ON ST. ONNENUS, CONFESSOR OF THE ORDER OF S. BENEDICT, AS IS BELIEVED,
IN THE DIOCESE OF SAINT-MALO IN ARMORICAN BRITTANY
CommentaryOnnenus confessor of the Order of S. Benedict, as is believed, at Saint-Malo in Armorican Brittany (S.)
BY J. S.
Castellanus in the universal Martyrology at this day announces S. Onnenus (in French Onnein), altogether unknown to other writers whom I have at any rate consulted. I render his words into Latin: In the diocese of Saint-Malo, of S. Onnenus, a monk of the abbey of S. Méen. There is a church of S. Onnenus near the village of Cossé. The abbey of S. Méen (commonly Saint Main or Saint Meen de Gaël) still exists in Armorican Brittany. Further, since I desired to confirm and enlarge Castellanus' assertions, and found nothing in the writers, I took care that some learned man of Saint-Malo should be consulted through friends. And he communicated only this from the mouth of a Religious who presides over the seminary of S. Méen. First, it is certain, he says, that some Saint Onnenus is venerated, and that there is a village of that name, distant one French mile from the abbey of S. Méen; but that in no other place in the diocese of Saint-Malo is S. Onnenus venerated, not even in the abbey of S. Méen. Secondly, there exists also a village of Cossé in Armorican Brittany, but it is very distant from the village of S. Onnenus. Thirdly, neither any Life, nor an Office, nor anything about that Saint's deeds is found. It is believed, but without suitable foundation, that S. Onnenus was a monk of the abbey of S. Méen. I wonder at this, on account of this belief, that no feast of that Saint is celebrated in the aforesaid abbey, says the praised helper. Thus far from the information received from Saint-Malo, to which I have nothing more to add.