Peregrinus the Martyr
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/peregrinus-the-martyr.html
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ON ST. PEREGRINUS THE MARTYR,

BISHOP OF AUXERRE IN GAUL.

CENT. III

[Preface]

Peregrinus Bishop and Martyr at Auxerre in Gaul (St.)

BY THE AUTHOR G. H.

Auxerre, an Episcopal city of Gaul on the
river Yonne, in today's Duchy of Burgundy,
commonly Auxerre, was once called Autricus,
whence also Mount Autricus adjacent to the city
afforded burial to various of its Bishops.
The first of these is believed and held to have been St. Peregrinus,
sent thither by St. Sixtus the Pope, who confirmed by Martyr's blood shed
the Gospel of Christ announced by him.
His sacred memory is celebrated on this XVI of May, almost
all the Latin Martyrologies, [Sacred cult:] also the ancient apographs of the
Martyrology of Jerome with these words nearly: At Auxerre,
in the village Baiacum, the passion of St. Peregrinus, first Bishop
of that city. Almost the same are read
in Rabanus, Ado, Notker, & in the MSS. of Arras,
Tournai & Liège, & are perhaps Florus's in
the additions to Bede. Usuard has these: At Auxerre
of B. Peregrinus Martyr & first Bishop of that city,
who punished by capital sentence, merited the everlasting
crown. The same are read in today's
Roman Martyrology, with these inserted, that he was sent
by B. Sixtus the Pope into Gaul with other Clerics
to fulfill the office of preaching. We omit other eulogies taken from the Acts,
of which there are longer ones in a certain
ancient MS. of the Queen of Sweden, which appears to have been written among the Fulda monks
or somewhere on the Rhine: likewise in MS.
Ado of the Church of the Morini and the monastery of S. Lawrence at Liège:
and also in Saussay in the Gallican Martyrology.
But in the Church of Chartres on this day is venerated St. Emanus
the Martyr with the Commemoration of St. Peregrinus Bishop
& Martyr. Wandelbert however, perhaps by some
error, on the XVII of May or XVI Kalends of June, inscribed the same
in his Metrical Martyrology.

[2] [The Acts are given from MSS.] The Acts of the Life & Passion of S. Peregrinus we had in
many ancient and well-noted MS. codices, namely
of Saint-Omer, Arrouaise, & Trier of S. Maximinus:
also from the Beauvais one sent by Petrus Flovetus: &
in a double of the Queen of Sweden from codices marked number 13
& 569, also in a certain illustrious Legendary of ours. The same
finally from the Compiègne codex was sent in the year 1666
by Ludovicus Nicqueus, Celestine of Soissons: [& the Auxerre Breviary,] all moreover
we have collated with those which Philippus Labbe published in volume 1
of the New library page 526 & following. The same but contracted
are in the very ancient Breviaries of the Church of Auxerre,
given to us by Petrus le Venier Penitentiary of the same Church,
whose benevolence we ourselves experienced at Auxerre in the year
1662, & admired his illustrious library.
Another Compendium of the Life, made by Petrus Calo, [Compendia of the Life.]
we transcribed at Rome: which is plainly the same as exists in
Vincent of Beauvais book 10 of the Speculum historiale chap.
75, & with few changes in the MS. of Utrecht of the Church of S.
Salvator. But in itself more contracted has Petrus de
Natalibus book 5, chap. 5, from which we give some things on the Translation
of his body. There exists a History of the Bishops of Auxerre
brought forth by the said Philippus Labbe, & published in the same
New library: which on St. Peregrinus thus begins:
The text of his Passion faithfully informs those wishing to know about
S. Peregrinus, consecrated Bishop by the intercessions
& at the same time the merits of B. Sixtus, Primate of the Apostolic See.
Then are subjoined various things
about the persecutions of Christians in Gaul, & especially
those which were suffered at Auxerre under the Emperor Aurelian by SS.
Priscus and his companions, whose Acts of martyrdom we give below
on the XXVI of this month of May. And at length the compendium of the Life
& passion of S. Peregrinus is appended.

