Urban

ON ST. URBAN, BISHOP OF LANGRES IN GAUL.

Fifth Century.

Urban, Bishop of Langres in Gaul (Saint)

From various sources.

[1] The city of Langres in Gaul (in the vernacular Langres, situated not far from the source of the river Marne, which our colleague Philibert Monet believes was formerly called Andomatunum) has had many bishops distinguished for holiness: among whom we recorded Gregory on January 4. On this day Urban is venerated, who in the published catalogues of Demochares, Chenu, and Robert, is reckoned the sixth Bishop of that See. He is inscribed in the Roman Martyrology on April 2, The ordination of St. Urban on April 2. with these words: At Langres, St. Urban, Bishop. The manuscript Martyrology of the Church of St. Gudula in Brussels reads: Likewise, Urban, Bishop. Molanus in his additions to Usuard: At Langres, St. Urban, Bishop and Confessor, a man of great virtues, who frequently preserved vineyards by his prayers. Galesinnius: At Langres, St. Urban, Bishop and Confessor, most illustrious for the splendor of his virtues. His feast on January 23. But on that day only the memory of his inauguration is recalled: his feast day, as Claudius Robert reports from the Langres Breviary, is celebrated on January 23 with an office of nine Lessons. And Andreas Saussay writes expressly: At Langres, the ordination of St. Urban, Bishop and Confessor, glorious for the grace of his holy deeds and wonderful works, who by his patronage before God frequently defended vineyards from frost and ruin. His deposition is celebrated on the feast day of the twenty-third of January.

[2] The life of St. Urban, or rather the miracles worked through his merits, have been committed to writing by an ancient anonymous author, who shows himself to have been a Benignian monk at Dijon, By whom his life was written. since in section 5 he writes thus: In the time of Abbot Lanterius, when, to restrain the aforesaid violence of the tyrants, the remains of St. Urban had been transported to the places of the vineyards of Surdiliacus Clausus and Lariacus; with the Lord's favor the enemies withdrew, and our men freely gathered the vintage of what was rightfully theirs. We received this account from a manuscript written by the hand of Nicolas Belfort, a canon regular of the monastery of St. John the Baptist de Vineis near Soissons. Although that Dijon monk denies that his wondrous life could be learned from reading, nevertheless Andreas Saussay in his Gallican Martyrology records certain things about his life, virtues, and translation, which he perhaps obtained from the Breviary or other records of the Church of Langres. These we shall prefix to that older Life.

[3] It is worthwhile to bring forward here what the most learned Johannes Molanus wrote in book 3 of his History of Sacred Images concerning St. Urban of Langres. Treating there of St. Urban I, Pope and Martyr, whose feast is celebrated on May 25, Molanus says: Why he is honored by vintners, and why he is depicted with a vine and grapes, has often been asked of me. And for a clear resolution nothing is found in Damasus, Why he is depicted with a grape, or in the deeds of Urban, or in the history of the Martyr Cecilia: but among the histories that the devout Father Antonius Geems of Brussels, of Rougeval, wrote in his own hand, I found on the 4th of the Nones of April the history of St. Urban, Bishop of Langres, who rests in the monastery of Dijon in a silver casket. That history, moreover, contains various miracles of St. Urban of Langres, partly for the retention, partly for the recovery or reclamation of vineyards. From which I suspect that, through the error of an equivocal name, Why St. Urban the Pope, vintners honor Urban the Pope in place of Urban, Bishop of Langres, whom they found in the calendars. And thence the same error may have invaded the painting: for by a similar error our millers of Louvain, in the church of St. Quentin, celebrated the feast of St. Victor as their patron on the tenth day of October, on which day St. Victor suffered at Xanthis with his companions: but, admonished by their pastor, they now honor Victor of Marseilles, who was ground by a millstone. His feast is July 21, on which day the Victorines celebrate him both in Paris and in other places.

[4] Not from the Roman usage. Certainly Ambrosius Novidius Fraccus of Ferentino, in his sacred Calendar addressed to Paul III, in which he carefully lists the feasts of the various trades, does not even mention the feast of St. Urban: but he has the ancient Vinalia feast on the feast of St. Martin; and he notes at length the feasts of the vintagers on the day of St. Matthew the Apostle. Where, among other things, he addresses the Apostle thus:

Be not ungrateful: he will call both Martin and you; And will paint your names in many places; And with half-berries, black and white, will mark The signs of God: and you shall be second at the feast.

