Fiacre
Encyclopedia
Saint Fiacre was born in Ireland
in the seventh century. is an ancient pre-Christian name from Ireland. The meaning is uncertain, but the name may mean "battle king", or it may be a derivative of the word "raven". The name can be found in ancient Irish folklore and stories such as the Children of Lir
.
He was better known in France
, where he built a hospice
for travelers in what is now Saint-Fiacre, Seine-et-Marne
.
Fiacre lived in a hermitage
in County Kilkenny
. His unwanted fame as one skilled with herbs, a healer and holy man, caused disciple
s to flock to him. Seeking greater solitude, he left his native land and sought refuge in France, at Meaux
.
He approached St Faro, the Bishop of Meaux, to whom he made known his desire to live a life of solitude in the forest. St Faro assigned him a spot called Prodilus (Brodoluim), the modern Breuil, in the province of Brie
. Here Fiacre built an oratory
in honor of the Virgin Mary, a hospice in which he received strangers, and a cell in which he himself lived apart. He lived a life of great mortification
, in prayer, fast, vigil, and the manual labor of the garden.
. Faro, however, recognized that this was the work of God. From this point on it is said St Fiacre barred women, on pain of severe bodily infirmity, from the precincts of his monastery.
His relics are installed in Meaux
Cathedral. His feast day is under debate; in Ireland it is 1 September; elsewhere it is variously August 18, August 1, or August 30, with August 11 growing in acceptance as an official compromise.
St Fiacre is most renowned as the patron saint
of growing food and medicinal plants, sometimes more broadly referred to as simply gardening.
His reputed aversion to women is believed to be the reason he is known as the patron saint of venereal disease sufferers.
He was known to heal hemorrhoids, which were called "Saint Fiacre' illness" in the Middle Ages - maybe due to the story where he sat sorrowful on a stone and that stone softened.
Saint Fiacre is also sometimes invoked to help heal people of ills. This is not his patronage (as bestowed by the Vatican), but rather a common invocation based on his reputed skill with medicinal plants.
To celebrate the Millennium, St. Fiachra's Garden was opened in 1999 at the Irish National Stud
, Tully, County Kildare, Ireland.
drivers. The connection arose from the fact that the Hotel de Saint Fiacre in Paris
, France, rented carriage
s. People who had no idea who Fiacre was referred to the small hackney coaches as "Fiacre cabs", and eventually as "fiacres". Similarly, Viennese
horse-drawn buggies are referred to as .
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
in the seventh century. is an ancient pre-Christian name from Ireland. The meaning is uncertain, but the name may mean "battle king", or it may be a derivative of the word "raven". The name can be found in ancient Irish folklore and stories such as the Children of Lir
Children of Lir
The Children of Lir is an Irish legend. The original Irish title is Clann Lir or Leannaí Lir, but Lir is the genitive case of Lear. Lir is more often used as the name of the character in English...
.
He was better known in 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...
, where he built a hospice
Hostel
Hostels provide budget oriented, sociable accommodation where guests can rent a bed, usually a bunk bed, in a dormitory and share a bathroom, lounge and sometimes a kitchen. Rooms can be mixed or single-sex, although private rooms may also be available...
for travelers in what is now Saint-Fiacre, Seine-et-Marne
Saint-Fiacre, Seine-et-Marne
Saint-Fiacre is a commune in the Seine-et-Marne department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France.-External links:* * *...
.
Fiacre lived in a hermitage
Hermitage (religious retreat)
Although today's meaning is usually a place where a hermit lives in seclusion from the world, hermitage was more commonly used to mean a settlement where a person or a group of people lived religiously, in seclusion.-Western Christian Tradition:...
in County Kilkenny
County Kilkenny
County Kilkenny is a county in Ireland. It is part of the South-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the city of Kilkenny. The territory of the county was the core part of the ancient Irish Kingdom of Osraige which in turn was the core of the Diocese of...
