Saint Faith of Agen

But here are other missionaries who advanced towards Agen: Paternus of Toledo, a disciple of Saint Saturnin; Firminus of Pamplona, who began his mission in Agen, continued it through Auvergne, Anjou, and the Beauvaisis, and went to finish it in Amiens. Unfortunately, the laborers of the Gospel were still rare, and most of the bishoprics established by Saint Martial were soon without pastors. If the Church of Agen had bishops during the time of the persecutions, their names have remai ned unk Caprais First known bishop of Agen, martyr with Saint Faith. nown. Caprasius is the first who is known, and he only occupied this see towards the end of the 3rd century.

Caprasius belonged to an illustrious family of Agen which, early on, and no doubt in the times of Martial or Firminus, had embraced Christianity: his father was named Faustus.

As a faithful guardian of his flock, Caprasius watched over it until the moment when God called him to the solemn sacrifice and presented him with the palm of martyrdom.

Let the Agenais legends speak: "While the cruel Maximian held the scepter of the Roman Empire and crushed the universal monarchy under his dominion, the Christians, bowed under his iron yoke and no longer able to withstand the tyrant's rage, fled far from their homes to go and ask the wild beasts for asylum in their forests or their caves. Others, less fortunate, believed they would find a more secure retreat in the detours and underground passages of their churches; but if they happened to be discovered, they were devoted to the most cruel and diverse tortures, until the moment of their entry into heaven, after having conquered the palm of immortality on earth.

"It was under this frightful storm that the same emperor entrusted to a sacrilegious man, named Dacian, the dictatorship of the Spains. Devoured by a thirst for carnage, he burned to quench it in the blood of the Christians. Proud of the edicts that allowed him to tear the bodies of the holy phalanx, he bowed a great number of illustrious cities of the West under the scepter of his dominion. He overwhelmed them under the weight of his insolent brutality, and the blood of the martyrs flowed in streams at the foot of the idols.

"These crimes multiplied with a formidable increase, when Dacian, that ferocious brigand, that ardent devastator of the Church of the West, advanced towards Agen. Already he rushed through the angry waves of the Garonne, and he entered, accompanied by a numerous escort, into this city protected by immense ramparts.

In our account, it would have been difficult for us, moreover, to dedicate a biography to each of them without falling into trivialities, without crumbling the narrative and making it languish. These acts are a drama in which all the parts hold together.

The feast of Saint Alberta is marked, in the Proper of Agen, on March 11; that of Saint Fa ith on Oct sainte Foi Young virgin martyr of Agen, tortured on a gridiron. ober 6; that of Saint Primus and Saint Felician on October 7; that of the numerous unnamed Martyrs on October 26.

"At his approach, the frightened Christians abandoned the city and went to seek a retreat in the depths of the forests or the caves of the rocks. Reduced to the food of animals, they had, to appease their hunger, only roots or wild fruits, considering themselves too happy to be able to escape in this way from the bloody hands of the tyrant. Caprasius was in the midst of the faithful troop and sought everywhere a refuge in the rocks that bordered the city. He climbed clandestinely up the slope of this mountain that the ancients called by the name of Pompejac, today Mont-Saint-Vincent.

"At the feet of this mountain rises, surrounded by ramparts, this city that the Aronces called by the name of Agen and decorated with magnificence. The impl acable Dacian had b L'implacable Dacien Roman governor in Spain and persecutor of Christians. arely entered this illustrious city when crowds ran from the surrounding regions. The people were eager to hear the sentence that this impious mouth was going to pronounce against the flock of Jesus Christ. Dacian, seeing himself surrounded by this eager crowd, addressed these words to them: 'You are perhaps unaware of the subject that brings me into your midst. I come to give a just reward to those who, faithful to the cult of our fathers, frequent our temples and offer sacrifices to our gods; but those who outrage them, those who despise our institutions, will find death in the most cruel torments.'"

