Honorina

ON ST. HONORINA, VIRGIN AND MARTYR, AT CONFLANS IN FRANCE.

Preliminary Commentary.

Honorina, Virgin and Martyr, at Conflans in France (St.)

Author G. H.

[1] The French Vexin is ^a province near the territory of Paris, in which the river Oesia, or Aesia, later also called the Isara, flows into the Seine below the town of Pontoise near the town of Conflans, or Confluentiae Sanctae Honorinae -- commonly called Conflans Sainte Honorine, otherwise known as Fin d'Oise -- which is also called Castrum Conflandum or Conflandinum. The body of St. Honorina is piously preserved in that town, having been brought there long ago from Gerardivilla, ^a village not far from the maritime mouth of the river Seine, on account of the Norman persecution in the time of Charles the Simple, King of the Franks. Ordericus Vitalis describes that devastation by the Normans in book 3 of his Ecclesiastical History as follows: In the time of Charles, King of the Franks, who was surnamed the Simple, Brier, with the cognomen Iron-Side, son of Lobrocus, King of the Danes, together with Hasting his foster-father and ^a vast multitude of young men, set forth from his homeland to plunder the nations. Unexpectedly, like ^a violent whirlwind, he burst into Gaul from the sea, and suddenly burned down towns and cities together with the monasteries of the Saints: and for thirty years he raged insatiably against the Christians with his accomplices. Then Rouen and Noyon, Tours and Poitiers, and other principal cities were burned. The unarmed populace were slain, monks and clerics were scattered, and the bodies of the Saints were either left without veneration in their tombs, their buildings now destroyed, or were carried by their pious devotees to distant places. With these Danes, or Normans, Charles the Simple made peace and ^a treaty in the year 912, giving his daughter Gisla in marriage to their Duke Rollo, who had embraced the Christian faith, together with that maritime coast of Gaul which was thenceforth called Normandy.

[2] When the venerable body of St. Honorina was shining with many miracles among the people of Conflans, Ivo, Count of Beaumont-sur-Oise, and his wife Adelidis, wishing that monks should serve God at the shrine of Blessed Honorina of Conflans, gave it and all things pertaining to it in the year 1080 to the monastery of Bec, under the free authority and governance of the Abbots of the aforesaid monastery. So Papirius Massonus writes in his description of the rivers of Gaul, from ^a manuscript codex of the monastery of Bec in Normandy: which at that time excelled with monks distinguished for virtue and learning under St. Anselm as Abbot, later Archbishop of Canterbury in England, whose feast day is the 21st of April. Concerning the aforementioned Count of Beaumont, Ivo, Ordericus Vitalis treats in book 8 at the year 1090, and asserts that his daughter Adelidis was married to Hugh de Grentesmaisnil, ^a vigorous knight, who died in England in the year 1094.

[3] We present the history of the Translation and miracles of St. Honorina from an ancient manuscript transmitted to us from Rouen by Frederick Flouet, ^a priest of our Society: which was written in the 12th century of Christ, and perhaps by ^a monk of Bec, as the very words below suggest.

[4] The memory of St. Honorina is inscribed on the 27th of February in the manuscript of Usuard from the monastery of Anchin, in these words at the end of that day: And of St. Honorina, Virgin. But the manuscript Florarium: Of Honorina, Virgin. Hermann Greven in the supplement to Usuard: At the Castrum of Conflans, of Honorina, Virgin. Canisius adds in the German Martyrology: And Martyr. Molanus in his additions to Usuard: On the same day, in Normandy, of Blessed Honorina, Virgin. Ferrarius in the General Catalogue: At Conflans in Gaul, of St. Honorina, Virgin and Martyr; and he notes that Conflans is ^a town on the seacoast between Rouen and Caen, called Conflen by its inhabitants. But Honfleur, situated in the same area, was the occasion of this error. Saussay in the Gallican Martyrology describes the place in these words: On the same day, near Pontoise, on the border of the territory of Paris and Normandy, of St. Honorina, Virgin and Martyr: for whom the final contest endured in the flames for the faith and worship of Christ won the trophy of immortal glory and the reward of eternal happiness. Again on the 27th of March, the name of St. Honorina is inscribed in the manuscript Florarium, in the Martyrology printed at Cologne in 1490, and in the supplement of Hermann Greven in these words: At the Castrum of Conflans, of St. Honorina, Virgin. And Maurolycus: At the Castrum of Conflans, of St. Honorina, Virgin and Martyr.

