Severianus

ON ST. SEVERIANUS, BISHOP OF THE GABALI, AT MIMATE IN GAUL.

Severianus, Bishop of the Gabali, at Mimate in Gaul (Saint)

From various sources.

[1] Learned men consider that the former capital of Gabalum, or of the Gabali, or of the Gabalitani, was Anderitum, as we said on January 14 at the feast of St. Firminus. That the enormous ruins of Anderitum, destroyed by the Barbarians, can be seen at the village called Javols, The episcopal city of the Gabali, is attested by William Catel, book 2 of the History of Occitania, chapter 11, lying about four leagues from Mimate, now the principal city of the Gabali, called Mende by the French. Here now is the episcopal see, now at Mimate, which was formerly at Anderitum; and indeed this place was inhabited by the earliest bishops as well. The Acts of St. Privatus, which we shall give on August 21, provide evidence, for in them the following is read: At that time St. Privatus presided over that region, or Church, having his seat in the little town of Mimate, because those who had held the order of the episcopate before him had both dwelt and been buried in that place.

[2] The feast of St. Severianus, the first Bishop: In the published catalogues of the Bishops of Gaul, the name of Severianus appears as one of these predecessors of St. Privatus; the names of the others have been lost. St. Severianus is customarily honored on January 25, on which day Usuard has: Likewise, in the city of the Gabali, of St. Severianus the Bishop, a man of wondrous holiness and learning. The published Bede, Ado, Notker, Bellinus, and very many others, both printed and manuscript, have nearly the same; and some call him Severinus, and the city of the Gabali is variously called Gabalen or Gabilonem. Saussay, the Florarium, and most others also celebrate him on this day, although some, as we shall presently say, confuse him with another Severianus, by a notorious error. Ferrari writes that the feast of St. Severianus is observed on January 26 with a double rite throughout the entire diocese of Mimate — perhaps it is deferred to the following day on account of the feast of St. Paul; unless Ferrari's memory has failed him.

[3] His Acts are now unknown. John Chenu in the catalogue of the Bishops of Mimate writes only this concerning him: From various documents found in the archives of the bishopric of Mimate, it is gathered that Blessed Severianus first presided over that Church, the dominion of the entire province was given to him: and was ordained by St. Martial, in these words: After the ascension of Christ into heaven, there presided in the Gabalitan region a King, or Tetrarch, who was an infidel and pagan, holding all superiority and dominion in the same. At which time Blessed Martial came to that region and consecrated in the city of Mimate a chapel in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Afterward St. Severianus, who was the first Bishop there, converted the said King, or Tetrarch, to the Catholic faith and baptized him. This King, converted to the Catholic faith, dying without children, bestowed and donated his entire dominion to the Church; and from that time the said St. Severianus ruled and governed the whole said land and region of the Gabali. From these authentic documents we gather that Blessed Severianus was the first Bishop of Mimate.

[4] Catel narrates these same things but says that he can neither confirm nor refute them, his successors also called Counts: since he has not examined, nor even seen, the cited documents of the Church of Mimate. However, he cites a letter of Marinus Sanutus, dated at Venice in the year 1326, addressed To the Venerable Father in Christ and his dearest Lord, William, by divine providence Bishop of Mimate and Count of the Gabali. But this is too recent to be able to establish that donation of the Gabalitan dominion (though it is by no means foreign to the piety of our ancestors).

[5] St. Severianus is said, as we have already stated from Chenu, to have been a disciple of St. Martial the Apostle. We shall say when Martial lived on June 30. If St. Privatus was killed in the times of Valerian and Gallienus, The age of Severianus, as is written in his Acts, and yet besides Severianus others too had held the order of the episcopate before him, Severianus cannot have been far removed from the times of the Apostles.

[6] Moreover, because there were other cities called Gabala, there was also another Severianus, Bishop of the Gabali in Syria, Another Severianus, the Syrian of Gabala, a man eloquent and learned indeed, but ambitious and factious, and a mortal adversary of St. John Chrysostom, of whom there is frequent mention in ecclesiastical history, particularly in Socrates, book 6, chapters 10 and 14; Sozomen, book 8, chapters 10, 16, and 18; Palladius; Baronius; and others. For this reason it came about that the name of St. Severianus, which had appeared in other editions, was expunged from the Roman Martyrology. Peter de Natalibus, book 3, chapter 23, first gave occasion for this. Molanus followed, who in the Martyrology of Usuard wrote in the margin beside the name of Severianus: concerning whom see Gennadius, chapter 21 — but Gennadius in that passage treats of the Syrian Severianus. Rashly enrolled among the Saints. In a later edition, Molanus also cites Socrates and Sozomen. Maurolycus: In the city of the Gabali, of St. Severianus the Bishop, in the time of Emperor Arcadius and John, Bishop of Constantinople, to whom he was very dear on account of his learning and holiness. Galesinius: At the Gabali, of St. Severianus the Bishop: a man of admirable holiness and outstanding learning, and especially versed in the knowledge of divine things, he both wrote excellent books and was remarkably skilled in preaching; on that account he was often summoned to Constantinople by the Emperor Arcadius. The German Martyrology, Felicius, Ghinius, and John Basil Sanctorius write similar things. How true these praises are will become clear from what will be said in due course in the Life of St. John Chrysostom.

ON THE HOLY MARTYRS MEDULA AND HER COMPANIONS.

Medula, Martyr (Saint) Companions, Martyrs

This is unknown to the Latins. It is mentioned by the Greeks on this day, in Maximus Cythereus and the Menaea; in which only this is found: On the same day, the holy Medula, together with her company, was perfected by fire.

Venerable Medula, handmaid of God the Word, Was seen as a fellow-contestant with the servants of God in the fire.

On the same day, St. Medula with her company is consumed by fire.

Venerable Medula, handmaid of God the Word, Companion of the servants of God, was seen in the fire.

There is a play on words between δούλη, which means handmaid, and Μεδούλη. Our colleague Raderus translated it: Of St. Medula with her fellow Martyr. It seems to us that the company consisted of more than one.