Sabinus

ON SAINT SABINUS, OR SAVINUS, BISHOP OF PIACENZA IN ITALY.

Toward the End of the Fourth Century

Sabinus, Bishop of Piacenza in Italy (Saint)

From various sources.

[1] At Piacenza, ^a noble city of Cispadane Gaul, Saint Savinus, or Sabinus, is venerated on January 17, with ^a double office and octave, as Ferrarius testifies in his catalogue of the Saints of Italy, and in the general catalogue of Saints, where he writes thus: Feast of Saint Sabinus: "At Piacenza in Gallia Togata, Saint Savinus, Bishop and Patron of the same city." He is said, moreover, to have died on December 11; on which day the Roman Martyrology reads: "At Piacenza, Saint Sabinus, Bishop, famous for his miracles." Molanus and the Carthusians of Cologne in their additions to Usuardus, Maurolycus, Felicius, and Galesinius also mention him on that day; but the latter again on February 14, or the sixteenth of the Kalends of March (he probably meant to write the sixteenth of the Kalends of February), has the following: "At Piacenza, Saint Sabinus, Bishop and Confessor, who was present at the Council of Aquileia; and distinguished by the glory of deeds done wondrously and divinely, he rested in the Lord." The German Martyrology on December 11: "Likewise Saint Sabinus, Bishop of Piacenza, who by divine revelation found the body of Saint Antoninus, concerning whom we dealt with on the last day of September. He was ^a man full of faith, and ^a doer of the divine word no less than ^a preacher, also famous for miracles. Saint Gregory writes about him."

[2] His deeds: We shall give the miracle which Saint Gregory narrates as having been performed by him in book 3 of the Dialogues, chapter 10, and then the summary of his life which Ferrarius composed from Lessons, as he says, approved at Rome, which are read at Piacenza on his feast day. There are extant several letters of Saint Ambrose addressed to him: for they were bound to one another by the greatest charity, familiarity with Saint Ambrose: whence he concludes letter 8 of book 1 and letters 30 and 31 of book 4 with: "Farewell, and love us, for we love you"; and letter 65 of book 8 with: "Farewell, and love us as you do"; and finally letter 63: "Farewell, brother, and love one who loves you, for I love you greatly." In that letter 63 Ambrose indicates that he sends his compositions to him learning. for correction by his judgment, and advises him to judge clearly and examine scrutinizingly what he should correct. And he adds this notable remark: "For I know not how, but each man's own writings deceive him, and pass by his ear, and just as even deformed children delight their parents, so also his own unsightly compositions flatter the writer."

[3] We have another proof of Sabinus's learning in the Council of Aquileia, celebrated under the consuls Siagrius and Eucherius in the year of Christ 381, where his very weighty opinions against the Arians are read. Baronius treats of the same variously attested learning of Sabinus in his Notes on the Martyrology for December 11, and in the Annals, volume 4, at the year 381, number 83.

MIRACLE OF SAINT SABINUS.

From the Dialogues of Saint Gregory, book 3, chapter 10.

Sabinus, Bishop of Piacenza in Italy (Saint)

Of this same venerable man, Bishop Venantius, I learned of another miracle by his account, which he attests was performed in the city of Piacenza: ^a fact which the man of God, the most truthful Joannes, who at this time holds the office of Prefect in this Roman city, and who was born and raised in the same city of Piacenza, also attests, just as the Bishop recalls, that it had taken place. Saint Sabinus the Bishop For they assert that in that city there was ^a Bishop of wondrous virtue named Sabinus. When one day his Deacon reported to him that the Po, having left its course and its channel, had invaded the fields of the Church, the overflowing Po, and the waters of that river covered all those places that would have been useful for nourishing the crops; the venerable Bishop Sabinus replied, saying: "Go, and say to it: The Bishop commands you to restrain yourself and return to your own channel." When his Deacon heard this, he despised it and laughed. Then the man of God, having summoned ^a Notary, dictated, saying: "Sabinus, servant of the Lord Jesus Christ, an admonition to the Po: I command you, in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, by ^a written admonition cast in, that you no longer leave your channel in these places; nor presume to damage the lands of the Church." And he added to the same Notary, saying: "Go, write this, and cast it into the waters of that river." he restrains it. When this was done, the water of the river, receiving the holy man's command, immediately withdrew from the lands of the Church, and returning to its own channel, did not thereafter presume to come out again to those same places. In which matter, Peter, what else is confounded but the hardness of disobedient men, when in the power of Jesus even the irrational element obeyed the commands of the holy man?

LIFE FROM FERRARIUS.

Sabinus, Bishop of Piacenza in Italy (Saint)

[1] Savinus, or Sabinus, as in the Roman Martyrology, ^a Roman by birth, having been made Bishop of Piacenza, shone with virtues and miracles. He accomplished many illustrious things in his episcopate: the body of Saint Antoninus the Martyr, the patron of that city, which had long lain hidden in an obscure place, Saint Savinus translates the bodies of Saints: having been found by the prompting of God, he bore it with ^a great concourse of people to the basilica of Saint Victor the Martyr, dedicated by Saint Victor the Bishop. He was present at the Council of Nicaea, then together with Saint Ambrose, Bishop of Milan, at the Council of Aquileia. So great was his learning, he flourishes in learning, that Saint Ambrose entrusted his own writings to him for review.

[2] He was also ^a performer of notable miracles. For among other things, as Saint Gregory the Pope writes in the Dialogues, when the Deacon of Saint Savinus reported that the Po had left its channel and miracles: and was invading the fields of the Church, and the holy Bishop had replied: "Go, say to it: Bishop Savinus commands you to return to your own channel"; and the Deacon, mocking, had refused to carry out the command; summoning ^a Notary he dictated ^a precept of this kind: "Savinus, servant of our Lord Jesus Christ, to the Po: I command you, in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, that returning to your place, you henceforth not come out into these places, nor presume to damage the lands of the Church." And he ordered the Notary to carry the precept to the river Po and cast it into the waters. When this was done (wonderful to say!), immediately the Po withdrew into its former channel, and never returned to those Church lands.

[3] He dies. When Saint Savinus had governed the Church of Piacenza for 45 years in the most saintly manner, he rendered his spirit to God on the third of the Ides of December. His body was placed in the church then dedicated to the twelve holy Apostles, which was afterward called Saint Savinus's, and was interred by Saint Maurus, Bishop, his successor, on the sixteenth of the Kalends of February. On which day his solemnity is celebrated by the Church of Piacenza.