Saint Amator
Encyclopedia
Saint Amator Amadour or Amatre was bishop of Auxerre from AD 388 until his death on May 1, 418. He is also confused with a hermit
of legend whose feast day is August 20. A tradition in Autun
also designates him as its first bishop, with an occupancy date of AD 250 that is intended to tie him to the seven bishops sent to evangelise Gaul in the time of Decius
. Bishop Amator's feast day is celebrated on May 1.
Bishop Amator studied theology
, but married a holy woman of Langres
, venerated locally as Sainte Marthe
, in order to please his parents. After their wedding
, they mutually agreed to live together chastely as brother and sister. Martha subsequently became a nun
and Amator received the clerical tonsure. He was ordained bishop of Auxerre in 388 and governed the see until his death 30 years later. During this 30-year episcopacy, he built two churches and converted the remaining pagans
in his diocese
. He introduced the relics of Saint Cyricus
into France
, thus propagating this saint's cult. He ordained his successor, Saint Germanus
, who subsequently wrote a biography
of Amator. In the Middle Ages
, a certain Stephen also composed a life of Amator, but it is considered a work of fiction
. He is depicted as a bishop with an axe
and tree
.
The commune of Rocamadour
is said to have been named after Saint Amator, who is believed to have been the founder of the ancient sanctuary. The crypt Saint-Amadour is situated here. The church of Notre Dame (1479) contains a wooden Black Madonna
reputed to have been carved by Amator.
Amadour was identified with the Biblical
Zacheus
, the tax collector of Jericho
mentioned in Luke 19:1-10. He is also thought to have been a servant in the house of the Holy Family
, who married St. Veronica
, who wiped Jesus' face on the way to Calvary
. Driven out of Palestine
by persecution, Amadour and Veronica embarked in a frail skiff
and, guided by an angel
, landed on the coast of Aquitaine
, where they met Bishop St. Martial
, who was preaching the Gospel
in the south-west of Gaul
. After journeying to Rome
, where he witnessed the martyr
doms of St. Peter
and St. Paul
, Amadour, having returned to France, on the death of his spouse, withdrew to a wild spot in Quercy
where he built a chapel in honour of the Blessed Virgin, near which he died a little later.
Amator's Acts cannot be dated as being older than the 12th century. It is now well established that St. Martial, Amadour's contemporary in the legend, lived in the 3rd not the 1st century, and Rome has never included him among the members of the Apostolic College
. The untrustworthiness of the legend has led some recent authors to suggest that Amadour was an unknown hermit
or the actual bishop of Auxerre of the same name.
, and several churches in the diocese
of Guarda
and elsewhere in Portugal are dedicated to him. http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=1312 A "San Amador" is the patron saint
of the Spanish
town of Martos
.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTEe32k_RlE
Hermit
A hermit is a person who lives, to some degree, in seclusion from society.In Christianity, the term was originally applied to a Christian who lives the eremitic life out of a religious conviction, namely the Desert Theology of the Old Testament .In the...
of legend whose feast day is August 20. A tradition in Autun
Autun
Autun is a commune in the Saône-et-Loire department in Burgundy in eastern France. It was founded during the early Roman Empire as Augustodunum. Autun marks the easternmost extent of the Umayyad campaign in Europe.-Early history:...
also designates him as its first bishop, with an occupancy date of AD 250 that is intended to tie him to the seven bishops sent to evangelise Gaul in the time of Decius
Decius
Trajan Decius , was Roman Emperor from 249 to 251. In the last year of his reign, he co-ruled with his son Herennius Etruscus until they were both killed in the Battle of Abrittus.-Early life and rise to power:...
. Bishop Amator's feast day is celebrated on May 1.
Bishop Amator studied theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
, but married a holy woman of Langres
Langres
Langres is a commune in north-eastern France. It is a subprefecture of the Haute-Marne département in the Champagne-Ardenne region.-History:As the capital of the Romanized Gallic tribe the Lingones, it was called Andematunnum, then Lingones, and now Langres.The town is built on a limestone...
, venerated locally as Sainte Marthe
Saint Martha (French)
Saint Martha was the wife of Saint Amator. She is a locally venerated saint in Langres, France. Martha and Amator were wed in order to please his parents. After their wedding, they mutually agreed to live together as brother and sister. Martha subsequently became a nun and Amator received the...
