Saint Nectarius of Autun (french: Nectaire d'Autun) was a 6th-century

bishop of Autun The Roman Catholic Diocese of Autun (–Chalon-sur-Saône–Mâcon–Cluny) (Latin: ''Dioecesis Augustodunensis (–Cabillonensis–Matisconensis–Cluniacensis)''; French: ''Diocèse d'Autun (–Chalon-sur-Saône–Mâcon–Cluny)''), more simply ...

, and a saint of the

Roman Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

Biography

Nectarius was bishop of Autun from 540 to his death on 13 September 549 or 550. He was a friend of Saint

Germain of Paris Germain ( la, Germanus; 496 – 28 May 576) was the bishop of Paris and is venerated as a saint in both the Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church. According to an early biography, he was known as Germain d'Autun, rendered in modern ti ...

, whom he appointed abbot of the

Abbey of St. Symphorian, Autun The Abbey of St. Symphorian, Autun, (french: Abbaye Saint-Symphorien d'Autun) is a former abbey, later a priory, of Benedictine monks located outside the walls of Autun in Burgundy, France. History The abbey was named after Saint Symphorianus ...

. The first cathedral of Autun was consecrated during his episcopate. In 542, Nectarius travelled to

Milan Milan ( , , Lombard language, Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the List of cities in Italy, second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 ...

to venerate the

relics In religion, a relic is an object or article of religious significance from the past. It usually consists of the physical remains of a saint or the personal effects of the saint or venerated person preserved for purposes of veneration as a tang ...

of Saint Nazarius, and although he was unable to obtain any of them for Autun, he was offered a piece of cloth covered with the blood of Nazarius and his companion Celsus, which on his return he gave to the new cathedral, which was then dedicated to Nazarius. During this trip, he met Emanus, a

Cappadocia Cappadocia or Capadocia (; tr, Kapadokya), is a historical region in Central Anatolia, Turkey. It largely is in the provinces Nevşehir, Kayseri, Aksaray, Kırşehir, Sivas and Niğde. According to Herodotus, in the time of the Ionian Re ...

n pilgrim who, after living seven years in Rome and Italy, was going to Autun, attracted by a vision of the tomb of

Saint Symphorian :''Symphorian is also the name of one of the Four Crowned Martyrs. For various places in France and Belgium, see Saint-Symphorien.'' Symphorian (Symphorianus, Symphorien), Timotheus (Timothy), and Hippolytus of Rome are three Christian martyr ...

. The bishop kept him as a guest for several years, after which Emanus went to evangelize the country of the

Carnutes The Carnutes or Carnuti (Gaulish: 'the horned ones'), were a Gallic tribe dwelling in an extensive territory between the Sequana (Seine) and the Liger (Loire) rivers during the Iron Age and the Roman period. Name They are mentioned as ''Carn ...

. His veneration for Saint Symphorian brought him back to Autun, where he attracted crowds by his miracles. In 549, Nectarius participated in the

Fifth Council of Orléans The Fifth Council of Orléans (28 October 549) assembled nine archbishops and forty-one bishops. Sacerdos of Lyon presided over this council. The presence of these bishops indicates both the wide spread of Christianity in Gaul by the sixth centur ...

, together with Saint Germain and seventy-one archbishops and bishops of France. He died in Autun on 13 September 549 or 550. His feast day is 13 September.Nominis
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References

{{authority control Bishops of Autun 6th-century Burgundian bishops 6th-century Christian saints Gallo-Roman saints