Bishop of Besançon in the 7th century, Prothade succeeded Saint Nicet and distinguished himself by his piety and the drafting of a ritual. He presided over the miraculous discovery of the relics of Saint Stephen in the Doubs. His remains, saved from revolutionary desecrations, were solemnly reinstalled in 1804.
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SAINT PROTHADE, BISHOP OF BESANÇON (624).
Origins and lineage
Saint Prothade, coming from an illustrious family, is a relative of the famous Prothadius, an influential advisor at the court of King Theuderic II.
Saint Prothade Saint Prothade Bishop of Besançon in the 7th century. , says the new Life of the Saints of Franche-Comté, is named in our catalogues immediately after Saint Nicet, and in our ancient Litanies, he occupies the fourth rank among the saintly Confessors.
Born around the year 579, of an illustrious house, he was the son or at least the close relative of the f amous Prot Prothadius Parent of Saint Prothadius and advisor to Theuderic II. hadius who, according to Fredegar, enjoyed almost sovereign credit at the cou rt of Theu Thierry II King of Burgundy, grandson of Brunhilda, admonished by Columbanus for his morals. deric II, and who ended up being slaughtered by the soldiers of this prince, around the year 605.
Episcopal Accession and Virtues
A collaborator of Saint Nicet, Prothade succeeded him to the see of Besançon in 578, distinguishing himself by his humility and pastoral gentleness.
Prothade had early on stripped himself of all that the world calls fortune or greatness to work with Saint Nicet for the good of the Church of France, and in particular the Church of Besançon . Saint Besançon Episcopal see restored by Saint Nicet. Gr egory, Pope, in gree Saint Grégoire, pape Pope contemporary to Saint Psalmodius. ting the kings of France, congratulated them on the successes obtained in Sequania (Franche-Comté) through the ministry of Prothade. Saint Nicet, shortly before his death, designated him as his successor. He was raised to the see of Besançon in 578. Prothade showed himself irreproachable in all things: his conduct was noble and dignified; his conversation and his actions announced a man filled with the Holy Spirit. Deeply humble, he lost sight of his titles to think only of his duties; a friend of holy purity, he took pleasure in crucifying his flesh through abstinence. As gentle toward others as he was severe toward himself, he delighted in seeing his diocese as a family, and in every faithful soul a beloved child.
Works and miracles
Author of a liturgical ritual, he presided over the miraculous rediscovery of the relics of Saint Stephen in the waters of the Doubs.
Saint Prothade composed for his church a ritual that we still possess, and which offers interest, not only as an ancient monument, but also as a work of high wisdom. Under his episcopate, the relics of Saint Stephen, stolen by thieves, were miraculously found in the waters of the Doubs, in a place that is st ill c Doubs River where the relics of Saint Stephen were recovered. alled today the abyss of Saint Stephen.
Death and history of the relics
Died in 624, his relics survived the centuries and the French Revolution thanks to lay and clerical protectors before their solemn return in 1804.
This illustrious pontiff died, full of days and merits, at the beginning of the year 624. He was buried in the chu rch of Saint-Pierre. I église de Saint-Pierre Place of burial and conservation of the saint's relics. n 1624, his relics were placed in a new silver reliquary; they remained there exposed to the veneration of the faithful until the French Re volution. At that di Révolution française Period during which the saint's relics were hidden and lost. sastrous time, a clerk of Saint-Pierre, Claude-François Guenot, saved them from profanation by entrusting them to Jean-Claude Gurnaud, a semi-prebendary clerk of Sainte-Madeleine, who himself handed them over, a few days before his death, to Philiberte Gurnaud, his sister. It was in the hands of the latter that they were identified on July 3, 1804. On July 17, 1804, they were solemnly brought back to Saint-Pierre by the archbishop, followed by the metropolitan chapter, a numerous clergy, and a considerable crowd of faithful. It was the day of the Saint's feast: it has continued to be celebrated on July 17 under the double rite; previously, it had been fixed for February 10.
*Vie des Saints de Franche-Comté, by the professors of the Collège Saint-François-Xavier, of Besançon.*
Annexes & related entities
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