Castor of Apt
Encyclopedia
Saint Castor of Apt was a bishop of Apt, in Gaul
.
He was born in Nîmes
and may have been the brother of Saint Leontius of Fréjus
. Castor was a lawyer and married to a wealthy widow
. He lived in Marseilles. His wife, however, allowed him to enter the religious life; she herself entered a nunnery. Castor founded the monastery
of Manauque (Monanque) in Provence
. He was subsequently made bishop of Apt. He died of natural causes.
Saint John Cassian wrote the De institutis coenobiorum at the request of Castor.
His feast day
is September 2. His relics are still preserved in the cathedral of Apt, of which he is one of the patrons.
Gaul
Gaul was a region of Western Europe during the Iron Age and Roman era, encompassing present day France, Luxembourg and Belgium, most of Switzerland, the western part of Northern Italy, as well as the parts of the Netherlands and Germany on the left bank of the Rhine. The Gauls were the speakers of...
.
He was born in Nîmes
Nîmes
Nîmes is the capital of the Gard department in the Languedoc-Roussillon region in southern France. Nîmes has a rich history, dating back to the Roman Empire, and is a popular tourist destination.-History:...
and may have been the brother of Saint Leontius of Fréjus
Leontius of Fréjus
Saint Leontius was a bishop of Fréjus, in Provence. He was born probably at Nîmes, towards the end of the fourth century; he died in his episcopal town in 488, according to some authorities, though others say 443 or even 448...
. Castor was a lawyer and married to a wealthy widow
Widow
A widow is a woman whose spouse has died, while a widower is a man whose spouse has died. The state of having lost one's spouse to death is termed widowhood or occasionally viduity. The adjective form is widowed...
. He lived in Marseilles. His wife, however, allowed him to enter the religious life; she herself entered a nunnery. Castor founded the monastery
Monastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
of Manauque (Monanque) in Provence
Provence
Provence ; Provençal: Provença in classical norm or Prouvènço in Mistralian norm) is a region of south eastern France on the Mediterranean adjacent to Italy. It is part of the administrative région of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur...
. He was subsequently made bishop of Apt. He died of natural causes.
Saint John Cassian wrote the De institutis coenobiorum at the request of Castor.
His feast day
Calendar of saints
The calendar of saints is a traditional Christian method of organizing a liturgical year by associating each day with one or more saints and referring to the feast day of said saint...
is September 2. His relics are still preserved in the cathedral of Apt, of which he is one of the patrons.