Florinus of Remüs
Encyclopedia
Florinus of Remüs also known as Florin, Florian of Chur, Florinus of Matsch, and Florinus of Vinschgau, is venerated as a saint
in the Catholic Church, particularly in the dioceses of Chur
, Bolzano-Brixen
, Vaduz, and in the Rhineland
.
Little is known of his life, as there is no early vita
. Florinus may have been the son of an Anglo-Saxon
man and Jewish woman, a convert to Christianity, who had settled at Matsch (Mazia) in the Vinschgau Valley on their way back from a pilgrimage
to Rome
.
Florinus received his education from a priest at Unterengadin
, where he was also ordained. He then worked as a priest at Remüs
(Ramosch).
Miracles are attributed to him, including the turning of water into wine. After his death, numerous miracles were said to have taken place at his tomb in the parish church of Remüs.
rather than a martyr
. After his death, the popularity of his cult increased, and his relics were distributed to various places, including the Florinskirche at Koblenz
(in 950 AD) and also Regensburg
. Vaduz Cathedral
and parish church at Matsch (Mazia) are also dedicated to him. He is depicted in a stained-glass window in the cathedral at Chur
.
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...
in the Catholic Church, particularly in the dioceses of Chur
Diocese of Chur
The Diocese of Chur comprises the Swiss Cantons of Graubünden , Schwyz, Glarus, Zurich, Nidwalden, Obwalden and Uri.-History:A Bishop of Chur is first mentioned in 451/ 452 when its Bishop Saint Asimo attended the Synod of Milan, but probably existed a century earlier...
, Bolzano-Brixen
Roman Catholic Diocese of Bolzano-Brixen
The Diocese of Bolzano-Brixen is a Catholic diocese in northern Italy, with its seat in the city of Bolzano. Its territory corresponds with that of the province of South Tyrol with its predominantly German-speaking population...
, Vaduz, and in the Rhineland
Rhineland
Historically, the Rhinelands refers to a loosely-defined region embracing the land on either bank of the River Rhine in central Europe....
.
Little is known of his life, as there is no early vita
Hagiography
Hagiography is the study of saints.From the Greek and , it refers literally to writings on the subject of such holy people, and specifically to the biographies of saints and ecclesiastical leaders. The term hagiology, the study of hagiography, is also current in English, though less common...
. Florinus may have been the son of an Anglo-Saxon
Anglo-Saxon
Anglo-Saxon may refer to:* Anglo-Saxons, a group that invaded Britain** Old English, their language** Anglo-Saxon England, their history, one of various ships* White Anglo-Saxon Protestant, an ethnicity* Anglo-Saxon economy, modern macroeconomic term...
man and Jewish woman, a convert to Christianity, who had settled at Matsch (Mazia) in the Vinschgau Valley on their way back from a pilgrimage
Pilgrimage
A pilgrimage is a journey or search of great moral or spiritual significance. Typically, it is a journey to a shrine or other location of importance to a person's beliefs and faith...
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...
.
Florinus received his education from a priest at Unterengadin
Engadin
The Engadin or Engadine is a long valley in the Swiss Alps located in the canton of Graubünden in southeast Switzerland. It follows the route of the Inn River from its headwaters at Maloja Pass running northeast until the Inn flows into Austria one hundred kilometers downstream...
, where he was also ordained. He then worked as a priest at Remüs
Remus
Remus is the twin brother of the mythical founder of Rome.Remus may also refer to:* Remus , a fictional planet in Star Trek* Remus , a moon of the asteroid 87 Sylvia...
(Ramosch).
Miracles are attributed to him, including the turning of water into wine. After his death, numerous miracles were said to have taken place at his tomb in the parish church of Remüs.
Veneration
He is called a confessor of the faithConfessor of the Faith
The title Confessor, the short form of Confessor of the Faith, is a title given by the Christian Church to a type of saint.-Western Christianity:...
rather than a martyr
Martyr
A martyr is somebody who suffers persecution and death for refusing to renounce, or accept, a belief or cause, usually religious.-Meaning:...
. After his death, the popularity of his cult increased, and his relics were distributed to various places, including the Florinskirche at Koblenz
Koblenz
Koblenz is a German city situated on both banks of the Rhine at its confluence with the Moselle, where the Deutsches Eck and its monument are situated.As Koblenz was one of the military posts established by Drusus about 8 BC, the...
(in 950 AD) and also Regensburg
Regensburg
Regensburg is a city in Bavaria, Germany, located at the confluence of the Danube and Regen rivers, at the northernmost bend in the Danube. To the east lies the Bavarian Forest. Regensburg is the capital of the Bavarian administrative region Upper Palatinate...
. Vaduz Cathedral
Vaduz Cathedral
Vaduz Cathedral, or Cathedral of St. Florin , is a neo-Gothic church in Vaduz, Liechtenstein, and the center of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Vaduz. Originally a parish church, it has had the status of a cathedral since 1997.It was built in 1873 by Friedrich von Schmidt on the site of earlier...
and parish church at Matsch (Mazia) are also dedicated to him. He is depicted in a stained-glass window in the cathedral at Chur
Chur
Chur or Coire is the capital of the Swiss canton of Graubünden and lies in the northern part of the canton.-History:The name "chur" derives perhaps from the Celtic kora or koria, meaning "tribe", or from the Latin curia....
.
Sources
- Jan-Andrea Bernhard: Geschichtliche Einführung in das Wirken und die Wirkung des heiligen Florinus; in: Der Schlern 81 (2007), S. 20–47
- Jan-Andrea Bernhard: Streit um einen Heiligen: der Heilige Florinus von Ramosch als Zankapfel in Geschichte und Gegenwart; in: Bündner Monatsblatt 2006, Nr.1, S. 35–67
- Alfred Pothmann: Der heilige Florinus: aus der Geschichte der Heiligenverehrung im Stift Essen; in: Das Münster am Hellweg 37 (1984), S. 14–21
- Hedwig Röckelein: Der Kult des heiligen Florinus im Stift Essen; in: Jan Gerchow u.a. (Hgg.): Essen und die sächsischen Frauenstifte im frühen Mittelalter; Essen 2003; S. 59–86