Saint Aldric

His reputation reached the ears of Jer emiah, then Archbishop of Sens. H Jérémie, alors archevêque de Sens Archbishop of Sens who ordained Aldric. e summoned him to his side, and seeing that fame did not exaggerate his virtues, he promoted him to the diaconate, and two years later, to the priesthood. Aldric showed an ever-increasing zeal for the works of God. The report of his holiness attracted the att ention of King Louis th roi Louis le Débonnaire King of the Franks who made Aldric his advisor and commander of the palace. e Pious, who used his eloquence to strike down the unbelievers who were then fighting against the Christian faith. Aldric succeeded perfectly, and the king, to show his gratitude, appointed him commander of his palace. There, by making himself the advocate of the weak, the defender of widows, and the counselor of the unfortunate, he won the favor of everyone. Envy sought to dethrone him; he was slandered and persecuted, but his invincible patience triumphed over his implacable enemies: could he be crushed by their weapons, he who was equipped with heavenly protection?

In the meantime, Adalbert succeeded Singulfe; but he died in the fourth year of his administration. Aldric was then elected by a unanimous voice to succeed him. In his pious humility, he refused at first, but, overcome by the repeated entreaties of the brothers, he finally acquiesced with kindness to their request. When he had taken the reins of government into his hands, this most eminent abbot saw his good reputation grow day by day, and, although he led a solitary and hidden life, the light could not remain long under a bushel: the opportunity soon presented itself for it to shine with a brighter radiance.

Jeremiah had just died; the archiepiscopal throne of Sens was vacant. The choice of the assembly, charged with electing his successor, fell upon the Abbot of Saint-Mary. abbé de Sainte-Marie Monastery where Aldric made his monastic profession and became abbot. The Saint, learning that the rest of his contemplative life was to be disturbed by the administration of episcopal affairs, feigned that he was incapable of bearing such a heavy burden, and unworthy of the honor of such an eminent office; but he had to yield to the importunate entreaties of the clergy and the people, and he was enthroned to the applause of the multitude. One can easily understand the zeal that Aldric put into the fulfillment of his new duties as pastor; thus, the population, which venerated the memory of Jeremiah, soon consoled itself for the loss of that illustrious prelate by thinking of the inestimable treasure it had received in exchange. Deeply humble, God had granted him the gift of winning others to humility. One day, as he was passing before a high-ranking personage, he perceived in his exterior evident signs of insolence. Indeed, his gait was proud, his gesture superb, his head high, his air wicked, his look fierce, his words threatening. Having had him approach, he hastened to ask him who he was: "The governor of the city," the other replied with pomp. And the prelate: "If you are the governor of others, why do you not think of governing yourself? Being ash and dust, why do you abandon yourself to thoughts of immoderate pride?" By mixing gentleness with reproach, and by pouring, like the Samaritan, wine and oil upon the wounds of the half-dead man, the holy prelate touched the heart of the sick man so much with charity that the latter, following the inspiration of divine grace, asked to become a monk; which was granted to him.

However, Aldric was bowing under the weight of years. After having obtained from God through his prayers a successor worthy of him, he renounced the cares of the archiepiscopal office, and shut himself away once more in the solitude of the cloister. It was there that he died in the sixty-first year of his age (836), after having predicted to his disciples the day of his passing. He had chosen for the plac e of his burial the couvent de Ferrières Burial place of Aldric and center of his cult. convent of Ferrières, where he was interred with pomp near the chapel of Saint Andrew, in a stone tomb that he had had built during his lifetime. It is there that the Lord worked a great number of wonders and miracles, to show, no less after the death of the Saint than during his life, the eminence of the virtues of his servant.

His relics were burned in 1569 by the Huguenots; only a few fragments remained, which were kept before the Revolution in the abbey of Ferrières.

The feast of Saint Aldric is marked on October 10; but the Church of Sens celebrat es it on June Église de Sens Archiepiscopal see occupied by Saint Aldric. 6, the day of the consecration of this holy prelate.

A religious of Ferrières wrote his life at the beginning of the 14th century; Mabillon published it with remarks, and Papebrock republished it with notes in the Acta Sanctorum, on June 6.

We have from Saint Aldric: Letter to Frothaire, Bishop of Toul, in Descheine, Mabillon, and Labbe. This document, signed by twenty-six prelates, is undated; it is addressed to all the bishops of Lothair's empire, which proves that it is from the year 833, the time of the deposition of Louis the Pious. A Louis le Débonnaire King of the Franks who made Aldric his advisor and commander of the palace. manuscript entitled: *De excommunicatione culpar um* is also attributed to hi De excommunicatione culparum Manuscript attributed to Saint Aldric. m.

Taken from the Annales hagiologiques de la France, by M. Ch. Barthélemy, vol. IX, Versailles 1869, and from the France pontificale, by M. H. Fisquet.