Saint Germanus of Scotland

After his baptism, his parents had him raised with such care in piety and the sciences that he was like the prodigy of his century. No one, of whatever condition or quality they might be, approached him without being perfectly satisfied: his words carried a certain unction that delighted everyone; nevertheless, the poor and the unfortunate were the most welcome; he could not see them without discovering, beneath their miseries, the majesty of his Redeemer, who hid Himself in their persons. When he saw himself of an age to choose a way of life, he generously renounced all the advantages that the right of his birth could have led him to hope for in the world, in order to enter into the sacred Orders.

Being a priest, he wished to make a journey to France, to see his father in the faith, Saint Germain, Bishop of Auxerre; this is why he resolved, like Abraham, to leave his homeland, his parents, and all his goods, to give himself entirely to the apostolic life and to carry everywhere the glory and the name of Jesus Christ. But, having arrived on the shore of the English Channel, where the Ocean separates England from France, he found no vessel to cross this arm of the sea: being unable to hope for one soon, he addressed himself to the sovereign Master of the waters, and prayed to Him to give him the means to make this crossing, if the design he had formed came from the Holy Spirit. Astonishing thing! His prayer was no sooner finished than he saw appearing on the waters a chariot which came to him, lifted him from the earth, and transported him in a moment from the coast of England to that of France, in the vi cinity Dieppe Place of arrival in France and of miracles. of Flammenville, near Dieppe. The inhabitants of this region, who still lived in the darkness of paganism, seeing him arrive on this new boat, took him, some for Neptune, god of the waters, others for a magician who made this phantom appear to their eyes. But they changed their sentiment well at the tragic death of the judge of this place, who expired in horrible pains for having blasphemed against the doctrine of Saint Germain. His holiness was further recognized by another miracle. A serpent, of prodigious size, was ravaging the whole country and had recently smothered a child. The Saint first resurrected this innocent; then, having himself led to the entrance of the cavern where this monster retreated, he threw his stole around its neck, and, in this state, he led it very peacefully to a very deep cistern, threw it in, and then had the hole filled: which so astonished these idolaters that five hundred converted.

History does not say whether our Saint met Saint Germanus of Auxerre; but it says that he traveled as far as Trier, where he found the bish op Saint Sev saint Sévère Bishop of Trier who consecrated Germanus of Scotland. erus, who had accompanied him on his second voyage overseas, and who had also known the one of whom we speak in his youth. This prelate, seeing the talents that God had given him, conferred upon him, by virtue of special powers, the episcopal character, but without assigning him a see, so that he could give freer rein to his zeal. Being authorized by this new dignity, he went to preach the Gospel in Frisia, and generally in all the provinces of Lower Germany, confirming his doctrine with many miracles. He was so affable in his conversation, and so charitable in helping the sick, that even the idolaters cherished him and ran after him as if he were a sovereign physician. This is, in substance, all that we have been able to gather of the fruits of the preaching of Saint Germanus in the German lands. He then went to Rome to visit the sepulchers of t he b Rome Birthplace of Maximian. lessed apostles Saint Peter and Saint Paul; and , praying on saint Pierre Apostle mentioned for the setting of the procession date. e night in the church of Saint Peter, he himself received a visit from that Apostle who, approving his labors for the preaching of the Gospel, exhorted him to continue, with the express promise that, as his reward, he would finally receive the crown of martyrdom.

Saint Germain, delighted by this good news and fortified by this voice from heaven, had no more rest in his heart until he had found the opportunity to receive this palm that he was led to hope for. He first passed from Italy to Spain, to see if, among the idolaters who were still there, or among the Arians who were persecuting the Catholics, he might find the means to satisfy his desires. He preached the Gospel everywhere there, baptized many people, tore down temples, and had new churches built to the true God; finally, he performed so many miracles there that the city of Tolosa long preserved the memory of them.

But this zealous preacher, seeing that, instead of the persecution he sought in foreign lands, he found honor and applause, believed that he would be happier in his homeland. That is why he went to Scotland, and began to preach there without making himself known, so that his relatives and friends would not prevent him from being persecuted. But how could one hide him whom heaven wished to make known to everyone? Divine love so inflamed his heart that it caused the radiance of its holy flames to shine even upon his face, so that even the priests of the idols showed him respect. However, as he desired nothing more than the dissolution of his body to live with Jesus Christ, he went a second time to France, to seek there the fulfillment of the promises of heaven. When he was at sea, the demon, who had not been able to harm him on land, tried to destroy him in the waters: while the Saint slept on the deck, he climbed onto the stern, and weighed down the vessel so much that the sailors expected nothing but shipwreck. But the Saint, having awakened, soon perceived the author of this disorder, and, making the sign of the cross, sent him back into the abysses of hell.

