Saint Ursin

Ursin obeyed. Bequeathing to that foreign land the body and the name of his friend, he wiped away his tears, resumed his journey, and, in the evening, a rrived at the ga Avaric (Bourges) City where Leopardin received his episcopal blessing. tes of Avaric (Bourges), the goal of his mission. Upon entering this unknown city, of which he was to become the master, Ursin made himself humble and small. He took refuge in the suburb, with a poor family upon whom he immediately began his work of persuasion and charity. In the evening, by the fireside, before seeking in sleep the oblivion of the day's labors, he would recount, along with his own adventures, the great events that had just taken place in the Orient and which promised the world a new era. The next day, his hosts, half-smiling, half-believing, repeated to their neighbors what they had learned the day before, and the neighbors wanted to hear the stranger's marvelous tales with their own ears. With curiosity helping, the circle widened and the house filled up. After curiosity came comments and questions. Ursin had an answer for everything. His grave and sympathetic speech, the conviction in his gaze, made the doubts of those who only asked to love and to believe fall away. Those who could not or would not come, he went to find and did not take long to win over. It was especially with those afflicted in body and spirit, the disinherited of earthly goods and joys, that he obtained his greatest successes, for pain only asks to be cradled and lulled to sleep.

However, the eternal enemy of the human race, frightened by the attacks directed against his power, began to scheme scandals of all kinds to divert the servant of God from his work. He rekindled perverse passions, which are never entirely extinguished in the heart of the crowd, a mobile element subject to the whim of the last wind that passes, of the last mouth that speaks. Mockery, insult, and slander crept into the meetings, awakened prejudices, and did not take long to change the good dispositions. The weak and the indecisive withdrew out of fear or false shame, and left the place to the wicked. Hearts and doors were closed. In those streets where he was once accustomed to meeting friendly faces and a warm welcome, Ursin harvested nothing but harsh words and insolent looks. Finally, one evening when he wanted to make a last effort and gather the remnants of his flock, a wild band invaded the meeting place, dispersed the few followers who had remained faithful, and set the neighborhood dogs upon him.

Forced to flee under a hail of stones, Ursin was escorted well beyond the city walls by the barking of the furious pack and the laughter of the populace. It was only four miles away that, delivered by the fatigue of his enemies, he was able to catch his breath and collect his thoughts; his resolution was soon taken; without going any further, he wanted to wait on the spot until, according to the inevitable course of things, a new wind would change the heart of this ungrateful crowd. He therefore established himself, as best he could, in the open countryside, in that place where later an expiatory chapel would perpetuate the memory of his stay.

The revolution he had foreseen did not take long to occur. Far from experiencing the slightest relief from his departure, the poor of Bourges fell back into their former misery, without finding the consolations that had lulled their sorrows and dried their tears. They then turned against those who had deceived them, drove them out in their turn, and came, submissive and repentant, to beg Ursinus to forgive them and to restore his affection to them. The holy man did not need much persuasion, and returned more powerful and more listened to than ever to this city that had ignominiously cast him from its bosom. The reaction was so unanimous that, from the very first day, the humble retreat in the suburb was no longer sufficient for the meetings, and it became necessary to seek a larger space, in keeping with the numerous audience that flocked from all sides, like the thirsty deer to the fountain.

Now, at that time lived a ver y noble Léocade Roman senator, governor of Aquitania and Lugdunensis, donor of his palace in Bourges. senator, named Leocadius, who, although a pagan, governed with wisdom, on behalf of the Roman emperors, Aquitaine and the Lyonnaise province. Apart from the mandate that made him a vassal of Rome, he held royal power. His main residence was in Lyon, where he held his court; but he had a second palace in Bourges, whose stables, located near one of the southern gates of the city, close to water and fodder, offered every facility for the maintenance of horses. These stables being deserted, due to the master's absence, Ursinus thought of making them the temporary place for his preaching. He spoke of it to the representatives of Leocadius, among whom he counted some neophytes, and who, in their turn, referred the matter to the prince. Eager to win over his peoples through gentleness, and learning that, far from inciting revolts, the religion of Ursinus recommended rendering unto Caesar what belonged to Caesar, the powerful senator hastened to give his consent, in such a way that the patriarch was able to deposit in this primitive chu rch the blood of the protom sang du protomartyr Étienne Protomartyr to whom Trond dedicated his property and a church. artyr Stephen, a precious relic brought from the East, and to solemnly baptize those who came to him.

