Saint John of Thérouanne

Saint John, the man of God, was born in the bishopric of Thérou évêché de Thérouanne Episcopal see of Saint Folquin. anne, in a place named Warneton which the river Lys bathes with its peaceful waters. His parents were honest people in the eyes of the world, and God-fearing. They took great care to give alms, to provide clothing to those who were naked, and to piously practice other works of mercy. At his holy baptism, they gave their son the name John. From his earliest childhood, he gave proofs of the special attention of divine Providence toward him. His rapid progress in his initial literary studies attracted general admiration and foreshadowed that one day he would be great and raised above others; he had, in fact, much less ardor for the games of his age than other children, and he occupied himself seriously with the things he had to learn: attending the pious gatherings of the faithful, conforming to the orders of his superiors, such was the object of his habitual care. When he had emerged from childhood and reached the point where it is a matter of choosing between the two paths that present themselves, he prudently avoided the path on the left, and as a traveler enlightened about the goal toward which he was tending, he entered resolutely into the narrow and difficult road that was on his right. Despising the vain fictions of the poets, he applied all the forces of his mind to the search for the hidden meanings of the divine Scriptures, a science that nourishes and fortifies the inner man and makes him advance in the love of God. He had above all two masters remarkable for the integrity of their lives: one, Lambert of Utrecht, a master of great religion and great science; the other, even greater in the judgment of all, Ivo, who was later bishop of Ch artres, and who well proved his profoun Yves, qui fut depuis évêque de Chartres Bishop and famous canonist, contemporary of Humbaud. d religion and his sublime science through the monasteries he instituted and the books he wrote. John was their student so docile, he listened at the same time with such attention to the intimate word of Him who, by His divine anointing, knows how to make every perfect teaching penetrate our heart, that soon one could hardly find in all of France anyone who was above him in the double regard of morals or science. Then he returned to his country, bringing with him treasures more precious than gold, more estimable than precious stones.

He remained for some time in Lille, a famous city where Baldwin had just founded a church. He was a member of the numerous clergy of this church, but he was there only in body, for his spirit, detached from the world, was always occupied with heavenly things; he read, he prayed, he remained in his room, and he went to the church whenever he was required to be there. While others sought vanities, spectacles, or made a spectacle of themselves by performing before the public, he carefully fled all these follies, and if he happened to encounter them on his path, he would pass by with gravity, quickening his pace and without even wishing to look at them. Thus, everyone venerated his holiness, and many even strove to imitate him.

As nothing was to be lacking in this collection of perfect virtues, he resolved to leave the world externally, which he already despised and trampled underfoot in his interior. He therefore went to find Abbot John, a man of great holiness, who at that time directed the monastery of Mont-Saint-Eloi, distant about three thousand paces from the city of Arras, and placed himse lf humbly und ville d'Arras City where Frédéric serves as provost. er his guidance. The man of God received him with extreme joy and gave many thanks to the Lord, who sent him such a great consolation. As he himself observed the rule of Saint Augustine and had imposed it upon his religious, he thought that the piety and prudence of John would be of very great utility to him in achieving his ends. Indeed, John's conduct in the monastery was such that he was useful to all, both by word and by example.

However, unde r Pope Urban I pape Urbain II Pope who preached the First Crusade. I, of holy memory, sitting on the chair of the Prince of the Apostles, the church of Arras recovered the freedom it had once enjoyed and was separated from the church of Cambrai. Then, after prayer and fasting, the clergy and people of the other churches of the new diocese were assembled in Arras, and, with the grace of the Lord and the order of the venerable Pope Urban, the election was held according to the canons. The choice fell upon Lambert, canon and grand cantor of the church of Lille, a man worthy to be invested with pontifical insignia. Lambert was completely unaware of this fact: he did not know what was to happen when he responded to the invitation to come to Arras. He was therefore taken, dragged against his will; indeed, he opposed it with all his might and made his protests heard regarding the episcopal chair. Now, as Raynauld, Archbishop of Reims, delayed consecrating him, he took advantage of this delay and went to Rome with some members of his clergy, and there, prostrate at the feet of the Pope, he ardently requested the favor of being relieved of the burden that had just been imposed upon him. But the Pope, far from acceding to his desires, wished to consecrate him with his own hands and sent him back to his church filled with apostolic privileges. Then he began to traverse with great vigilance the field that the Lord had just entrusted to his care. Numerous disorders had been introduced by the negligence of the head of the household. Thorns and briars grew in complete freedom; useless tares choked the wheat; the task was arduous, and he saw that he could not suffice alone. He resolved, consequently, to associate with his pastoral solicitude several religious and prudent men, so that, giving each of them a part of his heavy burden, he could be relieved and work without being overwhelmed by the weight. He chose, among others, the venerable John, with whom he had lived in the most intimate manner, and whom he had had as a companion in the study of the Holy Scriptures under Yves, their common master. But John began to refuse and to oppose with all his might the realization of Lambert's wish, so much did he struggle to leave, even for a little while, the state of contemplation in which he found his delight. It was necessary, to force him to yield, for the bishop to have recourse to censures and impose a penalty on the entire community where he was. He was therefore forced to surrender, and he discharged his duties as archdeacon with such equity and selflessness that he earned the esteem and profound veneration of all those with whom he was in contact.

