Camella

ON ST. CAMELLA, VIRGIN,

IN THE VILLAGE OF SAINTE-CAMELLE IN THE DIOCESE OF MIREPOIX IN OCCITANIA.

Camella or Camela, Virgin, in the village of Sainte-Camelle in the diocese of Mirepoix in Occitania (S.)

J. S.

The Saint's cultus in the village of the same name, and at Toulouse: This Saint is announced today by Castellanus in the Universal Martyrology in these words: Near Mirepoix, St. Camella, virgin, of the Cistercian Order, crowned with martyrdom by the Albigenses. I have been able to find no mention of this Saint among the other martyrologists. Nevertheless Simon Peyronet, who wrote at Toulouse and so could the more easily find out all things pertaining to this Saint, records St. Camela in his Catalogue of the Saints. First he has her briefly on page 380. Then on page 467, in the Annotations, he writes of Camela in this manner: Who is honoured with a special cultus in the diocese of Mirepoix in the village to which her name was given, where a church erected long ago in her honour is exceedingly celebrated by the frequent concourse and vows of the people, on account of the notable benefits of her help which she affords there, especially to women with child, by whom she is chiefly invoked. But at what time the holy virgin Camela lived, in what arena she contended, with what kind of arms, against what tyrant, is plainly unascertained by us. This we have: she contended bravely, and having won the double laurel she triumphs gloriously for ever in heaven. And that some remains of her precious body are kept at Toulouse and are venerated in the church of St. Catherine, which was in the suburb of St. Michael, we learn from the list of relics of that same church.

[2] That she merited the crown of martyrdom from the Albigensian heretics, the natives declare, and an old tradition her deeds and age unknown. says the same: nor is it permitted to assert anything more about St. Camela. Thus far Peyronet, from whose words it is clear that the deeds of the Saint are utterly unknown. For this reason I do not sufficiently grasp on what foundation Castellanus assigned Camela to the Cistercian Order. Certainly among the writers of the Cistercian Order themselves, whom I have been able to consult, I have found no mention of St. Camela, not even in the Catalogue of the Saints and Blessed of the Cistercian Order, printed after the Martyrology of Castellanus, that is, in the year 1712. There comes in another argument, by which it seems to be proved that St. Camela is far older than the Cistercian Order and the heresy of the Albigenses, so that likewise that popular tradition by which she is believed to have been slain by the Albigenses seems to lack foundation. For in the newest History of Occitania, composed by the learned Benedictines of the Congregation of St. Maur, tome 2, among the Documents at column 104 and following, there is recited the Testament of Hugh, bishop of Toulouse, drawn up about the year 960, in which is bequeathed the allod of Sainte-Camelle with the church itself. Therefore St. Camela at least died before the middle of the tenth century, when neither the heresy of the Albigenses had been born, nor the Cistercian Order. Wherefore I should prefer to leave the age of St. Camela uncertain, rather than to fix it with Castellanus in the thirteenth century, since she is older by at least several centuries. If she be a martyr, and yet did not suffer under the heathen emperors, she may have suffered under the Arian Goths, or under the Saracens or Moors; or even in any other way whatsoever. I add no more, because all things seem uncertain except the Saint's cultus.