Saint Pourçain

One day, when the master had given way to his usual outbursts, the mistreated slave found himself obliged to have recourse to the abbot of the neighboring monastery monastère voisin (celui de Mirande) Monastery where the saint retires and becomes abbot. (that of Mirande), as the only man capable of stopping the storm and arranging a reconciliation for him. The master, ever more furious, pursued him and overwhelmed him with insults, without sparing his generous protector. But soon, struck suddenly with blindness and forced to reflect upon himself, he owed the recovery of his sight only to the piety of his charitable servant, who, at the command of the abbot, hastened to lay his hands upon him. From that moment, freed by his master, Saint Pourçain retired to the monastery and showed such eminent virtue there that he later became its abbot. It was then that his holiness appeared in all its splendor.

Fasting, austerities, and the most arduous penitential exercises held nothing repulsive for him. The zeal of our Saint, and above all his examples, taught others to respect and to fulfill exactly all the obligations of a Christian; nothing was as edifying as his piety in our holy temples; his sight alone sufficed to command respect and devotion toward Our Lord who makes Himself present there, and toward the august mysteries that are celebrated there. To so many virtues he joined the most profound humility; but he could not hide himself from the world for long, and his holiness was soon famous throughout the entire kingdom.

Theuderic, King of M Thierry, roi de Metz King of Austrasia and Auvergne in the 6th century. etz, had thrown himself into Auvergne with an armed force and was taking most of the inhabitants as captives. Saint Pourçain went to find him; his reputation had preceded him, and it was justified by his miracles. At the moment he presented himself as a suppliant, he became, despite himself, the object of veneration for the entire army and for King Theuderic himself, who hastened to grant him the pardon of the captives. Upon returning to his monastery, the holy abbot redoubled his fervor and austerity. Although very advanced in perfection, he had much to suffer from the temptations of the devil, but he always triumphed over them with the help of grace and through the means of prayer.

The death of Saint Pourçain was as edifying as his life. After having received the sacraments of the Church, he fell asleep peacefully in the Lord (527), leaving in this town, where he had spent his life, a great memory of his virtues, joined to the deepest veneration. Miracles so striking occurred at his tomb that he was solemnly numbered among the Saints; he also had the glory of giving his name to the country that venerates him, and his precious remains were exposed in a reliquary for public veneration. The translation of his relics that took place in the month of August 970 and the anniversary that was long celebrated for it undoubtedly gave rise in the beginning to the extraordinary gathering that has since taken place in this country.

These relics were preserved in the town of Saint-Pourçain (Allier) unti ville de Saint-Pourçain (Allier) Town named after the saint whose relics are preserved there. l the Revolu tion of '93, des Révolution de 93 Period during which the saint's relics were hidden and lost. pite the ravages of war and the invasion of the Normans. We know that until that time they had always been the object of the most religious veneration; but on this very occasion, the zeal of the inhabitants of this town did not falter. While everywhere temples were desecrated, altars abolished, and the images and relics of the Saints delivered to the flames, the remains of the glorious Saint Pourçain were transferred to the town hall, where they remained during the dark days of the Terror. When tranq uility Terreur Period during which the saint's relics were hidden and lost. was restored and religion could once again show itself with confidence, these same relics were solemnly returned to the local church, and a public act, signed by the elders of the region, still attests to their authenticity today. Since that time, the devotion of the faithful has not slackened; their trust in the patron of their town has always been justified by abundant graces, and even in our own day, several families gratefully make known truly miraculous favors obtained through his intercession.

A broken cup from which a serpent emerges is the characteristic attribute of Saint Pourçai n. As King Theu roi Thierry Ier King of Austrasia and Auvergne in the 6th century. deric I was ravaging Auvergne and the holy abbot wished to intercede with the prince on behalf of the people, he presented himself while the king was still sleeping; and the chief officer offered a drink to the servant of God, who refused, claiming that he had neither seen the king nor celebrated the office yet. Being pressed, however, he blessed the vessel that was brought to him, and it shattered immediately, letting a huge serpent escape along with the wine. The entire court considered itself indebted to the holy man for having avoided a poisoning.

Fat her Giry Père Giry French hagiographer, author of the version of the narrative presented. supplemented with local notes, and the Characteristics of the Saints by Rev. Fr. Cah R. P. Cahier Author of the work 'Caractéristiques des Saints'. ier.