[3] The time of this mission and martyrdom is variously assigned.
And first the above-mentioned Vincent of Beauvais, [Sent according to some by Sixtus I,]
in the indicated chap. 75 of book 10, places together in the title the Passion
of S. Sixtus Pope I & Peregrinus of Auxerre,
& in the text adds the Emperor Hadrian, of whom in the rest
of the apographs no mention is made. We gave on the day VI April
the Acts of S. Sixtus I Pope, and we said that he died Martyr
under the Emperor Hadrian, in the IX year of his Empire, of Christ
CXXVI. Antoninus followed Beauvais after his manner in
the Chronicle part 1 title 7 chap. 5, & both Baronius at the year
142 number 12. Franciscus Bosquetus book 2 of the Histories
of the Gallican Church chap. 1 asserts to be said, that by Sixtus the first
were sent into Gaul Peregrinus, who sat at Auxerre;
Genulphus, who [sat] at Cahors: but this latter to be attributed to Sixtus
II, [but rather by Sixtus II Pope,] perhaps also the former ought [to be]. Certainly the most ancient
Acts from MS. of S. Maximinus relate that S. Peregrinus was sent
in the times of Valerian & Gallienus, under whom
S. Sixtus II Pope presided over the Church from the year 255, until
August VI of the year 258, as we have said in our
Commentary on the first Roman Pontiffs before volume
1 of the Acts of the month of April. In the same way the History of the Bishops
of Auxerre at the end of the eulogy adds, that these things were
done with Gallienus & Valerian as Emperors, Aemilianus
& Bassus as Consuls, that is in the year 259, in which
Valerian is said by many to have been captured & led away. [he came to Auxerre about the year 259.] We judge
however that S. Peregrinus did not die a Martyr in the said year,
but began at Auxerre to announce Christ,
& survived to the times of Claudius or Aurelian, who under
that one led an army into Gaul with full power, &
afterwards as Emperor went out to the same place, under whom Probus also
& very many others were crowned at Auxerre by martyrdom. Another
author of the said mission to be ascribed to S. Sixtus II is Robertus,
or, by whatever name he be called, monk of the monastery
of S. Marianus near Auxerre, in his Chronology
published at Paris in the year 1609, who on page 43 relates these things: At Rome
Stephen having suffered martyrdom, Sixtus, namely the second,
succeeded into the Pontificate. He ordained B. Peregrinus
the rest, which, he says, the History of his passion evidently
declares. Behold two domestic witnesses, who that thing from
ancient monuments of the Church of Auxerre are to be considered to have
drawn together with the very Acts which are described by them. Ioannes
Monchiacenus Demochares, & after him Ioannes Chenu
in the Catalogues of the Bishops of Auxerre, while they seem
to hold another opinion, [perhaps under Alexander not Emperor,] establish this last one. S.
Peregrinus, they say, a Roman citizen, sent by Pope Sixtus
to Gaul, Martyr under the Emperor Alexander.
For who else is this Alexander but the son of Mammaea,
who was the only one of that name among the ancient Emperors,
assumed in the year 223, that is after the death of Sixtus
I by ninety-seven years, & before Sixtus II was created
Pope, by thirty-two years? What therefore? The way is shown
by the above-cited Acts of S. Priscus the Martyr, [but the Protector of the side of the Emperor Aurelian,] in which is said
the Emperor Aurelian, the companions of his ferocity
sent across through all Gaul, & the country of Auxerre
fell into the lot of the most impious Alexander, the
Protector of the sacred side. This Alexander therefore,
not the Emperor, but the Protector of the Emperor, on behalf of
Aurelian the Emperor, whose orders he was executing, named
somewhere Demochares may have found, and equally the times
of martyrdom which we assign are confirmed.