[5] At what time she lived, and by what manner of contest she obtained the crown of martyrdom, does not seem to be entirely certain. The author of the history of the Translation, no. 3, asserts that the Lord Jesus made manifest to the inhabitants of this region, who were ignorant of her passion, how great were her merits and how great her virtue. In the ancient Breviary of the Church of Quimper in Brittany, the feast of St. Honorina, Virgin and Martyr, is celebrated on this 27th of February, with the entire Office taken from the Common of ^a Virgin and Martyr, except for the Legend divided into three Lessons at Matins, which is an abbreviation of the Life of St. Dorothea, Virgin and Martyr, which we gave on the 6th of February, page 773 and following. This epitome begins: In the province of Cappadocia, at the city of Caesarea, there was ^a certain maiden named Honorina: she exhibited to God ^a diligent service in chastity and sobriety every day. It ends with these words: When therefore she had come under the stroke of the executioner, she asked the headsman to be permitted ^a brief time for prayer. When she had completed her prayer, struck by the sword, she went forth to Christ with the triumph of martyrdom. So far that passage, without any mention of St. Theophilus the Advocate, or of roses and apples received from heaven.

[6] Saussay, as we reported above, writes that she underwent her final contest in the flames. Citing him and the records of Conflans, our Lahier narrates approximately the following about her in the Menologium of Virgins: When the Roman tyrants were vexing the Church in Gaul and the rest of the Empire with ^a cruel persecution, this Virgin was seized by their officials in that part of Gaul which was later called Neustria and Normandy: in which she herself had been born and in childhood had been washed in the sacred font of baptism, and was practicing the Christian religion with great zeal and piety. The same woman, having been captured, was after various interrogations (which were customarily put first) seriously admonished to abandon the Christian faith, with threats of atrocious torments also being placed before her should she refuse; but she responded with great courage that she was unwilling to worship statues and senseless idols, which represented condemned men who, while they lived, had been contaminated with every kind of unchastity and other enormous crimes. For this reason, by order of the Governor, ^a great fire was built and St. Honorina was cast into it as punishment for the blasphemies uttered by her against the gods; and singing divine hymns, she consummated the trophy of martyrdom under the Roman tyrants on the 27th of February. So far Lahier: but at what time the records of Conflans, on which both he and Saussay rely, were written, they do not indicate.

HISTORY OF THE TRANSLATION

drawn from ^a manuscript by Frederick Flouet, S.J.

Honorina, Virgin and Martyr, at Conflans in France (St.)

BHL Number: 3983

From ^a manuscript.

[1] In the year of the Incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ... while Charles, surnamed the Simple, held the governance of the kingdom of the Franks, from the remotest regions of the northern clime there came into that part of France which was then called Neustria, but is now named Normandy, ^a certain most fierce people: still entangled in pagan error, they were utterly opposed in life and conduct to the Lord Christ, the true King. Yet by his permission -- for he makes use even of his enemies, and whenever in any way he is angered at this world, he sends evil spirits for the punishment of evildoers, whom nevertheless by his divine power he compels not to harm as much as they desire -- and through the deserving sins of the people of that age, he delivered up cities, villages, and monasteries, constructed along the banks of the Seine and throughout all parts of that same region, to be despoiled from their foundations and burned with fire: from whose most abominable depredations, as ^a lamb fleeing from wolves, ^a hind from dogs, the Christian people wandered through foreign provinces seeking hiding places. But the relics of the Saints, which they had venerated with pious affection while still dwelling in their own homes, lest they be suddenly dishonored by the faithless enemies of the Christian faith -- not unmindful amid so many adversities of their most ancient religion -- they carried with them and found lodging in various places throughout France, as seemed pleasing to the divine gaze.

[2] Whence it came about that the venerable body of Blessed Honorina, Virgin and Martyr, was raised from the earth from the village called Gerardivilla, in that place near the sea where the Seine reaches its end, by the hands of honored clerics, the sarcophagus having been broken open at the head; and it was conveyed, supported by ^a horse, to the fortress of Conflans in the territory of Paris, and was given lodging in the church of the Blessed Mother Mary, built there from ancient times, by the Lord's assent and by his providence over all things that are now beheld by our eyes. When indeed almighty God, who does not desire the death of the sinner but rather that he be converted and live, and who declares that there is greater joy among the Angels over one sinner doing penance than over ninety-nine just who have no need of penance -- when he had subjected the necks of that people to his dominion through the washing of baptism, and the host of Saints' bearers had returned to their former seats -- this most blessed community did not wish the earth to be any longer deprived of the holy Martyr of the Lord, with whose fellowship she is happily joined in heaven.

