Saint Modoald
Moduald (Latin Modoaldus ) ( * before 584 or 590; † May 12 645 or 648) was bishop of Trier and is a saint of the Catholic Church.
Life
He came probably from a resident in the Trier Frankish noble family. His association with the family of the Carolingian is probably wrong.
He was around 614/620 Bishop of Trier. The Bishop of Trier lists arrange it between Sabaudus and Numerian. In the years 626/627 he took part in the Council of Clichy.
During his tenure, the rise of Arnulf Inger and Pippinids falls to the strongest families in Austrasia. The murder Chrodoalds from the House of Agilolfinger at the instigation of Arnulf of Metz and Pippin happened 624 or 625 in Trier. It can be assumed that also Moduald on the side of Arnulf Inger and Pippinids and the Austrasian borne by them kings Dagobert I and Sigebert III. had. Part of it is also called as an influential advisor of Dagobert.
However, he did not succeed, the Diocese of Trier, as opposed to the diocese of Cologne, to help to a strong political meaning. After all, he was able to displace the Count of Trier, which detracted from the episcopal power used by the Merovingians. His support was rewarded by various royal privileges. Some of these privileges by King Dagobert for Moduald but were later falsified. At its core, but these seem to have formed one of the foundations for the emergence of a secular dominion of bishops of Trier.
Of importance Moduald was the founder of monasteries, churches and other religious institutions. These probably heard the nunnery of St. Symphorian whose first abbess was his sister Severa. In addition, the clerics arrived in Communities Munstermaifeld and Andernach. He had probably had close connections to the Gallo-Roman Senator nobility, because he was a teacher of the monastery 's founder Germanus of Gran Felden. The Irish monasticism Columbanus of Luxeuil was Moduald rather skeptical.
Worship
Since the end of the 9th century Moduald is venerated as a saint in Trier. In addition to these forgeries were created between the 10th and 12th century hagiographical works, probably erroneously awards for the bishop numerous other foundations of monasteries and religious institutions.
The center of his worship was at first St. Symphorian in Trier, which also housed his original grave. To 1047/49 was a translation instead of the collegiate church of St. Paulin. In 1107 Abbot Thiermar acquired the relics of his monastery Helmarshausen in northern Hesse. In connection with this translation a Vita S. Modoaldi in Liege and the report from Helmarshausen the Translatio S. Modoaldi arose.
In Helmarshausen the center of worship Modualds arose. Alleged miracle cures of the Holy let the spiritual significance of the monastery grow, the related donations made it prosperous. With the Reformation, the worship ended there. In Trier, however, the worship Modoalds was soon after translation into oblivion.
His feast day is May 12