Saint Precord

Now, around the year 944, the following occurred: the influx of pilgrims enriched the church where the relics of Saint Précord were deposited so much that this church became an object of covetousness; a priest named Thiard managed to obtain this benefice, and paid another priest to fulfill his office and guard this precious treasure. The latter took the reliquary and fled to England. Thiard set out in pursuit of the thief and found him in a village on that island where he had settled. Through sheer skill, Thiard in turn was able to seize the relics and return to France. In his haste to reach Vailly, he took the wrong road and arrived at Fouilloy, a domain of the monastery o monastère de Corbie Monastery that acquired the relics of Saint Précord. f Corbie. The abbot of this monastery bought them from Thiard and placed them in the church of Saint-Pierre, where they remained until the French Revolution.

The cult of the Saint nonetheless continued to flourish at Vailly, which managed to recover a notable part of his body in the 18th century, through the intercession of Dom Jean Poncelet, a Benedictine monk originally from this town (1633). — The memory of this translation is celebrated on July 22, while the Saint's principal feast day takes place on February 4. Since the destruction of the church of Saint-Précord of Vailly during the time of the Revolution, the town church has housed the relics of the Saint, saved by a few pious citizens and recognized once again by Jean-Claude Leblanc de Beaulieu, the first bishop of Soissons, after the concordat of 1802.

Saint Précord is invoked in times of drought to obtain rain.

Propre de Soissons and Annales du diocèse de Soissons, by Abbé Pêcheur.

SAINT AGRIPAN OR AGRÈVE OF LE SAINT AGRIPAN OU AGRÈVE DU PUY Bishop of Velay and martyr. PUY (6th century).

Agripan, the only one of the bishops of Velay to have endured martyrdom, was born in Spain. From childhood, he distinguished himself among those of his age as much by his docility as by his spirit, and made great progress in science. Often, when his master sought him to take his meal, he found him in the temple, nourishing his soul through long and fervent prayer. Wishing to escape the importunities of his parents who were pushing him toward marriage, he left secretly for Rome, where the sover eign pontiff Martin, dis souverain pontife Martin Pope who consecrated Agripan. tinguishing him for his instruction and his knowledge, consecrated him bishop of the church of Velay.

Upon his arrival in this country, he found it still infected with pagan superstitions and entirely defiled by the errors of Arius and Helvidius. Armed with the weapons of prayer and fasting, and abstaining from wine and meat, this excellent pastor fought the monster of error with an invincible vigor of soul and tireless constancy. His entire episcopal life was spent confirming the faithful through the frequent preaching of the Gospel, confounding the pagans, and bringing heretics back to a holier doctrine, exposing himself without fear to numerous dangers from which divine aid always delivered him.

He made a second journey to Rome; he was returning and was already in the midst of his flock when he encountered idolaters twenty miles from the city of Le Puy. Havi ville du Puy Episcopal see of Agripan. ng severely reprimanded them for their sacrilegious ceremonies, he was seized by them and thrown into prison, and three days later, at the instigation of the lady of the place who was a pagan, he was behead ed with Ursicin Servant and companion in martyrdom of Agripan. Ursicin, his servant and companion in martyrdom. According to tradition, the Saint's head, upon falling, caused a spring to gush forth in a valley, which subsequently provided water to heal illnesses and baptize a great number of pagans. Christians, while keeping watch at night at his tomb in prayer, often experienced the efficacy of his protection. The crown of martyrdom was granted to the holy bishop on the 1st of February. — Saint Agripan gave his name to the town of Saint-Agrève (Ardèche).

SAINT SEVER SAINT SEVER Companion of Saint Clair and martyr. , BISHOP OF AVRANCHES (6th century).

Sever was born to a humble family in the Cotentin, and his parents, forced by poverty, gave him to Corbec, a noble and infidel man, to be employed in servile labor. From childhood, he thus led a hard and rustic life which he ennobled through the practice of prayer and almsgiving, and his virtue was manifested through miracles. Corbec was shaken by this and converted with his entire family to the Christian faith.

Sever was therefore the admiration of all who surrounded him; but the desire for a more secret life caused him to withdraw into a nearby solitude. A great number of disciples having come to find him, he founded a monastery in honor of the holy Mother of God, which he governed with an excellent rule. But the fame of his virtues, which spread from day to day, placed him under the necessity of taking charge of the government of the church of Avranches.

After having carried this burden for some years with as much piety as prudence, the holy man, who regretted his former solitary life, voluntarily resigned from the episcopate, and retired to his monastery, where he spent the rest of his life in pious exercises and sublime contemplations. Finally, exhausted by age, he rendered his soul to God in the arms of his disciples, and was buried in the church built by his care. His holiness shone forth through numerous miracles performed after his death.

His body, which had been hidden in the ground at the time of the Norman invasions, was found intact at the end of the 10th century, and transferred to Rouen t hrough the care o Richard-Sans-Peur Duke of Normandy who transferred the relics of Severus. f Richard the Fearless, Duke of Normandy, who wished to enrich the capital of his states with it.

The body of Saint Sever stopped at Emendroville, and soon imposed its name on this suburb of Rouen (999).

The metropolitan church of Rouen had the good fortune to preserve the relics of Saint Sever until the Revolution. One can still see in the parish church that bears his name the beautiful reliquary that contained them.

Rouen celebrates his feast day on February 1st, and Coutances on July 5th.