Saint Eptadius of Autun

Then his many friends, his neighbors, and his relatives, of whom he was the glory and the joy, urged him to think of a marriage alliance and all set out to find a spouse worthy of uniting with him and entering his family. A suitable match was soon found: the wedding day was even already set. But Providence had views quite different from those of men. Suddenly, Eptadius was seized by a violent fever. The illness quickly reached a frightening intensity, and all human remedies seemed powerless, when one day, struck by the holiness of some virgins consecrated to God who had come to visit him on his bed of pain, the sick man vowed to consecrate himself like them to the divine Spouse of souls to devote himself to the relief of human miseries, if his health were restored. Soon he was healed, and we shall see how he kept his word. Born of a noble and opulent family, formed by excellent studies, enriched with all the knowledge that the most careful liberal education provides, Eptadius saw a brilliant career opening before him. It is even believed that he had already been judged worthy to exercise the important office of moneyer in Autun. But renouncing all business as well as all the pom ps of the monétaire Important civil office held by Eptadius before his religious life. century, he henceforth opened his soul only to heavenly thoughts, occupied himself only with good works, and used his fortune to relieve the poor. Moreover, making himself poor and embracing the humility and the cross of Jesus Christ, instead of fine linen he wore a rough hair shirt against his skin, lived on barley bread joined with a few vegetables seasoned with a little salt or vinegar; and even then, he took this meager food only after sunset. Often he was even seen to go two, three, and up to four days without eating. Rich, he deprived himself to give more to the needy; innocent, he did penance for others. He was seen remaining for long hours prostrate before God and mingling with the holy groans of prayer abundant tears that bathed his emaciated cheeks.

A life so extraordinary in this young man, so rich and so distinguished, attracted general attention. Soon people flocked from all sides to him to gather from his mouth some words of edification, to consult his high wisdom which was regarded almost as inspired, to implore his assistance, and to ask for his help in spiritual and bodily needs. Young people venerated him as the best of fathers, the elderly cherished him as the most tender and loving son; all had for him an affection mixed with respect. No one could resist the gentle and strong influence exerted by his amenity, his sweetness, and his persuasive speech.

Flavichon, Bishop of Autun, loved the pious young man with a fatherly tenderness; and, no doubt to prepare a worthy successor in him, he wished to raise him to holy orders. But neither the wishes of the people nor the solicitations of the pontiff could overcome the resistance of Eptadius; for his humility was even greater than his merit. The pontiff was obliged to yield, at least for the moment, before a refusal so persistent and firm. It appears, however, that later, probably under Pragmatius, Flavichon's successor, new entreaties succeeded in triumphing over the stubborn fear that the consciousness of his own unworthiness had inspired in our Saint, at the sight of the height at which the priesthood was placed. Several ancient manuscripts or martyrologies indeed give him the title of priest of Autun, of priest and confessor.

Raised to the priesthood after having long refused it, Eptadius was soon called to an even more eminent dignity, the episcopa te. Cl Clovis King of the Franks, mentioned to date the existence of the church. ovis, informed not only by fame but also by his own eyes of all the good that the immense charity of the man of God was doing, thought of him immediately as soon as the great see of Auxerre became vacant by the death of the holy bishop Censure (502). But as the illustrious citizen of Autun was not his subject, he asked for him himself from Gundobad in an interview on the banks of the Cure, where the two princes finally signed peace after a fierce war. The King of the Burgundians, understanding all the loss his states were about to suffer, would have, says history, ceded a province or an entire army with less pain: he was even almost tempted to refuse the King of the Franks. However, so as not to break with his powerful conqueror, he finally consented, though not without difficulty, to the required sacrifice and granted Eptadius.