The church of the Morins had been, for twenty years already, in a dreadful state of persecution from without and unrest from within. To Bishop Drogon, of happy memory, had succeeded Hubert, who, after receiving a cruel wound, had yielded to violence and taken refuge in the monastery of Saint-Bertin. Then an intruder came to seize the episcopal see by force. This man was named Lambert of Belle. Aided by the Count of Flanders, he broke the doors of the church of Thérouanne and entered despite the clergy, whom he dispersed here and there; and for nearly two years, he possessed, or rather tormented and persecuted, this unfortunate church. However, he was punished for his sacrilegious audacity, and those very people who had raised him up were the executors of divine justice upon him, for they cut off his tongue and the fingers of his right hand. He was driven out shamefully, and the clergy, in agreement with the people, substituted for him Gérard, who began to practice simony ignominiously, to misappropriate the goods of the Church, and was deposed by Pope Urban. Then confusion was at its height; the archdeacons and members of the cathedral clergy chose a canon of Saint-Omer named Erkembode; but the elect refused stubbornly, and the election had to be started over. They then nominated Aubert of Amiens, who had just received a canonry in the church of Thérouanne, despite the canons that forbid an ecclesiastic from being enrolled in two city churches at once. But the abbots, for their part, accepted neither of these choices, and, burning with zeal for the house of God, they desired to give this diocese a worthy and faithful steward. Having therefore invoked the Holy Spirit, and with the fear of the Lord before their eyes, they chose John, archdeacon of Arras, to place him at the head of the holy Church of God, for they knew that his life was irreproachable, his knowledge recognized everywhere, and they found him endowed with all the qualities suitable for worthily discharging an administration that had become so difficult. Soon, led by a divine instinct, the laity aligned with their opinion, and John was also the choice of their hearts. The others, for their part, protested with much noise, and the matter reached the point where it was necessary to refer it to the decision of the Pope.

A general council was at that moment assembled in Rome; the cause of the diocese of Thérouanne was therefore examined there. Archdeacon John, whose holiness was known everywhere, was designated by the council and confirmed by the Pope as bishop of Thérouanne. All this was done without the knowledge of the one whom the matter concerned most, for it was feared with reason that he might escape by flight, and, in order to prevent him from executing this design when he should come to know of his election, letters were obtained from the Sovereign Pontiff in which he spoke to him in these terms:

"Urban, bishop, servant of the servants of God, to his beloved son John, archdeacon of Arras, greeting and apostolic blessing.

"As it has been reported to us that you have been elected bishop of the Church of the Morins, by the common suffrage of all religious men, both of the clergy and of the people, we rejoice greatly. Therefore, by the authority of the Apostolic See, we confirm and corroborate this election, and by the same authority we forbid you to withdraw from it for any reason whatsoever."

These letters were delivered to him at the moment he least expected it, and when he had seen what they contained, he was struck with such great sorrow that he was weary and tired of living any longer. He considered the enormity of the burden that weighed upon him, the extreme difficulty of governing a Church whose external affairs were in disorder, and whose interior was above all in the most complete indiscipline and laxity.

In the despondency into which his reflections plunged him, he did not know where to turn. Finally, he took a stand and resolved to navigate as best he could, and with the help of the Lord, upon a stormy sea, rather than expose himself to disobedience.

It was in the year of the Incarnation of Our Lord Jesus Christ 1099. That same year, on the 2nd of the Nones of June, he received the order of the priesthood, and the following month, on the 16th of the Kalends of August, he was consecrated bishop in the city of Reims by Archbishop Manasses. He was received at Thérouanne with joyful acclamations from the clergy, the nobles, and all the people, and was solemnly enthroned in the pontifical chair on the 9th of the Kalends of the same month.

