Saint Audomare
Encyclopedia
Saint Audomar better known as Saint Omer, was a Burgundy-born bishop of Thérouanne, after whom nearby Saint-Omer
in northern France
was named.
. After the death of his mother, he entered with his father the abbey of Luxeuil in the Diocese of Besançon, probably about 615. Under the direction of Eustachius
, Omer studied the Scriptures, in which he acquired remarkable proficiency.
When King Dagobert
requested the appointment of a bishop for the important city of Terouenne, the capital of the ancient territory of the Morini
in Neustria
, he was appointed and consecrated in 637.
Though the Morini had received Christianity
from Saint Fuscian and Saint Victoricus
, and later Antmund and Adelbert
, nearly every vestige of Christianity had disappeared. When Saint Audomare entered upon his episcopal duties, the Abbot of Luxeuil sent to his assistance several monks, among whom are mentioned Saint Bertin, Saint Mommolin and Saint Ebertran. Saint Omer had the satisfaction of seeing the Catholic religion firmly established in a short time.
About 654 he founded the Abbey of Saint Peter (now Saint Bertin's) in Sithiu, soon to equal if not surpass the old monastery of Luxeuil for the number of learned and zealous men educated there. Several years later he erected the Church of Our Lady of Sithiu, with a small monastery adjoining, which he turned over to the monks of Saint Bertin.
The exact date of his death is unknown, but he is believed to have died about the year 670.
dedicated to him.
His feast is celebrated on 9 September.
Saint-Omer
Saint-Omer , a commune and sub-prefecture of the Pas-de-Calais department west-northwest of Lille on the railway to Calais. The town is named after Saint Audomar, who brought Christianity to the area....
in northern 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...
was named.
Biography
He was born of a distinguished family towards the close of the sixth or the beginning of the seventh century, at Guldendal, SwitzerlandSwitzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. After the death of his mother, he entered with his father the abbey of Luxeuil in the Diocese of Besançon, probably about 615. Under the direction of Eustachius
Eustachius
Eustachius may refer to:*Saint Eustachius - Placidus; Eustace*Bartolomeo Eustachi , anatomist*Eustáquio van Lieshout , Dutch missionary in Brazil*Eustochius, fifth bishop of Tours from 443 to 460...
, Omer studied the Scriptures, in which he acquired remarkable proficiency.
When King Dagobert
Dagobert I
Dagobert I was the king of Austrasia , king of all the Franks , and king of Neustria and Burgundy . He was the last Merovingian dynast to wield any real royal power...
requested the appointment of a bishop for the important city of Terouenne, the capital of the ancient territory of the Morini
Morini
The Morini were a Belgic tribe in the time of the Roman Empire. We know little about their language but one of their cities, Boulogne-sur-Mer was called Bononia by Zosimus and Bonen in the Middle Ages. Zosimus mentioned the Low Germanic character of the city...
in Neustria
Neustria
The territory of Neustria or Neustrasia, meaning "new [western] land", originated in 511, made up of the regions from Aquitaine to the English Channel, approximating most of the north of present-day France, with Paris and Soissons as its main cities...
, he was appointed and consecrated in 637.
Though the Morini had received 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...
from Saint Fuscian and Saint Victoricus
Victoricus, Fuscian, and Gentian
Victoricus , Fuscian and Gentian are venerated as martyrs by the Catholic Church...
, and later Antmund and Adelbert
Adalbert (mystic)
Adalbert was a Gaullic preacher who lived in the 8th century. Adalbert claimed that an angel had conferred miraculous powers on him at his birth and that another had brought him relics of great sanctity from all parts of the earth...
, nearly every vestige of Christianity had disappeared. When Saint Audomare entered upon his episcopal duties, the Abbot of Luxeuil sent to his assistance several monks, among whom are mentioned Saint Bertin, Saint Mommolin and Saint Ebertran. Saint Omer had the satisfaction of seeing the Catholic religion firmly established in a short time.
About 654 he founded the Abbey of Saint Peter (now Saint Bertin's) in Sithiu, soon to equal if not surpass the old monastery of Luxeuil for the number of learned and zealous men educated there. Several years later he erected the Church of Our Lady of Sithiu, with a small monastery adjoining, which he turned over to the monks of Saint Bertin.
The exact date of his death is unknown, but he is believed to have died about the year 670.
Veneration
The place of his burial is uncertain; most probably he was laid to rest in the church of Our Lady, later Saint-Omer Cathedral, where there is a 13th century cenotaphCenotaph
A cenotaph is an "empty tomb" or a monument erected in honour of a person or group of people whose remains are elsewhere. It can also be the initial tomb for a person who has since been interred elsewhere. The word derives from the Greek κενοτάφιον = kenotaphion...
dedicated to him.
His feast is celebrated on 9 September.