The King of the Franks, delighted with the precious acquisition he had just made in the person of Eptadius, hastened to present him to the church of Auxerre. The election did not waver; for besides the fact that the monarch's wish could be regarded as an order, it anticipated all desires. The clergy, the nobility, the people of the city, the people of the countryside, applauding the royal choice, ratified it with happiness and enthusiasm, by the most unanimous and spontaneous acclamation (the year 500). Nothing remained but the consent of Eptadius, for everything had been done without his knowledge. They perhaps thought to make it impossible for him to refuse; but they had reckoned without his humility, which this time was to be intractable. He received the news of his election with the most energetic refusal. "No," he cried out in a loud and firm voice, "no, I will not be a bishop. What! A miserable sinner like me would accept such an eminent dignity, would take upon himself the crushing burden of such a charge! Never." And immediately, leaving his cell, he ran to hide in solitude in the midst of the mountains and in the heart of the deep forests of the Morvan, in order to escape the solicitations of the king and the entreaties of the envoys of Auxerre. Never did an ambitious man do as much to attain honors as he did to escape them. The fear of the episcopate had made him flee far from the city and the world: he returned to it henceforth only at the call of charity or piety, and settled definitively with a few disciples in a deserte d plac Cervon Place of retreat and monastic foundation of the saint in the Morvan. e named Cervon (Cervidunum, mountain of the stags), not far from Corbigny, spending nights and days in fasting, holy psalmody, and prayer, and begging the Lord to be pleased to realize forever in his favor the words of the Prophet: "Lo, I have fled far away, and remained in the wilderness."

His prayer was answered. Clovis, seeing that nothing was capable of drawing him from his distant and deep retreat, was forced to yield. However, he did not surrender at discretion: they reached a compromise. The king pledged by oath never to speak to him again of the episcopate; Eptadius, for his part, promised to pray for the monarch and his people, to occupy himself as before with the care and redemption of Roman, Burgundian, or other captives, of whatever race they might be, and to be the distributor of royal alms to prisoners, widows, orphans, and all the needy. Clovis's good works were to pass through his hands. Eptadius hastened to exercise his duties, which had from then on become in some way official, for the king sent him a considerable sum which he placed at the disposal of his charity. It took nothing less than this solemn promise to reassure his humility, which was so greatly frightened, and to engage him to leave his pious solitude at least from time to time. Moreover, the conditions that Clovis had imposed upon him, far from being a burden, were in accordance with his wishes. It was a joy for him to be able to resume in full liberty the works of mercy that had always been, and would always be since then, the occupation of his life. However, he only left his dear cell when zeal or charity demanded it. Thus, he returned to it as soon as possible, to rest his soul in the midst of his brothers in a pious calm, and to retemper it in prayer before flying again to the rescue of some misery.

It was then that for the spiritual good of so many unfortunates of whom he was the visible providence, Eptadius humbly bowed under the burden of the admirable dignity of the priesthood. Uniting the apostolate of faith with the apostolate of charity, at the same time that he shook off all miseries and nourished bodies with material bread, he nourished souls with the divine word, regenerating them and strengthening them through the virtue of the sacraments.

Meanwhile, Burgundian bands set out for Italy, ravaged a province, and brought back numerous prisoners from their raids. At this news, Eptadius rushed to them. The savage warriors, subjugated by his words, released all these unfortunates who were soon able to see their desolate homeland again and console so many weeping families with their return. Shortly after, the Saint had a new opportunity to exercise his tireless charity. By the orders of the King of Burgundy, a stronghold in the Limousin, named Idonum, was taken by assault, and the entire population it contained was reduced to slavery and led away captive. Eptadius learned of this terrible misfortune. Immediately falling to his knees with his face to the ground, he began to pray and shed abundant tears before God; then, rising full of divine strength, he wrote to Sigismund, so n and suc Sigismond King of Burgundy to whom Pelade predicted his ruin. cessor of Gundobad. He demanded in the name of God the release of all captives of free condition. The king was at first astonished by this holy boldness, but he dared not resist. Eptadius's request seemed to him to be an order from heaven: he obeyed, and three thousand of these poor people of all ages and both sexes, recently plunged into the most extreme sorrow, now returned to liberty and protected by a suitable escort, returned joyfully to their country, blessing God and their admirable liberator (346).

