ON BLESSED BERTRANNUS, OR EBERTRAMNUS, ABBOT OF ST. QUENTIN IN BELGIAN GAUL.
Seventh century.
CommentaryBertrannus, or Ebertramnus, Abbot of St. Quentin in Belgian Gaul (Bl.)
From various sources.
[1] Our Belgium owes to the Golden Valley, in the former diocese of Constance or Windisch, four Apostolic men, restorers of ancient religion and propagators of piety: The homeland of Blessed Bertrannus, Audomarus, Mummolinus, Bertinus, and Bertrannus. Audomarus, Bishop of Therouanne of the Morini and of Boulogne, is honored on September 9: Mummolinus, or Mummolenus, Bishop of Noyon and Tournai, on October 16: Bertinus, Abbot of Sithiu, on September 5. We found the name of Bertrannus, or Bertrand, Ebertramnus, Ebertramius, Bertramus, Bertrammius, inscribed on the 9th before the Kalends of February in a single Calendar of Saints of the Order of St. Benedict, and that not a very old one, thus: His feast. On the same day, of St. Ebertrannus, Abbot of the monastery of St. Quentin, companion of Blessed Mummolinus.
[2] Wion and Menard did not record his feast day: concerning him, however, both wrote thus in the Appendix of the Benedictine Martyrology: Ebertramnus of Constance, a monk of Luxeuil, appointed by his master St. Mummolinus as Abbot of St. Quentin, grew old in zeal for religion. He flourished in the year of the Lord 680. Saussay also listed Bertrammius and Mommolenus among the Saints whose feast day was unknown: although he had recorded St. Mommolenus on October 16, where he also mentions Blessed Ebertramnus: but he seems to have considered both of these different from those. The fourth Appendix to the Chronicle of Constance in the catalogue of Saints of that diocese has this: St. Ebertramius, Prefect of the monastery of St. Quentin, from the same Golden Valley. The same Chronicle in the first chapter expressed the names erroneously: Concerning Saints Bertinus, Numolinus, He becomes a monk at Luxeuil, with Saints Bertinus and Mummolinus: and Ebortramius. Bertinus, Abbot of Luxeuil, from the Golden Valley near Constance, together with Rumolinus and Ebortramius, leaving their own homeland, came to St. Audomarus, Bishop of the Morini; sent by him to preach, they faithfully fulfilled the office of their mission. St. Bertinus was not Abbot of Luxeuil, but was trained from his earliest years at Luxeuil with Mummolinus and Bertrannus in monastic discipline by St. Eustasius (of whom we shall treat on March 29).
[3] Concerning their arrival in Belgium, the following is narrated in the Life of St. Bertinus: With them he comes to Gaul: Therefore, since the Lord had now resolved to manifest His soldier more openly to the world, lest the lantern of so great brightness, shining in concealment, should defer the spiritual commerce of so many mortals, having gone forth with only two fellow soldiers, Mummolinus and Ebertrannus, men of great sanctity, he, a third joined to them, a perfect worshipper of the Holy Trinity, arrived all the way in Gaul. When therefore the aforesaid holy men, namely Bertinus and his companions, saw there that the harvest was indeed great but the laborers few, they began to sow the word of life far and wide zealously throughout all Gaul. He preaches. Very many religious men adhered to them, who were refreshed by them from morning to evening with the nourishment of eternal life. They instruct many in piety, even the Nobles: No less also the Nobles of the palace, having intermitted the royal service for a time, flocked to them and set before themselves as an example for right living their modest manner of life. At that time Clotharius, son of King Louis, governed the monarchy of the kingdom of the Franks: when the frequent report of the excellent manner of life of Saints Bertinus and his companions had already reached his ears through the account of his Nobles, he ordered them to be brought before his sight. When they were brought in, they are honored by the King: the man of the Lord Bertinus and his companions were received honorably by the King, and were maintained for a long time within the King's palace with the greatest attention.
[4] After a long interval of time, the aforementioned men approached St. Audomarus, then Bishop of Therouanne, of whom St. Bertinus was a fellow countryman and kinsman, they visit St. Audomarus, in order to be his companions in preaching, so that in the eternal reward they might merit from God to be partakers of equal glory. St. Audomarus, graciously receiving these servants of God, gave thanks to almighty God, who had sent him such helpers for preaching the Gospel. For they were perfect in the Catholic faith, and in ecclesiastical disciplines, and learned in divine Scripture. and help him in preaching. They therefore undertook the office of their mission with continual labor of preaching...
[5] Meanwhile, when Bishop Acharius of the city of Noyon died, the venerable man Mummolinus was promoted to the episcopate of that city. Bertrannus becomes Abbot. And Ebertramnus was placed by Mummolinus in charge of the monastery of St. Quentin. The same things are narrated in the life of St. Audomarus, with the praise of the three companions always joined together: and it is said that Mummolinus was first placed in charge of the old monastery among the Morini; and when he was raised to the episcopate, Bertinus succeeded him. We shall discuss the chronology in the lives of Saints Bertinus and Audomarus: for those who are said to have been summoned to Clotharius, son of Clovis II, before they visited St. Audomarus; and then Adroald is said to have donated his goods to them and to St. Audomarus for the construction of a monastery on the 8th before the Ides of September, in the 11th year of Clovis, which was the year of Christ 654: but Clotharius began to reign in the year 660. His memory elsewhere. John Trithemius treats of Blessed Bertrannus in his work on the Illustrious Men of the Order of St. Benedict, book 3, chapter 108, where he calls him a disciple of St. Mummolinus, because perhaps, as we have said, Mummolinus was Abbot in the old monastery, and under him Bertinus and Bertrannus were monks: otherwise they had been fellow disciples in the monastery of Luxeuil. The monastery of St. Quentin is in Vermandois, where there is now a very well-fortified town under French jurisdiction. Moreover, it does honor to Blessed Bertrannus that many in our Belgium are called by the name Bertrannus and Bertrand.