ON ST. ULTAN ABBOT
OF FOSSES AND PÉRONNE.
ABOUT THE YEAR 680
CommentaryUltan, Abbot, of Fosses and Péronne (St.)
BY THE AUTHOR G. H.
The most ancient testimony of public Ecclesiastical veneration of St. Ultan is brought forth in the MS. Martyrology, which under the name of Ado, but augmented by posterity, is extant in the monastery of St. Laurence of Liège, Cult on the 1st of May: and is read transcribed in the MS. Florarium of the Saints, everywhere with this illustrious elogium: which in place of Acts, which we have not found written separately concerning him, we propose to the reader: and is of this kind wont to be read on these Kalends of May: On the same day of St. Ultan the Confessor, brother of Saints Furseus and Foillan: who after the departure of his brother Furseus, an elogium from a MS. with Foillan, obtained the holy fellowship of St. Gertrude (of whose sanctity many monuments shine in the Churches). Whose sanctity the holy Virgin having recognized, through their hands offered to God part of her inheritance, namely the estate commonly called Fosses, which she handed to them for the sustenance of the servants of God: that in that place they should build a monastery, for the perpetual hospice of pilgrims: so that those arriving from far regions might there take fitting solace for themselves. Who the monastery being built and a collection of those serving God gathered together there, St. Ultan resided in the same monastery as Rector; but Foillan, in the fellowship of the holy Virgin, gave himself back to his office: to whom when at some time the thought had occurred, that he should revisit St. Ultan his brother; placed in the midst of the journey, he is slain by diabolical men. Which thing when it had become known to no one of men (for all his companions had perished with him) this vision was shown to St. Ultan. There seemed to him to be present a dove, whitened in body with a snowy color, but its wings suffused with flowing rosy blood, and with gentle flight ascending the heights. And when within himself he meditated what this vision portended; he himself and St. Gertrude are taught by an Angelic address, that Foillan had passed by martyrdom to the Lord, and that his body was to be sought by the indication of a column, stretched from the place where the lifeless body lay even to heaven. Which found by this sign, is carried to the estate which from the situation of the place is called Fosses, and is buried by St. Ultan in the monastery built by him in common. [Whence St. Ultan withdrawing, left this place to St. Foillan, and crossed to Péronne]. Thus there, of which the last words enclosed in brackets, were substituted by an ancient hand. The holy brothers who are referred to in the said elogium, have their cult in the Church, Furseus on the 16th of January, whose various Acts we then published, and Foillan on the 31st of October, of whom we have Acts to be published on the said day. But the Life of St. Gertrude we published on the 17th of March, from all which we elucidate the elogium already given.
[2] Among the writers of the Life of St. Furseus is the Venerable Bede, weaving an elogium of him in book 3 of the History of the English people chapter 19, born of noble family in Ireland, and he asserts that he was of the most noble family of the Scots and came over from Ireland into the province of the English, and there preaching the word of God built a noble monastery. Which duly done, desiring to alienate himself from all the business of this world and also of the monastery itself, he left the monastery and the care of souls to his brother Fullan, and the Presbyters Gobban and Dicull: in England from a monk an anchorite, and he himself free from all things of the world disposed to end his life in anchoretic conversation. He had another brother, by name Ultan, who from long probation of the monastery had come to the eremitic life. This one therefore seeking alone, a whole year he lived with him in continence and prayers, and in daily labors of the hands. Thus Bede, following the Anonymous writer of the Life, in whom in num. 37 the last words concerning St. Ultan are thus brought forth: Furseus had another brother Ultan an anchorite, instructed by long probation of the monastery to the eremitic life, chosen by him many years now. All cares and things being left therefore, naked he set out alone to his brother Ultan, who now was fed by the contemplative life. Who serving daily labor and continual prayers, a whole year there philosophized. In the History 2 of the Miracles num. 12 it is said that Furseus permitted Ultan, his other brother, proved by the most honest life of the cenobites and religious manners, what he had many times asked of him, to go to the hermitage. Thus there.
[3] Furseus then, as the ancient writer of the Life relates in num. 38, sailed to the shores of the Gauls: he undertakes the care of a monastery with St. Foillan: and there honorably received by Clovis King of the Franks and the Patrician Erchenoald, built a monastery in the place, which they call Lagny: namely, as in the subjoined Miracles num. 4 it is said, when he had left all his governances in Britain to his own brothers Foillan and Ultan to be guarded. Then, as in num. 15 is added, after the space of some years it happened to him that he returned into British Saxony, to visit his own brothers, that is Foillan and Ultan, whom he had left to govern his monastery: but seized by infirmity he migrated to the eternal kingdoms; wont to call his brothers Foillan and Ultan with pious solicitude and to imbue them with heavenly documents, as in another Life of him num. 22 is read. And these things concerning his natal soil and the things done in Britain we have drawn from Bede and the Acts of St. Furseus.
