Benignus of Dijon
Encyclopedia
Saint Benignus of Dijon (in French
, Saint Bénigne) was a martyr
honored as the patron saint
and first herald of Christianity
of Dijon
, Burgundy (Roman Divio). His feast falls, with All Saints
, on November 1; his name stands under this date in the Martyrology of St. Jerome. No particulars concerning the person and life of Benignus were known at Dijon. He may have been a missionary priest from Lyon
, martyred at Epagny under Aurelian
(ruled 270-75), near Dijon.
According to Gregory of Tours
the common people reverenced his grave, but Gregory's great-grandfather, Saint Gregory, bishop of Langres (507-539/40), wished to put an end to this veneration, because he believed the grave to belong to a heathen. He went about this in the following manner: announcing that he had learned in a nighttime vision that the burial spot (in a large necropolis
outside the Roman city) was in fact the previously overlooked grave of the holy martyr Benignus, the bishop had the tomb in which the sarcophagus
lay restored, and he built a basilica
over it. Saint Benignus' Abbey developed at the site and joined the Cluniac order
. In the early eleventh century a larger church was built by its abbot William of Volpiano
(died 1031). The abbey church built by Gregory of Langres was superseded by a Romanesque basilica, which collapsed in 1272 and was replaced by the present Dijon cathedral, dedicated to Benignus, where the shrine survived an earthquake
in 1280 and the French Revolution
. His sarcophagus can still be seen in the crypt.
In the time of Gregory of Tours there was a sudden appearance of a passio Sancti Benigni narrating the martyrdom of the saint, said by Gregory to have been brought from Italy to Dijon by a pilgrim
, but apparently edited at Dijon in the sixth century. These hagiographic accounts
have no historical basis; according to them Polycarp of Smyrna
(died ca 155) had sent Benignus as a missionary
to Dijon, where he had labored as a priest and had finally died a martyr, placed in the persecution under Aurelian
(270-275), a possibility chronologically irreconcilable. Louis Duchesne
has proved that these acta
are at the head of a whole group of legends which arose in the early years of the sixth century and were intended to demonstrate the early the beginnings of Christianity
in the cities of that region (Besançon
, Autun
, Langres
, Valence
). "They are historically unreliable, and the very existence of some of the martyrs connected with these places is doubtful."
ed on Corsica
but managed to make their way to Marseilles. They made their way up the Rhone River
and the Saône
. Reaching Autun
, they converted Symphorianus, son of the noble Faustus; Symphorianus was later martyred for his faith as Saint Symphorian.
Benignus, now on his own, proselytized openly in different parts of Gaul, and performed numerous miracle
s despite the persecution of Christians. Denounced to the Emperor Aurelian
Arrested at Epagny
and put on trial, he refused to sacrifice to pagan deities
or to Caesar
, and refused to deny Christ
. The authorities savagely tortured him, to which he responded with new miracles; he did not change his mind. Eventually, Benignus was clubbed to death with a bar of iron
and his heart pierced. "He was buried in a tomb which was made to look like a pagan monument in order to deceive the persecutors".
Some modern accounts edit the date of persecution to the reign of Marcus Aurelius, which better assorts with the role of Polycarp.
of the abbey
, Benignus of Dijon is depicted as having a dog by his side. He also holds a key
.
Saint Patrick's Church: Saints of November 1 Wooden statue of St. Benignus of Dijon
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, Saint Bénigne) was a martyr
Martyr
A martyr is somebody who suffers persecution and death for refusing to renounce, or accept, a belief or cause, usually religious.-Meaning:...
honored as the 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...
and first herald of 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...
of Dijon
Dijon
Dijon is a city in eastern France, the capital of the Côte-d'Or département and of the Burgundy region.Dijon is the historical capital of the region of Burgundy. Population : 151,576 within the city limits; 250,516 for the greater Dijon area....
, Burgundy (Roman Divio). His feast falls, with All Saints
All Saints
All Saints' Day , often shortened to All Saints, is a solemnity celebrated on 1 November by parts of Western Christianity, and on the first Sunday after Pentecost in Eastern Christianity, in honour of all the saints, known and unknown...
, on November 1; his name stands under this date in the Martyrology of St. Jerome. No particulars concerning the person and life of Benignus were known at Dijon. He may have been a missionary priest from Lyon
Lyon
Lyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais....
, martyred at Epagny under Aurelian
Aurelian
Aurelian , was Roman Emperor from 270 to 275. During his reign, he defeated the Alamanni after a devastating war. He also defeated the Goths, Vandals, Juthungi, Sarmatians, and Carpi. Aurelian restored the Empire's eastern provinces after his conquest of the Palmyrene Empire in 273. The following...