Who could, I will not say state, but even sufficiently investigate to what extent he was sober for himself, just toward his subjects and his neighbor, and pious toward God, from the moment he was invested with the pontifical dignity? I who speak thus, I say only the truth, for I lived near him for fourteen years, and I say only what I have seen myself or what I have learned from men most worthy of faith who knew him in the intimacy of his life.

From his childhood, he obtained the gift of a modesty so perfect, and by the grace of God, he kept a chastity so great, that he was never even suspected, although we know that he had to resist several solicitations from women blinded by concupiscence. He chastised his other senses with such care that no impure word ever fell from his mouth, his gaze never expressed pride or curiosity, and his ear never opened to listen to vain things. He mortified his taste and his sense of smell by the rules of a severe abstinence. He never consumed meat, not even in his old age. Only three years before his death, a cardinal priest, legate of the Apostolic See, having come to visit him and finding him so weak that he could barely walk and celebrate the holy mysteries, began to beg him insistently to change his habit and to nourish himself henceforth with meat, at least from time to time. We joined this priest humbly, and we could obtain nothing from him. Finally, it required an express command, in the name of God and the Apostles, and by virtue of obedience, to compel him to consume meat sometimes in very small quantities. As for his clothing, he took care to observe great modesty in this, wearing nothing too precious, nor choosing anything too vile.

As soon as he was raised to the episcopal seat, he took care to surround himself with men of proven religion, whom he chose to work with him in the vineyard of the Father of the family. He also often had with him several religious abbots having the zeal of God and striving to walk in his footsteps: Conon of Arrouaise, who was later bishop and legate of the Apostolic See in France; Lambert of Saint-Bertin, Bernard of Waten, Gerard of Ham, and several others. Such was the society of the servant of Jesus Christ; and, in their company, he found consolation and strength to endure the sorrows and troubles of the exile of this world. They were the witnesses of his private conduct, they were also the witnesses of his public works; and always what he told others to do, he had first given the example in his own works; his preaching was always in agreement with his action. He was always occupied with spiritual meditation, or with the reading of holy books, or with conversations on the contempt of the world and the love of God, or else, alone with God, he poured himself out in ardent prayers for himself and for those entrusted to him. The bishop was the first at the night vigils, at the morning offices; he was harsh to himself and indulgent to others, to the point of avoiding disturbing their rest by the slightest noise when he happened to precede the hour of common prayer. He then withdrew into the secret of his heart, and there, after having chased away the trouble of worldly thoughts, he prayed devoutly to his heavenly Father and remained in this exercise of meditation or reading until the hour of Prime; then, after Prime, he did the same until Terce. Afterward, he prepared himself for the celebration of the Mass, a duty he performed himself every day, or at least very frequently. At his table, a sacred reading was performed every day, so that the inner man received his nourishment at the same time as the outer man took his.

In the early days of his episcopate, he began by repairing the exterior and interior of the church of Saint Mary of Thérouanne, which he had found in a state of complete decay. He even rebuilt it in large part, and when he had, with the help of wood and stone, rebuilt this exterior temple, with other spiritual woods and other living stones, he restored it in a much more useful way, for he brought in all the learned ecclesiastics of good morals that he could find who were not enrolled in any Church, that is to say, who had no benefice, and he ensured them a suitable and sufficient pension taken from the revenues of the Church. We know, and in all truth we bear witness that, throughout the time of his pontificate, he abstained so much from any spirit of greed that never, by any means whatsoever, did he exercise the slightest exaction on his subjects, clerics or laymen. He never even wanted to collect the fines that the laws impose (in certain cases of violation of ecclesiastical constitutions), although many blamed him for acting thus. Thus it happened that the clergy was more useful and more venerated in the Church of God, and that the malicious no longer had any occasion to disparage the priests of the Lord.

He strove, both by his words and by his example, to bring back to the right way of life other ecclesiastics of this diocese who, for a long time already, had walked the broad paths of the world and followed the desires of the flesh. He found some who were infected with the plague of simony, and he resolved to use all his strength to fight and annihilate it. The churches of Ypres and Formeselles were in the hands of men defiled by this heresy; he took them away from them by canonical means, and rented the Lord's vineyard to other laborers. When he had thus delivered the church of Ypres, after having held it for some time under his immediate care, he gave it to regular brothers, placed an abbot at their head, and entrusted it to them forever. He completely reformed Formeselles, and in these two churches, the rule of Saint Augustine was henceforth followed, and all revenues were held in common. He also instituted, in different places, seven monasteries and even more; he placed there congregations of monks or clerics resolved to live according to the rule of the Apostles. As for the other ecclesiastics who had to govern the people of God according to the different degrees of the hierarchy, he knew how to warn them, or even force them to watch with care over the fulfillment of the duties of their office and the practice of virtues.

