ON S. SICHARIA, VIRGIN, AT ORLEANS IN GAUL.
CommentaryS. Sicharia, Virgin, at Orleans in Gaul.
By I. B.
[1] That S. Sicharia the Virgin was most celebrated is evident from the fact that she is listed in most Martyrologies; The Acts of S. Sicharia are unknown. both ancient and new: that of S. Jerome (or rather the old Roman), Rabanus, Ado, Bede, Notker, Bellinus in the Paris edition of 1521, Galesinius, Canisius, Ferrarius, Saussaius, and others. Her Acts appear to have perished; they certainly still lie hidden. Briefly, she is mentioned as follows in the old Roman Martyrology called that of S. Jerome on this day: At Orleans, her birthday, the deposition of Flosculus the Bishop, and the deposition of Signaria the Virgin. Notker has: And of Sicharia the Virgin. The standard Bede, Ado, Molanus in his additions to Usuardus, and others: At Orleans, the deposition of Sicharia, a Virgin consecrated to God. Rabanus, certain manuscripts, and Bellinus have nearly the same. Ferrarius in his Notes writes that she is listed by Bede on the sixteenth of February: we have not read this on that day in any printed codex or one written under Bede's name. The same Ferrarius adds that because she is said to have been consecrated to God, she was a nun. For this reason Wion and Menardus inscribed her in the Benedictine Martyrology. Saussaius in the Gallican Martyrology manner of life. has this: On the same day at Orleans, S. Sicharia, a Virgin consecrated to God, conspicuous for humility, innocence, and holiness.
[2] Her name has been variously expressed by writers: the name variously written. Most call her Sicharia; the codex of S. Maximinus and the Martyrology of Rabanus call her Sicaria; the standard Bede calls her Siccaria; Canisius calls her Sigaria; the manuscript Florarium calls her Sygaria; the manuscript Martyrology of S. Jerome calls her Signaria. We once wondered whether she might not originally have been called Siagria or Syagria: a name borne by many illustrious men and women in Gaul; such as the woman of that same period called by the Blessed Ennodius in the Life of S. Epiphanius, Bishop of Pavia, the twenty-first of January, chapter 12, number 55, the Treasure of the Church: and Syagrius, nearly her contemporary, King of the Romans in Gaul, son of Aegidius, the Roman King of the Franks, in Gregory of Tours, and others also conspicuous for holiness. Although there were also men named Sicharius, such as that Sicharius at Tours, the son of John, about whom the same Gregory writes in book 7 and book 9 of the History of the Franks; and Sicharius, the ambassador of King Dagobert to Samo, King of the Slavic Wends, about whom the Deeds of Dagobert, chapter 27, and the Chronicle of Fredegar, chapter 68.
[3] The age of S. Sicharia, since her Acts are hidden, we cannot determine with certainty. her age. The fact that she is generally listed after S. Flosculus in the Martyrologies may perhaps suggest she was roughly his contemporary; certainly not much younger, since she is mentioned in the most ancient Roman Martyrology. Wherefore she does not seem to have lived to the times when the Benedictine institute was propagated in Gaul, as Wion and Menardus supposed.