[4] The previously cited Demochares & Chenu testify, that the body
of S. Peregrinus Bishop of Auxerre is preserved in
the monastery of S. Denis near Paris. Chenu adds
that the feast of translation is celebrated on XI Kalends of September.
On which day these things are read in the MS. Martyrology
of the Brussels Church of S. Gudula: [The body translated to the monastery of S. Denis] The Translation of the bodies
of SS. Hilary Bishop & Confessor, Innocent
the Martyr, & S. Peregrinus Bishop & Martyr in the Basilica
of S. Denis. Iacobus Brulius in the Theatre of Antiquities
of Paris page 1107 mentions these sacred bodies, & asserts S. Peregrinus to be Bishop
of Auxerre. Saussay in the Gallican Martyrology
on this XVI of May, after the explained martyrdom of S. Peregrinus,
adds these things: Whose body exposed to wild beasts, when
it had remained long untouched, by Angelic admonition by a certain
Christian rustic according to his measure was tended to,
then to Auxerre, after God had converted the storm into calm,
was carried with the highest honor. At length
by royal command, that the chief sanctuary of Gaul might enrich
by his pledging, to the renowned monastery of S.
Denis it was conveyed: where with
the very Apostle of the Gauls and his companions resting, with becoming
honor it is preserved, and perpetually enjoys the veneration due to its
merits: Thus there. But somewhat differently
this translation is reported by Petrus Calo, Vincent of Beauvais
& in the MS. of Utrecht: from which we subjoin these things,
although in them appears some confusion of times.

[5] When therefore he had thus remained exposed to wild beasts, on that very
night the Angel of the Lord appeared to a certain rustic
Christian of the same villa, saying: [not without a miracle.] Arise & with the two oxen
which you have yoked to a cart, take the body
of my servant Peregrinus, which lies there; & to Auxerre,
whence he was Bishop, carry it. And when
he said he did not know the way: Go, he said, & I
shall lead you. So he did, & so by the nod of God from the middle of the night
until the dawn he walked. But in the high
morning meeting people on the way, he asked, whether he was going correctly
to Auxerre: & they marvelling responded
that leaving Auxerre, he had now approached S.
Denis near Paris. At this
he greatly marvelling proceeded, awaiting the divine
will. At the same hour a voice in the dormitory
of the monks of S. Denis sounded, saying: Arise
& meet my servant Peregrinus, Bishop of Auxerre,
who is coming: & at once with the bells of the church spontaneously ringing,
the monks aroused running to meet S.
Peregrinus, solemnly received him, [Confused with the Roman Martyr,] & having heard
the event of the matter, placed him in a silver casket. The monastery of San-Dionysius
King Dagobert first founded
after the year 628; nor is it credible that the holy Martyr
lay so long unburied: he could however have lain hidden buried in secret
up to the seventh century, or even
much longer, until the aforesaid rustic was bidden to take
his bones away: there could in the very place of burial, with the body raised from the earth
once things were peaceful, have been erected a chapel, in it having
his cult; with which fading away, God deigned from
the desolate place to take care to translate the sacred pledge. Which
since it is still preserved at S. Denis, by no verisimilitude
was it begun at Rome less than a hundred years
ago to be believed, that the body of S. Peregrinus Martyr, which is held in the Vatican church,
is the Bishop of Auxerre's, brought as a gift from France by Charles
the Great to Leo IV, in whose Pontificate
it must be that there was an oratory of S. Peregrinus there much earlier,
which Anastasius testifies to have been augmented by him with sacred gifts.
More verisimilarly a notable part of the Relics
of S. Peregrinus, brought from Gaul by Charles IV the Emperor
to Prague in the year 1373, is said in the Diary of the Prague
church.

