Saint Fortunatus

The subject of this notice was born in Vercelli, a strong city in Upper Italy. From his earliest youth, he was instructed in letters and became so skilled in them that he later acquired the title of Philosopher of the Lombards: perhaps Philosophe des Lombards Bishop of Italian origin exiled to France in the 6th century. he was a bishop among these peoples. It is at least established that he was raised to the episcopate, although the see he may have filled is unknown.

Certain reasons unknown to us, but which must have been grave, compelled him to leave his church and retire to France. There he was particularly known to Saint Germanus, Bishop of Par saint Germain Bishop of Paris present at the consecration of the cathedral of Angoulême. is, with whom he formed a close and holy friendship, and who encouraged him to write a Life of Saint Marcellus, one of his predecessors. Nothing is known of the time when he left Italy, nor of the time he spent in France. Be that as it may, he retired near Celles, a vi llage Celles Place of the saint's retreat and death. called today La Grande-Paroisse (Seine-et-Marne), in the diocese of Meaux. Having learned that Saint Germanus had fallen ill, he set out on his way to visit him; but he was himself stopped on his journey by an illness that caused him to pass from earth to heaven before Saint Germanus, his friend. It is believed that his death occurred in 569.

It was at Celles itself that he died; his feast is marked there as that of a holy bishop and confessor, on May 5th and June 18th. Four manuscript martyrologies of the Church of Paris make mention of this Saint, and the place where he was buried still bears his name today. His relics were kept there with great respect, and his cult passed successively to several neighboring places. One sees several churches dedicated in his honor. A part of his head is religiously preserved, in our day, at Vernot (Côte Vernot Location where a portion of the relics is preserved. -d'Or), in a church that bears his name.

The Life of Saint Marcellus, Bishop of Paris, and that of Saint Hilary, Bishop of Poitiers, saint Hilaire Bishop of Poitiers and Doctor of the Church, patron of Triaise. are attributed to our Saint. It is not established, however, that these writings came from his pen, and they could well have been authored by Saint Fortunatus of Poitiers, as several critics have argued, not without reason.

Proper of Meaux; — Cf. D om Rivet, Dom Rivet Author of the Histoire littéraire de la France. Literary History of France.