Saint Servatius
Encyclopedia
Saint Servatius (traditionally died 384) was bishop of Tongeren—Roman Atuatuca Tungrorum the capital of the Tungri
—one of the earliest dioceses in the Low Countries
. Later in his life he fled to Maastricht
, Roman Mosae Trajectum, where he became the first bishop of this city. He spread Christianity
to the Low Countries when he built a church over the Roman temple of Fortuna and Jupiter, the Church of Our Dear Lady. This church is still a very important spiritual and religious site in Maastricht
.
A widely-travelled diplomat, Servatius is recorded as being present at several synod
s and church councils, and a determined prosecutor of Arianism
. Servatius died in Maastricht in 384.
Servatius is patron saint
of the city of Maastricht
, Schijndel
and Grimbergen
, and is venerated on May 13. Traditionally, he was the third of the Ice Saints
.
(modern Sofia
). In the debates, Servatius represented the Trinitarian
Christological views of the Western Emperor. Because the eastern bishops shared the opinions of their ruler, the Synod
of Sardica was a failure.
When Athanasius was in exile in Trier
, he met with Servatius, and the two campaigned against the Arian bishops and priests of the area. In the Council of Cologne in 346, Servatius testified against the bishop of Cologne, saying that, "Our churches are adjacent" and the bishop of Cologne "denied the divinity of Jesus Christ. It has even happened in the presence of Athanasius, bishop of Alexandria." Thus Servatius appears to have been bishop of Tongeren at this time.
After the western emperor Constans
had been assassinated (350), Servatius was sent to Edessa
as envoy to Constantius II
, the Eastern Emperor, by the court party of the usurper Magnentius
, to represent the late Constans as an unworthy tyrant and oppressor, in the unsuccessful hope of obtaining Constantius' recognition of Magnentius as co-Augustus. The outcome was a civil war that resulted in the death of Magnentius (353). The commission is a sign of the high standing of Servatius.
In 359, at the Council of Rimini
, Sulpicius Severus
reports that Servatius again eloquently denounced Arianism.
Legends accumulated round the historical figure of the bishop. Two medieval Vitae ("Lives") place Servatius' birth in Armenia
and make him a distant relative of John the Baptist
and Jesus, through his mother, now called Memelia. A mid-15th century, late Gothic wooden sculpture of a standing Memelia with the infant Servatius in her arms, identifiable by the bishop's mitre he is already wearing (Vendsyssel Historiske Museum, Denmark), was iconographically so similar to contemporary Madonna and Child sculptures, that it was long misattributed.
The most important early source about the life of Saint Servatius is Gregory of Tours
. In the late 6th century, Gregory wrote about Servatius' journey to Rome, the transfer of the Episcopal see to Maastricht, and Servatius' death shortly thereafter. According to the Frankish historian, the translation of the see from Tongeren to Maastricht occurred when the Huns
threatened Tongeren, and a certain Aravatius (identified by some scholars as Saint Servatius) went on pilgrimage
to Rome
. Keeping vigil at Saint Peter
's tomb, he had a vision in which Peter forecast the destruction of Tongeren because of unfaithfulness and sinfulness. He then ordered Aravatius to move the episcopal see to Maastricht. Peter then handed the key to the Gates of Heaven to Aravatius, thereby transferring to him the power to forgive sins. Aravatius returned to Tongeren and brought the relics of his predecessors to Maastricht. There he died on 13 May 384 according to consistent tradition.
Around 1075 a certain Jocundus wrote a biography
of Saint Servatius commissioned by the clergy of the church of Saint Servatius. Jocundus is also the author of the Miracula. Both were composed, according to P.C. Boeren, to quell doubts about the genealogy of Servatius — said by Jocundus to have been a cousin and contemporary of Jesus, blessed with a miraculously long life — that were raised at the council of Mainz in 1049, until the arrival of envoys from the Eastern Emperor, confirmed accounts by a certain Alagrecus and asserting that the birthplace of Servatius was Fenuste, southeast of Damascus. Jocundus conflates Servatius with the exploits of others, linking his to the success of the Franks at Poitiers (in 732) by mistaking him for Saint Servandus (according to Boeren).