(ruled 270-75), near Dijon.
According to 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...
the common people reverenced his grave, but Gregory's great-grandfather, Saint Gregory, bishop of Langres (507-539/40), wished to put an end to this veneration, because he believed the grave to belong to a heathen. He went about this in the following manner: announcing that he had learned in a nighttime vision that the burial spot (in a large necropolis
Necropolis
A necropolis is a large cemetery or burial ground, usually including structural tombs. The word comes from the Greek νεκρόπολις - nekropolis, literally meaning "city of the dead"...
outside the Roman city) was in fact the previously overlooked grave of the holy martyr Benignus, the bishop had the tomb in which the sarcophagus
Sarcophagus
A sarcophagus is a funeral receptacle for a corpse, most commonly carved or cut from stone. The word "sarcophagus" comes from the Greek σαρξ sarx meaning "flesh", and φαγειν phagein meaning "to eat", hence sarkophagus means "flesh-eating"; from the phrase lithos sarkophagos...
lay restored, and he built a basilica
Basilica
The Latin word basilica , was originally used to describe a Roman public building, usually located in the forum of a Roman town. Public basilicas began to appear in Hellenistic cities in the 2nd century BC.The term was also applied to buildings used for religious purposes...
over it. Saint Benignus' Abbey developed at the site and joined the Cluniac order
Cluny Abbey
Cluny Abbey is a Benedictine monastery in Cluny, Saône-et-Loire, France. It was built in the Romanesque style, with three churches built in succession from the 10th to the early 12th centuries....
. In the early eleventh century a larger church was built by its abbot William of Volpiano
William of Volpiano
Saint William of Volpiano was an Italian monastic reformer and architect....
(died 1031). The abbey church built by Gregory of Langres was superseded by a Romanesque basilica, which collapsed in 1272 and was replaced by the present Dijon cathedral, dedicated to Benignus, where the shrine survived an earthquake
Earthquake
An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity, seismism or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time...
in 1280 and the French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
. His sarcophagus can still be seen in the crypt.
Pilgrim
A pilgrim is a traveler who is on a journey to a holy place. Typically, this is a physical journeying to some place of special significance to the adherent of a particular religious belief system...
, but apparently edited at Dijon in the sixth century. These hagiographic accounts
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...
have no historical basis; according to them Polycarp of Smyrna
Polycarp
Saint Polycarp was a 2nd century Christian bishop of Smyrna. According to the Martyrdom of Polycarp, he died a martyr, bound and burned at the stake, then stabbed when the fire failed to touch him...
(died ca 155) had sent Benignus as a missionary
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
to Dijon, where he had labored as a priest and had finally died a martyr, placed in the persecution under Aurelian
Aurelian
Aurelian , was Roman Emperor from 270 to 275. During his reign, he defeated the Alamanni after a devastating war. He also defeated the Goths, Vandals, Juthungi, Sarmatians, and Carpi. Aurelian restored the Empire's eastern provinces after his conquest of the Palmyrene Empire in 273. The following...
(270-275), a possibility chronologically irreconcilable. Louis Duchesne
Louis Duchesne
Louis Marie Olivier Duchesne was a French priest, philologist, teacher and a critical historian of Christianity and Roman Catholic liturgy and institutions....
has proved that these acta
Acta
ACTA may refer to:* Administrative Council for Terminal Attachments, a standards organization for terminal equipment such as registered jacks* Alameda Corridor Transportation Authority, in southern California...
are at the head of a whole group of legends which arose in the early years of the sixth century and were intended to demonstrate the early the beginnings of 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...
in the cities of that region (Besançon
Besançon
Besançon , is the capital and principal city of the Franche-Comté region in eastern France. It had a population of about 237,000 inhabitants in the metropolitan area in 2008...
, Autun
Autun
Autun is a commune in the Saône-et-Loire department in Burgundy in eastern France. It was founded during the early Roman Empire as Augustodunum. Autun marks the easternmost extent of the Umayyad campaign in Europe.-Early history:...
, Langres
Langres
Langres is a commune in north-eastern France. It is a subprefecture of the Haute-Marne département in the Champagne-Ardenne region.-History:As the capital of the Romanized Gallic tribe the Lingones, it was called Andematunnum, then Lingones, and now Langres.The town is built on a limestone...
, Valence
Valence, Drôme
Valence is a commune in southeastern France, the capital of the Drôme department, situated on the left bank of the Rhône, south of Lyon on the railway to Marseilles.Its inhabitants are called Valentinois...