[4] Afterward the state of the kingdom among the English being shaken, as the Author of the Life of St. Foillan has, with him he goes to Rome to St. Martin the Pope: Foillan casts his thought on the Lord, and counsel being communicated with his brother Ultan, and him being assumed into the company of pilgrimaging, England being left, first he sought Rome, that directed by the counsel of the Apostolic authority, they might seek also Gaul, already illustrated by the preaching of their brother Furseus. The Apostolic See at that time was presided over by Martin. To him opening his heart Foillan, poured himself wholly into his heart. The Pope perceiving Foillan to be fervent with the desire of preaching, consecrated him Bishop, and enjoined on him the office of preaching. Going out of Rome Foillan and Ultan go to the Gauls, that they may seek Lagny, where their brother Furseus had founded a monastery… Thence to Péronne, where they had heard their brother to be buried, they run not so much with foot, he pays the funeral rites to St. Furseus at Péronne, as they fly with mind, that they may presentially perform the funeral rites of their brother… There were many in the female sex blessing the name of the Lord, among whom shone the holy Virgin Gertrude of Nivelles, as the moon among the lesser stars: Who finding Foillan to be a Bishop, most holy in manners, cultivated him with benign familiarity, affording to him and his brother Ultan whatever the necessity of the flesh required. received by St. Gertrude at Fosses, Further she herself daily was refreshed by B. Foillan with spiritual foods: and at length her mother Iduberga being consulted, B. Gertrude handed to St. Foillan of the things of her own property a place, which the natives call Fosses, by perpetual right: where the Saint built a church, and distinguished the habitation of the Brethren by cells: whose care committing to his brother Ultan, he is set over the monastery built there. he returned to B. Gertrude. But it happened on a certain day, that wishing to hasten to his brother Ultan for the sake of visiting, with his three disciples he fell upon robbers… where first they cut off the head of the blessed Prelate, and likewise struck his disciples with the edge of the sword… Meanwhile the most holy Virgin Gertrude was solicited with frequent dreams, that of her Patron she suffered a longer absence than she had thought: and horsemen being sent to B. Ultan, she divinely knows the martyrdom of St. Foillan, who presided over the monastery of Fosses, she inquired
why her brother delayed to return to her. To whom he answered: To me praying in the church a dove of snowy whiteness appeared, with wings full of blood. By which sign I judge my brother to have migrated through passion to the Lord. Which when it had been announced to St. Gertrude, she proclaimed a three-day fast; which completed the Angel of the Lord appearing to her, lucidly declared the order and place of the passion: and she saw a fiery column reaching from the place, in which the body lay, to heaven. And immediately the Clergy and people of the faithful being convoked she went to the place, and found the bodies of the holy Prelate and his disciples. They carry them to Nivelles, place them in the church, celebrate Masses with the devotion of the peoples. They doubting whether there or elsewhere they ought to bury him, Abbot Ultan is present, thus addressing them: From divine, he says, counsel was the will of the Prelate and his fixed purpose, and that his body was to be buried at Fosses. that after his death Fosses should gather him in burial: whom if anyone shall intend and contend to bury elsewhere, he will be seen to go contrary both to the will of God and of the Prelate. The Virgin consents, the multitude of the peoples also consents. And so the body of the Martyr Foillan was carried to the monastery of Fosses, and there buried.
[5] Thus far excerpts from the Acts of St. Foillan, to which we adjoin these from the Life of St. Gertrude: which in num. 8 are thus read: When the day of the assumption of her soul drew near, to St. Gertrude asking it she called one of the Brethren and commanded him saying: Go hastily to that pilgrim, who by name is called Ultan, who is remote in the monastery, which is called Fosses, and say to him: The Virgin of Christ Gertrude has sent me to you, to ask, on what day she is to migrate from this light, because she says she greatly fears, and likewise rejoices together: and he will tell you what you ought to report to me. Go, do not doubt. Soon he the bidding being fulfilled, asked what had been commanded him. But that servant of God Ultan without delay gave answer to the very one sent, and said: Today is the day the sixteenth Kalends of April. But on the morrow amid the solemnities of the Masses that handmaid of God and Virgin of Christ Gertrude is to migrate from the body. And tell her that she fear not nor tremble concerning her death, but go glad: he foretells the day and hour of her death because B. Patrick the Bishop, with chosen Angels of God and with vast glory, are prepared to receive her. Go you also quickly. But that Brother who had been sent asked him, whether he had seen this matter through divine revelation, that he might indicate it to him in order. And that servant of God Ultan in answer said: Go Brother, hastening, and know this that on the morrow she is to migrate to the Lord. Why do you ask me more? Who returning announced to the handmaid of Christ, what had been said to her. But she as if awaking from sleep, rendered her countenance cheerful for joy, giving thanks to God, because through his servant he deigned to console his handmaid… But on the morrow, the Lord's day, about the sixth hour according to the word of the man of God she received the most sacred viaticum of the Body and Blood of Christ. And when the Priest had the Lord's secret sentence finished … she rendered to God her desired Spirit. Thus there.