At the end of the 12th century the poet Henric van Veldeke wrote a legend about the life of Saint Servatius, based on the earlier story of Gregory of Tours to which he added many more miracles, thus emphasizing Saint Servatius' saintliness.
Servatius may have been the founder of two early Christian churches in the Maastricht-Tongeren diocese: the Basilica of Our Lady in Tongeren, and the Basilica of Our Lady in Maastricht
. In the case of Tongeren this traditional claim was supported by excavations in the 1980s, when under the medieval church remains of a 4th century church were identified. Other historic churches in the Netherlands
, Belgium
and Germany were dedicated to the saint, e.g. the Basilica of Saint Servatius
in Maastricht
, the Abbey of Saint Servatius
in Grimbergen
, and the collegiate church of Saint Servatius in Quedlinburg
http://home.bawue.de/~wmwerner/english/heritage/quedlb_e.html.
According to tradition the saint's remains are buried in the Basilica of Saint Servatius
in Maastricht in a crypt dating from the 6th century. His tomb in the crypt has been a favored place of pilgrimage for many centuries. Famous visitors include Charlemagne
and Pope John Paul II
. The 12th century gilded reliquary
containing the saint's relics became known as the Noodkist ("Distress Chest") because in times of calamity it was carried around town. A procession with the reliquary shrine still takes place every seven years (Heiligdomsvaart). The "Noodkist" is normally kept in the basilica's treasury, along with other treasures that are associated with the saint (the crozier, a pectoral cross
, a chalice
, and a symbolic key to heaven).
Tungri
The Tungri were a tribe, or group of tribes, who lived in the Belgic part Gaul, during the times of the Roman empire. They were described by Tacitus as being the same people who were first called "Germani" , meaning that all other tribes who were later referred to this way, including those in...
—one of the earliest dioceses in the Low Countries
Low Countries
The Low Countries are the historical lands around the low-lying delta of the Rhine, Scheldt, and Meuse rivers, including the modern countries of Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and parts of northern France and western Germany....
. Later in his life he fled to Maastricht
Maastricht
Maastricht is situated on both sides of the Meuse river in the south-eastern part of the Netherlands, on the Belgian border and near the German border...
, Roman Mosae Trajectum, where he became the first bishop of this city. He spread 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...
to the Low Countries when he built a church over the Roman temple of Fortuna and Jupiter, the Church of Our Dear Lady. This church is still a very important spiritual and religious site in Maastricht
Maastricht
Maastricht is situated on both sides of the Meuse river in the south-eastern part of the Netherlands, on the Belgian border and near the German border...
.
A widely-travelled diplomat, Servatius is recorded as being present at several synod
Synod
A synod historically is a council of a church, usually convened to decide an issue of doctrine, administration or application. In modern usage, the word often refers to the governing body of a particular church, whether its members are meeting or not...
s and church councils, and a determined prosecutor of Arianism
Arianism
Arianism is the theological teaching attributed to Arius , a Christian presbyter from Alexandria, Egypt, concerning the relationship of the entities of the Trinity and the precise nature of the Son of God as being a subordinate entity to God the Father...
. Servatius died in Maastricht in 384.
Servatius is 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 Maastricht
Maastricht
Maastricht is situated on both sides of the Meuse river in the south-eastern part of the Netherlands, on the Belgian border and near the German border...
, Schijndel
Schijndel
Schijndel is a municipalityin the southern Netherlands, in the province of North Brabant. Schijndel is located approximately fourteen kilometers southeast of 's-Hertogenbosch. Schijndel was founded on the 6th of December in the year 1309...
and Grimbergen
Grimbergen
Grimbergen is a municipality in the province of Flemish Brabant, in Flanders, one of the three regions of Belgium. The municipality comprises the towns of Beigem, Grimbergen, Humbeek and Strombeek-Bever. On January 1, 2006 Grimbergen had a total population of 33,965. The total area is...