[6] But because S. Peregrinus, fired with zeal of faith,
went to a place near Auxerre, famous for the cult & temples of idols,
which was called Interamnus, today perhaps
called les Isles, that is, Islands; to the Interamnenses in Umbria
the occasion seems to have been given, of claiming him for themselves, & making him the
same as the Roman Martyr, which Philippus
Ferrarius testifies in the Catalogue of the Saints of Italy, after the eulogy of the Anconitan
Martyrs S. Peregrinus & companions, [& wrongly attributed to Interamna in Umbria.] of whom
below: for thus he writes: On this day the Church of Interamna
recounted S. Peregrinus, Roman Presbyter &
Martyr, whom sent by S. Sixtus the Pope into Gaul
to preach, on the journey at Interamna having preached,
and built oratories and cemeteries; and to Rome,
after he had confirmed the Gauls in the faith,
having returned, on the Appian Way crowned with martyrdom, & at
S. Peter buried, he asserts. Similarly in the General Catalogue
of Saints, who are not in the Roman Martyrology,
when he had written; At Interamna of S. Peregrinus Presbyter
& Martyr, he subjoins in the Notes, that he takes him from
the tablets of the Church of Interamna, then he says: He suffered
at Rome under Hadrian, as the monuments
of the said Church transmitted to us hold, although the Acts in some are
confused with the Acts of S. Peregrinus Bishop of Auxerre.
We have no cause why we should make S.
Peregrinus, who suffered at Rome with companions on XXV August, another
from him whom in the same place to have had an oratory anciently,
now wrongly to be confused with the one of Auxerre, we have already said.
But the Interamnenses having no body or vestige of any
Peregrinus, there is no reason why we should multiply synonymous Saints
on the same day: for they are not even consistent in the title of Presbyter.
Indeed Ughelli, alleging a certain old
Calendar of Interamna, makes him a Bishop,
& indeed the first of that city about the year 138;
in which year namely Hadrian the Emperor passed from life, to which time
Beauvais and after him S. Antoninus & Baronius
attributed Peregrinus of Auxerre, because
deceived by the ambiguity of the Pontificate, under which the Saint was sent
into Gaul, they took Sixtus the first for the second.
Ughelli asserts indeed, that mention of him is made in the Acts
of S. Sixtus the first Roman Pontiff: but such Acts
we have nowhere found; & if we found them, we should reject them
as fictitious: since all antiquity knew nothing else
about him, than what we gave from the Pontifical Catalogues
on the day VI April.

[7] There is in Westphalia a most celebrated Abbey of noble Virgins,
Essen, [Whether companion S. Marsus.] which today triumphs in the Relics of S.
Marsus, given by Otto the third of that name the Emperor
to that place. To which most religious Emperor it was solemn
to translate the bones of many Saints from darkness into light
with magnificent pomp, just as also the relics of this Marsus
he piously inserted into urns of gold, both for subtlety of work
and variety, and for splendor of gems worth seeing.
Thus from the Tablets of Essen Theodorus Rhay
in the Illustrious Souls of Jülich, Cleves, the Mountains &c. testify.
But Ioannes Velden of the Saints of Westphalia, &
Gelenius in the Fasti of Cologne, that this Marsus is held companion
of S. Peregrinus, whom on this day Galesinius,
Canisius & Ferrarius mention. But Saussay page 1240 inserted him in his Catalogue
of Saints, whose day he did not know, adding
that he is to be placed with S. Peregrinus on this day. To us no
cause appears to join them here, this however
we wished to indicate.

LIFE

From various MS. codices.

Peregrinus Bishop Martyr at Auxerre in Gaul (S.)

BHL Number: 6623

FROM MSS.