We recall that a son of iniquity, driven by the counsel of wicked men in whom the demon acted, once wished to take his life. God alone was his protector and prevented the wiles of the enemy from harming this just man. He was crossing a small village through which it was known he had to pass. Suddenly, a madman threw himself upon him, spear in hand, and sought to strike him. The priest of the Lord turned at the cries he heard ringing behind him; he looked at the assassin without trembling, without seeking to flee, although he was then on horseback and his enemy on foot; the man of God did not fear death, he desired it, in order to be sooner with Jesus Christ. Then a miracle of divine power occurred: the weapon thrown by the wicked man stopped in mid-air and remained suspended above the head of the pontiff. The enemy had only shame for his efforts; he fled, and the Saint forbade anyone to pursue him. But God took charge of the vengeance, and the assassin, as well as his accomplices, soon died after being afflicted with various punishments.

Meanwhile, the good works of the holy bishop had made him an object of favor in the eyes of God, and of love for good and virtuous men. What was learned of him by reputation was great indeed, but one had an even greater idea of him when in his presence. His face was adorned with a kind of angelic beauty; something divine radiated constantly from his countenance; he was as if surrounded by a sphere of respect, one could not see him without immediately venerating him, without feeling drawn toward him by an irresistible attraction of the heart. He had such familiarity and credit with Pope Paschal II, of happy memory, that he regarded him as one of his dearest friends. Thus, he obtained fr pape Paschal II Pope who authorized the foundation of the monastery in 1104. om him everything he asked, among other things privileges for the monasteries he had founded. The same Pope had such confidence in his integrity and wisdom that he often delegated him to handle various matters concerning churches or individuals in his stead. He also entrusted him with the care of governing other churches deprived of their pastors. However, John did not boast of all these prerogatives; he did not even usually make use of them, or at most acted only enough not to be exposed to the sin of disobedience. We could say much more on this subject; but these few details will suffice to recall the memory of the virtues of our holy pastor.

There is, however, a fact that must not be passed over in silence and which for a long time one wished to see written down. About fifteen years before his death, he was traveling through his diocese, according to his habits of pastoral solicitude, when he arrived at a place called Merckem (between Diksmuide and Ypres), where he received hospitality. Near the church courtyard was a fortification, a kind of very high fortified castle, built many years before by the lord of that land. A wide and deep moat surrounded this castle, which had communication with the rest of the village only by a bridge supported on beams at intervals, resting on one side on the outer edge of the moat, and on the other on the rampart of the fortress itself, where one could only enter after climbing along this bridge arranged on a slope. The pontiff was lodged in this castle with his numerous and venerable retinue. After having laid on hands and administered the strengthening anointing of the sacred chrism to a great crowd of people in the church and the courtyard, he returned to his lodging to change his vestments, because he then had to bless a cemetery intended to receive the bodies of the faithful. As he was descending from the castle and was toward the middle of the bridge, at a height of at least thirty-five feet, he stopped; he was then surrounded by a large crowd that preceded and followed him, accompanying him to his right and to his left. Suddenly the bridge buckled, broke, and, amidst a horrible cracking sound and a cloud of dust, all these people were precipitated into the moat with their bishop. Here comes to my mind the shipwreck of the apostle Saint Paul, when God granted to his prayers the life of all the people who were with him. It was the same this time, for, despite the jumble of everyone, despite the fall of the beams, planks, and so many construction materials, no one was injured; and John himself, his face still amiable and cheerful, having water only up to his knees, freed himself, gave thanks to God, and cried out: The demon wanted to prevent the work of God, but he will not prevail, for God is always with us; then, without stopping for an instant, he went to bless the cemetery.

