Saint Aunarius (Aunacharius) () (540 – c. 603 AD) was

bishop of Auxerre The diocese of Auxerre () is a former French Roman Catholic diocese. Its historical episcopal see was in the city of Auxerre in Burgundy, now part of eastern France. Currently the non-metropolitan Archbishop of Sens, ordinary of the diocese of S ...

during the 6th century.

Life

Born in Orleans of noble birth, he was brought up in the royal court of

Guntram Saint Gontrand ( 532 in Soissons – 28 March 592 in Chalon-sur-Saône), also called Gontran, Gontram, Guntram, Gunthram, Gunthchramn, and Guntramnus, was the king of the Kingdom of Orléans from AD 561 to AD 592. He was the third-eldest and seco ...

. His brother Austrenus became Bishop Orleans; his sister, (Saint) Agia was the mother of

Lupus Lupus, formally called systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), is an autoimmune disease in which the body's immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissue in many parts of the body. Symptoms vary among people and may be mild to severe. Common ...

, Archbishop of Sens. Robinson, D.F., ''Biographical Dictionary'', vol. IV, London, William Clowes and Sons, 1827, p. 182
/ref> After making a pilgrimage to Tours, Aunarius decided he wanted to become a priest. Learning of this, Saint Syagrius of

Autun Autun () is a Subprefectures in France, subprefecture of the Saône-et-Loire Departments of France, department in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté Regions of France, region of central-eastern France. It was founded during the Principate era of the e ...

undertook his instruction and later ordained him. Eventually Aunarius was made Bishop of Auxerre.Shahan, Thomas. "St. Aunarius." The Catholic Encyclopedia
Vol. 2. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1907 His administration is noted for certain important disciplinary measures that throw light on the religious and moral life of the

Merovingian The Merovingian dynasty () was the ruling family of the Franks from around the middle of the 5th century until Pepin the Short in 751. They first appear as "Kings of the Franks" in the Roman army of northern Gaul. By 509 they had united all the ...

times. He caused solemn

litanies Litany, in Christian worship and some forms of Jewish worship, is a form of prayer used in services and processions, and consisting of a number of petitions. The word comes through Latin ''wikt:litania, litania'' from Ancient Greek wikt:λιτα ...

to be said daily in the chief centers of population, by rotation, and on the first day of each month in the larger towns and monasteries. He attended the

Synod of Paris Synod of Paris or Council of Paris may refer to: * * * Council of Paris (556×573) * Council of Paris (573) * Council of Paris (577) *Council of Paris (614) * Council of Paris (653) * *Council of Meaux–Paris The Council of Meaux–Paris was a ch ...

in 573, and the

Synod of Mâcon There have been several synods of Mâcon, provincial church councils held in the city of Mâcon, then the seat of a diocese. The second and third councils were both convoked by the Burgundian king Guntram. The third is associated with a legenda ...

in 581. Aware that Aunarius held a degree of influence with the Frankish kings,

Pope Pelagius II Pope Pelagius II (died 7 February 590) was the bishop of Rome from 26 November 579 to his death on 7 February 590. Life Pelagius was a native of Rome, but probably of Ostrogothic descent, as his father's name was Winigild. Pelagius became Pope B ...

wrote to him, asking that he persuade the Franks to come to aid of Rome against the Lombards. The Franks did attack the Lombards, but withdrew upon payment of a fee. He enforced daily attendance at the Divine Office on the part both of regular and secular clergy. He held (in 578 or 585) the Council of Auxerre, an important

synod A synod () is a council of a Christian denomination, usually convened to decide an issue of doctrine, administration or application. The word '' synod'' comes from the Ancient Greek () ; the term is analogous with the Latin word . Originally, ...

of four bishops, seven abbots, thirty-five priests, and four deacons for the restoration of ecclesiastical discipline and the suppression of non-Christian religious practices. The decrees illustrate the life and manners among the newly-converted Teutonic tribes and the Gallo-Romans of the time. In 592 he wrote the ''Institutiones de Rogationibus et Vigiliis''. He caused the lives of his predecessors Amator and

Germanus Germanus or Germanos (Greek) may refer to: People * Lucius Trebius Germanus, governor of Roman Britain around 126 * Germanus (died c. 290), possibly apocryphal martyr-saint tortured at the Pula Arena * Germanus (d. 305 AD), Spanish martyr-saint ...

to be written.Lambert, David. "Cult of Saints, E05621", University of Oxford, 2021
/ref>

Veneration

Aunarius was buried at the

Abbey of Saint-Germain d'Auxerre The Abbey of Saint-Germain d'Auxerre is a former Benedictine monastery in central France, dedicated to its founder Saint Germain of Auxerre, the bishop of Auxerre, who died in 448. It was founded on the site of an oratory built by Germanus in hono ...

. His remains were later enclosed in a

gold Gold is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol Au (from Latin ) and atomic number 79. In its pure form, it is a brightness, bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile metal. Chemically, gold is a transition metal ...

en chest, but were partially dispersed by the

Huguenots The Huguenots ( , ; ) are a Religious denomination, religious group of French people, French Protestants who held to the Reformed (Calvinist) tradition of Protestantism. The term, which may be derived from the name of a Swiss political leader, ...

in 1567. A portion, however, was placed in the hollow pillar of a

crypt A crypt (from Greek κρύπτη (kryptē) ''wikt:crypta#Latin, crypta'' "Burial vault (tomb), vault") is a stone chamber beneath the floor of a church or other building. It typically contains coffins, Sarcophagus, sarcophagi, or Relic, religiou ...

, and saved. His feast day is celebrated on 25 September.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Aunarius 540 births 603 deaths Bishops of Auxerre 6th-century Burgundian bishops 7th-century Frankish saints