[3] When thereafter the Lord Jesus Christ, in order that the inhabitants of this region, who were ignorant of her passion, might learn how great were her merits and how great her virtue, began to display great miracles upon the sick who implored the aid of the sacred Martyr with faith and devotion: sight was restored to the blind, hearing to the deaf, speech to the mute, and whoever was oppressed was made whole and healthy by divine gift from whatever infirmity held him. Indeed they relate and affirm as truth that, many years having passed, when the quadruped upon which the Martyr had been brought had died in body and breath, and its carcass had been cast out under the open sky for several days to be torn by the teeth of wild beasts or dogs, and all alike remained unfed from touching it -- to those beholding and greatly marveling at such ^a thing, it seemed right that it should be buried in ^a pit dug in the ground, and that as ^a monument to so great ^a miracle, ^a door of the basilica should be covered on the outside with its hide. This was done, and very many of our people still survive who most assuredly testify that they either heard from the ancients or beheld with their own eyes the things we narrate.

[4] Meanwhile there came ^a vast and venerable multitude of people of both sexes and various ages, to commend themselves to the prayers of the holy Virgin and to implore her intercession -- not only from neighboring places, but from almost all the villages and towns of the surrounding provinces, so that around the monastery and through all the streets of the said fortress there appeared to be perpetual fairs, and the space was not sufficient to contain so great ^a multitude. Her fame was growing, her power was becoming manifest, as chains burst asunder here and there throughout the provinces around those who were imprisoned and fettered with chains, iron bonds, and manacles, at the invocation of our Lord Jesus Christ and the holy Virgin. For you might see day after day very many who had been in chains coming to render thanks for their liberation in the presence of the blessed Relics, and bringing with them to present to God and their liberator the exceeding weight of iron by which they had formerly been grievously oppressed, so that in the church ^a not inconsiderable heap of fetters of various kinds could be seen, as indeed it can even to this day.

[5] A certain man of noble birth and of no small eminence according to the world, Ingerandus de Boua by name, father of Thomas de Marla, arriving among the rest, brought with him through the hands of his servants -- with whose multitude he abounded -- three pairs of shackles and ^a certain very long chain of great weight, which, still shown to pilgrims by us, is preserved. And when he had made his offering and had rendered thanksgiving to God for the wonders He works in His Saints, he summoned together the Brothers of the monastery of Bec, who had recently arrived there by the gift and permission of Count Ivo of Beaumont, and publicly narrated the following to all: For I was captured by enemies, who deposited me, loaded with these three pairs of shackles about my shins and this weighty chain you see about my neck, in ^a certain narrow, long barrel set upright above the floor, so that this chain, drawn out through ^a hole in the said vessel, was firmly fastened to ^a certain post standing beyond the neighboring wall. Grievously weighed down by these burdens, and moreover assigned many guards besides, day and night with tears and groaning I invoked the aid of God and of Blessed Honorina, whose memory had been brought to me, that she who had succored so many placed in such need and distress might deign in her mercy to succor me, ^a wretched, faithless, unjust sinner.

[6] What more? It pleased God and the blessed Virgin to grant assent to my prayers, though of the least merit. And so on the following night, when I had been intent upon these supplications, and the guards had given themselves to slumber, there appeared to me ^a certain beautiful Virgin with ^a bright light, clothed in ^a white garment, who addressed me with the following words: "Alas, you man," she said, "what do you ask of me? What would you have me do for you?" When I learned her name, she herself revealing it, I disclosed to her, as she had commanded, in due order all the distress I was suffering. Then she said, "Rise quickly, for the grace of the Lord, with the support of my merits, has freed you from such great misery." Without delay I leapt up fearlessly from the bottom of the barrel, the fetters on my feet loosening from their hold, the chain likewise springing from my neck and from the timber to which it had been fastened, without the knowledge of the guards. When he had related these and many other things which we have thought too lengthy to enumerate -- while the Brothers gave thanks to God with tears for these things -- he returned to his own lands, having given to the church one of his servants with his entire progeny, who in his stead should visit the place each year with fitting offerings: for he professed that on account of the multitude of his enemies he was unable to come to Conflans more frequently.

[7] At that time ^a certain nobleman of this fortress named Drogo held ^a great many men in chains in his prison, who were imploring with such constancy the aid of God and Blessed Honorina that they might be relieved of the so great and so many miseries they had long suffered without cause: and to those who persisted in prayer, divine grace was not wanting. While the aforesaid Drogo was sitting at table with all his household, all except one came forth from the prison, the fetters of each having been broken by heavenly power, hastening in swift assembly to the oratory of the blessed Virgin, there to sing praises to God for their liberation: nor could they be heard or seen at all by any of those dining, past whom they walked. And when they had entered the church, and the knight, still at his meal, had been startled by the miraculous great clanging of bells, hearing that the said Martyr had thus freed her captives, he ran in no little distress to the prison and found that one had remained, and he urged him with eager voice to follow after his companions, reckoning it to his lack of faith that he alone had remained behind when the others departed.