). "They are historically unreliable, and the very existence of some of the martyrs connected with these places is doubtful."
The Passio of Saint Benignus
According to the sixth-century Passio Sancti Benigni, Benignus was a native of Smyrna. Polycarp of Smyrna had a vision of Saint Irenaeus, already dead, in response to which he sent Benignus, as well as two priests and a deacon, to preach the Gospel in Gaul. They were shipwreckShipwreck
A shipwreck is what remains of a ship that has wrecked, either sunk or beached. Whatever the cause, a sunken ship or a wrecked ship is a physical example of the event: this explains why the two concepts are often overlapping in English....
ed on Corsica
Corsica
Corsica is an island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is located west of Italy, southeast of the French mainland, and north of the island of Sardinia....
but managed to make their way to Marseilles. They made their way up the Rhone River
Rhône River
The Rhone is one of the major rivers of Europe, rising in Switzerland and running from there through southeastern France. At Arles, near its mouth on the Mediterranean Sea, the river divides into two branches, known as the Great Rhone and the Little Rhone...
and the Saône
Saône
The Saône is a river of eastern France. It is a right tributary of the River Rhône. Rising at Vioménil in the Vosges department, it joins the Rhône in Lyon....
. Reaching Autun
Autun
Autun is a commune in the Saône-et-Loire department in Burgundy in eastern France. It was founded during the early Roman Empire as Augustodunum. Autun marks the easternmost extent of the Umayyad campaign in Europe.-Early history:...
, they converted Symphorianus, son of the noble Faustus; Symphorianus was later martyred for his faith as Saint Symphorian.
Benignus, now on his own, proselytized openly in different parts of Gaul, and performed numerous miracle
Miracle
A miracle often denotes an event attributed to divine intervention. Alternatively, it may be an event attributed to a miracle worker, saint, or religious leader. A miracle is sometimes thought of as a perceptible interruption of the laws of nature. Others suggest that a god may work with the laws...
s despite the persecution of Christians. Denounced to the Emperor Aurelian
Aurelian
Aurelian , was Roman Emperor from 270 to 275. During his reign, he defeated the Alamanni after a devastating war. He also defeated the Goths, Vandals, Juthungi, Sarmatians, and Carpi. Aurelian restored the Empire's eastern provinces after his conquest of the Palmyrene Empire in 273. The following...
Arrested at Epagny
Épagny
Épagny may refer to the following places in France:* Épagny, Aisne, a commune in the department of Aisne* Épagny, Côte-d'Or, a commune in the department of Côte-d'Or* Épagny, Haute-Savoie, a commune in the department of Haute-Savoie...
and put on trial, he refused to sacrifice to pagan deities
Deity
A deity is a recognized preternatural or supernatural immortal being, who may be thought of as holy, divine, or sacred, held in high regard, and respected by believers....
or to Caesar
Roman Emperor
The Roman emperor was the ruler of the Roman State during the imperial period . The Romans had no single term for the office although at any given time, a given title was associated with the emperor...
, and refused to deny Christ
Christ
Christ is the English term for the Greek meaning "the anointed one". It is a translation of the Hebrew , usually transliterated into English as Messiah or Mashiach...
. The authorities savagely tortured him, to which he responded with new miracles; he did not change his mind. Eventually, Benignus was clubbed to death with a bar of iron
Iron
Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...
and his heart pierced. "He was buried in a tomb which was made to look like a pagan monument in order to deceive the persecutors".
Some modern accounts edit the date of persecution to the reign of Marcus Aurelius, which better assorts with the role of Polycarp.
Attributes
On the sealSeal (device)
A seal can be a figure impressed in wax, clay, or some other medium, or embossed on paper, with the purpose of authenticating a document ; but the term can also mean the device for making such impressions, being essentially a mould with the mirror image of the design carved in sunken- relief or...
of the abbey
Abbey
An abbey is a Catholic monastery or convent, under the authority of an Abbot or an Abbess, who serves as the spiritual father or mother of the community.The term can also refer to an establishment which has long ceased to function as an abbey,...
, Benignus of Dijon is depicted as having a dog by his side. He also holds a key
Key (lock)
A key is an instrument that is used to operate a lock. A typical key consists of two parts: the blade, which slides into the keyway of the lock and distinguishes between different keys, and the bow, which is left protruding so that torque can be applied by the user. The blade is usually intended to...
.
External links
St. Benignus of Dijon at the Catholic EncyclopediaCatholic 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...
Saint Patrick's Church: Saints of November 1 Wooden statue of St. Benignus of Dijon