Gerontius (bishop of Milan)
Encyclopedia
Gerontius was Archbishop of Milan from 462 to 465. He is honoured as a Saint
in the Catholic Church and his feast day is May 5.
in about 462.
According to the writings of Ennodius
, bishop of Pavia
in early 6th-century, Gerontius was distinguished for his generosity and charity during the difficult years of reconstruction after the devastating invasion of the Huns
occurred in 452. Gerontius during his episcopate went on rebuilding many secondary churches destroyed by the Huns.
Gerontius died on May 5, 465, and his remains were interred in the city’s Basilica of St. Simplician
. His feast is celebrated on his death date. A late tradition, with no historical basis, associates Gerontius with the Milan's family of the Bascapé.
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...
in the Catholic Church and his feast day is May 5.
Life
Almost nothing is known about the life and the episcopate of Gerontius. He was a pupil of the previous bishop Eusebius who suggested his name as his successor. Thus Gerontius was elected bishop of MilanMilan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
in about 462.
According to the writings of Ennodius
Magnus Felix Ennodius
Magnus Felix Ennodius was Bishop of Pavia in 514, and a Latin rhetorician and poet.He was one of four fifth to sixth-century Gallo-Roman aristocrats whose letters survive in quantity: the others are Sidonius Apollinaris, prefect of Rome in 468 and bishop of Clermont , Ruricius bishop of Limoges ...
, bishop of Pavia
Pavia
Pavia , the ancient Ticinum, is a town and comune of south-western Lombardy, northern Italy, 35 km south of Milan on the lower Ticino river near its confluence with the Po. It is the capital of the province of Pavia. It has a population of c. 71,000...
in early 6th-century, Gerontius was distinguished for his generosity and charity during the difficult years of reconstruction after the devastating invasion of the Huns
Huns
The Huns were a group of nomadic people who, appearing from east of the Volga River, migrated into Europe c. AD 370 and established the vast Hunnic Empire there. Since de Guignes linked them with the Xiongnu, who had been northern neighbours of China 300 years prior to the emergence of the Huns,...
occurred in 452. Gerontius during his episcopate went on rebuilding many secondary churches destroyed by the Huns.
Gerontius died on May 5, 465, and his remains were interred in the city’s Basilica of St. Simplician
Basilica of San Simpliciano
The Basilica of San Simpliciano is a church in the centre of Milan, northern Italy, the second oldest in the form of a Latin cross, first erected by Saint Ambrose. It is dedicated to Saint Simplician, bishop of Milan.-History:...
. His feast is celebrated on his death date. A late tradition, with no historical basis, associates Gerontius with the Milan's family of the Bascapé.