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Burgundofara (died 643 or 655), also Saint Fara or Fare, was the founder and first
abbess
An abbess (Latin: ''abbatissa'') is the female superior of a community of nuns in an abbey.
Description
In the Catholic Church (both the Latin Church and Eastern Catholic), Eastern Orthodox, Coptic, Lutheran and Anglican abbeys, the mod ...
of the Abbey of Faremoutiers
Faremoutiers Abbey () was an important Merovingian Benedictine monastery of nuns in the present Seine-et-Marne department of France. Closed by the French Revolution, the monastery was reestablished in the 20th century. In its early days, the comm ...
.
Life
Her family is known as the Faronids, named after her brother Faro. Her name may mean "she who moves the Burgundians".
Jonas of Bobbio
Jonas of Bobbio (also known as Jonas of Susa) (Sigusia, now Susa, Italy, 600 – after 659 AD) was a Columbanian monk and a major Latin monastic author of hagiography. His ''Life of Saint Columbanus'' is "one of the most influential works of ...
's life
Life, also known as biota, refers to matter that has biological processes, such as Cell signaling, signaling and self-sustaining processes. It is defined descriptively by the capacity for homeostasis, Structure#Biological, organisation, met ...
of Columbanus
Saint Columbanus (; 543 – 23 November 615) was an Irish missionary notable for founding a number of monasteries after 590 in the Frankish and Lombard kingdoms, most notably Luxeuil Abbey in present-day France and Bobbio Abbey in presen ...
reports that she was blessed by the Irish monk
A monk (; from , ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a man who is a member of a religious order and lives in a monastery. A monk usually lives his life in prayer and contemplation. The concept is ancient and can be seen in many reli ...
when a child:
Jonas's life of Burgundofara picks up the tale. She is betrothed
An engagement or betrothal is the period of time between the declaration of acceptance of a marriage proposal and the marriage itself (which is typically but not always commenced with a wedding). During this period, a couple is said to be ''fi ...
against her will and falls deathly ill. Her father Chagneric says to Eustasius of Luxeuil
Luxeuil-les-Bains () is a Communes of France, commune in the Haute-Saône Departments of France, department in the Regions of France, region of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté west of Mulhouse in eastern France.
History
Luxeuil (sometimes rendered Lux ...
, who happens to be present, "Would that she might return to health and devote herself to divine service!" Burgundofara recovers, thanks to Eustasius's prayers, but her father goes back on his word and decides to give her away in marriage. She discovers this, and flees to the church of Saint Stephen
Stephen (; ) is traditionally venerated as the protomartyr or first martyr of Christianity."St ...
in Meaux. There her brothers Faro and Chagnoald catch her, and are set on killing her for disobeying their father Chagneric, but the timely arrival of Eustasius settles matters.
With Eustasius's support, and the approval of Bishop Gundoald of Meaux, Burgundofara established an abbey on her father's lands. First called ''Evoriacum'', it was later renamed Faremoutiers in her honour.
Studies of Burgundofara's life, and those of noble heiresses in similar situations, lead some writers to conclude that in fact the abbey was very likely established with her father's blessing, and the supposed parental insistence upon her marriage may have been no more than a front, especially if the marriage was proposed by the King. An edict of King Chilperic I
Chilperic I ( 539 – September 584) was the king of Neustria (or Soissons) from 561 to his death. He was one of the sons of the Franks, Frankish king Clotaire I and Queen Aregund.
Life
Immediately after the death of his father in 561, he ...
a generation earlier had favoured the claims of daughters in inheritance over those of uncles and nephews, making the marriage of an heiress of considerable importance to the wider family.
The feast of Saint Burgundofara is celebrated on 3 April, probably in error. At Faremoutiers, she was commemorated on 7 December.
References
Sources
* Riché, Pierre, ''Dictionnaire des Francs: Les temps Mérovingiens.'' Eds. Bartillat, 1996. * Wickham, Chris ''The Inheritance of Rome: A History of Europe from 400 to 1000.'', 2009.Further reading
* Macnamara, Jo Ann, Halborg, John E. & Whatley, E. Gordon, ''Sainted Women of the Dark Ages.'' Duke University Press, 1992. {{DEFAULTSORT:Burgundofara Frankish abbesses 7th-century deaths 7th-century Frankish saints Year of birth unknown Year of death uncertain Christian female saints of the Middle Ages Colombanian saints 7th-century Frankish nuns 7th-century Christian nuns