, in order to please his parents. After their wedding
Wedding
A wedding is the ceremony in which two people are united in marriage or a similar institution. Wedding traditions and customs vary greatly between cultures, ethnic groups, religions, countries, and social classes...
, they mutually agreed to live together chastely as brother and sister. Martha subsequently became a nun
Nun
A nun is a woman who has taken vows committing her to live a spiritual life. She may be an ascetic who voluntarily chooses to leave mainstream society and live her life in prayer and contemplation in a monastery or convent...
and Amator received the clerical tonsure. He was ordained bishop of Auxerre in 388 and governed the see until his death 30 years later. During this 30-year episcopacy, he built two churches and converted the remaining pagans
Paganism
Paganism is a blanket term, typically used to refer to non-Abrahamic, indigenous polytheistic religious traditions....
in his diocese
Diocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
. He introduced the relics of Saint Cyricus
Saint Quiricus and Saint Julietta
Saint Julietta and her son Saint Quiricus were martyred in AD 304 in Tarsus.-Cyricus:...
into France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, thus propagating this saint's cult. He ordained his successor, Saint Germanus
Germanus of Auxerre
Germanus of Auxerre was a bishop of Auxerre in Gaul. He is a saint in both the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches, commemorated on July 31. He visited Britain in around 429 and the records of this visit provide valuable information on the state of post-Roman British society...
, who subsequently wrote a biography
Biography
A biography is a detailed description or account of someone's life. More than a list of basic facts , biography also portrays the subject's experience of those events...
of Amator. In the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
, a certain Stephen also composed a life of Amator, but it is considered a work of fiction
Fiction
Fiction is the form of any narrative or informative work that deals, in part or in whole, with information or events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary—that is, invented by the author. Although fiction describes a major branch of literary work, it may also refer to theatrical,...
. He is depicted as a bishop with an axe
Axe
The axe, or ax, is an implement that has been used for millennia to shape, split and cut wood; to harvest timber; as a weapon; and as a ceremonial or heraldic symbol...
and tree
Tree
A tree is a perennial woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or trunk with clear apical dominance. A minimum height specification at maturity is cited by some authors, varying from 3 m to...
.
Amator and Rocamadour
Rocamadour
Rocamadour is a commune in the Lot department in south-western France. It lies in the former province of Quercy.Rocamadour has attracted visitors for its setting in a gorge above a tributary of the River Dordogne, and especially for its historical monuments and its sanctuary of the Blessed Virgin...
is said to have been named after Saint Amator, who is believed to have been the founder of the ancient sanctuary. The crypt Saint-Amadour is situated here. The church of Notre Dame (1479) contains a wooden Black Madonna
Black Madonna
A Black Madonna or Black Virgin is a statue or painting of the Virgin Mary in which the Virgin Mary is black. The term was especially applied to those created in Europe in the medieval period or earlier...
reputed to have been carved by Amator.
Amadour was identified with the Biblical
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
Zacheus
Zacchaeus
Zacchaeus , according to chapter 19 of the gospel of Luke, was a superintendent of customs; a chief tax-gatherer at Jericho...
, the tax collector of Jericho
Jericho
Jericho ; is a city located near the Jordan River in the West Bank of the Palestinian territories. It is the capital of the Jericho Governorate and has a population of more than 20,000. Situated well below sea level on an east-west route north of the Dead Sea, Jericho is the lowest permanently...
mentioned in Luke 19:1-10. He is also thought to have been a servant in the house of the Holy Family
Holy Family
The Holy Family consists of the Child Jesus, the Virgin Mary, and Saint Joseph.The Feast of the Holy Family is a liturgical celebration in the Roman Catholic Church in honor of Jesus of Nazareth, his mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and his foster father, Saint Joseph, as a family...
, who married St. Veronica
Saint Veronica
Saint Veronica or Berenice, according to the "Acta Sanctorum" published by the Bollandists , was a pious woman of Jerusalem who, moved with pity as Jesus carried his cross to Golgotha, gave him her veil that he might wipe his forehead...
, who wiped Jesus' face on the way to Calvary
Calvary
Calvary or Golgotha was the site, outside of ancient Jerusalem’s early first century walls, at which the crucifixion of Jesus is said to have occurred. Calvary and Golgotha are the English names for the site used in Western Christianity...