Thus Dacian began by displaying the apparatus of torture before the eyes of the people. Caprasius seemed to have fled the persecution; but above all, he owed himself to his flock, and he could not abandon it before knowing the will of God. Moreover, he was not unaware of how reckless it was to expose oneself voluntarily to martyrdom. Courage would not fail him when God called him to the altar of immolation. But it is a young virgin, Saint Faith, who must be the first to face the tyrant's rage: God has chosen the weak to confound the strong.

"Born of noble and illustrious parents, Saint Faith was born in the city o sainte Foi Young virgin martyr of Agen, tortured on a gridiron. f Agen. She belo nged to thi cité d'Agen City of the martyrdom and center of the cult of Saint Faith. s city by right of birth, and she became its patroness through her glorious martyrdom. Heiress of an ancient race, she drew her primary nobility from the gifts of Christ. The radiance of her virginal whiteness formed her most beautiful garment. Everything in her breathed the ardor of her faith and spread the sweet odor of her gentleness. She had the glory of winning the first crown of martyrdom in Agen, and by the example of this beautiful passing, she became the most beautiful ornament of her homeland: it was the exchange of a life of a day for eternal goods. From the cradle she loved the Savior her God, and would have no other master. At the time of her martyrdom, she was young in the number of her years, but she had all the wisdom and experience of mature age. The beauty of her soul eclipsed the beauty of her body; and when the judge had arrived, when the prefect whose name we have sought in vain (Dacian) had entered Agen, promising, according to his custom, favors to the worshipers of idols and the torments of persecution to the faithful Christians, he commanded that they go and fetch the young Faith, and had her brought into his presence.

During this journey, right beside these ministers of iniquity, the blessed Faith sent this prayer up to the Lord: "Jesus Christ, my Savior, you who never abandon those who implore you, come to my aid, help your servant, and lend to my lips words worthy of the interrogation I am about to undergo before the eyes of the tyrant!" While pronouncing this prayer, she made the sign of the cross on her forehead, on her mouth, and on her heart. Armed with this invincible shield, she walked with courage toward the governor. Scarcely had she arrived in his presence when the prefect spoke to her with all the artifices of an apparent gentleness: "What is your name?" — "My name is Faith." — "What is your religion?" — "I have been a Christian since my childhood, and I serve the Lord Jesus Christ with all the ardor of my soul." — "Believe me, take counsel from your youth and your beauty; abandon the religion you now profess, and sacrifice to Diana, who is a divinity in accordance with your sex, and I will shower you with the most precious favors." — "I have learned from the tradition of my fathers that all the gods of the nations were but demons, and you wish to persuade me to offer them sacrifices!" At these words, the governor, inflamed with anger: "Sacrifice to our gods," he said to her, "or else you will expire in torments." In her turn, the blessed Faith heard these threats without fear. She looked to heaven, and already rushing toward the eternal homeland, she borrowed the strength of the most illustrious martyrs, and cried out with an energetic voice: "In the name of Jesus Christ, my Lord, not only will I not sacrifice to your gods, but I am ready to suffer all kinds of torments."

"The courage of the young virgin irritated the proconsul. He commanded his satellites to bring a brazen bed, had the body of the Saint stretched upon it, and then a great fir lit d'airain Instrument of the martyrdom of Saint Faith. e was lit underneath to torment her limbs with this cruel torture. Struck by this spectacle, all the people cried out: O unheard-of cruelty! Iniquitous sentence! How can one torment in this way a young virgin of the most illustrious nobility, who has never committed any guilty act, never defiled her mouth with a crime, and whose only crime is to worship her God! It was the cry of innocence, and, that same day, a great number whose names we have not been able to know, confessed the faith of Jesus Christ and won the palm of martyrdom.

