Saint Galactorius () was a

bishop of Lescar The Roman Catholic Diocese of Lescar (Latin: ''Dioecesis Lascurrensis;'' French: ''Diocèse de Lescar''; Basque language, Basque: ''Leskarreko elizbarrutia''), in south-western France, was founded in the fifth century, and continued until 1790. ...

in the early 6th century. His feast is celebrated on 27 July.''Évêques et la Cathédrale de Lescar: Des origines à la Réforme''. D.Labau. Pau, 1972, p. 31

Life

Galactorius took part in 506 in the

Council of Agde The Council of Agde was a regional synod of Latin liturgical rites, Western Rite Nicene Christianity, Nicene bishops held in September 506 at Agatha or Agde, on the Mediterranean coast east of Narbonne, in the Septimania region of the Visigothic K ...

, when he was described as "Galactorius, episcopus de Benarno", along with the bishops Saint

Gratus of Oloron Saint Gratus of Oloron (; ; also known, from his place of birth, as ''Grat de Lichos'') (born 5th century; died after 506) was the first bishop of Oloron. He is venerated as a saint in the Eastern Orthodox Church and Roman Catholic Church. Life H ...

and Gratianus of Dax, as well as several delegates of the bishops of Tarbes and of Aire. His tenure as bishop is attested and it is known that his diocese was well administered.

Legend

The legend, told in the

breviary A breviary () is a liturgical book used in Christianity for praying the canonical hours, usually recited at seven fixed prayer times. Historically, different breviaries were used in the various parts of Christendom, such as Aberdeen Breviar ...

Lescar Lescar (; ) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department and Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of south-western France. Lescar is the site of the Roman city known variously as Benearnum, Beneharnum or Civitas Benarnensium, the location prov ...

, printed in 1541, portrays Galactorius fighting the

Visigoth The Visigoths (; ) were a Germanic people united under the rule of a king and living within the Roman Empire during late antiquity. The Visigoths first appeared in the Balkans, as a Roman-allied barbarian military group united under the comman ...

s at

Mimizan Mimizan (; ) is a commune in the Landes department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine in south-western France. There are two separate districts of the town: Mimizan-Bourg (town center) and Mimizan-Plage (resort). Geography Mimizan is a seaside resort on t ...

in 506 at the head of an armed band and seeking help from

Clovis Clovis may refer to: People * Clovis (given name), the early medieval (Frankish) form of the name Louis ** Clovis I (c. 466 – 511), the first king of the Franks to unite all the Frankish tribes under one ruler ** Clovis II (c. 634 – c. 657), ...

. Taken prisoner, he is said to have met a martyr's death, refusing to abjure his

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

faith.''Mimizan, Clins d'œil au passé'', Georges Cassagne, édition Atlantica, 2007, p 14 A religious building is said to have been raised in his honour on the site, later replaced by the belltower of the church of Mimizan. Vitrail St Galactoire Mimizan

Interpretation

It is difficult to conceive of the bishop, despite his possible sympathy with Clovis, taking arms in 506 against

Alaric II Alaric II (, , 'ruler of all'; ; – August 507) was the King of the Visigoths from 484 until 507. He succeeded his father Euric as King of the Visigoths in Toulouse on 28 December 484; he was the great-grandson of the more famous Alaric I, who ...

, who had just given evidence of his tolerance for Roman Catholics by authorising them to hold a council. It is more likely that Galactorius was at Mimizan towards 507 to meet the

bishop of Bordeaux The Archdiocese of Bordeaux (–Bazas) (Latin: ''Archidioecesis Burdigalensis (–Bazensis)''; French: ''Archidiocèse de Bordeaux (–Bazas)''; Occitan: ''Archidiocèsi de Bordèu (–Vasats)'') is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or a ...

and was surprised by Visigoth troops retreating towards the

Pyrenees The Pyrenees are a mountain range straddling the border of France and Spain. They extend nearly from their union with the Cantabrian Mountains to Cap de Creus on the Mediterranean coast, reaching a maximum elevation of at the peak of Aneto. ...

after having been routed at the

Battle of Vouillé The Battle of Vouillé (from Latin ''Campus Vogladensis'') was fought in the northern marches of Visigothic territory, at Vouillé, near Poitiers (Gaul), around Spring 507 between the Franks, commanded by Clovis, and the Visigoths, commanded ...

by the Frankish army. Doubtless humiliated by their defeat, hostile to Roman Catholics and eager for vengeance, such a group would easily have put to death the Catholic bishop of Lescar.

Relics

The

relic In religion, a relic is an object or article of religious significance from the past. It usually consists of the physical remains or personal effects of a saint or other person preserved for the purpose of veneration as a tangible memorial. Reli ...

s of Galactorius were preserved until the

Reformation The Reformation, also known as the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation, was a time of major Theology, theological movement in Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the p ...

in a casket beneath the high altar of

Lescar Cathedral Lescar Cathedral () is a Roman Catholic church and former cathedral dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. It is located in the town of Lescar, Pyrénées-Atlantiques, France. It has been listed since 1840 as a ''monument historique'' by ...

. It is unknown when, and how, they disappeared.Site Nominis
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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Galactorius of Lescar Martyred Roman Catholic bishops 6th-century Christian saints