John

ON SAINT JOHN, ABBOT OF PARANO, NEAR SPOLETO IN UMBRIA.

SIXTH CENTURY

John, Abbot of Parano, near Spoleto in Umbria (Saint)

FROM MANUSCRIPTS.

[1] The solemn memory of this Saint is indicated by his ancient Acts and various eulogies extracted from them, inserted in very ancient Martyrologies. There used to be in the Episcopal archive of the Cathedral Church of Spoleto, the principal city of Umbria, three very large and ancient books, called Lectionaries or Passionaries, because readings for Matins were customarily recited from them, Ancient manuscript Acts. and they more frequently contained the passions of Martyrs. But these three books we learned at Spoleto itself had been lost for some time. Yet we found many Lives previously extracted by Bartholomew Tiberius of Spoleto at Foligno, in the possession of Ludovico Jacobilli, Apostolic Protonotary, a man most deserving for his work on the Saints of Umbria, which he published in Italian in three volumes, who in his kindness, with which he also received us in his home, arranged for the principal Lives to be transcribed for us; among which was, on page 182 of volume 2 of the Passionary, under this title: "The Life or Passing of Saint John of Parano, on the 19th day of the month of March." We already had the same Life transcribed from a very ancient manuscript codex of the Imperial Monastery of Saint Maximin near Trier, and from another manuscript codex of the city of Rouen. It also existed, printed some two hundred years ago, and printed. in Boninus Mombritius, volume 2 of the Lives of the Saints. We found the same Life at Rome, but abbreviated and largely copied from Ado, among the works of Peter Calo of Chioggia, of the Order of Preachers, which are preserved in the library of the Most Eminent Cardinal Barberini; which, somewhat shortened, was afterward published by Peter de Natalibus in book 3 of his Catalogue, chapter 107, and more recent writers from them.

[2] The name of this Saint is inscribed in most Martyrologies. Florus supplies for Bede, who is silent on this day, with these words: His name in the Martyrologies. "In the city of Parano, of Saint John, a man of great sanctity." Usuard has more, transcribed from the Acts, in these words: "The birthday of Blessed John, a man of great sanctity, who, born in Syria, came to Italy; and there, near the city of Penaro, having built a monastery, for forty years being the Father of many servants of God, famous for many virtues, he rested in peace." Which Notker derived somewhat more fully from the Acts: "Near the city of Pinaro, of Blessed John, a man of great sanctity, who, born in Syria, came to Italy, and with an Angel of God pointing out to him a place of permanent dwelling not far from the same city, being also discovered by hunters in winter time under a tree clothed with leaves, and through this fame commended to the people, he established a monastery, in which for forty-four years he was the Father of many servants of God, and, resting in peace, shone forth famous for daily miracles." Ado wove together a eulogy twice as large from the Acts themselves, which Surius and Cono reprinted in book 1 of the Lives of the Western Fathers, page 31, which can be read in them. Rabanus and the printed Bede have it more briefly, but not without errors: "In the city of Spoleto," they say, "the birthday of Blessed John the Confessor, who came there as a pilgrim from Sicily (rather, from Syria) and built a monastery in its suburb, and lived there for fourteen (Bede and others: forty-four) years and rested in peace." In Bede is added: "where benefits are bestowed even to the present day." We omit very many manuscript Martyrologies, some of which have his eulogy in a few words and some in an extended phrase; from them, Galesin reads thus: "At Spoleto, of Saint John the Confessor. He, born in Syria, came at God's prompting to the city of Pinno in Italy, where, in a monastery built for him by John, Bishop of Spoleto, he lived piously and holily for forty-four years, with many miracles performed at that place."

[3] His monastery variously named, These words come from Galesin, either from the Life or from the Cremonese Martyrology cited in his Notes, in which he adds that his Life is narrated at greater length; in which perhaps he found the city of Pinno, which to Usuard and Ado is Penaro, to Notker Pinaro, to Peter de Natalibus Pinaco, and to Maurolycus Panaco. In Mombritius, Saint John is surnamed Panariensis, by John Calo Penariensis; incorrectly in the manuscript codex of Saint Maximin, Bivariensis; in other manuscripts, Pennariensis,

and in contracted form Pannensis; to Ferrarius, Panarensis; to Trithemius, Pennatensis. Baronius in his Notes on the Roman Martyrology judges that the more genuine reading favors the city of Penne, because that city was among the Vestini in today's Abruzzo, where he places his monastery; It was not among the Vestini in Abruzzo. meanwhile, following Galesin, he inscribed it in the Roman Martyrology with these words: "Near the city of Pinno, the birthday of Blessed John, a man of great sanctity, who, coming from Syria to Italy and building a monastery, being for forty-four years the Father of many servants of God, famous for virtues, rested in peace." Against this observation of Baronius in his Notes, Bernardino Campello wrote to us, whose kindness and erudition we beheld at Spoleto in person, not without admiration; from whom all expect an accurate history of the affairs of Spoleto. He thus wrote to us: "John, Abbot of Panaco, is the same as the one others call of Pinno. But near Spoleto in Umbria: He was called of Panaco from the village of Panaca near Spoleto, near which he was Father of many monks. He was called Pinnensis, Pennariensis, Pinarensis by foreign Martyrologists out of ignorance of the aforesaid village, as unknown as it was obscure. That he nevertheless pertained to the Church of Spoleto is proved from the Acts, in which mention is made of John, Archbishop of Spoleto. For what would the Bishop of Spoleto have to do with John, if he had not spent his life near Spoleto but near the city of Pinno? But Bede and Rabanus also assign him to the city of Spoleto on the fourteenth before the Calends of April, and in the Church of Spoleto his memory is annually celebrated in the calendar." Ferrarius in his Catalogue of the Saints of Italy notes that his birthday is celebrated in the Church of Spoleto on the thirteenth before the Calends of April, which we believe was done because the present day was impeded by the veneration of Saint Joseph. Ferrarius adds that the most secluded place to which Saint John withdrew was three miles distant from the city of Spoleto, and was named Parana, but is now called the village of Perchij, where he erected a small hut at the foot of a pear tree, whence he was also called Pyrensis. That pear tree survived even to our own times and would still survive had it not been cut down by a certain peasant. Ludovico Jacobilli has the same about the village of Perchij, but says it was five miles distant, as is read below in the Acts.