Meanwhile, the blessed Caprasius, bienheureux Caprais First known bishop of Agen, martyr with Saint Faith. anxious about this terrible persecution, wandered as a fugitive, seeking everywhere with the tenderest solicitude his scattered flock, when at last he arrived at the summit of that rock which rises near the city, on the northern side, today Mount Saint-Vincent. He stopped, and pondering in his mind the misfortunes with which the city was threatened, he could not defend himself from a secret fear. In the trouble that agitated him, he turned his gaze toward the city, and he perceived the young Faith tormented by the most cruel tortures. He raised his eyes, looked to heaven, and, by the most fervent prayer, he conjured the Lord to grant victory to the Saint in the combat she was sustaining. The athlete of Christ, Caprasius, raised his eyes a second time, and, in his contemplation, he seemed to devour the sky; then he prostrated himself upon the ground, and, uncertain of what he should do, he asked his God to manifest His will by some prodigy. Scarcely had he risen when he saw shining upon the head of Faith a crown resplendent with a thousand colors, adorned with diamonds and the richest precious stones that seemed detached from the firmament. He looked again: a dove descended from the clouds and came to rest upon the head of the Saint, whom it surrounded with a garment whiter than snow, more brilliant than the sun. This dove, descended from heaven, wishing that posterity should publish from age to age the power that God was about to manifest in the martyrdom of the Saint, spread its wings with a gentle fluttering, and there fell from them a light rain that extinguished the flames lit to devour the young Faith. In this mysterious flight, one would have said it was a spring of living water pouring out upon the funeral pyre to extinguish its heat.

From this moment, the palm of triumph, the crown of salvation, is assured to the virgin. At the sight of this prodigy that God had just manifested, Caprasius rejoiced greatly. He did not believe his courage inferior to that of the Saint, and sure of victory, he prepared himself for martyrdom after having known the will of God through a new prodigy. He struck with his hand the rock under which he had taken shelter, and there gushed forth from it a spring that has never dried up. Even more, the power of God has attached such virtue to this salutary water that all those who come with a lively faith to drink at the source of this rock, whatever languor they may be afflicted with, are restored to health by the virtue of the holy Martyr.

“Transported with joy and made more intrepid by this new prodigy, Caprais slips away from his neophytes and rushes to the place of combat, where he finds the young Faith still lying on the funeral pyre. At the same instant, the prefect has him brought before his tribunal, and without being frightened by the terrible appearance of the satellites surrounding him, Caprais appears with serenity before the governor. The latter begins by asking him his name, his homeland, his ancestors. ‘My name,’ replies Caprais, ‘is more beautiful than all the titles in the world: I am a Christian. Regenerated by the waters of baptism and confirmed by episcopal consecration, I am called Caprais.’

“The prefect makes the most beautiful promises shine before his eyes and speaks to him in these terms: ‘I see that you are very handsome and in the vigor of your age; if you listen to my words, you will be the first in the palace of princes, you will obtain their friendship, and you will be put in possession of numerous inheritances.’ Warned by the wonders of heaven: ‘All my desire,’ replies Caprais, ‘is to dwell in the palace of Him whom I have adored since the day of my baptism, and whom I have learned to know as the Redeemer of all those who believe in Him.’ — ‘I will be patient with you,’ continues the governor, ‘until you receive the favors and inheritances that I have promised you.’ — ‘I aspire to the imperishable goods of Him who is faithful in His words and holy in all His works.’

“Dacian has seen Caprais inflexible in his speech and unshakeable in his resolution. ‘I will cease the interrogation,’ he says to his own, ‘for I will succumb in this combat which dishonors me.’ He delivers the Saint into the hands of his lictors and has him torn without pity. But Caprais is still invincible; he is stronger than the torments.

“At the sight of so many tortures, the crowd, plunged into mourning, is moved to tears and one hears this universal cry: ‘Detestable impiety! Was anything like this ever seen among men! Was the blessed Martyr not as pleasing to God as to mortals! Of remarkable beauty, he had a truly angelic face.’

“But nothing can shake Caprais, neither promises, nor threats, nor tortures. Everything is put into action to turn his heart to prevarication, and everything is useless.

“Seeing the constancy of Caprais, the governor delivers him to torture and has him thrown into a dungeon. Again he is dragged into his presence. It was the children of darkness who led the son of light, whose eyes attached to heaven were always fixed on Christ. ‘Glory to God in the highest of heavens,’ cries the Saint. ‘It is there that we, Christians, have placed our imperishable riches, sheltered from rust and the vicissitudes of time.’

