Agricola of Avignon
Encyclopedia
Saint Agricola of Avignon (c. 630 – c. 700) was a bishop of Avignon. According to tradition, Agricola ("farmer") was the son of Saint Magnus, also a bishop of the city.
At the age of sixteen, he was professed a monk
at the Abbey of Lérins. However, at the age of thirty, he was summoned by his father Magnus to Avignon, where he was appointed coadjutor. When his father died in 660, he succeeded as bishop. He built a church in the city that was staffed by the monks of Lérins. He built a convent for Benedictine
nun
s. He was a well-known preacher
, and famous for his charity and defense of the poor and sick against civil authorities.
He died of natural causes and was succeeded by Saint Veredemus.
, one of the Avignon-based popes
, who equipped it with a statute and income. It is possible that on this occasion that the transfer of the relics of St. Agricola from the church of Saint-Pierre to Saint-Agricol occurred. They are still preserved in this church.
The cult of Saint Agricola increased in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. Fifteenth-century documents record that he prevented an invasion of stork
s by his blessing. He is thus patron
of storks and is depicted with them as his emblem. In 1647, he was declared patron saint
of the city of Avignon by Archbishop César Argelli. Devotees prayed to the saint whose name signoifies "cultivator of fields" for good weather
, fine harvests, and rain
during times of drought
. He is also invoked against the bubonic plague
and misfortune of all kinds. His feast day is September 2.
At the age of sixteen, he was professed a monk
Monk
A monk is a person who practices religious asceticism, living either alone or with any number of monks, while always maintaining some degree of physical separation from those not sharing the same purpose...
at the Abbey of Lérins. However, at the age of thirty, he was summoned by his father Magnus to Avignon, where he was appointed coadjutor. When his father died in 660, he succeeded as bishop. He built a church in the city that was staffed by the monks of Lérins. He built a convent for Benedictine
Benedictine
Benedictine refers to the spirituality and consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in the sixth century for the cenobitic communities he founded in central Italy. The most notable of these is Monte Cassino, the first monastery founded by Benedict...
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...
s. He was a well-known preacher
Preacher
Preacher is a term for someone who preaches sermons or gives homilies. A preacher is distinct from a theologian by focusing on the communication rather than the development of doctrine. Others see preaching and theology as being intertwined...
, and famous for his charity and defense of the poor and sick against civil authorities.
He died of natural causes and was succeeded by Saint Veredemus.
Veneration
A charter of 919 mentions that Saint Agricola had been buried in the Avignon church dedicated to Saint Peter (Saint-Pierre). At the end of the eleventh century, Bishop Arbert of Avignon made a donation that referred to the abbey of Saint-Agricol; the church of Saint-Agricol (Saint Agricola) that seems to have been built in the twelfth century was made collegial in 1321 by Pope John XXIIPope John XXII
Pope John XXII , born Jacques Duèze , was pope from 1316 to 1334. He was the second Pope of the Avignon Papacy , elected by a conclave in Lyon assembled by Philip V of France...
, one of the Avignon-based popes
Avignon Papacy
The Avignon Papacy was the period from 1309 to 1376 during which seven Popes resided in Avignon, in modern-day France. This arose from the conflict between the Papacy and the French crown....
, who equipped it with a statute and income. It is possible that on this occasion that the transfer of the relics of St. Agricola from the church of Saint-Pierre to Saint-Agricol occurred. They are still preserved in this church.
The cult of Saint Agricola increased in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. Fifteenth-century documents record that he prevented an invasion of stork
Stork
Storks are large, long-legged, long-necked wading birds with long, stout bills. They belong to the family Ciconiidae. They are the only family in the biological order Ciconiiformes, which was once much larger and held a number of families....
s by his blessing. He is thus patron
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 storks and is depicted with them as his emblem. In 1647, he was declared 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 city of Avignon by Archbishop César Argelli. Devotees prayed to the saint whose name signoifies "cultivator of fields" for good weather
Weather
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...
, fine harvests, and rain
Rain
Rain is liquid precipitation, as opposed to non-liquid kinds of precipitation such as snow, hail and sleet. Rain requires the presence of a thick layer of the atmosphere to have temperatures above the melting point of water near and above the Earth's surface...
during times of drought
Drought
A drought is an extended period of months or years when a region notes a deficiency in its water supply. Generally, this occurs when a region receives consistently below average precipitation. It can have a substantial impact on the ecosystem and agriculture of the affected region...
. He is also invoked against the bubonic plague
Bubonic plague
Plague is a deadly infectious disease that is caused by the enterobacteria Yersinia pestis, named after the French-Swiss bacteriologist Alexandre Yersin. Primarily carried by rodents and spread to humans via fleas, the disease is notorious throughout history, due to the unrivaled scale of death...
and misfortune of all kinds. His feast day is September 2.
Sources
- Elizabeth Hallam (ed.), Saints: Who They Are and How They Help You (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1994), 100.