Peregrine of Auxerre

Saint

Peregrine of Auxerre
BornRome
Diedc. 304 AD
Bouhy, France
Venerated inCatholic Church[1]
FeastMay 16
Attributesconverting pagans; overturning idols; founding Auxerre cathedral;[2] sometimes in the dress of a pilgrim in reference to his name (peregrinus means pilgrim in Latin); snake[3]
Patronageagainst snake bites[2]

Peregrine (Peregrinus) of Auxerre (French: Saint Pèlerin, 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.[4]

At Intaranum –present-day Entrains-sur-Nohain– Peregrine angered the governor after he 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.[5] Other companions included Marsus, his priest; Corcodomus, his deacon; and Jovian his subdeacon.[3]

  1. ^ Watkins, Basil (2015). The Book of Saints: A Comprehensive Biographical Dictionary (8th ed.). Bloomsbury T&T. p. 581. ISBN 9780567664150. Retrieved 8 December 2022 – via Google Books.
  2. ^ a b La cathédrale Saint-Etienne d’Auxerre - 2. Saint Pèlerin Archived 2009-04-01 at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ a b San Pellegrino d'Auxerre
  4. ^ "st_peregrine". Archived from the original on 2011-09-27. Retrieved 2007-07-24.
  5. ^ "Patron Saints Index: Saint Jovinian of Auxerre". Archived from the original on 2012-08-28. Retrieved 2007-07-24.