[6] St. Gertrude died as in the Dagobertine Exegesis before the 3rd volume of April num. 38 we have shown, correcting what before we had established in March, in the year 659 on the 17th day of March. But what afterward was done by St. Ultan, is indicated in the elogium from the Liège MS. given above, in which by an ancient hand these things were added. St. Ultan withdrawing from Fosses, left this place to St. Foillan, there buried and renowned for miracles, and crossed to Péronne. For the Acts of St. Amatus Archbishop of Sens, which from various MSS. will be given on the 13th of September, require this. For in them it is said that St. Amatus by the command of King Theoderic was led even to Péronne, which is a royal city in the district of the Vermandois: at Péronne he receives St. Amatus the exile: who there remained committed under the honorable Abbot Ultan: where St. Furseus, sprung in Ireland from royal lineage, is buried. After whose departure two of his brothers, St. Foillan the Bishop and the before-shown Abbot Ultan, led by fraternal love, nay by divine ordination, following, Foillan having obtained the privilege of the monastery of Fosses, Ultan also implicated by the care of paternity of the monastery of Péronne, both flourished in manners, and prevailed in acts. For indeed the Pontiff Amatus deposed from the Prelatial See with all the honor of his sublimity, and placed in the same place under custody … for his help experienced the sacred solace of B. Ultan: by whose providence most becomingly in words of grace and the subsidy of sustenance he constantly profited. The sacred Prelate Amatus therefore remained in this place no small space of time, and was an exile under the oft-said Abbot, truly holy and in all things a servant of God: until, about for his merits to receive a merited crown in the stars, Father Ultan was carried by the Angels to the starry palm. Thus there. But in what place he died is uncertain.
[7] Molanus in the Births of the Saints of Belgium asserts that he rests near Fosses, which is a town of Liège, in the church which he founded in honor of B. Agatha, he rests at Fosses. and that he has his Natal day on the Kalends of May. Yet the college of Fosses, on account of the two-feast day of the Apostles, transfers it to the third of the Nones of May. Which almost the same things before in the little Index of the Saints of Belgium the same Molanus had published. Mabillon in the 2nd Benedictine century writes that the people of Péronne reject the feast to the sixth of the Nones of May, together with the monks of Mont-Saint-Quentin, who acknowledge Ultan as their first Abbot. This monastery is distant scarce a whole mile from Péronne: but that this was built in antiquity, says Mabillon, needs diligent inquiry: for nothing concerning the monastery of Mont-Saint-Quentin is found in any author more ancient than the tenth century, whence place for just doubt is left. whether some Relics at Péronne? Under the name of the Doctors of Douai, in the edition of Molanus of the year 1616 these things are added: But whether there, at Péronne, his memory be more celebrated than at Fosses, and a greater portion of Relics, would be to be known from a comparison of each place. Hence Aubert le Mire who in the Belgic Calendars on these Kalends of May has his elogium, toward the end adjoins, that his sacred bones are kept partly at Péronne, partly at Fosses by the Canons. The same but with the phrase changed, are read in Saussay in the Gallican Martyrology. But while it is more certainly established that some of his Relics are at Péronne than from the sole doubt of the Douai men, we prefer to assent to Molanus simply saying, that he rests near Fosses.
[8] John Trithemius, in book 3 of the Illustrious Men of the Order of St. Benedict, makes mention of this Saint under the name of Altanus, and knew only those things, which by him in England done we have indicated above. Whether he was of the Benedictine Order? Trithemius being followed Wion, Dorganius, Menardus, Bucelinus ascribed the same to the Benedictine Order. But Constantine Ghini celebrates him in the Births of the Saints Canons. John Desmarez, in the Life of St. Furseus published by him in French, denies that the basilica of Péronne at any time obeyed monks, but asserts that from the beginning Canons were imposed on it: against whom Mabillon rises up. But granting that both at Fosses and at Péronne there were monks, it does not immediately follow that they were of the Benedictine Order. For why should not SS. Foillan and Ultan rather be believed to have kept and handed to others to be kept the same norm of living which in England they had held, or the rule which St. Columban likewise an Irishman had prescribed? It pleases to pronounce nothing in the silence of the ancients: nor do we desire to contradict the modern Benedictines: let them have St. Ultan as their own, celebrate his memory, and imitate his virtues.
ANNOTATIONS
* rather the seventeenth