[1] At that time [a], when the pestilential rage
of barbarians had spread itself far and wide, &
the published sentences of the Princes were so compelling Christians,
that either they should pay due sacrifices to the gods abundantly,
or altogether [b] vengeance decreed against them should run forth.
And when so harsh a sentence had been promulgated, [In the great persecution]
very few men were found, who would confess
themselves to be Christians. But when this perilous
most faithful Christians it was being announced to the ears of Sixtus the Pope of the city
of Rome, asking that he should send such a man,
who should illuminate by his eloquence the now extinguished lamp of faith,
[made Bishop by Sixtus II Pope:] & should restrain the infidelity of the barbarians
with the help of divine assistance. Then
the said man Sixtus the Pope, conspicuous for highest sanctity,
the great & illustrious servant of God Peregrinus,
namely a Roman citizen, ordained Bishop,
but Marsus Presbyter, [d] Corcodemus
Archdeacon, established to be Levite, & Jovianus
he assigned to the burden of Subdeacon [e]. Jovinianus
also Lector, since he was eloquent in all things, [with companions]
& in the divine Scriptures excellently learned,
he set as their companion. Who afterwards at Autricus, in a place
which at that time was not yet
girded with the fortification of walls, by the persecutors [f] killed,
consummated martyrdom. For these the worshipper of the highest God
the most blessed Pope Sixtus of the city of Rome, with all confidence
having led down to the marine port, the word
of the Lord especially commanded them to preach faithfully unto death;
that those whom the author of the evil seed
with poisonous doctrine of his sprouting darnel was hastening to lose
with bitterness, [sent into Gaul,] refreshed by the antidote of the divine cup
they might recall to the original health.

[2] Then truly from them famed prayer to God
is poured forth, to the begun work the happy serving favorable
water follows them, & to the desired port [g] swiftly
they arrive. But when on dry land their firm steps had now
begun to walk, [Lyons] led even to Lyons they could not in any way
hide themselves: chiefly fearing
lest the opportunity of approaching to the predestined place not be granted them,
& their arrival there could not
be hidden: for most bitterly everywhere raged
the unending and continual condemnation of Christians by the
barbarians: [& thence he came to Auxerre:] and asked by the faithful brethren
that they depart from the place, to Autricus by divine admonition
they came undaunted; where then a great
multitude of nobles, observing the vain cultures of the gods, was sitting closely packed.
The athletes of God indeed, desiring
to be drenched for the name of Christ in the wave of their own blood,
continually preached the name of Christ. To the inquiring
pagans they testified themselves to be Christians, & for
the preaching of the divine word to have come there.
Then truly the most blessed Priests, shining by preaching, [& many converted,]
because of the assiduity of virtues, which through them divine
power was exercising, whatever there was of the chief men of that place,
flew together to the grace of Christianity.
Soon also S. Peregrinus the Bishop, imparting to them the new
teaching, building a church of small extent, [builds a church:]
consecrated it to the name of Christ: at whose flashing eloquence,
a very great multitude of people
flocked to baptism.

[3] And when there had been extinguished all culture
of the gods, in the territory of that city, in the place which is called
or of many nefarious things. Among which truly the temple of Eolercus, whom
he had dedicated properly under the name of Jupiter, especially with the highest
titles the pagans pursued, because that very temple
greatly built shone forth. [He goes to Interamnus,] But when according to custom
to its festivals the troops of the people had come, hearing these things
the highest Bishop, moved by divine zeal,
leaving at Autricus the entire office of brothers, that
they might more fully confirm the work begun by him; he himself
however with the greatest haste went to Interamnus,
& boldly immersing himself in the midst of the throngs of pagans,
[Announcing Christ he is captured:] began the Lord Jesus Christ with loud
voice strongly to preach. But while he was preaching such things,
the crowd stirred up by the goads of anger, said
before the tribunal: When the entire sex without distinction according to
the sanction of the Princes the ceremonies of the gods
reverently performs, a certain man supervening now
with shorn head, & now well advanced in age,
has generated the greatest error in the people, wishing to institute
a new teaching. For if to your Serenity's command
it seems good, I cause him to be presented to you, lest with intervening
space, with part of the people joined, dissension be made in
the populace. [Asked by the Judge,] And when S. Peregrinus had been presented to the Judge,
with poisonous and rabid sigh conceived, he said
to him: Because in you, as I hear, the kindling of so great a contumacy
has burned forth, that the cultures of the great gods
by the boldness of your speech the haughtinesses of blasphemy are heaped upon, we ask of you, of what place you are a citizen, & from what stock of family
you descend, with the people present declare. S. Peregrinus
said: I have no fatherland except Christ, nor any other name
than Christian. [He professes the faith:] But truly, although
unworthy, I profess myself Bishop & servant of Christ,
for the sake of whose name to be announced to the Gentiles I have come
even thus far.

