Vigilius of Trent
Encyclopedia
Saint Vigilius of Trent is venerated as the patron saint
and first bishop of Trent
. He should not be confused with the pope of the same name
. According to tradition, he was a Roman
patrician and was the son of Maxentia and a man whose name is sometimes given as Theodosius.
His brothers, Claudian and Magorian, are also venerated as saints. Vigilius was educated at Athens
and seems to have been a friend of Saint John Chrysostom
.
He then went to Rome
and then settled at Trento
in 380 and was chosen to be bishop of that city. He may have been consecrated by either Ambrose
of Milan
or Valerian of Aquileia (Valerianus). As bishop, Vigilius attempted to convert Arians
and pagans
to orthodox Christianity
and is said to have founded thirty parishes in his diocese. A letter attributed to Ambrose has the Milanese bishop encouraging Vigilius to oppose marriages between Christians and pagans (Ep. 29 in P.L., XVI, 982). Vigilius preached in Brescia
and Verona
, which lay outside of his diocese.
His companions during his missions were Saints Sisinnius, Martyrius and Alexander, who were sent by Ambrose to assist Vigilius. Tradition makes these three natives of Cappadocia
. A work called De Martyrio SS. Sisinnii, Martyrii et Alexandri (P.L., XIII, 549) is attributed to Vigilius.
Sisinnius, Martyrius and Alexander (Sisinio, Martirio e Alessandro) were killed at Sanzeno
after they attempted to convert the local population there to Christianity; Vigilius forgave their killers and had the remains of the three men sent to John Chrysostom in Constantinople
, as well to Simplician
, Ambrose's successor, in Milan. Milan would later give some of those relics back to Sanzeno in the 20th century, where they rest in the Basilica dei Ss. Martiri dell'Anaunia.
Vigilius is associated with the legend of St. Romedius
, who is often depicted alongside or astride a bear
. According to Romedius' hagiography
, Romedius once wished to visit Vigilius, a friend of his youth, but Romedius' horse was torn to pieces by a wild bear. Romedius, however, had the bear bridled by his disciple David (Davide). The bear became docile and carried Romedius on its back to Trento
.
According to a much later tradition, Vigilius, who had been accompanied by his brothers Claudian and Magorian as well as a priest named Julian, was killed in the present-day parish of Rendena, in the Rendena Valley
, where he had been preaching against the locals there, who worshipped the god Saturn
. Vigilius said Mass
and overturned a statue of the god into the Sarca River
. As punishment, he was stoned to death
near Lake Garda
at the area called Punta San Vigilio.
Ironically, a statue of the pagan god Neptune
stands in front of Vigilius' shrine in Trent today.
Vigilius was buried at a church that he built at Trent, later expanded by his successor Eugippius, and dedicated to Vigilius. This became Trento Cathedral
. He was immediately venerated after his death, and the acts of his life and death were sent to Rome, and Pope Innocent I
, according to the Catholic Encyclopedia
, "seems to have made a formal canonization
, for Benedict XIV
("De canonizat. SS.", Prato, 1839, I, ch. iv, no. 12) calls Vigilius the first martyr canonized by a pope.”
Vigilius’ arm was separated as a separate relic and placed into its own reliquary in 1386. He is venerated in Tyrol
. A German
farmers’ saying associated with a 2nd feast day of January 31 was: "Friert es zu Vigilius / im März die Eiseskälte kommen muss!" (“If it freezes on St. Vigilius’ Day / in March the ice cold will come!”). There are similar sayings associated with other “weather saints.”
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...
and first bishop of Trent
Bishopric of Trent
The Bishopric of Trent is a former ecclesiastical territory roughly corresponding to the present-day Northern Italian autonomous province of Trentino. It was created in 1027 and existed until 1802, when it was secularised and absorbed into the County of Tyrol held by the House of Habsburg...
. He should not be confused with the pope of the same name
Pope Vigilius
Pope Vigilius reigned as pope from 537 to 555, is considered the first pope of the Byzantine Papacy.-Early life:He belonged to a aristocratic Roman family; his father Johannes is identified as a consul in the Liber pontificalis, having received that title from the emperor...
