praises and thanks to the Lord rendering, [He consecrates St. Evermundus an Abbot.] to him as quickly as possible
into the desert proceeded, and amid sacred colloquies
to the venerable Father Evermundus this most wretched
life before the Brothers thus to praise began: Blessed are you,
Brothers, who this age delude, and life this, which
under an hour is brought in, and under a moment is shut out,
renounce. To that therefore hasten life, to which
no ever comes an end, no is given altogether
a succession … Thus that blessed Prelate, with spiritual
banquets filled the Brothers, St. Evermundus with himself led
to the church of the Blessed Gervasius and Protasius, and to him
the care of the Pastoral office committed, and him an Abbot
consecrated, in the place which Mons-major is called. Thus far
there, which from the Acts of St. Alnobertus, now lost, we think described: wishing that they sometime be found, to be inserted
into our work's Supplement.