The great war which ended in the glory of Clovis, with the defeat and death of Alaric, King of the Visigoths, also provided our Saint with the opportunity to exercise his charity. The Franks, after their victory, had taken an innumerable multitude of captives, and everywhere one found these unfortunates taken from their homeland, alone in the midst of their victorious enemies, without help, without consolation, deprived of liberty, and even deprived of hope. But Eptadius was there: he was their providence. Going from city to city, from province to province, he paid the ransom for the greatest number of them, broke their chains, and returned them to the places that had seen them born.

God wished to honor with miracles such high virtue, which was already a marvel in itself. — A young girl possessed by the devil had frightful fits of fury. It was impossible to contain her: she broke all her bonds. They had recourse to Eptadius. The Saint went to her, and while he was in prayer, the evil spirit suddenly cried out through the mouth of the possessed girl: "One of your friends has just been murdered during the night in the nearby forest." The man of God, after delivering the poor girl, went to the indicated place where he indeed found the corpse of his friend, had it transported to the cemetery, and gave him a pious burial accompanied by many prayers and many tears. — As he was returning one day from the monastery of Saint-Pourçain, they presented to him a young person who was mute. He blessed some oil, poured a few drops into her mouth, and sent her away healed. — Another time, a priest named Paul, burned by a scorching fever, also had recourse to Eptadius, knelt before him, and begged him with a lamentable tone to be willing to heal him. The Saint, touched by compassion, immediately raised his eyes and his heart toward heaven, and by the virtue of the same Spirit that had once extinguished the flames around the three young Hebrews thrown into the fiery furnace, he extinguished the inner fire by which the poor sick man was being consumed. — Some time later, a venerable archpriest, father of this same Paul of whom we have just spoken, was struck like his son by a serious illness. He immediately sent one of his friends to Eptadius. The latter was content to write to him, and the simple application of this letter to the body of the patient sufficed to effect the cure. Several other people were subsequently healed in the same manner.

Our Saint celebrated all the feasts of the Church with a piety equal to the zeal and charity that we know him to possess; yet there were two solemnities that seemed to be dearer to him than all others: these were Christmas and the feast of Saint Symphorian. Each time the revolution of the year brought back the anniversary of the Savior's birth, he would leave the chapel of his small monastery in the middle of the night, with all his religious and a joyful troop of captives whom he had just ransomed and taken into his house, where he always had some. All carrying torches in their hands and singing sacred canticles, they would go to another church about two leagues away. The clerics of that church would come with the same ceremonies, with the same chants, to meet the pious troop. Then, when the two united processions had entered the temple, they would sing Matins and celebrate Holy Mass with great pomp, in the midst of a numerous clergy surrounded by the captives restored to liberty and the multitude of the faithful people. After the celebration of the holy mysteries, Eptadius would gather the whole assembly in a fraternal agape where they would joyfully break the fast of the holy vigil.

The solemnity of Saint Symphorian was undoubtedly no greater or more august in his eyes than that of Christmas; but it seemed to have for him an even more vivid interest, a more sensitive charm, that of a family feast. Besides his beloved solitude of Cervon, near Corbigny, there was another place also very dear to his heart: it was the abbey that possessed the body of Saint Symphorian. There he had probably formed his young years in science and virtue; and he always loved to go there often to revive and rejoice his old age, to activate more and more the sacred fire of good works that consumed him. Each year, the feast of the holy martyr saw him prostrate on the slabs of the basilica and before the eloquent remains of the one he had chosen as his patron, as his model. Then, no doubt, he believed he heard his admirable compatriot who said to him by a secret inspiration: "If God does not ask you as He did me to sacrifice your life under the edge of the sword, sacrifice your time, sacrifice your whole person through a continual devotion to procuring salvation, to relieving the miseries of your neighbor. You must not be the martyr of faith, be at least the martyr, be the hero of zeal and charity."

Every year, without exception, one could see him leave his monastery, fifty miles away (more than fifteen leagues), with three of his clerics and make his way toward Autun, ensuring he arrived at the goal of his pilgrimage three days before the great feast to which his piety called him, in order to have more time to pray and satisfy his devotion. Thus, he would spend them entirely with his forehead prostrate to the ground before the tomb of the martyr, which he watered with his tears during the night; and the clerics, coming to sing Matins, would find him still in prayer. At daybreak, he would withdraw to go and pay his homages of veneration to all the other Saints whose remains rested in the famous cemetery near the abbey, and would return to spend the following night in the basilica of Saint Symphorian. When, after the feast, he returned with his disciples to his monastery, troops of captives ransomed by him would come to meet him; and the solemnity would end in the joy of a modest feast. For his piety was as sweet and as lovable as it was solid and profound; and everywhere around him, charity made its benign influence felt under various forms.

