Saint Naamas of Rodez

One day, a demoniac was brought to Saint Amans so that he might heal him; but the prelate sent him to his deacon, whose great virtue and power he knew. Naamas performed the customary exorcisms upon the possessed man, and the evil spirit, compelled to leave, threatened the Saint that he would one day force him to undertake a long journey. He cast himself into the body of the young niece of th e emperor, like Valentinien III Roman Emperor of the West who interceded for the appointment of a bishop. ly V alen Rome Birthplace of Maximian. tinian III, in Rome, and tormented her so severely that she could neither stand nor lie down. The emperor, greatly saddened by this singular affliction, employed every means in his power to relieve his niece; it was in vain. He called for exorcists who could not cast out the demon, and the evil spirit eventually replied that he would only leave the body of this young girl upon the command of Naamas, deacon of Rodez. The emperor therefore sent messengers to Rodez to beg Saint Naamas to come and heal his niece. The Saint then remembered the demon's threat. He acquiesced to the prince's prayer and set out on foot for Rome. He had covered half the distance when the evil spirit began to torment the possessed girl more fiercely than ever, and reduced her to the point of death. The emperor, fearing he would see her give up her soul, dispatched new messengers to hasten the Saint's arrival. Naamas enjoined them to go ahead and gave them his cloak to place upon the sick girl, in order to calm her. As soon as the possessed girl felt this venerable cloak upon her, the demon immediately left her body, crying out aloud: 'Naamas of Rodez has driven me from here.'

The emperor, overjoyed at the deliverance of his niece, came to meet the Saint as soon as he arrived in Rome, received him with great honors, and offered him rich presents. But Naamas refused them, and limited himself to asking for workers to finish building a church that Saint Amans had begun to construct in Rodez. The emperor granted them to him immediately; and, understanding what riches might be agreeable to him, he gifted him many precious relics; they were venerated in the church of Sa int-Amans until the g église de Saint-Amans Religious building constructed by Amans and Naamas, housing their relics. reat Revolution, and a large portion of them is still preserved today in the reliquary of this church. There were, among others, a rib of the apostle Saint Peter, a part of the skull of Saint Lawrence, br ead from the saint Laurent Deacon and martyr often associated with Saint Stephen. Last Supper, and a notable fragment of the True Cross.

Saint Naamas set out again with the workmen the emperor had given him, and was received by Saint Amans with great joy. The holy prelate had the church that had been started completed, dedicated it to the holy apostles Peter and Paul, and placed there the precious relics brought by Saint Naamas. Later, the patron saints of this church were changed to place it under the invocation of Saint Amans himself, whose body rested there, and for whom the faithful felt a singular veneration.

Shortly after, Saint Naamas rendered his beautiful soul to God, and Saint Amans, heartbroken with grief to see him die before him, buried him with pomp in his church. His body gave off a sweet odor, with which the air and those present were entirely perfumed; a miraculous sign of the fragrance of the virtues of this great Saint. The body of the holy deacon did not remain separated from him who, during his life, had been his pastor, his companion, and his friend. The remains of Saint Amans and Saint Naamas were deposited in the same church and in the same ch apel. It was not until 167 Gabriel de Voyer de Paulmy 17th-century Bishop of Rodez who oversaw the translation of relics. 0 that Gabriel de Voyer de Paulmy, Bishop of Rodez, assisted by his chapter and the priests of his diocese convened in synod, performed the translation of the precious relics of the holy levite, with the most magnificent pomp. Today, the venerable head of this Saint rests on the high altar of the church of Saint-Amans, next to that of his companion in labors and glory.

Excerpt from The Saints of Rouergue, by Abbé Servières. M. l'abbé Servières Author of the biographical source used.