Nor do I think our painters received this depiction of Urban from the Romans. For as far as I have been able to ascertain by the diligence of certain persons, no such image of Urban exists at Rome, although scarcely any other image of him exists there either. For in the church of St. Cecilia only his head is depicted. Which Urban is the patron of vintners. In the papal hall, however, which is called that of Constantine, on account of the history of the Emperor painted there on the walls, there is an image of him, but with scarcely any distinguishing feature from several other Pontiffs. Moreover, while I discuss these matters among the learned and investigate them for the purpose of unearthing the truth, I do not wish to give anyone occasion to disturb and offend the minds of vintners by blurting these things out imprudently. For if a patron must be commended to them, it can be said that they have two patrons of the same name: one Urban, a Bishop better known in France, who performed various miracles concerning vineyards; the other Urban, known throughout the whole Christian world on account of the Pontificate of the city of Rome and his celebrated martyrdom. Whom the vintners of both regions of Germany, and perhaps of some other provinces, chose as their patron and defender. But what moved them? We have suggested a little above that perhaps through error the two Urbans are confused. But we have not yet resolved this, nor is it expedient for it to be resolved among the common people. So writes Molanus; who then seeks out various arguments on account of which St. Urban the Pope could have been chosen as patron of vineyards and vintners.

EPITOME OF THE LIFE OF ST. URBAN,

from the Gallican Martyrology of the distinguished Andreas Saussay.

Urban, Bishop of Langres in Gaul (Saint)

From manuscripts.

[1] Born in a village adjacent to the fortress of Granciacum, whose name is Columerius, of a father of senatorial rank, he was instructed from his very boyhood in every virtue of piety, devoted himself to heaven, The holy youth of St. Urban, and directed his whole mind to divine studies: and with his heart filled with heavenly wisdom, he displayed such manifest acts of holiness that when Honoratus, the Bishop of Langres, was removed by the human lot, on account of his many privileges of graces, His episcopate, he was chosen in his place with the great desire and applause of all orders.

[2] Having become Bishop, he fulfilled the complete duties of a perfect prelate: for with untiring pastoral vigilance and the divine zeal with which he burned, the holy man restored to the clergy their religion, to the people their devotion, to the ruined buildings their beauty and splendor, and to the divine offices their magnificence, His virtues, For since he had found the Church, his bride, in a greatly neglected state, he soon made her beautiful with the adornment of his virtues and conspicuous with the illuminations of his wisdom, and expended such care and labor upon his see and his people that he deserved to be called not so much the restorer as the founder of that Church.

[3] While he was thus advancing in the ways of peace and justice, so as to lead his flock into that path by example and by word, he also began to shine with divine prodigies, to such a degree that not only did he drive away diseases by his prayers, but also expelled demons and even commanded the elements by heavenly grace. For by his prayer he more than once restrained rains, His miracles, scattered storms, and preserved the vines from the tempests threatening on every side: which was the reason that he is still invoked by vine-growers against the inclemency of the weather and is depicted everywhere with a grape.

[4] His image, The blessed man, resplendent with these marks of perfect holiness, since he himself was regarded by all as a miracle, foreknowing that the day of his happy dissolution, for which he perpetually burned, was drawing near, lay ill for several days in weakness, and having received the most holy mysteries, His death, and having commended his Church to divine protection, praying in the midst of the grieving multitude, he rendered his spirit to the Lord. Buried in the basilica of St. John, he performed more miracles dead than alive: on account of which shining lights of his blessedness, he was raised from his tomb for greater veneration and placed in an honorable casket, and was translated by Bishop Michael of Langres to the sacred church of St. Benignus the Martyr, His translation. at the request of Claude, the most devout Abbot of that place.

LIFE

By an anonymous Benignian monk, from the manuscript of Nicolas Belfort, Canon Regular.

Urban, Bishop of Langres in Gaul (Saint)

BHL Number: 8407

By an anonymous monk, from the manuscript.

CHAPTER I.

St. Urban assists his people: he orders chapels to be erected to himself.

[1] The Blessed Urban, Bishop of the city of Langres, was born of a noble lineage in a village adjacent to the fortress of Granciacum, whose name is Columerius, The homeland and parents of St. Urban, of a father of senatorial rank, and a mother named Gisliarda. To these parents, noble both in flesh and distinguished in the Christian religion, that the joy of offspring might be doubled, His sister, God added a single daughter, blessed with perpetual virginity, named Leodegaria.

[2] Although the life of this St. Urban was full of every kind of virtue, it was nevertheless not committed to the written record by any effort of the men of that time; His life generally unknown, because up to the times of Charlemagne, on account of the persecutions of the nations and also the civil wars of kings, men who were sufficiently instructed in grammar could scarcely be found in Gaul. But if his wondrous life could not hitherto be learned by reading, it is nevertheless frequently seen in the glorious working of signs.

