St. Mathurin, Priest and Confessor


WHEN the Christian faith had spread its beams over most parts of Gaul in the third century, Mathurin, an inhabitant about Montargis, now the capital of Gatinois, had the happiness to open his eyes to the divine light. No sooner had he discovered this infinite treasure, than he sold all things, and renounced the world like the apostles, to secure to himself the possession of the inestimable jewel of divine grace, and its everlasting reward; and being promoted to the priesthood, he laboured to impart the same blessing to others, with such success, that he converted his whole province to Christ. Loaded with the merits of his zealous labours and good works, he died in peace some time before the year 388, says the new Paris Breviary, and is honoured as the apostle and patron of the province of Gatinois. His mortal remains were first deposited at Sens; but the greater part was afterwards translated to Larchant, a village near Nemours, where his shrine was famous for pilgrimages, till it was burnt by the Huguenots, in 1568. Two churches in Paris bear the name of this saint, and both formerly depended upon the cathedral, commonly called Our Lady’s. The bishop and canons, in 1228, bestowed one of them upon the Trinitarians, who, from it, were called in France, Mathurins. The other continues under the jurisdiction of the metropolitical church of Our Lady, and is possessed of a considerable part of the relics of this saint, which are carried in a rich case in solemn religious processions of the city. The acts of St. Mathurin in Mombritius are of no authority. See Gallia Christian. Hist. de l’Eglise de Paris, and the new Paris Breviary, Saussaye and Baillet, p. 123.	1

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