However, the territory of Autun had just come under the dominion of the Franks in the year 525; and it is believed that it was around this time that the servant of God ended his career. Let us observe him in his final moments. Having suddenly felt the first onset of illness, he was forced to take to his bed. The malady soon made alarming progress that left no hope, and mourning became general. Everyone wanted to see the sick saint; everyone was weeping. Days and nights were spent in prayer to obtain from heaven, through holy violence, the prolongation of a life so precious, so helpful to all the unfortunate, so dear to all. But so many pious and fervent entreaties were to be in vain: the tireless laborer, who for so long had worked in the Lord's vineyard, had reached the end of his day and was irrevocably called to receive his reward. On the seventh day of his illness, as the religious, his brothers or rather his beloved sons, returned after Matins to surround his bed of pain, he dozed off for a few moments in the sleep of ecstasy and said upon waking: "My children, they have come to take me to heaven. I saw a troop of angels descending on a cloud as white as snow and all radiant with light. Then, flapping their wings as they were about to touch the earth, they stopped here near me and said to me: 'Come with us and let us depart together for the heavenly homeland.' At these words, they rose again into the air to go and alight upon the basilica where the Savior Jesus resides. Then, making a sign for me to follow, they resumed their flight toward the heavens." The Saint wished to be transported immediately to the church on a litter. It was from there, surrounded by a pious and moved crowd that had rushed to see how the righteous die and was shedding tears with prayers, that he went to receive the prize for all the good that had marked each of his steps on earth.

## CULT AND RELICS. Among the martyrologies, some place Eptadius's death in Monthelon, near Autun, others in Cervon, near Corbigny. All that is known is that there was in this place, at least from the 10th century, a church dating back to an unknown period and bearing the name of the holy priest. It is likewise certain that a feast was celebrated on April 15 to recall the memory of the solemn translation of his relics; but there are no details regarding this translation. Be that as it may, the holiness of Eptadius was so well recognized, his name so great and so dear throughout the region, and the memory of his immense charity so alive in all hearts that the Church, in agreement with the gratitude and piety of the faithful, has always awarded him the honors of public worship. Besides the sanctuary which, in Monthelon, recalled his name and consecrated his memory, or perhaps even marked the place that witnessed the final moments of this life entirely devoted to the love of God and works of mercy, the church of Viry-en-Charollais was also dedicated to him in the 12th century. Furthermore, the community that the Saint had created in his solitude in the Morvan made it a point of honor to keep his name and to recognize him as patron: it was always called Saint-Eptade de Cervon thereafter, and thus consecrated the memory of the religious veneration of which he was the object. The cult of Saint Eptadius having been substituted, in all appearance, for the cult of Vulcan in certain places where this deity was formerly honored, in order to destroy the remains of this idolatrous superstition, the holy priest was invoked as a powerful mediator against lightning and storms. For the same reason, blacksmiths placed themselves under his patronage. In the territory of the parish of Quarré-les-Tombes, three leagues from Avallon, there was still, in 1490, a chapel dedicated to Saint Eptadius who m the peop saint Tata Solitary and priest of Autun, known for his charity and his refusal of the episcopate. le call Saint Tata. It contained stone tombs that attest to the devotion of the great for this sanctuary of our Saint. To further link the monastery of Cervon to the Church of Autun, of which the holy priest is one of th e glories, Charle Charles le Chauve Emperor who confirmed the rights of the priory in the 9th century. s the Bald, by a charter of the year 843, placed it under the dependence of the cathedral of Saint-Nazaire. The monastery was later secularized like so many others and changed into a Chapter of ten canons headed by a dignitary decorated with the title of abbot. Taken from Saint Symphorien et son culte, by Abbé Dinot.