This storm having thus been calmed, the vessel arrived safely at the port of La Hougue, between Barfleur and Carentan, in the Cotentin, a part of Lower Normandy. God made his entry famous; for the daughter of the governor of Montebourg, paralyzed and blind from birth, having learned by revelation of the coming of Saint Germain, had no rest until she was carried before him; she asked him for baptism and he administered it to her, named her Petronilla, in honor of Saint Peter, and, at the same time, gave her sight and the perfect use of her limbs. A miracle so striking, in a person of such standing in the country, was the cause of the general conversion of the whole province. He then advanced toward the city of Bayeux : and, Bayeux Birthplace of the saint. as he approached it, he had the governor begged to send him some refreshments for his people, who were in extreme need of them; but this uncivil man, having refused him this favor, soon received the punishment for his avarice: at that very instant, all his barrels were found to be drained to the last drop. The opposite happened to an honorable inhabitant of the city, called Gantius: having performed this charity for the servant of God, he received, as his reward, an abundant blessing upon his whole family. Saint Germain, entering Bayeux, prayed for the release of certain prisoners; but, having met with a refusal, he left immediately, and, in a holy anger, striking his foot against the walls of the rampart, he caused a notable part of it to fall into the ditch: his history says that it is still remembered in the country. Nevertheless, wishing to show this people that his anger was of the nature of that of doves which have no gall, he resurrected a dead man who was being carried to the earth, and whom he met at the gates of the city: this compelled the magistrate to give him the prisoners he had requested, who were found to be twenty-four in number.

Saint Germain, upon leaving Bayeux, preached the name of Jesus Christ everywhere along the coast as far as Mortemer, a village in the Pays de Caux, on the Eaulne river. Near Dieppe, he received a revelation that the following day would be the last of his life, and that he would there receive the crown of martyrdom, which he had sought with such eagerness. He shared this pleasant news with his dear companions, whom he awakened on purpose; and, having set out at the break of day, he passed near the commune of Les Essarts, and there had his mount slaked its thirst (it was a donkey that Gantius had given him for his apostolic journeys). He then baptized neophytes in a pond that still bears today (1871) the name of Mare-Saint-Germain, and resumed his journey. Towards evening, he found himself on the slope of a mountain called Vieux-Rouen, between Aumale and Senarpont; there lived a t yrant n Hubault Local tyrant responsible for the saint's beheading. amed Hubault, a great supporter of idols. This barbarian, knowing of the arrival of the servant of God through the noise that his fame was making on all sides, came to meet him, armed with rage and fury, and, having found him near a small chapel of Our Lady on the bank of the Bresle, otherwise known as the river of Eu, which separates Normandy from Picardy, he struck him a blow with a scimitar on the neck with such violence that he severed his head. His soul, leaving his body, visibly appeared to fly to heaven in the form of a dove whiter than snow. This was the second day of May. Authors do not agree regarding the year; nevertheless, since he was baptized by Saint Germain of Auxerre, who died around the 5th century, one can conclude that he suffered martyrdom around the year 480.

His body remained in the open countryside, without anyone daring to give it burial, because the tyrant, extremely feared in the country, had forbidden it; but, the next day, a young girl going to say her prayer in this chapel of Notre-Dame, distinctly heard the voice of the Saint, who commanded her to warn the lord of Se narpont to have the l seigneur de Senarpont Person who performed the burial rites for Saint Germain. ast rites rendered to him, as to one from whom he had received several favors while he was alive.

Senard, warned immediately by the young girl, hastened to run with clerics of all Orders to proceed with the funeral. He no longer found the body at the very place where he had been martyred, but a little further on, where it had been transported by angels. Senard wrapped it in aromatics and buried it in a beautiful sarcophagus at the place where he had found it. Later he erected a church over this tomb where various miracles were accomplished: this was the origin of the village of Saint-Germain-sur-Bresle.