Saint Perpetuus

Perpetuus was 460-490 (or 461-491 ), Bishop of Tours. He is venerated in the Roman Catholic Church as a saint. His feast day is April 8. In the visual arts, he is represented as a bishop, to build a new church.

Life

Perpetuus came from a noble family and was ordained in 460, succeeding his relatives Eustochius the 8th Bishop of Tours. Soon after, he presided at a council with eight other bishops, were set on the rules of ecclesiastical discipline. Some were determined to be unworthy priests were then removed from their posts. He took St. Martin on the festival calendar of the diocese.

He dropped to 470 ablate the small chapel built by the Holy Brictius over the grave of St. Martins and replace it with an imposing church, Gregory of Tours describes in detail. In his 30 -year tenure he built many other churches and drove the Christianization in the Frankish- Visigothic border area.

To put 480 Perpetuus the Martinmas (November 11 ) as the beginning of Advent Prayer and fasting 40 days before Christmas celebratory ( Martinsquadragese ). The faithful had weekly three times fast to prepare themselves spiritually through repentance and metanoia ( repentance, rethinking ) on the arrival of the Savior.

His date of death is uncertain and is given as 1 January 490, December 8, 490 or 491 April 8. Successor as bishop was his relative Volusianus.

The Testament of the Holy Perpetuus, in which he bequeathed his property to the poor, orphans and widows, was first published by Dom Luc d' Achery in his " Spicilegium " and is probably a fake.

Swell

• Gregory of Tours, Historiae 2