Such brilliant virtues, such extraordinary testimonies of God's protection, had already contributed much to spreading the reputation of holiness of the worthy bishop of the Morini throughout the country. The works he performed confirmed this general sentiment every day. His wisdom was manifested in a striking manner in various councils, in 1099 at that of Saint-Omer, in 1114 at that of Beauvais, and in 1115 at those of Reims and Châlons. Among the churches he restored or built, his cathedral is cited, which he rebuilt from top to bottom. He consecrated the church of Loo, near Diksmuide, in 1099; in 1106 that of Arrouaise, destined to become the mother house of a numerous congregation, and in 1123 the church of Nonnenbosche, a Benedictine abbey founded in a rural place named Rumettre, near Ypres. At various times he granted privileges to the abbey of Andres, established regular canons at Choques, near Béthune, reformed the abbey of Saint-Pierre of Ghent or Blandenberg, made donations in various places, or issued regulations to maintain fervor and the spirit of regularity. The zeal of the blessed John was not restricted to the bounds of his diocese, and his well-known wisdom meant that many resorted to his advice, sometimes even to his intervention in their difficulties. Ivo of Chartres himself requested his assistance in an important matter, concerning the election of a bishop at Beauvais. He addressed him as the one among the bishops of the province of Reims who could have the most influence with his archbishop, to reject an unworthy subject whom, against the express prohibition of the Pope, they wanted to place on this episcopal seat. The learned bishop of Chartres sent his letter to Lambert of Arras and John of Thérouanne, both his former students and the dearest of his disciples. "Always," he told them, "you have had at heart to repel the wolves that wanted to enter the sheepfolds of the Lord, and, like faithful guardians in the house of God, to attack them if they approached. We therefore exhort your religion to do today by obedience what you formerly did by love of justice. You, therefore, who are suffragans of the church of Reims, warn your metropolitan, so that, according to the tenor of the letters that the Pope has sent to the inhabitants of Beauvais, he may exhort the clerics of this church to make, as is their duty, a canonical election." In another circumstance, where it was a question of the election of a bishop for the church of Tournai, which since the episcopate of Saint Médard had been united to that of Noyon, the blessed John spoke out again with holy freedom so that the instructions given by the Pope would be followed. This confidence of the sovereign Pontiff toward the venerable bishop of Thérouanne manifested itself from the very first times of his episcopate.

He had much to suffer during the last three years of his life. Every day he was a witness to things he could not see without extreme pain. For after the death of the glorious servant of God, Charles the Good, Count of Flan Charles le Bon Count of Flanders, martyr for justice and protector of the poor. ders and martyr (1127), the land was abandoned to the hands of the impious, according to what the Scripture says. There was nothing but theft and brigandage, fraud and perjury, pillaging and arson, homicide and combat. All this deeply afflicted the heart so full of charity of our good Father.

Two months before his death, he began to experience a great distaste for food; he could take nothing more than a little milk. More serious symptoms having declared themselves, he had the priests of the church brought in, who, according to apostolic authority, anointed him with holy oil and poured over him the prayer of faith. He had first confessed his sins, then he received the sacred body and blood of the Lord, gave the kiss of peace to all, and dismissed them in order to unite himself more closely to God through contemplation. He had all he possessed given to the poor, so as to follow, poor himself, Christ his master, who was poor and had not had a place on earth to rest his head. He gave his manuscripts, his clothes, and the sacred vessels he had in great number to the church; then he thought only of praying and conversing gently about the things of heaven with his intimate friends. He then predicted to us several things that we have seen come to pass since, and arranged the order of his burial, keeping until the end the use of all his faculties, which had always been so eminent. He had forbidden anyone to be let in, unless he himself gave permission. However, an immense crowd was at the door, having rushed from the city and from outside, from the most distant parts of the diocese. Men and women of every rank were there, waiting humbly for the opportunity to receive the blessing of the holy prelate. They hoped, they said, that they would not be refused, as children, the chance to see their beloved father one last time. They asked, they begged, they complained and lamented; several had even sworn not to leave without having been admitted. Overcome by so much importunity, we said a few words about it to the holy bishop; he made a sign of the head that allowed them to enter. They then entered in the greatest silence; he opened his eyes, raised his hand, and blessed them. Other people then came from all sides; we introduced them in the same order at fairly long intervals of time, then we dismissed them. He, however, persevered in his silence, his eyes almost always closed; he was given over to uninterrupted contemplation and prayer. His pains were very sharp; but he had so much patience that he lay there, tranquil and silent, without uttering any complaint, any groan. Finally, on the second day of the week, at the first hour of the day, he began to enter his agony. Then, according to his will, we placed him on a hairshirt covered with ashes; the doors were opened, the clerics and monks rushed in, and we began to chant the psalms with much attention and fervor. But everyone was weeping so much, the groans and lamentations of the men and women were so numerous and so loud, that one could no longer distinguish the voices of those who were chanting from the accents of those who were weeping. We thus went through the greater part of the Psalter; we were repeating the office of the commendation of the soul for the second time, when at last this faithful soul stripped itself of the heavy burden of its body, which appeared to be enjoying a sweet sleep, and advanced to enter into possession of that rest of immortality for which he had so sighed and so labored. He always held the Catholic faith, he persevered until the end in good works; thus the mercy of the Lord gave him the crown of glory. He departed from this world in the year of the Incarnation of Our Lord Jesus Christ 1130, on January 27, at the third hour of the day, after having governed the church of Thérouanne for thirty years, six months, and three days.

