Saint Rene of Angers

This accident cast a deep sadness into the heart of Saint Maurille who, persuading himself that he was henceforth unworthy to exercise the functions of the episcopate, and that a long penance in the depths of an unknown solitude could alone expiate his fault, fled into the forests of Armorica, and he only returned to the midst of his flock when God made known to him in prayer that He granted him the life of this child who had for so long been the object of his regrets and his tears. Maurille immediately headed toward the church of Saint-Pierre where he had had the young son of Bononia buried. While they were opening the tomb, he shed a torrent of tears accompanied by a fervent prayer; after a few moments, the body of the little deceased returned to life and rose in perfect health. The blessed bishop baptized him and imposed upon him, in memory of such a great event, the name of René ( Rena René Bishop of Angers, resurrected by Saint Maurilius during his childhood. tus, recalled to life).

Placed from then on in the episcopal scho René Bishop of Angers, resurrected by Saint Maurilius during his childhood. ol, René made rapid progress there; he was soon raised to the dignity of archdeacon, then to that of administrator of the church once so famous in Chalonnes-sur-Loire. Finally, when Saint Maurille had fallen asleep in the Lord (426), René, barely thirty years old, was called to succeed him. However, his beloved flock could not keep this treasure for long. The burden of the episcopate soon seemed unbearable to the new bishop who, under the pretext of the need to make a pilgrimage to Rome, left Angers and settled in a solitude, a few steps from Sorr ento (Ki Serrento Place of the saint's exile and death in Italy. ngdom of Naples). It is even claimed that he later became bishop of that see.

Be that as it may, he died in that city (October 6, 450) and was buried near the city walls, under the cell he had inhabited. When the news reached Angers, the inhabitants of th at cit Angers Location of the foundation of a second monastery. y made numerous efforts to recover this precious treasure: they indeed obtained that a large part of the body be returned to them. It was deposited in the church of Saint-Maurille; in the 14th century (November 12), it was transferred to the cathedral church. Other transla tions of these re église cathédrale Primary site for the preservation of relics and seat of the confraternity. lics took place in 1012, 1082, 1150, and 1255. At this last date, the relics were placed in a gilded silver reliquary and deposited under the altar of Saint-René, in the middle of the cathedral choir. In 1562, the Protestants broke this reliquary and burned the relics it contained. However, some bones were saved and enclosed in a small gilded silver reliquary: this one perished during the Revolution of 1793. A bone from the Saint's foot is nevertheles s still preserved Révolution de 1793 Period during which the tombs were still visible. in the church of Notre-Dame de Chalonnes; a part of it was detached for the cathedral of Angers and for the church of Saint-Maurille de Chalonnes.

The cult of Saint René was, before the Revolution, one of the most popular in France. The solitary bishop also enjoyed great veneration in the Kingdom of Naples. The chapel of Saint-René, in La Possonnière, was frequented by numerous pilgrims: the holy bishop was invoked for the happy delivery of pregnant women. Let us add that a famous Confraternity, under the patronage of Saint René, had been erected in the cathedral of Angers towards the end of the 15th century: Popes Leo X and Clement VII had enriched it with numerous indulgences.

Saint René is ordinarily represented at the feet of Saint Maurilius, who has just resurrected him; this does not prevent one from drawing inspiration from other salient circumstances of his life.

This notice is only a succinct summary of the detailed biography of Saint René, which can be read in the *Vies des Saints de l'Anjou* (Lives of the Saints of Anjou) Dom François Chamard Author of the detailed biography of the saint in the 19th century. , by the Reverend Father Dom François Chamard. This author made it his glory to rehabilitate the holy bishop of Angers, whose very existence had previously been denied.