, and is venerated on May 13. Traditionally, he was the third of the 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....
.
History
In 343, "Sarbatios"—Greek texts rendering v as b—was present at the Council of SardicaCouncil of Sardica
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Sofia and Plovdiv is a Roman Catholic diocese of the Latin Rite, which includes the whole southern part of Bulgaria. The remainder of Bulgaria is comprised in the Diocese of Nicopoli. The seat of the episcopal see is in Plovdiv. The diocese is immediately subject of...
(modern Sofia
Sofia
Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city in the European Union with a population of 1.27 million people. It is located in western Bulgaria, at the foot of Mount Vitosha and approximately at the centre of the Balkan Peninsula.Prehistoric settlements were excavated...
). In the debates, Servatius represented the Trinitarian
Trinity
The Christian doctrine of the Trinity defines God as three divine persons : the Father, the Son , and the Holy Spirit. The three persons are distinct yet coexist in unity, and are co-equal, co-eternal and consubstantial . Put another way, the three persons of the Trinity are of one being...
Christological views of the Western Emperor. Because the eastern bishops shared the opinions of their ruler, the Synod
Synod
A synod historically is a council of a church, usually convened to decide an issue of doctrine, administration or application. In modern usage, the word often refers to the governing body of a particular church, whether its members are meeting or not...
of Sardica was a failure.
When Athanasius was in exile in Trier
Trier
Trier, historically called in English Treves is a city in Germany on the banks of the Moselle. It is the oldest city in Germany, founded in or before 16 BC....
, he met with Servatius, and the two campaigned against the Arian bishops and priests of the area. In the Council of Cologne in 346, Servatius testified against the bishop of Cologne, saying that, "Our churches are adjacent" and the bishop of Cologne "denied the divinity of Jesus Christ. It has even happened in the presence of Athanasius, bishop of Alexandria." Thus Servatius appears to have been bishop of Tongeren at this time.
After the western emperor Constans
Constans
Constans , was Roman Emperor from 337 to 350. He defeated his brother Constantine II in 340, but anger in the army over his personal life and preference for his barbarian bodyguards saw the general Magnentius rebel, resulting in Constans’ assassination in 350.-Career:Constans was the third and...
had been assassinated (350), Servatius was sent to Edessa
Edessa, Mesopotamia
Edessa is the Greek name of an Aramaic town in northern Mesopotamia, as refounded by Seleucus I Nicator. For the modern history of the city, see Şanlıurfa.-Names:...
as envoy to Constantius II
Constantius II
Constantius II , was Roman Emperor from 337 to 361. The second son of Constantine I and Fausta, he ascended to the throne with his brothers Constantine II and Constans upon their father's death....
, the Eastern Emperor, by the court party of the usurper Magnentius
Magnentius
Flavius Magnus Magnentius was a usurper of the Roman Empire .-Early life and career:...
, to represent the late Constans as an unworthy tyrant and oppressor, in the unsuccessful hope of obtaining Constantius' recognition of Magnentius as co-Augustus. The outcome was a civil war that resulted in the death of Magnentius (353). The commission is a sign of the high standing of Servatius.
In 359, at the Council of Rimini
Council of Rimini
The Council of Rimini was an early Christian church synod held in Ariminum ....
, Sulpicius Severus
Sulpicius Severus
Sulpicius Severus was a Christian writer and native of Aquitania. He is known for his chronicle of sacred history, as well as his biography of Saint Martin of Tours.-Life:...
reports that Servatius again eloquently denounced Arianism.