From that moment on, his task became so easy, his triumphs were so rapid and so brilliant, that, a few months later, Ursin noted with joy the insufficiency of his new premises, and was already thinking of founding a more durable and worthy sanctuary. But how, poor and without credit, could he realize this project, which required considerable sums and a very particular cooperation? Despite the example of Leocadius, the patricians of Avaricum showed themselves less well-disposed than the common people, and several of them had haughtily rejected the proposal to cede a suitable building.

One day when, full of anxiety, the holy man was lamenting these obstacles with the oldest and most fervent of his disciples, one of them ventured the opinion that the prince who had already helped them would be more amenable, and might perhaps cede his palace of the Bituriges as easily as he had ceded his stables. Terrified at the mere utterance of this thought, Ursin exclaimed that it was impossible to risk such a request. However, by dint of turning this idea over and encouraging one another, it was agreed to appeal to people of good will to procure the means to offer a gift to Leocadius. Indeed, after many efforts, they managed to gather three hundred gold crowns, with a silver vase, which Ursin was charged to go and offer to the prince in his palace in Lyon.

Having arrived in this city, the holy man presented himself with his offering before the illustrious senator, who asked him his name, the place from which he came, and the purpose of his visit. "My name is Ursin, " replied the patr Je m'appelle Ursin First bishop of Bourges and evangelizer of Berry. iarch, "I am one of the seventy-two disciples of Christ, sent from Rome by the Apostles, bearer of the blood of the first martyr Stephen, to found a church in the metropolis of the Bituriges, where I have already won a numerous people to God." — "What more do you come to ask of us on this subject?", said the prince. "If you wish to fulfill our wishes, grant us the palace that you possess in Bourges, so that we may make it a temple worthy of our God and of the precious blood of the protomartyr Stephen." Obeying the impulse from above, the prince replied with kindness: "Would to heaven that my palace were worthy of becoming a place of prayer and the dwelling of a god!"

Encouraged by this benevolent welcome, Ursin explained in a few words the principles of his religion and urged the prince to become a Christian. "With the help of the power of your God," replied Leocadius, "I will be able to yield to your advice." Then, so as not to appear to despise the offering that had been brought to him from so far away, and perhaps also to make it a pledge of the contract, he took three gold coins from the silver vase and added: "Return to the land of the Bituriges with the rest of your gift, and dispose of my palace, as you see fit, for the greater honor of your God and of the martyr of whom you have just spoken to me. In due time I will go to that side, and I will think about your advice."

Bearing the prince's letters, Ursin returned full of joy to Avaricum, where, upon the presentation of his titles, he was put in possession of the palace by the city authorities. On the following Kalends of October, he proceeded to the purification of the new sanctuary, and consecrated it to God, under the invocation of the protomartyr Stephen, whose relics finally found a place worthy of them; while the stables, the first shelter of the Church, which could not be returned to their former use, were converted into a baptistery. He also inaugurated the cult of the Virgin, by building in her honor, in the capital of Berry, a small oratory which tradition makes the cradle of the ancient abbey of Notre-Dame de Sales.

Shortly after, as he was working in the Lord's vineyard, Ursinus learned of the prince's arrival. He ran to meet him with open arms and a smiling face, and did not leave him until he had had a moment of conversation with him. The next day, assisted by his disciples, Ursinus show ed Leoc Léocade Roman senator, governor of Aquitania and Lugdunensis, donor of his palace in Bourges. adius, in a solemn conference, the path of faith; and, convinced by his words, the illustrious senator wished to receive baptism without delay, in the company of his son Ludre, while his brother Caremusel persisted in living in darkness and in the worship of idols.

Having become a Christian, Leocadius burned with such ardor that, no doubt to fulfill this word of the Prophet: "My soul lives in God and what I have sown belongs to Him," he abandoned to the service of worship the palaces he possessed in almost all the towns of the land of the Bituriges, and which, through the care of the holy patriarch, became as many churches in honor of Saint Stephen.