. His unwanted fame as one skilled with herbs, a healer and holy man, caused disciple
Apprenticeship
Apprenticeship is a system of training a new generation of practitioners of a skill. Apprentices or protégés build their careers from apprenticeships...
s to flock to him. Seeking greater solitude, he left his native land and sought refuge in France, at Meaux
Meaux
Meaux is a commune in the Seine-et-Marne department in the Île-de-France region in the metropolitan area of Paris, France. It is located east-northeast from the center of Paris. Meaux is a sub-prefecture of the department and the seat of an arondissement...
.
He approached St Faro, the Bishop of Meaux, to whom he made known his desire to live a life of solitude in the forest. St Faro assigned him a spot called Prodilus (Brodoluim), the modern Breuil, in the province of Brie
Brie
Brie is a historic region of France most famous for its dairy products, especially Brie cheese. It was once divided into two sections ruled by different feudal lords: the western Brie française, corresponding roughly to the modern department of Seine-et-Marne in the Île-de-France region; the...
. Here Fiacre built an oratory
Oratory (worship)
An oratory is a Christian room for prayer, from the Latin orare, to pray.-Catholic church:In the Roman Catholic Church, an oratory is a structure other than a parish church, set aside by ecclesiastical authority for prayer and the celebration of Mass...
in honor of the Virgin Mary, a hospice in which he received strangers, and a cell in which he himself lived apart. He lived a life of great mortification
Mortification
Mortification can refer to:*Mortification , theological doctrine*Mortification of the flesh, religious practice of corporal mortification...
, in prayer, fast, vigil, and the manual labor of the garden.
Legends
The legend of Fiacre goes that St Faro allowed him as much land as he might entrench in one day with a furrow; Fiacre turned up the earth with the point of his staff, toppling trees and uprooting briers and weeds. A suspicious woman hastened to tell Faro that he was being beguiled and that this was witchcraftWitchcraft
Witchcraft, in historical, anthropological, religious, and mythological contexts, is the alleged use of supernatural or magical powers. A witch is a practitioner of witchcraft...
. Faro, however, recognized that this was the work of God. From this point on it is said St Fiacre barred women, on pain of severe bodily infirmity, from the precincts of his monastery.
Veneration
Meaux
Meaux is a commune in the Seine-et-Marne department in the Île-de-France region in the metropolitan area of Paris, France. It is located east-northeast from the center of Paris. Meaux is a sub-prefecture of the department and the seat of an arondissement...
Cathedral. His feast day is under debate; in Ireland it is 1 September; elsewhere it is variously August 18, August 1, or August 30, with August 11 growing in acceptance as an official compromise.
St Fiacre is most renowned as 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 growing food and medicinal plants, sometimes more broadly referred to as simply gardening.
His reputed aversion to women is believed to be the reason he is known as the patron saint of venereal disease sufferers.
He was known to heal hemorrhoids, which were called "Saint Fiacre' illness" in the Middle Ages - maybe due to the story where he sat sorrowful on a stone and that stone softened.
Saint Fiacre is also sometimes invoked to help heal people of ills. This is not his patronage (as bestowed by the Vatican), but rather a common invocation based on his reputed skill with medicinal plants.
To celebrate the Millennium, St. Fiachra's Garden was opened in 1999 at the Irish National Stud
Irish National Stud
The Irish National Stud is a Thoroughbred horse breeding facility based at Tully, Kildare, County Kildare, Ireland...
, Tully, County Kildare, Ireland.
Fiacre (carriage)
Saint Fiacre is also the patron saint of taxiTaxicab
A taxicab, also taxi or cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choice...
drivers. The connection arose from the fact that the Hotel de Saint Fiacre in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, France, rented carriage
Carriage
A carriage is a wheeled vehicle for people, usually horse-drawn; litters and sedan chairs are excluded, since they are wheelless vehicles. The carriage is especially designed for private passenger use and for comfort or elegance, though some are also used to transport goods. It may be light,...
s. People who had no idea who Fiacre was referred to the small hackney coaches as "Fiacre cabs", and eventually as "fiacres". Similarly, Viennese
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
horse-drawn buggies are referred to as .