. According to tradition, he was a Roman
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
patrician and was the son of Maxentia and a man whose name is sometimes given as Theodosius.
His brothers, Claudian and Magorian, are also venerated as saints. Vigilius was educated at Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
and seems to have been a friend of Saint John Chrysostom
John Chrysostom
John Chrysostom , Archbishop of Constantinople, was an important Early Church Father. He is known for his eloquence in preaching and public speaking, his denunciation of abuse of authority by both ecclesiastical and political leaders, the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, and his ascetic...
.
He then went 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...
and then settled at Trento
Trento
Trento is an Italian city located in the Adige River valley in Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol. It is the capital of Trentino...
in 380 and was chosen to be bishop of that city. He may have been consecrated by either Ambrose
Ambrose
Aurelius Ambrosius, better known in English as Saint Ambrose , was a bishop of Milan who became one of the most influential ecclesiastical figures of the 4th century. He was one of the four original doctors of the Church.-Political career:Ambrose was born into a Roman Christian family between about...
of Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
or Valerian of Aquileia (Valerianus). As bishop, Vigilius attempted to convert Arians
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...
and pagans
Paganism
Paganism is a blanket term, typically used to refer to non-Abrahamic, indigenous polytheistic religious traditions....
to orthodox 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...
and is said to have founded thirty parishes in his diocese. A letter attributed to Ambrose has the Milanese bishop encouraging Vigilius to oppose marriages between Christians and pagans (Ep. 29 in P.L., XVI, 982). Vigilius preached in Brescia
Brescia
Brescia is a city and comune in the region of Lombardy in northern Italy. It is situated at the foot of the Alps, between the Mella and the Naviglio, with a population of around 197,000. It is the second largest city in Lombardy, after the capital, Milan...
and Verona
Verona
Verona ; German Bern, Dietrichsbern or Welschbern) is a city in the Veneto, northern Italy, with approx. 265,000 inhabitants and one of the seven chef-lieus of the region. It is the second largest city municipality in the region and the third of North-Eastern Italy. The metropolitan area of Verona...
, which lay outside of his diocese.
His companions during his missions were Saints Sisinnius, Martyrius and Alexander, who were sent by Ambrose to assist Vigilius. Tradition makes these three natives of Cappadocia
Cappadocia
Cappadocia is a historical region in Central Anatolia, largely in Nevşehir Province.In the time of Herodotus, the Cappadocians were reported as occupying the whole region from Mount Taurus to the vicinity of the Euxine...
. A work called De Martyrio SS. Sisinnii, Martyrii et Alexandri (P.L., XIII, 549) is attributed to Vigilius.
Sisinnius, Martyrius and Alexander (Sisinio, Martirio e Alessandro) were killed at Sanzeno
Sanzeno
Sanzeno is a comune in Trentino in the northern Italian region Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, located about 35 km north of Trento...
after they attempted to convert the local population there to Christianity; Vigilius forgave their killers and had the remains of the three men sent to John Chrysostom in Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
, as well to Simplician
Simplician
Simplician or Simplicianus was Archbishop of Milan from 397 to 400 . He is honoured as a Saint in the Catholic Church and his feast day is August 14.-Life:...
, Ambrose's successor, in Milan. Milan would later give some of those relics back to Sanzeno in the 20th century, where they rest in the Basilica dei Ss. Martiri dell'Anaunia.
Vigilius is associated with the legend of St. Romedius
Romedius
Saint Romedius was a son of the Tyrolese count of Thaur . Though the son of a nobleman, as a young man he withdrew to a rock cave in order to meditate...
, who is often depicted alongside or astride a bear
Bear
Bears are mammals of the family Ursidae. Bears are classified as caniforms, or doglike carnivorans, with the pinnipeds being their closest living relatives. Although there are only eight living species of bear, they are widespread, appearing in a wide variety of habitats throughout the Northern...
. According to Romedius' hagiography
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...
, Romedius once wished to visit Vigilius, a friend of his youth, but Romedius' horse was torn to pieces by a wild bear. Romedius, however, had the bear bridled by his disciple David (Davide). The bear became docile and carried Romedius on its back to Trento
Trento
Trento is an Italian city located in the Adige River valley in Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol. It is the capital of Trentino...