Ursinus lived for a long time more, never ceasing to complete and embellish his work, until the moment when the Lord, in reward for his zeal and his labors, warned him, through bodily fatigue and illness, that the hour of his deliverance had arrived. Then he gathered his disciples, announced his approaching end to them, indicated as his succ essor Se Sénicien Successor of Saint Ursinus to the episcopal see of Bourges. nicianus, the most faithful and the most fervent among them; then, after having given his final instructions, he departed for a better world, on the fourth day of the kalends of January, in the twenty-seventh year of his pontificate.

## CULT AND RELICS.

Saint Gregory of Tours (in chapter LXXX of the *Glory of the Confessors*) speaks thus of the first vicissitudes of the relics of Saint Ursin: "Having left this world, he was buried in the common field, among all the other tombs; for the people did not yet know the manner in which the priests of the Lord should be honored. Whence it happened that the land being leveled, vines were planted there, and all trace of the burial place of the first bishop of the city was lost. This lasted until a holy priest of Berry, named Auguste or Août, transferred the relics of the holy apostle to his abbey of Saint-Symphorien in Bourges. He was buried near the altar, where his presence has since been manifested by numerous graces!".

Tradition has fixed the date of this translation to November 9, 558, the anniversary of which became, according to the martyrology of Umard and the Breviary of 1734, the feast of the first bishop of Bourges, which was originally celebrated on December 29, the presumed day of his death. Subsequently, the basilica of Saint-Symphorien took the name of Saint-Ursin. This church no longer exists: sold in 1793, it was demolished in 1799. Only the elegant portal remains, which serves as an entrance to the garden of the prefecture, near the iron gate.

A new translation of the Saint's remains took place on October 23, 1239. The venerable Philippe Bernuyer, Archbishop of Bourges, had the coffin opened, on which one could read textually in Latin: "This is the body of the blessed Ursin, first bishop of Bourges". The relics, duly recognized, were enclosed in a white leather bag and placed in a magnificent silver reliquary, a gift from the archbishop. This reliquary, raised on the ancient sarcophagus, above the altar, remained unopened for two centuries. A third opening and verification took place on February 25, 1475, in the presence of King Louis XI a nd Archb Louis XI King of France who enriched the reliquary of the Innocents in Paris. ishop Jean Cœur, son of the illustrious silversmith of Charles VII.

Preserved, in 1562, from the fury of the Protestants, then masters of Bourges, who profaned the remains of Saint Guillaume and the good Duchess Jeanne de Valois, the body of Saint Ursin was taken from the veneration of the faithful by the revolutionary turmoil of 1793. However, it was still possible to save some remains of Saint Ursin, Saint Étienne, and Saint Austrépabile, contained in a lead box sealed with the seal of Mgr Phelipesux d'Herbault, and placed on the high altar of the cathedral of Bourges, during the inauguration that was held on December 21, 1767. Since that time, these fragments were increased by some bones extracted at various times from the reliquary to satisfy pious desires. Mgr Mathieu, Cardinal-Archbishop of Besançon, having found, in a parish of his diocese, a fragment of the jaw of the holy apostle, donated it, through the intermediary of Mgr de Villèle, then archbishop, to the church of Bourges, which exposes it for public veneration on the day of the feast and during solemn circumstances.

So much for the city of Bourges, which once possessed the greater part of the body of its first bishop. That of Lisieu Lisieux Norman city housing significant relics of the saint. x (Calvados), in the diocese of Bayeux, possessed of Saint Ursin, before 1793: a part of the skull, an arm, a thigh, a leg, some ribs, and other less considerable bones. It had obtained these relics in 1665 and had placed them behind the high altar of the cathedral church, with those of Saint Patrick and Saint Bertivin. Later, this precious treasure, having been raised from the ground, had been enclosed in a beautiful silver reliquary which had been raised on four large gilded wooden columns, behind the high altar where Guillaume d'Estauville, Bishop of Lisieux, found it on April 14, 1399, wrapped in silk fabrics, linen, and a deer skin over it. The last recognition of these relics took place on July 5, 1731.