[4] Then the Governor said to him. As is the custom of our religion,
either pay due service to the gods,
or certainly I shall torment you with great torments. He resisting
& from the divine Scriptures damning them or their gods,
the Proconsul ordered him, at the place [i] Baugiacus,
[shut in prison] where at that time the most obscure custody was held,
to be thrust bound into prison, & to be tormented with many
injuries. He himself however among such bitter punishments
did not cease to preach the Lord Jesus Christ to the soldiers.
[He converts many:] To whose preaching therefore a double
cause converted the multitude of the people, because he shone
in virtues & eloquence. But when now for many
days the harm of the squalid prison had claimed him for itself,
nor yet had a capital sentence punished the man of highest
sanctity, he is reserved for Caesar in that very dark custody.

[5] After several days however Caesar arriving there,
attests to him publicly before the entire multitude,
why he had been so anxious, that the change of countenance
testified the sadness of soul. The Proconsul responded to him:
According to your command all things stand
by the help of the gods. [Led to the Emperor,] But now a certain man, named Peregrinus,
desires to impart a new norm to the peoples,
execrating the ceremonies of the great gods:
he has publicly declared himself an enemy to the greatest gods,
unhesitatingly affirming himself a Christian: whom even thrust away, &
in the most obscure prison consigned, I have reserved for your
clemency. And when at the command of the Emperor,
with the office running through, the man of God led out from prison,
had been presented to Caesar; he says to him: Many things
nefarious are being announced to me about you: but truly also against our
sanction & against the venerable culture of our gods
to seek attempt of acting, whether they are
false or true, declare. S. Peregrinus
the Bishop responded: [He professes the faith of Christ] If those things which are preached by me
the hardness of your heart received, they would not seem vain
or superfluous: because he who testifies Christ
the Son of God & the power of God, & Lord of all creation,
against right & divine law as nefarious is judged.

[6] And when the man of God pursued these and similar things,
the tyrant said to him: The dignity of your countenance forbids,
that against you not according to your perverse I know not
what doctrine our clemency should rage. But if
you wish to recall yourself from this vain assumption, &
to sacrifice to our gods, with great honors among us you shall flourish.
S. Peregrinus responded: [He despises the offered gifts:] Your honors
are perdition, your gifts indeed perpetual gehenna.
I however invoke Jesus Christ the Son of God, the Redeemer
of all, & unto death
I do not tremble to preach. For your gods are mute simulacra,
constructed of metals of gold and silver, which
both lack voice, & cannot move with steps, are demons
& proceeded from the father the devil: with whom also
you, if you shall not have been converted to the Lord Jesus, [He inculcates eternal punishments:]
& imbued with the wave of baptism, to eternal fire & perpetual
torments shall be assigned. We however, although temporal
punishments brought by you we suffer, are secure of
the promises of the eternal King.

[7] When S. Peregrinus the Bishop had spoken these things, Caesar
filled with great fury, said: [Afflicted with various torments] Not only does this man
resist sacrificing to our gods, but truly even on us
by the venomed hissing of his words has inflicted many
injuries: therefore as a rebel and decrepit
let him most justly be slaughtered. The sentence pronounced, by the soldiers
beaten with fists & kicks, drawn from the presence of the tyrant,
is consigned to the executioners. So the holy of God
Peregrinus the Bishop among the hands of the lictors with the most grievous
destruction is tormented: but when now nearly all his limbs
had failed in the punishment, & the executioners saw they were
profiting nothing in him; the sword being drawn by a pestilent soldier,
he was punished by the head: [He is beheaded,] & afterwards by Christians
secretly stolen away, on account of the rage of the raging pagan
barbarians, he is said to have been buried.
But the most blessed Peregrinus the Bishop was martyred
on the day seventeenth of the Kalends of June, [16 May.]
with our Lord Jesus Christ supplying: to whom is
glory, command, & power for ages of ages.
Amen.

ANNOTATIONS.
