Saint Reverianus of Autun (french: link=no, Révérien, Rirand, also ''Revenerius, Rivianus, Reverentianus'',
''Reveriano, Reverie''
) (died June 1, 273 AD) was a 3rd-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 ...
.
Life
According to tradition, Reverianus was of Italian origin, he was sent by
Pope Felix I to evangelize the
Aedui
The Aedui or Haedui (Gaulish: *''Aiduoi'', 'the Ardent'; grc, Aἴδουοι) were a Gallic tribe dwelling in the modern Burgundy region during the Iron Age and the Roman period.
The Aedui had an ambiguous relationship with the Roman Republic ...
, a Gallic people of
Gallia Lugdunensis
Gallia Lugdunensis (French: ''Gaule Lyonnaise'') was a province of the Roman Empire in what is now the modern country of France, part of the Celtic territory of Gaul formerly known as Celtica. It is named after its capital Lugdunum (today's Lyo ...
and is considered the "apostle of the
Morvan.”
According to
Usuard,
[Thomas Scott Holmes, The Origin & Development of the Christian Church in Gaul During the First Six Centuries of the Christian Era: Being the Birkbeck Lectures for 1907 and 1908 in Trinity College, Cambridge. Birkbeck lectures ; 1907–1908. Macmillan and Company, limited, 1911. September 25, 2007, page 80.] he was persecuted during the reign of the Emperor
Aurelian
Aurelian ( la, Lucius Domitius Aurelianus; 9 September 214 October 275) was a Roman emperor, who reigned during the Crisis of the Third Century, from 270 to 275. As emperor, he won an unprecedented series of military victories which reunited ...
. According to tradition, Reverianus' preaching and conversions came to the attention of Emperor Aurelian, who was visiting the province of
Sens
Sens () is a commune in the Yonne department in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté in north-central France, 120 km from Paris.
Sens is a sub-prefecture and the second city of the department, the sixth in the region. It is crossed by the Yonne and t ...
at the time.
[Augustin-Joseph Crosnier, Hagiologie nivernaise: ou, Vies des saints et autres pieux personnages qui ont édifié le diocese de Nevers par leurs vertus (I.-M. Fay, 1860). Digitized October 5, 2007, p. 177.]
Also executed with Reverianus were his companion, named St. Paul or Paulus of Autun, along with 10 other followers.
[
According to one source, “the name everianusis not mentioned by earlier writers, and the first bishop of Autun seems to have been Reticius, who was present at the Synod of Rome A.D. 313, and at ]Arles
Arles (, , ; oc, label=Provençal, Arle ; Classical la, Arelate) is a coastal city and commune in the South of France, a subprefecture in the Bouches-du-Rhône department of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, in the former province ...
in the following year."[ Reverianus may have been revered as a bishop because he was the leader of this group of preachers.] He may not have been executed at Autun itself but at the site of the town named after him. According to a tradition at Nevers
Nevers ( , ; la, Noviodunum, later ''Nevirnum'' and ''Nebirnum'') is the prefecture of the Nièvre department in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region in central France. It was the principal city of the former province of Nivernais. It is ...
, Reverianus was executed outside of the city walls of that city.[
]
Veneration
In the 4th century, with freedom of worship granted to Christians by the Edict of Milan
The Edict of Milan ( la, Edictum Mediolanense; el, Διάταγμα τῶν Μεδιολάνων, ''Diatagma tōn Mediolanōn'') was the February 313 AD agreement to treat Christians benevolently within the Roman Empire. Frend, W. H. C. ( ...
(313 AD), a monastic cell was built over the graves of these martyrs.
This monastic cell became in 866 the oratory of St. Révérien, which was granted by Charles the Fat
Charles III (839 – 13 January 888), also known as Charles the Fat, was the emperor of the Carolingian Empire from 881 to 888. A member of the Carolingian dynasty, Charles was the youngest son of Louis the German and Hemma, and a great-grandso ...
to the chapter of Nevers. It had been previously under the jurisdiction of the Benedictines of the Abbey of Saint Martin d'Autun. In 1076, this monastery became affiliated with Abbey of Cluny
Cluny Abbey (; , formerly also ''Cluni'' or ''Clugny''; ) is a former Benedictine monastery in Cluny, Saône-et-Loire, France. It was dedicated to Saint Peter.
The abbey was constructed in the Romanesque architectural style, with three churches ...
. In the 13th century, the present church of St. Révérien was built according to the Cluniac style.
Another tradition celebrated by the Abbey of Notre-Dame de Nevers held that Reverianus died with his companions near this site,[ near the spring that still bears his name.
Of his relics, only a piece of Reverianus' head have been preserved.] The relic was kept at Villy-le-Moutier
Villy-le-Moutier is a commune in the Côte-d'Or department
Department may refer to:
* Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility
Government and military
*Department (administrative division ...
(in the Canton of Nuits-Saint-Georges
Nuits-Saint-Georges () is a commune in the arrondissement of Beaune of the Côte-d'Or department in eastern France. It lies in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region.
Wine
Nuits-Saint-Georges is the main town of the Côte de Nuits wine-produc ...
), a village to the east of the city of Beaune
Beaune () is the wine capital of Burgundy in the Côte d'Or department in eastern France. It is located between Lyon and Dijon. Beaune is one of the key wine centers in France, and the center of Burgundy wine production and business. The annu ...
. Until 1836, Reverianus' head was carried in procession to the church of Saint-Nicolas de Beaune during times of great drought. Crowds from the city and the surrounding areas would pray for rain.[Mémoires, Volumes 33–34, Société d'archéologie de Beaune (Côte d'Or). Histoire, lettres, sciences et arts, Société d'histoire d'archéologie et de littérature de l'arrondissement de Beaune. Impr. Beaunoise, 1910, pp. 167–8.]
References
Sources
* Jacques Baudoin: "Grand livre des Saints, culte et iconographie" Ed Créer. 2006. 519.p. fiche n°484, p. 419.
* Abbé François Adolphe Chauve-Bertrand: "L'église romane de Saint Révérien " in ''Bulletin de la Société scientifique et artistique de Clamecy 74e année 3e sem n°26. 1950''; p. 88–110 – idem 85e année 3e sem n°36. 1961: " Sanctus Reverianus". – et n°3 . série 37 de 1962. p. 68–83.
* Les moines de Ramsgate: "Livre des Saints". Ed A&C Black Publishers 2002 Anglais.655. p. 7e Edition.()
{{DEFAULTSORT:Reverianus
Bishops of Autun
273 deaths
3rd-century Gallo-Roman people
Gallo-Roman saints
Year of birth unknown