For several days, his body was publicly exposed to the veneration of the faithful.

The bishops of Arras and Amiens performed the funeral ceremony with extraordinary pomp. The body of the Saint was buried in his cathedral church.

## ST. DEVOTA, P S^{te} DÉVOTE Virgin and martyr, patron saint of Monaco. ATRONESS OF MONACO, VIRGIN AND MARTYR (300).

Devota, a virgin, born, as it is reported, in Mariana, a city once important on the isla nd of Corsic île de Corse Place of the martyrdom of Saint Julia. a, suffered martyrdom for Jesus Christ under the emperors Diocletian and Maximian. She had the good fortune to have as a nurse a Christian woman, who communicated to her with her milk the precious nourishment of religion. Having learned of the imminent arrival in Corsica of a Roman envoy who was coming to incite persecution against the Christians, she withdrew to the house of Eutychius, a patrician and senator; and there, devoting herself day and night to the reading of the holy books, to prayer, and to the fasts which she observed continually, except on the day of the Lord's resurrection, she prepared herself, as if she had a premonition of the future, for the supreme combat that awaited her. Eutychius had often exhorted her to temper somewhat the austerity of her way of life; but he finally understood how true was the answer she was accustomed to give him, namely: that she found sufficient refreshment in the heavenly gifts that God granted her; beneath the thinness and paleness of the young girl's face, he saw an effusion of divine light appear, the radiance of which he could hardly bear.

There came then from Rome to the island of Corsica a president by the name of Barbarus, and an accusation soon made him aware that there was, hidden in the house of Eutychius, a Christian virgin whom one could not persuade to repudiate Christ nor to venerate the gods. The president then proposed to Eutychius that he send her to him, certain of making her change her mind through threats or torments. Eutychius replied that he had such esteem for the virgin that he could not deliver her at any price. Upon this, the cunning president suspended the execution of his design, and fearing that the affair would not be without peril for him if he engaged in a struggle with a man of such rank and authority, he thought it better to get rid of Eutychius first. Some time later, the senator succumbed to poison, and immediately Devota was seized and dragged before the tribunal. Summoned to sacrifice to the gods, she replied that she rendered each day, in the purity of her heart, worship to the true God; as for the gods of wax, clay, and stone, seeing that they are nothing but simulacra, works made by the hand of man, which have neither reason nor feeling, she despised them sovereignly. At this, Barbarus, transported with fury, ordered that she be dragged over rocky and uneven ground, and finally that she be suspended on the rack, where, as she was expiring, one saw a white dove issue from her mouth, which took its flight on high and disappeared into the sky.

As the order had been given to burn the virgin's body the following day, two clerics, who were hiding in the vicinity for fear of the pagans, warned by a heavenly vision, removed it at night, embalmed it with the help of several young Christian girls, and placed it in a boat to transport it to Africa. But the wind having become stronger, and the boat, which had remained dry on the shore for quite some time, sagging a little from the water it was taking on, the boatman had to work hard for a good part of the night, so much so that afterwards, overcome by sleep and fatigue, he fell asleep for a while. And behold, it seemed to him that he saw Devota, who warned him that the wind and the sea were now calm, and that the boat was and would henceforth be impenetrable to water; that he should steer in the direction where he and the priest who was with him would see a dove fly out of her mouth, until they arrived at a place named Monachon, of the monks. Then the boatman, rising and obeying the word he had heard, happily reached the port of Hercules Monoecus (Monaco), preceded by the dove which showed him the way, and which stopped at tha Monaco Place of burial and patronage of Saint Devota. t place, that is to say between Nice and Albintemelium (Ventimiglia). Since then, Saint Devota has been honored with great celebrity in this country, where it is reported that she has been seen more than once appearing at the top of the citadel to deliver it from enemies. However, the Corsicans, so as not to be deprived of every token of Saint Devota, their compatriot, whom they venerate as the principal patroness of their island, obtained from the inhabitants of Monaco, in 1687, some of her relics to keep and venerate.

A dove guiding the skiff where her relics are found is the attribute of Saint Devota.

Breviary of Ajaccio.