Saint Eutyches

Saint Eutyches first lived as a solitary in a cave, which he only left to engage in the work of preaching and evangelizing the countryside. Saint Spes, founder o f the mona Saint Spes Founder of the monastery of the Castoria valley. stery of the Castoria valley, having passed away, his monks called upon Eutyches to take charge of their guidance.

The Saint left his cave and the modest oratory attached to it only with regret. At least he had the consolation of leaving them in the care of a disciple worthy o f him, Saint saint Florent Disciple of Eutyches, famous for his miracles involving a bear and snakes. Florent. Now, an isolation as absolute as that in which the departure of Eutyches left him weighed upon Florent: thus, as all Saints and all sorrows do, he resorted to prayer. God did not delay in granting the wishes of his fervent servant. A bear emerged from the neighboring forest and came to lie down at the door of the holy hermit. When the latter appeared outside, the animal crawled to his feet and indicated by its attitude that it had come to place itself in his service and keep him company. Four sheep composed all the hermit's possessions, and even they were wasting away for lack of a shepherd to lead them regularly to pasture. The shepherd was found: Florent entrusted them to the bear, which was ordered to bring the flock back to the dwelling either at noon when the Saint was not fasting, or at three o'clock when he was fasting: and the bear, it is said, never failed in its duty. Such a marvel, one might imagine, caused a great stir in the neighborhood. But four monks from the monastery of Saint Eutyches were bitten by the serpent of jealousy, laid traps for this improvised shepherd, and killed it. Why, then, did Eutyches, their master, not perform miracles, while Florent began to perform them? This was the reasoning of the jealous monks. In punishment for the sorrow caused to Saint Florent, the four wicked men were struck with leprosy and died from it.

The servant of God performed another wonder: a great number of serpents infested the surroundings of his hermitage. He prayed again and the serpents were crushed by lightning. "They are indeed dead, Lord," cried Saint Florent; "but who will carry them far from my eyes?..." And immediately a flock of birds descended upon them and carried them away.

Saint Eutyche Saint Eutique Abbot in Umbria and former hermit, successor to Saint Spes. s died full of merits on May 23, 546: he had governed his monastery very holily for fourteen years, which later became powerful, founded a large number of priories, and for a long time provided priests to a large part of Umbria. There is no longer any mention of this monastery since it fell into commendam in the 16th century.

Saint Eutyches was especially invoked for rain. The inhabitants of Norcia, who had often been answered in this regard, observed his feast day out of gratitude.

As for S aint Florent, saint Florent Disciple of Eutyches, famous for his miracles involving a bear and snakes. it is believed that, after the death of Eutyches, he retired to Saint Vicenc saint Vicence Bishop of Foligno who welcomed Saint Florent. e, bishop of Folign Foligno City where Saint Florent ended his days. o, and spent the rest of his days in a cave that Vicence had inhabited before his elevation to the episcopate. After his death, which occurred around 548, he was buried in the cathedral and his cult became no less popular than that of Saint Eutyches.

The flock of sheep, the bear that guards them, and the snakes carried away by birds appear in the representations that have been given of Saint Florent.

The Bollandists, Les Bellandistes A society of Jesuit scholars who publish the Acta Sanctorum. May 23, according to Saint Gregory the Great. Dial., Book III, ch. 15. See also Bafflet.