[3] After the long courses of time had passed, when he had worthily fulfilled the pontificate in the Church of the aforementioned city and had migrated from earthly to heavenly things, his venerable body was transported to Dijon (as he himself had commanded while living), His body was buried at Dijon, and entombed in the basilica of St. John in a fitting mausoleum: whence, after many years had elapsed, it was raised by a heavenly revelation and placed in a silver casket adorned with relief work. Elevated, How pleasing he was, moreover, to the supreme Creator on account of the merit of his holiness, Illustrious for miracles. the following description of certain miracles declares.

[4] It happened, therefore, at a certain vintage season, that some soldiers dwelling in the vicinity of the territory of Dijon—namely Richard of Vesoul and Winlencus of Salins—were stubbornly seizing those things that belonged to the aforementioned monastery in Marcenniacum and in Canabae, and were compelling their tenants to serve them. Wherefore the brethren of the aforesaid place, moved by this cause, transported the sacred bones of Blessed Urban there with full faith. When therefore those same worthless plunderers had taken the rent-wine from the monks and wished to carry it off loaded on a cart, the inhabitants of the village of Marcenniacum, transporting the sacred relics thither, The wine of the monastery was preserved through the relics of St. Urban. together with the Provost, took the wine from them, strengthened by the help of God. Bearing this indignity, the adversaries immediately unyoked the oxen, cut the bindings of the vessels with their swords, and pulled out the spigots. But to display the merits of St. Urban, the wine remained in the loosened vessels in the same quantity as before, as if it were a solid substance, and was brought to Marcenniacum without any force of pulling oxen.

[5] In the time of Abbot Lanterius, when, to restrain the aforesaid violence of the tyrants, the remains of St. Urban had been transported to the places of the vineyards of Surdiliacus Clausus and Lariacus, with the Lord's favor the enemies withdrew, and our men freely gathered the vintage of what was rightfully theirs. On which occasion (alas!) they became negligent: and so the blessed Confessor lay under the open sky for some number of days and nights. Then on a certain night Blessed Urban appeared to the aforesaid Abbot with a conspicuous countenance: and striking him in the side with the pastoral staff he held, he said: By God hearing my prayers, you have recovered the vineyards that were once lost: A chapel is erected at the Saint's request: and now, while you rest comfortably in your bed, I remain unprotected under the open sky. If therefore you wish henceforth to hold firmly what you have acquired, take care to prepare an oratory for me as quickly as possible. He immediately awoke trembling, and crying out from the pain in his stricken side, he related with great fear what the holy Confessor of God had said to him: and sending for craftsmen without delay, he had them assembled and built the oratory with the greatest speed, in which, during that very autumn season, the Bishop of Christ rested, appropriately guarded by his own.

[6] After the space of not many years had passed, when the feast of St. Vincent had concluded, the relics were transported to Marcenniacum for a similar recovery of vineyards and lands belonging to the monastery of Dijon. While they were kept there with veneration for almost half a year, Likewise elsewhere. the Blessed one showed himself to a certain man of good character, named Bonfilius, resting in his bed, saying: Go to my brethren and tell them to build me a house in which to rest. Then the young man said: Lord, if I say what you command, no one will believe me. To which the Saint replied: Do not doubt, for I shall give you a sign that no one will be able to contradict. And immediately with the staff he carried in his hand, he drew three crosses upon the linen garment in which the same young man was clothed, of different colors. The man, awakened at that very hour, displayed to all the proofs of his vision: and the brethren obeyed without delay and built a small oratory where the faithful could gather.

CHAPTER II.

He restrains and punishes the violence of evil men.

[7] A certain cleric, named Baldwin, who held land planted with vines in the estate of Patriniacum, and on account of it suffered almost daily vexations from Theodoric, the provost of that same place, A violent usurper of others' property is punished: one day, meeting him also on this account, the latter, seized with demonic fury, struck him on the head with a pole. Wherefore, when he had invoked the power of St. Urban with a loud voice, he was heard: so that the same Theodoric, seized by an evil spirit, ended his life, and the aforementioned man recovered his right.