Legend
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
and make him a distant relative of John the Baptist
John the Baptist
John the Baptist was an itinerant preacher and a major religious figure mentioned in the Canonical gospels. He is described in the Gospel of Luke as a relative of Jesus, who led a movement of baptism at the Jordan River...
and Jesus, through his mother, now called Memelia. A mid-15th century, late Gothic wooden sculpture of a standing Memelia with the infant Servatius in her arms, identifiable by the bishop's mitre he is already wearing (Vendsyssel Historiske Museum, Denmark), was iconographically so similar to contemporary Madonna and Child sculptures, that it was long misattributed.
The most important early source about the life of Saint Servatius is Gregory of Tours
Gregory of Tours
Saint Gregory of Tours was a Gallo-Roman historian and Bishop of Tours, which made him a leading prelate of Gaul. He was born Georgius Florentius, later adding the name Gregorius in honour of his maternal great-grandfather...
. In the late 6th century, Gregory wrote about Servatius' journey to Rome, the transfer of the Episcopal see to Maastricht, and Servatius' death shortly thereafter. According to the Frankish historian, the translation of the see from Tongeren to Maastricht occurred when the Huns
Huns
The Huns were a group of nomadic people who, appearing from east of the Volga River, migrated into Europe c. AD 370 and established the vast Hunnic Empire there. Since de Guignes linked them with the Xiongnu, who had been northern neighbours of China 300 years prior to the emergence of the Huns,...
threatened Tongeren, and a certain Aravatius (identified by some scholars as Saint Servatius) went on 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...
. Keeping vigil at Saint Peter
Saint Peter
Saint Peter or Simon Peter was an early Christian leader, who is featured prominently in the New Testament Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. The son of John or of Jonah and from the village of Bethsaida in the province of Galilee, his brother Andrew was also an apostle...
's tomb, he had a vision in which Peter forecast the destruction of Tongeren because of unfaithfulness and sinfulness. He then ordered Aravatius to move the episcopal see to Maastricht. Peter then handed the key to the Gates of Heaven to Aravatius, thereby transferring to him the power to forgive sins. Aravatius returned to Tongeren and brought the relics of his predecessors to Maastricht. There he died on 13 May 384 according to consistent tradition.
Around 1075 a certain Jocundus wrote a biography
Biography
A biography is a detailed description or account of someone's life. More than a list of basic facts , biography also portrays the subject's experience of those events...
of Saint Servatius commissioned by the clergy of the church of Saint Servatius. Jocundus is also the author of the Miracula. Both were composed, according to P.C. Boeren, to quell doubts about the genealogy of Servatius — said by Jocundus to have been a cousin and contemporary of Jesus, blessed with a miraculously long life — that were raised at the council of Mainz in 1049, until the arrival of envoys from the Eastern Emperor, confirmed accounts by a certain Alagrecus and asserting that the birthplace of Servatius was Fenuste, southeast of Damascus. Jocundus conflates Servatius with the exploits of others, linking his to the success of the Franks at Poitiers (in 732) by mistaking him for Saint Servandus (according to Boeren).
At the end of the 12th century the poet Henric van Veldeke wrote a legend about the life of Saint Servatius, based on the earlier story of Gregory of Tours to which he added many more miracles, thus emphasizing Saint Servatius' saintliness.
Churches of Saint Servatius
Maastricht
Maastricht is situated on both sides of the Meuse river in the south-eastern part of the Netherlands, on the Belgian border and near the German border...
. In the case of Tongeren this traditional claim was supported by excavations in the 1980s, when under the medieval church remains of a 4th century church were identified. Other historic churches in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
and Germany were dedicated to the saint, e.g. the Basilica of Saint Servatius
Basilica of Saint Servatius
The Roman catholic Basilica of Saint Servatius, situated in Maastricht at the Vrijthof square, is a mainly Romanesque church dedicated to Saint Servatius.- History :...
in Maastricht
Maastricht
Maastricht is situated on both sides of the Meuse river in the south-eastern part of the Netherlands, on the Belgian border and near the German border...
