Saint Lycerius (sometimes also

Glycerius Glycerius (died after 474) was Roman emperor of the West from 473 to 474. He served as (commander of the palace guard) during the reign of Olybrius (), until Olybrius died in November 472. After a four-month interregnum, Glycerius was procl ...

; ; ) (died 548) was a

bishop of Couserans The former French Catholic diocese of Couserans existed perhaps from the fifth century to the French Revolution in the late eighteenth century. It covered the former province of Couserans, in south-west France. Its episcopal seat was in Saint-Lizi ...

in the late 5th and 6th centuries. Bishop Glycerius is recorded as having attended 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 ...

in 506. After his death in 548 he was buried in what is now

Saint-Lizier Cathedral Saint-Lizier Cathedral () is one of two former co-cathedrals of the town of Saint-Lizier in southern France. The other is the Notre-Dame-de-la-Sède Cathedral. The Saint-Lizier Cathedral is dedicated to Saint Lycerius (), an early bishop of Couser ...

and honored as a saint. He is the patron of a number of places in south-western France, notably

Saint-Lizier Saint-Lizier (; ) is a commune in the Ariège department in southwestern France, situated on the river Salat. History Saint-Lizier has a rich history stretching back to pre Gallo-Roman times. In 72 BC, Pompey, returning from his triumphs i ...

, which he is said to have saved from the

Vandals The Vandals were a Germanic people who were first reported in the written records as inhabitants of what is now Poland, during the period of the Roman Empire. Much later, in the fifth century, a group of Vandals led by kings established Vand ...

."St-Lizier-de-Couserans", ''The Encyclopaedia Britannica'', the University Press, 1911, vol. XXIV, p. 24
/ref> Saint-Lizier d'Ustou (Ariège); and Saint-Lizier-du-Planté (Gers) are also named for him. His feast day is 27 August. Lycerius is also linked with

Lleida Lleida (, ; ; '' see below'') is a city in the west of Catalonia, Spain. It is the capital and largest town in Segrià county, the Ponent region and the province of Lleida. Geographically, it is located in the Catalan Central Depression. It ...

(Lérida) in

Catalonia Catalonia is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a ''nationalities and regions of Spain, nationality'' by its Statute of Autonomy of Catalonia of 2006, Statute of Autonomy. Most of its territory (except the Val d'Aran) is situate ...

, where there is a tradition (undocumented) of a bishop of the same name in the 3rd century. It is not clear to what extent the Catalan traditions reflect a confusion between two separate individuals, if indeed there is any foundation to them. In Lleida his feast is celebrated on 1 September. He is the secondary patron of

, and the patron of

Sant Antoni de Vilamajor Sant Antoni de Vilamajor () is a village in the comarca of Vallès Oriental in the province of Barcelona and autonomous community of Catalonia Catalonia is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a ''nationalities and regions of Spa ...

. According to tradition, which cannot be verified, he was a native of ''Civitas Bigorra'', the present

Saint-Lézer Saint-Lézer (; ) is a commune in the Hautes-Pyrénées department in south-western France. See also *Communes of the Hautes-Pyrénées department A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună or comune or o ...

, near

Tarbes Tarbes (; Gascon language, Gascon: ''Tarba'') is a Communes of France, commune in the Hautes-Pyrénées Departments of France, department in the Occitania (administrative region), Occitanie Regions of France, region of southwestern France. It is ...

. He studied with the bishop of Tarbes, and later with Quintí,

bishop of Rodez The Diocese of Rodez (–Vabres) (; French: ''Diocèse de Rodez (–Vabres)'') is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in France. The episcopal see is in Rodez. The diocese corresponds exactly to the Departm ...

, who ordained him priest. On account of the sanctity of his life, he was elected bishop of Couserans, and also administered the diocese of Tarbes during its vacancy from 506 to 541. He is credited with many miracles of healing. Lycerius is shown wearing bishop's robes standing between two bulls.

Notes

Bishops of Couserans 6th-century Frankish bishops 6th-century Frankish saints 548 deaths Year of birth unknown {{france-RC-bishop-stub