[4] The time at which Saint John the Abbot flourished is known from the age of Saint John, Bishop of Spoleto, whom Ughelli in volume 1 of his Sacred Italy asserts to have been raised to that See around the year 500, he flourished in the sixth century, and to have attended the Councils held at Rome by Pope Symmachus in the first, second, and fourth years after five hundred, and finally to have been crowned with the palm of martyrdom under Totila, flying to heaven in the year 541, September 19, on which day his Acts will be examined. Saint John was succeeded by Saint Laurentius the Illuminator, whose Life we gave from Jacobilli on February 3, in which it is said that he came from Syria to Italy with other apostolic men, and among them was a kinsman of this John, whom the above-cited Ferrarius and Jacobilli on this March 19 believe to be this Abbot.

[5] Trithemius, in book 3 of Illustrious Men of the Order of Saint Benedict, chapter 283, adorns him with this eulogy: "John, Abbot of the Monastery of Pennato, Was he of the Benedictine Order? a learned and holy man, whose virtue of charity and piety toward the poor is celebrated with special praise; he is recorded to have magnificently instructed his monks by word and example; his feast is celebrated on the fourth before the Calends of April." With Trithemius he is placed on March 29 in a manuscript Calendar of Saints of the Order of Saint Benedict, but Wion, judging this a typographical error, rightly holds that it should read the fourteenth before the Calends of April. Wion is followed by Dorgan, Menard, Bucelinus, and other Benedictines, whose opinion we would prefer to be commended and approved from ancient writers. Let the reader consult what we said about the monastic life of Saint Herculanus, Bishop of Perugia, who is everywhere reported to have come from Syria together with others, on the first day of March, page 48.

LIFE

From various manuscripts and Mombritius.

John, Abbot of Parano, near Spoleto in Umbria (Saint)

BHL Number: 4420

[1] Leaving Syria, It came to pass in those days that when Blessed John was departing from the province of Syria, he prayed to the Lord, saying: "Lord God of heaven and earth, God of Abraham and God of Isaac and God of Jacob, God of our Fathers, he prays to God: who made heaven and earth with all their adornment, who suspended the sea by the word of your command, who closed the abyss and sealed it above gloriously, and before your powerful name all things stand in awe and tremble before the face of your might: I beseech you, who are the true light, to illuminate the one who hopes in you, and make prosperous my journey on which I am now directed, so that this may be a sign for me: that wherever I shall walk and give my psalter, and it is not returned to me on that same day, there may you cause me to remain."

[2] Whence it also came to pass that he came into Italy, near the metropolitan city, on a journey of about five miles more or less, in the estate of Agello, and he found there a certain handmaid of God in accordance with his prayer, and he gave his psalter to the handmaid of God. And afterward she sought him and the handmaid of God said: "Where are you going, servant of God? Stay today, and tomorrow go." And while they spoke much together, she detained him that night, and he remained in that same place. And Blessed John remembered the prayer in Italy he is received as a guest by a handmaid of God which he had poured forth to the Lord, and he said in his heart: "Truly this is my prayer's fulfillment, and here I shall remain."

[3] And when morning came, having received back his psalter, he proceeded from there not far -- about four arrow-shots more or less. From an Angel he learns the place of his habitation: And behold, an Angel of the Lord appeared to him and went before him; and when he had come to the place, the Angel said to him: "Sit here, servant of the Most High God, for here the Lord has commanded you to remain." And saying these things, he placed him under a tree and said: "Here you shall have a great congregation and rest." Then Saint John, Confessor of Christ, sat there under the tree.

[4] These things therefore took place in the month of December; and at that time, according to the custom of the month, sitting under a tree flowering in winter the frost was severe on account of the extreme cold, and all that land became dry; but the tree under which Blessed John was resting blossomed like a lily. At the same time, when hunters passed through that place, they found the most blessed John, servant of God, sitting under the tree, and they thought him to be a spy; and they questioned him, saying: "Where did you come here from?" Then Blessed John narrated to them all things, he is discovered by hunters: how he had come to Italy. Then all marveled, because they had never seen such clothing. And Blessed John said to them: "Do not, my children, do not trouble me; for the service of my Lord Jesus Christ I have come to this place."

[5] And looking at the tree (for the tree was shining like a lily), then the men recognized he is visited by the Bishop of Spoleto that the Lord was with him; and they reported this event to Blessed John, Bishop of the city of Spoleto. And when Blessed John the Bishop heard this, he was filled with great joy; and rising, he went to the place where Blessed John the servant of God was praying to the Lord. And when they saw each other, they shed tears of joy before the Lord. And Blessed John inquired of him about all these things which are written.

[6] Then all who were present gave thanks to God; and by the Lord's mercy, a multitude of people having been gathered, In a monastery built there, he dies: they built a monastery there, and he lived there all the days of his life; and he sat in the same place for forty-four years and rested in peace, and was buried with hymns and canticles; where the benefits of God are bestowed even to the present day: he is famous for miracles the blind are there given sight, demons are put to flight, lepers are cleansed, and divine offices are performed there to the present day, by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns forever. Amen.