ON SS. ALEXANDER AND GALLA
AT THE ARVERNI IN GAUL.
From S. Gregory of Tours and more recent Fasti.
CommentaryAlexander, at the Arverni in Gaul (S.)
G. H.
Joannes Molanus, as already in S.
Paschasius we admonished, Memory in Fasti, in the first
edition of his Auctarium to Usuard,
in smaller character and prefixed
by the letter Q, to denote that
he received them from any of the more recent
collectanea,
on this day XXXI May reports
first S. Paschasius, and then subjoins: At the Arverni
of the Holy Confessors Alexander and Galla,
of whom Gregory of Tours in the book on Confessors
ch. 36. Petrus Canisius the memory of both
transferred into his German Martyrology. Baronius
S. Paschasius, because Roman Deacon, inserted
in the Roman Martyrology: of these he was silent. But Ferrarius
in the Catalogue of Saints, who in the Roman Martyrology
are not, reported them in these words: At the Arverni of the Holy
Confessors Alexander and Galla. Andreas
Saussajus in the Gallican Martyrology, on the day IX
March, has these things: Likewise there, at the Arverni, of S. Alexander
Confessor, from whose tomb the necessity of the sick
with dust scraped off attains health.
The same again in his Supplement on this XXXI
May writes these things: At Clermont of the Arverni, of the Holy
Confessors Alexander and Galla: of whose
marvelous sanctity the encomia S. Gregory in his
book on the Glory of Confessors narrated.
[2] When the said Gregory of Tours in chapter 35, had treated
of a sepulchre, and in Greg. of Tours. broken open in the basilica of S. Venerandus, then
ch. 36, writes these things: There are however in this place many
sepulchres, which, as we have said, are proved to be of the faithful.
For there is held there a tomb, contiguous on the left of this one,
in length, breadth, height, and every
position alike. On the upper front of this
is held written, Of holy memory of Galla.
There is also no less that sepulchre with many merits
glorious, between the exit of the basilica of S. Illidius,
and the entrance of the temple of B. Venerandus, in a high place set:
in which they say a certain religious Alexander
was buried: of which the frequent necessity of the sick,
with dust scraped off the drink taken, forthwith
attains health. Whence so frequent
medicament is attained, that on account of the assiduous
advantages of benefits, perforated by the beholders is seen.
So Tours.
[3] She does not seem to have been the wife of S. Eucherius. Baronius, when on the day V October had reported S. Galla,
in the Notes adds: There flourished in Gaul another likewise
Galla, who was the wife of Eucherius, of whom Ado XVI
November, of whose sepulchre, mentions Gregory
of Tours on the Glory of Confessors chapter XXXVI.
Ado on the said XVI November brings forth a long encomium of S.
Eucherius Bishop of Lyon, in which at the end these things
he has: His wife Galla, in holy habit serving God,
having entered his cave, all there of her life's
time in the study of religion she passed. Of her
and her daughters, on the said day more largely will be treated. As much
as we can collect, from this S. Galla easily
is distinguished she, who far from the Arverni in Dauphiné
lived and died: where to have been her son's cave indicates
the same Ado, when he writes, that Eucherius lay hidden over
the river Druentia, retired in a cave. Jacobus
Branche, in the Lives of the Saints (male and female) of Auvergne
and Velay, published in the year 1652, the words of S.
Gregory in French rendering, elsewhere they are noted on the day cites the book of the churches
of Clermont, in which at least mention is made of a church,
built to S. Alexander. Of the present cult he has nothing,
a man otherwise diligent in such matters; whence we suspect
him to have plainly perished, nor any memory of Relics
to remain. We wonder however, that since the said Author
cites also Molanus, and this man places SS. Alexander and Galla
on day 31, he himself locates them on day 3; and we fear lest in
ordering the papers, in which were contained the lives written by him,
the latter cipher escaped his eyes, and so to day 3 they are referred.