Euspicius was a

Gallo-Roman Gallo-Roman culture was a consequence of the Romanization (cultural), Romanization of Gauls under the rule of the Roman Empire in Roman Gaul. It was characterized by the Gaulish adoption or adaptation of Roman culture, Roman culture, language ...

archdeacon of

Verdun Verdun ( , ; ; ; official name before 1970: Verdun-sur-Meuse) is a city in the Meuse (department), Meuse departments of France, department in Grand Est, northeastern France. It is an arrondissement of the department. In 843, the Treaty of V ...

who, around 508, founded

Micy Abbey Micy Abbey or the Abbey of Saint-Mesmin, Micy (), sometimes referred to as Micy, was a Rule of Saint Benedict, Benedictine abbey near Orléans at the confluence of the Loire and the Loiret (river), Loiret, located on the territory of the present c ...

. A renowned teacher of the contemplative life, he served as Micy's first abbot. He is considered a

saint In Christianity, Christian belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of sanctification in Christianity, holiness, imitation of God, likeness, or closeness to God in Christianity, God. However, the use of the ...

by the Roman Catholic church.

Life

During the siege of Verdun, Euspicius, who was the archpriest in the city, went to the camp of the

Frankish king The Franks, Germanic peoples that invaded the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century, were first led by individuals called dux, dukes and monarch, reguli. The earliest group of Franks that rose to prominence was the Salian Franks, Salian Mero ...

Clovis to request mercy for the Gallo-Roman insurgents. The king was so impressed that in 508 he gave Euspicius and his nephew Maximinus (also called Mesmin) the domain of

Micy Micy Abbey or the Abbey of Saint-Mesmin, Micy (), sometimes referred to as Micy, was a Benedictine abbey near Orléans at the confluence of the Loire and the Loiret, located on the territory of the present commune of Saint-Pryvé-Saint-Mesmin. S ...

, near

Orléans Orléans (,"Orleans"
(US) and Loire The Loire ( , , ; ; ; ; ) is the longest river in France and the 171st longest in the world. With a length of , it drains , more than a fifth of France's land, while its average discharge is only half that of the Rhône. It rises in the so ...

and the

Loiret Loiret (; ) is a department in the Centre-Val de Loire region of north-central France. It takes its name from the river Loiret, which is contained wholly within the department. In 2019, Loiret had a population of 680,434.

, in order to establish a

monastery A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of Monasticism, monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in Cenobitic monasticism, communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a ...

.Montalembert, Charles Forbes comte de. ''The Monks of the West'', P.J. Kenedy, 1912, p. 456
/ref> Besides the royal villa on the property, the king added other domains and a piece of land inside the walls of Orléans, called Alleu de Saint-Mesmin, to serve as a refuge in case of troubles. The abbey church was dedicated to St. Stephen. Croix de Micy

Euspicius became its first abbot. Euspicius also became a renowned teacher of the contemplative life as well.Head, Thomas. "Saintly Patronage and Episcopal Authority at the Abbey of Micy", ''Hagiography and the Cult of Saints The Diocese of Orléans, 800–1200''
Cambridge University Press, 1990 The rule followed was that of the Eastern hermits observed by the followers of St. Anthony and St. Basil. These rules had been brought to the West by

John Cassian John Cassian, also known as John the Ascetic and John Cassian the Roman (, ''Ioannes Cassianus'', or ''Ioannes Massiliensis''; Greek: Ίωάννης Κασσιανός ό Ερημίτης; – ), was a Christian monk and theologian celebrated ...

and

Martin of Tours Martin of Tours (; 316/3368 November 397) was the third bishop of Tours. He is the patron saint of many communities and organizations across Europe, including France's Third French Republic, Third Republic. A native of Pannonia (present-day Hung ...

. The monks of Micy cleared and drained the surrounding lands and encouraged agricultural work in the local population.Goyau, Georges. "Diocese of Orléans." The Catholic Encyclopedia
Vol. 11. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1911. 5 November 2021 From Micy Abbey, monastic life spread within and around the diocese of Orleans. Euspicius died on June 10, 510 and was buried in Orléans next to Saint Aignan in the church of Saint-Pierre-aux-Bœufs, which became the Church of Saint Aignan. Shortly after 1029, his remains were returned to the abbey, now known as Saint-Mesmin de Micy. Upon his death, Euspicius was succeeded as abbot by his nephew, Mesmin.

References

* 6th-century deaths 6th-century Frankish saints Gallo-Roman saints Year of birth unknown {{France-saint-stub