“Finally the sentence is passed, and while Caprais is led to the execution, he meets his mother who implores heaven and encourages her son to martyrdom. ‘My son, you know where Christ is; lift your heart with me and look at Him who reigns in the heavens. You will not die today, but you will exchange your mortal life for a better life. The path is narrow, difficult, bristling with miseries and tribulations. Take care! It is there that the demon awaits you to strike you.’ Caprais hears his mother's voice and his heart is moved. ‘I give you thanks,’ he cries, ‘O my Savior Jesus Christ! because you have enlightened your servant, you have honored him, you have glorified him by associating him today with the triumph of your Saints!’

“But already the lictors had taken up their iron instruments again, when suddenly a young virgin crosses the crowd and comes to confess the Christian faith in the presence of the governor. It is Alberte, the very sister of Faith, who comes to gather with her the double crown of martyrd om and Alberte Sister of Saint Faith, martyred with her. virginity. Two young Nitiobriges, the two brothers Prime and Felician, follow her example and want to share the same combats. They present them selve Prime Martyr of Agen, brother of Felician. s wi th coura Félicien Martyr of Agen, brother of Primus. ge, animated by the constancy of Faith and Caprais.

“Dacian, more ferocious than his lictors, seeks to triumph over these young brothers, sometimes by the lure of rewards, sometimes by the display of tortures; but everything is useless. Dacian is defeated by the constancy of the Martyrs. His anger ignites, the decree is passed, and all are led to the temple of Diana, either to sacrifice to the gods, or to see their heads fall at the feet of their idols. Caprais, however, is separated from his companions and thrown alone into a dark dungeon. There, deprived of the light of day and of all human consolation, he spends all his time in prayer and in the praises of the Lord.

“Arrived in the temple of the goddess, the soldiers of Christ, always inflexible, refuse to sacrifice to the idols, and on the same day, at the same hour, they see their heads fall under the executioner's axe. They thus crown with a glorious death the sufferings of martyrdom, and they exchange a perishable life for an endless and unmixed happiness. This beautiful society that they had formed on earth became even more beautiful by their constancy in the faith, and their felicity more magnificent by the society of martyrdom.

“This heartbreaking scene was followed by the most frightful carnage. Twice we have heard cries of indignation rise from the bosom of the crowd, attentive to this sad spectacle. A great number of pagans abjure the worship of idols to confess the faith of Jesus Christ. They are all wrapped in the same sentence of death, and the executioners can no longer suffice for so many executions. But all those who have seen with a dry eye the sufferings of our martyrs, have become irritated by the defection of their brothers, and go to accomplish the bloody work of the lictors. The generous neophytes await it with resignation and prepare for it by prayer. Dacian gives the signal, everyone arms himself with a stone, a stick, or a sword, and the new Christians, purified by the baptism of blood, go to receive in heaven the crown of the elect. God alone knows the names of those who perished then, and who were inscribed in the book of the living.”

Saint Faith is represented receiving a crown brought to her by a mysterious dove. A large number of old statues represent the virgin of Agen. At Sainte-Foi de Longueville, modern artists have given her the attributes of the theological virtues of Hope and Faith. At Bertheauville, she is found with her own specific attributes: the gridiron, or bed of br ass upo le gril Instrument of the martyrdom of Saint Faith. n which she was stretched to be burned, and the chain used to bind her to the instrument of her torture. At Vicquemare, whose church was formerly under the patronage of the Saint, her image is also represented with the gridiron and two chained dragons. The people of this region take her for a military heroine and invoke her against fear. The image of the young virgin is also found, sculpted with the gridiron and carrying the palm of martyrdom in her hand, on a keystone of the Agen Cathedral. With the same attribute, placed on a burning brazier, she is represented in the Fasti Mariani. — Saint Caprasius may be represented kneeling near a gushing fountain. — Saint Primus is represented in prison, where he is visited by an angel.

