Saint Audomar (died 670), better known as Saint Omer, was a
bishop of Thérouanne, after whom nearby
Saint-Omer in northern
France was named.
Biography
He was born of a distinguished family of
Coutances, then under the
Frankish realm of
Neustria, towards the close of the 6th or the beginning of the 7th century.
After the death of his mother, he entered with his father the
abbey of Luxeuil in the
Diocese of Besançon, probably about 615. Under the direction of Eustachius, Omer studied the
Scriptures, in which he acquired remarkable proficiency.
[O'Boyle, Francis. "St. Omer." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 11. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1911. 31 Dec. 2012]
/ref>
When King Dagobert requested the appointment of a bishop for the important city of Thérouanne, the capital of the ancient territory of the Morini in Neustria, he was appointed and consecrated in 637.
Though the Morini had received Christianity from Saint Fuscian and Saint Victoricus, and later Antmund and Adelbert, nearly every vestige of Christianity had disappeared. In 649 or 651, Audomar received twelve estates, including Sithiu where he established three missionaries who came from Austrasia and spoke the local language. The Abbot of Luxeuil sent to his assistance several monks, among whom are mentioned Saint Bertin
Bertin ( la, Bertinus; 615 – ''c''. 709 AD), also known as Saint Bertin the Great, was the Frankish abbot of a monastery in Saint-Omer later named the Abbey of Saint Bertin after him. He is venerated as a saint by the Catholic and Orthodox Ch ...
, Saint Mommolin and Saint Ebertran.[
He founded the Abbey of Saint Peter (now the ]Abbey of Saint Bertin
The Abbey of St. Bertin was a Benedictine monastic abbey in Saint-Omer, France. The buildings are now in ruins, which are open to the public. It was initially dedicated to but was rededicated to its second abbot, . The abbey is known for its La ...
) in Sithiu, soon to rival the old monastery of Luxeuil for the number of learned and zealous men educated there. In 649 he erected the Church of Our Lady of Sithiu, with a small monastery adjoining, which he turned over to the monks of Saint Bertin, on condition that he would be buried at the site and that the church would serve as a burial place for the monks."The Collegiate Church and St. Bertin Abbey", Ghent University Library
/ref>
The exact date of his death is unknown, but he is believed to have died about the year 670.
Veneration
The place of his burial is uncertain; most probably he was laid to rest in the church of Our Lady, later Saint-Omer Cathedral, where there is a 13th-century cenotaph dedicated to him.
His feast is celebrated on 9 September.
References
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Audomare, Saint
7th-century Frankish bishops
Bishops of Thérouanne
Audomare (Omer)
Year of birth unknown
7th-century Frankish saints
Colombanian saints