ON ST. APRINCIA THE VIRGIN
AT METZ IN THE MONASTERY OF ST. CLEMENT.
Notice of the Relics, supplied by our Wiltheim.
CommentaryAprincia, Virgin, at Metz in the monastery of St. Clement (St.)
D. P.
From the celebrated monastery of St. Clement among the Mediomatrici there came to us a sheet, Cult under the rite of a Double, as from the Sacristy of the place, or from the Order of the divine Office to be observed there throughout the year, copied in these words: "On the twenty-second of June, of St. Aprincia the Virgin, a Double of the third Order: whose Relics are extant in a bronze chest, painted in encaustic, which is kept in the Sacristy, and ought to be exposed upon the greater Altar from first Vespers. In the Mass the Creed is said."
[2] Alexander Wiltheim wrote to us from Luxembourg that he had seen the chest itself, and held it in his hand, and expressed it in outlines so, in plan-and-shadow drawing, that it appears to have the likeness of a church, a bronze chest adorned around with 18 little silver statues of saints: with a cruciform building projecting on either side. There surround the same on every part little silver statues, altogether eighteen, of those Saints whose Relics either are contained there, or are honored in the church of St. Clement. They are, on the first side, expressed above with their names, St. Peter the Apostle, St. Clement Bishop, St. Caelestis Bishop, St. Felix Bishop: on the second, St. Victor Bishop, St. Symeon Bishop, St. Rufus Bishop, St. Firminus Bishop: on the third, St. Felix Bishop, St. Edulfus Bishop, St. Adelfus Bishop, St. Aprincia Virgin (and she wears a crown on her head, a crozier in her hand, so that the silversmith seems to have wished to express an Abbess of Royal blood) St. Kadroë Abbot; among whom Aprincia as an Abbess of royal stock. on the fourth, St. Terentius Bishop, St. Sperus Bishop, St. Aepletius Bishop, St. Peter Bishop. Of St. Kadroë I treated on March 6; of the Bishops of Metz here expressed we have partly treated and partly are about to treat, as each one's day occurs or shall occur.
[3] On what occasion that chest was made, and what it contains, Wiltheim found thus described in a very ancient and autograph parchment: Into it, on the occasion of the Body of St. Legontius "In this shrine are contained the Relics of the holy Confessors, and likewise of the Pontiffs of Metz, of Victor and likewise of another Victor, of Legontius, of Sperus, and of Aprincia the Virgin: of whose collection from diverse places and deposition into one this was the cause. There is in the diocese of the Church of Metz a place belonging to St. George, near Saleburc, which is called Luchisin, where there was a very great multitude of the faithful, of monks, of converts, and of devout women, gathered to serve God, not a little famous round about for the religion and sanctity of their life. The Prior of this place, therefore, since he was solicitous toward the Flock and the place committed to him, and procured whatever was necessary for it and especially useful for souls; seeing that his church lacked the patronage of the Saints, inasmuch as, being newly constructed, it had not yet been sufficiently adorned or fortified with the Relics of the Saints; went to Lord Stephen, Bishop of Metz, sought from the Bishop, and with many prayers besought him to assist him in this. When the aforesaid Pontiff wished to satisfy his prayers, and was turning over in an anxious and doubtful mind where he could find what was sought;
from those assisting him he learned that the church of St. Clement was distinguished by the burials of Saints who had passed away in the same city, which could sufficiently furnish him what was sought without detriment to itself; and whence already some pledges of the Saints had been taken, and translated to other churches, to be honorably venerated. Immediately therefore, the Abbots of St. Vincent and St. Arnulph being summoned, he commanded the Brothers of St. Clement to uncover, by digging up the ground, the Body of St. Legontius, which until then lay buried among them; and to await in readiness nearby that he would raise the Relics of the aforesaid Confessor, all things necessary for this work being prepared; concealing what he had arranged to hand over to the aforesaid Prior. When this had become known to the Brothers, the Relics of several placed together in the year 1142, a respite being sought, that they might confer among themselves about the things concerning which they had been approached, and answer; at length, counsel being shared, fearing to be deprived of so great a Patron, having collected from everywhere the Relics of this one and of the aforesaid Saints, they deposited them distinctly and separately in this shrine, with individual labels assigned to the individual relics. Now there are the head with the other members of the body of St. Sperus, wrapped in no linens, but disposed scattered through the shrine, and above, the Relics of the aforesaid Saints separately, fitted with their labels, and wrapped in linens. These things therefore were done in the year from the Incarnation 1142, in the month of June, in the fifth indiction."
[4] Of the Nativity and Translation of St. Legontius, other than the Bishop had intended, we treated on February 18; St. Sperus, to others Hesperius, is reported to have died on November 22 in the seventh century of Christ, when he will be treated of. Would that it were permitted to do as much here concerning St. Aprincia: for in Meurisse's history of the Bishops of Metz, Is she the same as elsewhere Apronia? I have not hitherto been able to find the name, nowhere expressed in the Index, perhaps not even to be found anywhere in the book, which on this account it is not worth while to peruse entirely. The neighboring people of Toul venerate on July 15 St. Apronia the Virgin, sister of their holy Bishop Aper, whose head too they once had, and whose body they received from Troyes where she had died, through St. Gerard, Bishop ordained about the year 863, whose Life we illustrated on April 23. But who would dare to suspect that her Relics, brought to St. Clement, are honored by such near neighbors on another day and under another name than there? Her therefore we leave here, just as we received her at Metz. The places here noted. I add, moreover, that the aforesaid Saleburc seems badly written, and is to be read Sarrebruck, upon the river Saar; not that lower one in the diocese of Trier, but the upper one in the borders of Metz toward the Duchy of Deux-Ponts: above which, at an interval of two leagues, is noted Lorquin, here written Lucherin no better; and again, at an equal distance from it and from the river, the place of St. George; where the aforesaid Congregation of religious persons was.