[8] Another worthless man of the equestrian order, when he was inflicting violence upon the servants of St. Benignus in the seizure of their possessions, and the necessity of the matter required that the body of Blessed Urban the Bishop be transported thither—that wicked man Uldierius, seeing it, burst forth, filled with a demon, into words of this kind: Another blasphemer. Alas, wherever I turn my step, that gleaming bier always follows me. And saying this, he hurled a stone and struck the litter of the Saint. Not long afterwards, so pestilential a sickness invaded his entire body that he became wholly infirm. And when he was greatly anxious about this, and had been carried in a wagon to the shrine of St. Urban with the hope of recovering his health, he was unable to obtain any remedy. Then he undertook the journey to Rome: but before he had reached the threshold of the Apostles, with his lower palate perforated, he lost his tongue, and thus ended his unworthy life. Let all who hear these things now attend to how severe is the vengeance with which the just Judge punishes the wicked who inflict evils upon His Saints. For He Himself declares that He suffers in His own, when, consoling them with a fatherly affection, He says: He who touches you is as one who touches the pupil of my eye. Zech. 2:8.

[9] At that same time, the army of Duke Henry was hastening to the siege of the fortress of Vesoul, which is situated on the hill of a steep mountain: and among others, Lambert, Count of Chalon, was present with him. Likewise one who killed a pig in the Saint's courtyard. When he had turned aside to Marcenniacum, and his attendants were attempting to seize food from everywhere, it happened that he himself ran through a pig that was fleeing in the courtyard of St. Urban. For which presumption he was immediately seized by a demon and was deprived of eating that same pig. At last, when those in his service had been filled with the greatest terror, one of his nobles, having become guarantor to the same Saint on his behalf, offered a mantle of the finest quality: and thus he earned, through the intercession of the blessed Confessor's prayers, to free his lord from the tormenting spirit.

[10] A certain woman, deprived from birth of the use of her tongue, when she came to the shrine of this Saint, A mute woman healed. and with great desire of heart continually implored the aid of his piety, was in no way frustrated in her hope. For when she was asked by a priest of venerable life, named Albo, who was then standing at the holy altar, what she wanted, she asked by the gesture that she could make that his hand be given to her: and as soon as he placed his open hand to her mouth, blood began to drip drop by drop from her tongue, and in a wondrous manner she began to speak clearly and to proclaim throughout the streets the great works of God and the merits of His Bishop.

[11] Walterius, a native of the town of Arcy, when he had pursued a certain man of Guiriacum, named Ingelmarus, who was trying to hide his donkeys from the harassment of his pursuers, A paralytic healed: all the way into the courtyard of the holy Confessor, immediately the horse on which he was sitting fell down dead, and he himself was struck with paralysis. From which infirmity he was by no means able to be cured, until he voluntarily surrendered himself to the service of the same Saint.

CHAPTER III.

He assists mortals in various ways.

[12] Guido of Orbaniacum, when he was afflicted with a similar debility of his limbs, Likewise another. and had had himself carried to the shrine of this Saint, immediately received full health of body. For which benefit he subjected himself and all his posterity to the service of the same Saint.

[13] A certain soldier, when he had devoutly celebrated the vigils of a certain feast day at the shrine of this Saint together with the rest of the people who had assembled, A lost horse recovered. someone stole his horse by theft. When, searching for it, he could not find it, and anxiously lodged his complaint with the Saint, the thief, having been vainly wearied the whole night, returned in the morning before the courtyard of the holy Confessor with the horse, and both returned what he had taken and increased the praises of the Saint.

[14] The merit of this venerable and illustrious Bishop did not long remain hidden from the people of the city of Troyes, Mice driven from the crops, having been made known to them through the mouths of many. For when innumerable mice were devastating their crops, and on account of this their labors were perishing, they came in a body to Marcenniacum, and from his church they carried back with them in small vessels water appropriately sanctified against such a pestilence. And while they rejoiced greatly at this, and saw that he was present as their helper in their votive petitions, it happened that some of their company arrived from another road for the same reason: and as these were resting at the river Agion and talking among themselves about these things, a certain priest sitting among them said: O foolish men, why do you weary yourselves with such great labor? Do I not possess the office of blessing, or was that water of St. Urban, exorcised in the priestly manner, more powerful than my blessing? By saying such things he turned them from their begun journey. And when they had returned to the place of their own dwelling, having received water from the arrogant priest, blessed by his presumption and not by God, The proud and slanderous priest confounded. as soon as they sprinkled their scanty crop, the multitude of mice was immediately multiplied. Then that same cleric, disappointed in his hope and marked by all for the vice of vainglory, no longer dared thereafter to offer any dissuasion to those who wished to come annually to the Saint's shrine.

[15] Meanwhile, when a plague of sudden mortality was depopulating the inhabitants of the towns of Magnimons and Longwy, and all were terrified by the violent fear of death, with a harmonious vow and contrite heart they gathered in crowds to the oratory of St. Urban, imploring a divine remedy The pestilence driven away: through the intercession of the holy Confessor. What more need be said? God so clearly averted this plague of death, appeased by the prayers of His beloved Bishop, that the longed-for salvation of health possessed them all.

