Castor of Karden
Encyclopedia
Saint Castor of Karden was a priest
and hermit
of the 4th century who is venerated as a saint
by the Catholic Church. Castor was a pupil of Maximinus of Trier around 345 AD, and was ordained
as a priest by Maximinus. Like his teacher, Castor may have come from the region of Aquitaine
. At his ordination, Castor settled at Karden
on the Mosel
as a hermit with various companions, where they dedicated themselves to an ascetic life and established a small religious community.
Castor’s companions there included the Aquitanian pilgrim
Saint Potentinus, and Potentinus’ two sons Felicius and Simplicius.
Castor died at Karden at an advanced age.
dedicated to Castor, which was translated
to the Paulinuskirchen at Karden. In 836, the relics were translated to what became the Basilika St. Kastor at Koblenz
by Archbishop Hetto of Trier.
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
and hermit
Hermit
A hermit is a person who lives, to some degree, in seclusion from society.In Christianity, the term was originally applied to a Christian who lives the eremitic life out of a religious conviction, namely the Desert Theology of the Old Testament .In the...
of the 4th century who is venerated as a saint
Saint
A saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...
by the Catholic Church. Castor was a pupil of Maximinus of Trier around 345 AD, and was ordained
Ordination
In general religious use, ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart as clergy to perform various religious rites and ceremonies. The process and ceremonies of ordination itself varies by religion and denomination. One who is in preparation for, or who is...
as a priest by Maximinus. Like his teacher, Castor may have come from the region of Aquitaine
Aquitaine
Aquitaine , archaic Guyenne/Guienne , is one of the 27 regions of France, in the south-western part of metropolitan France, along the Atlantic Ocean and the Pyrenees mountain range on the border with Spain. It comprises the 5 departments of Dordogne, :Lot et Garonne, :Pyrénées-Atlantiques, Landes...
. At his ordination, Castor settled at Karden
Treis-Karden
Treis-Karden is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Cochem-Zell district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is the seat of the like-named Verbandsgemeinde to which it also belongs...
on the Mosel
Moselle River
The Moselle is a river flowing through France, Luxembourg, and Germany. It is a left tributary of the Rhine, joining the Rhine at Koblenz. A small part of Belgium is also drained by the Mosel through the Our....
as a hermit with various companions, where they dedicated themselves to an ascetic life and established a small religious community.
Castor’s companions there included the Aquitanian pilgrim
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...
Saint Potentinus, and Potentinus’ two sons Felicius and Simplicius.
Castor died at Karden at an advanced age.
Veneration
By the year 791 AD, there was already a reliquaryReliquary
A reliquary is a container for relics. These may be the physical remains of saints, such as bones, pieces of clothing, or some object associated with saints or other religious figures...
dedicated to Castor, which was translated
Translation (relics)
In Christianity, the translation of relics is the removal of holy objects from one locality to another ; usually only the movement of the remains of the saint's body would be treated so formally, with secondary relics such as items of clothing treated with less ceremony...
to the Paulinuskirchen at Karden. In 836, the relics were translated to what became the Basilika St. Kastor at Koblenz
Koblenz
Koblenz is a German city situated on both banks of the Rhine at its confluence with the Moselle, where the Deutsches Eck and its monument are situated.As Koblenz was one of the military posts established by Drusus about 8 BC, the...
by Archbishop Hetto of Trier.