Urban of Langres
Encyclopedia
Saint Urban of Langres was a French
saint
and bishop
. He served as the sixth bishop of Langres from 374 until his death. Saint Lodegaria was his sister.
Urban was the bishop of Langres, France, beginning in 374. Legend states that soon after taking his position, political turmoil erupted, and he was driven from his house. St. Urban hid from his persecutors in a vineyard
. The vine-dressers in the area concealed him, and he took the opportunity to convert them to Christianity
. Those same vine-dressers then helped him in his covert ministry, as he moved from one town to another via their vineyards. Due to this work, and to Urban’s devotion to the Holy Blood, he developed great affection to all the people in the wine industry, and they for him. Urban is thus the patron saint
of all those who work in the wine industry
and is invoked against blight
and alcoholism
.
. Several old German sayings reflect this:
Pancras, one of the so-called Ice Saints
, was a saint closely associated with the weather.
These are sayings that are similar to those said of the feast days of Swithun, Medardus
, Godelieve, and other "weather saints." Another saying ties more closely to Urban’s particular patronage of wine growers:
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...
saint
Saint
A saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...
and bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
. He served as the sixth bishop of Langres from 374 until his death. Saint Lodegaria was his sister.
Urban was the bishop of Langres, France, beginning in 374. Legend states that soon after taking his position, political turmoil erupted, and he was driven from his house. St. Urban hid from his persecutors in a vineyard
Vineyard
A vineyard is a plantation of grape-bearing vines, grown mainly for winemaking, but also raisins, table grapes and non-alcoholic grape juice...
. The vine-dressers in the area concealed him, and he took the opportunity to convert them to Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
. Those same vine-dressers then helped him in his covert ministry, as he moved from one town to another via their vineyards. Due to this work, and to Urban’s devotion to the Holy Blood, he developed great affection to all the people in the wine industry, and they for him. Urban is thus 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 all those who work in the wine industry
Winemaking
Winemaking, or vinification, is the production of wine, starting with selection of the grapes or other produce and ending with bottling the finished wine. Although most wine is made from grapes, it may also be made from other fruit or non-toxic plant material...
and is invoked against blight
Blight
Blight refers to a specific symptom affecting plants in response to infection by a pathogenic organism. It is simply a rapid and complete chlorosis, browning, then death of plant tissues such as leaves, branches, twigs, or floral organs. Accordingly, many diseases that primarily exhibit this...
and alcoholism
Alcoholism
Alcoholism is a broad term for problems with alcohol, and is generally used to mean compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually to the detriment of the drinker's health, personal relationships, and social standing...
.
Veneration
The feast day of St. Urban is 2 April, or 23 January in Langres, France. The cult of St. Urban of Langres were closely associated with the weatherWeather
Weather is the state of the atmosphere, to the degree that it is hot or cold, wet or dry, calm or stormy, clear or cloudy. Most weather phenomena occur in the troposphere, just below the stratosphere. Weather refers, generally, to day-to-day temperature and precipitation activity, whereas climate...
. Several old German sayings reflect this:
- Pankraz und Urban ohne Regen / bringen großen Erntesegen
- [The feast days of] Pancras and Urban without rain/ bring big rich harvests.
Pancras, one of the so-called Ice Saints
Ice Saints
The Ice Saints is the name given to St. Mamertus, St. Pancras, and St. Servatius in Flemish, French, Dutch, Hungarian, German, Austrian, Polish, Swiss and Croatian folklore. They are so named because their feast days fall on the days of May 11, May 12, and May 13 respectively. In Flanders St....
, was a saint closely associated with the weather.
- Das Wetter auf St. Urban zeigt des Herbstes Wetter an.
- The weather on St. Urban's Day will indicate what the autumn weather will be like.
These are sayings that are similar to those said of the feast days of Swithun, Medardus
Medardus
Saint Medardus was the Bishop of Vermandois who removed the seat of the diocese to Noyon....
, Godelieve, and other "weather saints." Another saying ties more closely to Urban’s particular patronage of wine growers:
- Ist Sonnenschein am Urbanstag / gedeiht der Wein nach alter Sag
- If there is sunshine on St. Urban's Day/ the wine thrives afterwards, they say