, the Abbey of Saint Servatius
Grimbergen Abbey
Grimbergen Abbey was a Premonstratensian monastery in Grimbergen, Flemish Brabant, Belgium, established in 1128 in the place of an earlier foundation of Augustinian Canons....
in Grimbergen
Grimbergen
Grimbergen is a municipality in the province of Flemish Brabant, in Flanders, one of the three regions of Belgium. The municipality comprises the towns of Beigem, Grimbergen, Humbeek and Strombeek-Bever. On January 1, 2006 Grimbergen had a total population of 33,965. The total area is...
, and the collegiate church of Saint Servatius in Quedlinburg
Quedlinburg
Quedlinburg is a town located north of the Harz mountains, in the district of Harz in the west of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. In 1994 the medieval court and the old town was set on the UNESCO world heritage list....
http://home.bawue.de/~wmwerner/english/heritage/quedlb_e.html.
According to tradition the saint's remains are buried in the Basilica of Saint Servatius
Basilica of Saint Servatius
The Roman catholic Basilica of Saint Servatius, situated in Maastricht at the Vrijthof square, is a mainly Romanesque church dedicated to Saint Servatius.- History :...
in Maastricht in a crypt dating from the 6th century. His tomb in the crypt has been a favored place of pilgrimage for many centuries. Famous visitors include Charlemagne
Charlemagne
Charlemagne was King of the Franks from 768 and Emperor of the Romans from 800 to his death in 814. He expanded the Frankish kingdom into an empire that incorporated much of Western and Central Europe. During his reign, he conquered Italy and was crowned by Pope Leo III on 25 December 800...
and Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
. The 12th century gilded reliquary
Reliquary
A reliquary is a container for relics. These may be the physical remains of saints, such as bones, pieces of clothing, or some object associated with saints or other religious figures...
containing the saint's relics became known as the Noodkist ("Distress Chest") because in times of calamity it was carried around town. A procession with the reliquary shrine still takes place every seven years (Heiligdomsvaart). The "Noodkist" is normally kept in the basilica's treasury, along with other treasures that are associated with the saint (the crozier, a pectoral cross
Pectoral cross
A pectoral cross or pectorale is a cross, usually relatively large, suspended from the neck by a cord or chain that reaches well down the chest. It is worn by the clergy as an indication of their position, and is different from the small crosses worn on necklaces by many Christians, which have no...
, a chalice
Chalice (cup)
A chalice is a goblet or footed cup intended to hold a drink. In general religious terms, it is intended for drinking during a ceremony.-Christian:...
, and a symbolic key to heaven).
See also
- Calendar of saintsCalendar of saintsThe calendar of saints is a traditional Christian method of organizing a liturgical year by associating each day with one or more saints and referring to the feast day of said saint...
- Servetus, Spanish theologian and martyr
- Sint ServaasbrugSint ServaasbrugSint Servaasbrug is an arched stone footbridge across the Meuse River in Maastricht, The Netherlands. It is named after Saint Servatius, the first bishop of Maastricht, and it has been called the oldest bridge in the Netherlands.-Description:The Sint Servaasbrug connects pedestrian traffic from the...
, bridge in Maastricht named after Saint Servatius
External links
- Saint Servatius
- Official site of the Basilica of Saint Servatius
- Churches of Maastricht
- Dutch Wiki about the four ice saints
- University of Amsterdam research project: "Sint Servatius en zijn basiliek" (in Dutch)
- Vendsyssel Historiske Museum:The Blessed Memelia with the infant Servatius
- Servatus of Tongeren
Further reading
- (Servatius) 2005. The Life of Saint Servatius: A Dual-language Edition of the Middle Dutch 'legend of Saint Servatius' by Heinrich Von Veldeke and the Anonymous Upper German 'life of Saint Servatius edited by L. Jongen Heinrich, and Kim Vivian, Richard H. Lawson and Ludo Jongen (translators) (Mellen Press) ISBN 0-7734-6063-2