## CULT AND RELICS.

The bodies of those who gathered the palm of martyrdom with Saint Faith, and whose names are not known to us, were thrown into a marsh that was later drained, which allowed Christians to build a crypt there under the patronage of Saint Caprasius. It was placed under the altar of the old hospital, which has now become the chapel of the Pénitents-Gris. It is still known by the name of Martrou, or the vault of the martyrs. This crypt, which archaeologists cite as a monument of the primitive church, is very small, and unfortunately disfigured by modern paintings of the worst taste.

As for the bodies of Faith and Alberta, Primus and Felician, after having been thrown by the pagans into the crossroads of the city and abandoned without burial, they were gathered by the faithful who had escaped the carnage, and buried furtively in a place where they remained hidden for a long time. But after idolatry had disappeared from the city of Agen, Bishop Dulcidius had them deposited in a church that he had built under the name of Saint Faith.

Agenais legends tell us that the bodies of Saint Primus and Saint Felician were transported to the diocese of Limoges, in the famous monastery of Beaulieu, founded around the middle of the 9th century by Raoul de Torence, Archbishop of Bourges. Later, a portion of the relics of Felician was transferred from Beaulieu to the monastery of Isaigeac, which placed the Agenais martyr among its patrons. The body of Saint Alberta was also taken from Agen to go first to Périgueux, and later to the old church of Vénerque, on the banks of the Ariège, in the diocese of Toulouse.

The body of Saint Faith was taken furtively from Agen, along with that of Saint Vincent, around the middle of the 9th century, by the monk Aroniede, to the ancient and illustrious abbey of Conques , in Rouergue. Ar abbaye de Conques Site of the translation of the relics of Saint Faith in the 9th century. ound the year 1365, Pope Urban V g ave a portion pape Urbain V Reforming pope of French origin, 200th pope of the Catholic Church. of them to the monks of Cucufat, in Catalonia, where the office of the Saint was celebrated with much pomp. A forearm of the Agenais Saint was also once venerated at Glastonbury, in England. She was the patroness of the priory of Horsham, in the county of Norfolk, and the underground church, built with that of Saint Paul's in London, bore her name, as did several churches in France. Among the latter, we must mention that of the monastery of Longueville, in Normandy, built towards the end of the 11th century. Some time before his glorious passing, the illustrious Archbishop of Paris, Mgr Affre, transported relics of Saint Faith to this church. They were received with joy by the local inhabitants, and enshrined with the greatest care.

If Agen lost the body of the illustrious martyr Saint Faith in the 9th century, this city at least kept her head, and it can still be seen, although broken, in a reliquary that decorates the high altar of the cathedral. In 1867, the church of Conques returned a portion of the precious relics of Saint Faith to the Agenais, and today they have resumed their place in the church consecrated to the Saint. Saint Faith is the patroness of Bitry, in the diocese of Nevers, which possesses some fragments of her relics.

The precious remains of Saint Caprasius were gathered by some faithful servants who buried them and deposited them in a private vault. Under the episcopate of Saint Dulcidius, they were transported to the church built inside the city and deposited with honor in a marble sarcophagus. In the 16th century, the city of Agen having fallen into the hands of the Huguenots, the churches were pillaged and the holy relics profaned. The body of the holy Martyr was, according to the tradition of the church of Saint-Germain-du-Teil, in the diocese of Mende, sold by the Huguenots, and transported to this church, where it was highly venerated. Fortunately, his head was in a special reliquary, and preserved with other relics, which were transported to the castle of Lalande.

Besides the cathedral church, in which the head of Saint Caprasius is religiously preserved, there are several other churches in the diocese of Agen dedicated in honor of this holy bishop. He is also the patron of Saint-Vrain, near Corbeil.

We have borrowed these Acts of the Martyrs of Agen from the excellent translation provided by Abbé Barrière in his Histoire monumentale et religieuse d'Agen, and from the scholarly annotations with which the author accompanied his work. — Cf. Acta Sanctorum; les Saints du Rouergue, by Abbé Sarrières; les Saints d'Alsace, by Abbé Honckler; l'Hagiologie nisernaise, by Mgr Crosnier.