[16] After no small time had passed, it happened that the inhabitants of the Isle of Torciacum were being indiscriminately killed by the same disease. Wherefore they resolved by common counsel Again, to approach the healing church of this Saint. The priests placed over them attempted to impede their pilgrim processions, protesting that they would by no means be the leaders of that journey. But they, regarding this as nothing, proceeded steadfastly to the shrine of Blessed Bishop Urban, and offered the small gifts of their devotion to him: and they were completely freed from the aforesaid pestilence—not only those who had come, but even those who had remained at home sick. But these remedies displeased the avaricious and greedy clerics, who, exceedingly saddened, accused their parishioners before their Dean, The slanderous avarice of certain men rebuked. named Guarinus, asserting that they were sorcerers and enemies of priestly decrees in all respects. In this conflict, Guarinus proved a just arbiter; he blamed the priests themselves and declared that they had offered an insult to St. Urban: and that it was fitting that they correct with humble penitence what they had sinned against him through obstinate avarice. They, immediately yielding to his admonitions, came to the Saint's oratory and, prostrating themselves upon the ground, begged for pardon.

[17] On a certain day, by carelessness, a devouring flame began to lick fiercely at the houses placed next to his courtyard, and now that part of certain dwellings had been consumed, A fire extinguished. no hope remained. Then certain people, faithfully trusting in the powers of the man of God, placed the casket of his relics in the midst of the flames: and not only the casket itself, which contained the Saint's treasure, but also the dried brushwood that lay around it were found entirely unburned.

[18] The visitation of Angels was also frequently seen in that same place: and this must be demonstrated by a truthful, not a fictitious, account. On the feast of his translation, Angels seen at the Saint's relics: when the morning office had been chanted, by certain brethren of Dijon who had gone there, two men who had entered the portico of the church for the purpose of carrying their provisions, saw through the crevices of the doors an immense brightness shining and heard voices singing with the sweetest melody. When they had seen this, recognizing that what they beheld was not human but divine, struck with great fear, they were compelled to abandon their errand and take flight.

[19] The same thing was also seen on the day after the feast of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist by a certain old woman named Herneldis. Again at another time. For she affirmed by oath that at daybreak there had appeared to her in a conspicuous vision that, with the oratory divinely illuminated with an intense brightness, a certain figure adorned with angelic beauty had stood at the altar and completed the rite of the Mass. Eager to behold this sight more closely, and wishing to be certain about what she had seen, she approached the door of the church: and she clearly saw the greatest light, but perceived no person.

[20] It seems worthwhile also to insert into this narrative what is known to have been done through the merits of the illustrious Confessor. The men-at-arms of the fortress of Beaumont, having once turned aside to the lodging of the town of Marcenniacum, and rising in the morning attempting to mount their horses, discovered that the same horses had been secretly led away by certain persons, Lost horses recovered by making a vow. and that nothing had been left behind except the bridles. After they had long hesitated in much deliberation, at last, recovering hope and faith, they placed the aforementioned bridles upon the altar with the offering of this pledge: Behold, St. Urban, since we do not have a horse of sufficient value with which we might worthily reward you, for the help we ask in the restoration of our horses, which we have lost, we give you their bridles as a pledge. Having given such small gifts for the present, and having promised vows as far as they were able, they returned home: and by the grace of God cooperating in His Saint, they were not frustrated in their hope; but after some days they recovered the same animals that had long been lost.

[21] Other continual miracles. Moreover, this is by no means to be passed over in silence: that the powerful and swift remedy of St. Urban the Bishop against the plague of mice devouring the crops is celebrated everywhere. For if water divinely blessed is carried with a believing heart from his shrine, which was built by the devotion of the faithful at Marcenniacum, the hoped-for cure is immediately at hand. Moreover, if anyone, on account of the imminent damage that is often done by mice, should make an offering to the poor for the souls of the father and mother of this blessed Father and Bishop from one of his loaves of bread, his provisions shall never afterwards be gnawed by mice. If a plague of animals should occur, and on this account a candle be confidently brought to the Saint, by the mercy of God, through the intercession of the Saint, the deadly contagion shall cease.

[22] These things alone that have been written down we have handed on for the knowledge of the faithful—a few things, namely, out of many that the Almighty God has deigned to work wondrously through this His Blessed Confessor and our Bishop: so that by his merits and intercession the faith of believers may hope without doubt to obtain the effect of their prayers, through the grant of Him who lives and reigns unto the ages of ages. Amen.