.
Death
Val Rendena
Val Rendena is the valley of the Sarca river in Trentino, northern Italy.Main towns include Spiazzo Rendena and Pinzolo....
, where he had been preaching against the locals there, who worshipped the god Saturn
Saturn (mythology)
In ancient Roman religion and myth, Saturn was a major god presiding over agriculture and the harvest time. His reign was depicted as a Golden Age of abundance and peace by many Roman authors. In medieval times he was known as the Roman god of agriculture, justice and strength. He held a sickle in...
. Vigilius said Mass
Mass
Mass can be defined as a quantitive measure of the resistance an object has to change in its velocity.In physics, mass commonly refers to any of the following three properties of matter, which have been shown experimentally to be equivalent:...
and overturned a statue of the god into the Sarca River
Sarca
The Sarca is a river springing from the Adamello-Presanella mountains in the Italian Alps and flowing into Lake Garda in Northern Italy. As an emissary of the lake it becomes known as the Mincio....
. As punishment, he was stoned to death
Stoning
Stoning, or lapidation, is a form of capital punishment whereby a group throws stones at a person until the person dies. No individual among the group can be identified as the one who kills the subject, yet everyone involved plainly bears some degree of moral culpability. This is in contrast to the...
near Lake Garda
Lake Garda
Lake Garda is the largest lake in Italy. It is located in Northern Italy, about half-way between Brescia and Verona, and between Venice and Milan. Glaciers formed this alpine region at the end of the last ice age...
at the area called Punta San Vigilio.
Ironically, a statue of the pagan god Neptune
Neptune (mythology)
Neptune was the god of water and the sea in Roman mythology and religion. He is analogous with, but not identical to, the Greek god Poseidon. In the Greek-influenced tradition, Neptune was the brother of Jupiter and Pluto, each of them presiding over one of the three realms of the universe,...
stands in front of Vigilius' shrine in Trent today.
Veneration
Trento Cathedral
Trento Cathedral is the most important religious edifice in Trento, northern Italy. It was built over a pre-existing 6th century temple devoted to Saint Vigilius , patron saint of the city....
. He was immediately venerated after his death, and the acts of his life and death were sent to Rome, and Pope Innocent I
Pope Innocent I
-Biography:He was, according to his biographer in the Liber Pontificalis, the son of a man called Innocens of Albano; but according to his contemporary Jerome, his father was Pope Anastasius I , whom he was called by the unanimous voice of the clergy and laity to succeed -Biography:He was,...
, according to the Catholic Encyclopedia
Catholic Encyclopedia
The Catholic Encyclopedia, also referred to as the Old Catholic Encyclopedia and the Original Catholic Encyclopedia, is an English-language encyclopedia published in the United States. The first volume appeared in March 1907 and the last three volumes appeared in 1912, followed by a master index...
, "seems to have made a formal canonization
Canonization
Canonization is the act by which a Christian church declares a deceased person to be a saint, upon which declaration the person is included in the canon, or list, of recognized saints. Originally, individuals were recognized as saints without any formal process...
, for Benedict XIV
Pope Benedict XIV
Pope Benedict XIV , born Prospero Lorenzo Lambertini, was Pope from 17 August 1740 to 3 May 1758.-Life:...
("De canonizat. SS.", Prato, 1839, I, ch. iv, no. 12) calls Vigilius the first martyr canonized by a pope.”
Vigilius’ arm was separated as a separate relic and placed into its own reliquary in 1386. He is venerated in Tyrol
County of Tyrol
The County of Tyrol, Princely County from 1504, was a State of the Holy Roman Empire, from 1814 a province of the Austrian Empire and from 1867 a Cisleithanian crown land of Austria-Hungary...
. A German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
farmers’ saying associated with a 2nd feast day of January 31 was: "Friert es zu Vigilius / im März die Eiseskälte kommen muss!" (“If it freezes on St. Vigilius’ Day / in March the ice cold will come!”). There are similar sayings associated with other “weather saints.”