In Lisieux and in the suburbs, the feast of Saint Ursin was celebrated every year under a very solemn rite: a chapel of the cathedral, as a benefice, was dedicated to him. Even today, a solemn procession takes place every year on Easter Monday to the Cross of Saint-Ursin: this cross is located near Lisieux, on the road that leads to Bourges.

The village of La Chaussée-Saint-Victor (Loir-et-Cher, arrondissement and ca nton of Blois) has the g La Chaussée-Saint-Victor Village near Blois preserving relics of Saint Ursin. ood fortune to possess, even today, some relics of Saint Ursin. The Abbé A. Venot, secretary general of the bishopric of Blois, wrote to us about this on February 12, 1872:

"I have the honor to send you a report on the relics of Saint Ursin, preserved in the church of La Chaussée-Victor, near Blois. This report was written by the parish priest himself, who has studied extensively the question of the holy relics that he has the good fortune to possess in his church.

"The church of La Chaussée-Saint-Victor possesses: 1st, a reliquary of worked and painted wood, containing two large bundles of bones of Saint Ursin, plus a third bundle of bone fragments, dust, and marrow; 2nd, a gilded brass bust, containing two pieces of the horn or frontal bone. These relics were brought to the parish of Saint-Victor-les-Blois in the year 1379, by Hervé, abbot of the Regular Canons of Bourg-Moyen of Blois (Augustinians), as stated by this inscription affixed to the sachets containing the relics: *In hac capsula requiescunt sanctæ reliquiæ beatissimi Ursini, quæ fuerunt translatæ per Hermenum, abbatem beatæ Mariæ de Burgo-Medio Bissensis, anno Domini 1379, die dominicâ octavâ calendas Maii*.

"These two reliquaries were opened for repair, and the relics were inspected on May 5, 1676, by M. Christophe Boillard, priest, canon theologian, provost of the collegiate church of Saint-Sauveur of Blois, as well as by Mgr de Neuville, Bishop of Chartres and Blois. The official report drawn up by M. Boillard states that during all the time that the relics were outside their reliquaries, they emitted a sweet odor with which the whole church was filled.

"The same report by M. Boillard states that in the year 1562, these relics were transported to Blois, to be thus spared from the profanations of the Calvinists, and that they were solemnly brought back to the church of Saint-Victor-les-Blois, by M. Delaporte, official of Blois, on June 29 of the year 1582, as stated by this inscription found in the reliquary of Saint Ursin: *In hac capsula requiescunt sanctæ reliquiæ beatissimi Ursini, quæ ratione hæreseos Calvinianæ ablatæ rursus per venerabilem et discretum virum Jacobum Delaporte, officialem Bissensem, translatæ fuerunt anno Domini 1582, die Festivitatis S. Petri, vigesimâ nonâ mensis Junii*. It is in memory of this second translation that the solemn procession of the reliquaries, called the 'feast of the translation of the holy relics,' takes place every year in the parish, fixed for the Sunday after the feast of Saint Peter.

"In 1736, Mgr de Caumartin, and after him, Mgr de Crussol, both bishops of Blois, placed the legend of Saint Ursin in the breviary of the diocese, marked for June 14. In 1778, Mgr de Thémines provisionally suspended the cult of these relics, as well as all others possessed by the parish, under the pretext that their authenticity seemed doubtful to him. During the Revolution of '89, these relics were saved by three inhabitants of La Chaussée who hid them and returned them, with the seals sound and intact, in the year 1804, to M. Gallois, grand-vicar of Mgr Bernier, Bishop of Orléans and Blois. On this occasion, a new examination of the titles of the relics took place, the objections of Mgr de Thémines were refuted; and Mgr Bernier declared, with the assent of Cardinal Caprara, legate of the Holy See in France, the relics of La Chaussée-Saint-Victor to be perfectly authentic, and solemnly re-established their cult."

We have used, to compose this biography, the *Plaines légendes du Berry*, by M. Vrillet; a brochure by the Abbé Laffotay, entitled: *Essai historique sur l'antiquité de la foi dans le diocèse de Bayeux et le culte de quelques Saints récemment introduits dans le calendrier liturgique de ce diocèse*; the *Vie de saint Ursin*, by the Abbé de Luthe; and precious local notes provided to us, through the intermediary of the secretary of the bishopric of Blois, by the parish priest of La Chaussée-Saint-Victor.