. Driven out of Palestine
Palestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
by persecution, Amadour and Veronica embarked in a frail skiff
Skiff
The term skiff is used for a number of essentially unrelated styles of small boat. The word is related to ship and has a complicated etymology: "skiff" comes from the Middle English skif, which derives from the Old French esquif, which in turn derives from the Old Italian schifo, which is itself of...
and, guided by an angel
Angel
Angels are mythical beings often depicted as messengers of God in the Hebrew and Christian Bibles along with the Quran. The English word angel is derived from the Greek ἄγγελος, a translation of in the Hebrew Bible ; a similar term, ملائكة , is used in the Qur'an...
, landed on the coast of Aquitaine
Aquitaine
Aquitaine , archaic Guyenne/Guienne , is one of the 27 regions of France, in the south-western part of metropolitan France, along the Atlantic Ocean and the Pyrenees mountain range on the border with Spain. It comprises the 5 departments of Dordogne, :Lot et Garonne, :Pyrénées-Atlantiques, Landes...
, where they met Bishop St. Martial
Saint Martial
Saint Martial was the first bishop of Limoges in today's France, according to a lost vita of Saturnin, first bishop of Toulouse, which Gregory of Tours quotes in his History of the Franks.-Life:...
, who was preaching the Gospel
Gospel
A gospel is an account, often written, that describes the life of Jesus of Nazareth. In a more general sense the term "gospel" may refer to the good news message of the New Testament. It is primarily used in reference to the four canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John...
in the south-west of Gaul
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...
. After journeying to Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, where he witnessed the martyr
Martyr
A martyr is somebody who suffers persecution and death for refusing to renounce, or accept, a belief or cause, usually religious.-Meaning:...
doms of St. Peter
Saint Peter
Saint Peter or Simon Peter was an early Christian leader, who is featured prominently in the New Testament Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. The son of John or of Jonah and from the village of Bethsaida in the province of Galilee, his brother Andrew was also an apostle...
and St. Paul
Paul of Tarsus
Paul the Apostle , also known as Saul of Tarsus, is described in the Christian New Testament as one of the most influential early Christian missionaries, with the writings ascribed to him by the church forming a considerable portion of the New Testament...
, Amadour, having returned to France, on the death of his spouse, withdrew to a wild spot in Quercy
Quercy
Quercy is a former province of France located in the country's southwest, bounded on the north by Limousin, on the west by Périgord and Agenais, on the south by Gascony and Languedoc, and on the east by Rouergue and Auvergne....
where he built a chapel in honour of the Blessed Virgin, near which he died a little later.
Amator's Acts cannot be dated as being older than the 12th century. It is now well established that St. Martial, Amadour's contemporary in the legend, lived in the 3rd not the 1st century, and Rome has never included him among the members of the Apostolic College
Apostolic College
Apostolic College refers to the twelve Apostles of Christ as the body of men commissioned by Him to spread His message over the whole world and to give it the stability of a well-ordered society: i.e. to be the founders, the foundation, and pillars of the visible church on earth. The name "apostle"...
. The untrustworthiness of the legend has led some recent authors to suggest that Amadour was an unknown hermit
Hermit
A hermit is a person who lives, to some degree, in seclusion from society.In Christianity, the term was originally applied to a Christian who lives the eremitic life out of a religious conviction, namely the Desert Theology of the Old Testament .In the...
or the actual bishop of Auxerre of the same name.
The Portuguese Amator
Confusion is added by the fact that there is also a St. Amator whose feast day is celebrated on March 27. He was a hermit of PortugalPortugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, and several churches in the diocese
Diocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
of Guarda
Roman Catholic Diocese of Guarda, Portugal
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Guarda is a diocese located in the city of Guarda in the Ecclesiastical province of Lisbon in Portugal.-History:* 550: Established as Diocese of Egitânia* 715: Suppressed* 1199: Restored as Diocese of Guarda-Leadership:...
and elsewhere in Portugal are dedicated to him. http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=1312 A "San Amador" is the patron saint
Patron saint
A patron saint is a saint who is regarded as the intercessor and advocate in heaven of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or person...
of the Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
town of Martos
Martos
The city of Martos is located in the province of Jaén in the autonomous community of Andalusia in south-central Spain.It has a population of 24061 inhabitants, making Martos the fifth largest municipality in the province...
.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTEe32k_RlE
