Saint Boetius
An Irish nobleman and disciple of Saint Fursy, Boetien retired as a solitary to Pierrepont near Laon. His austere life and reproaches against the vices of the local barbarians led to his assassination in 668. His relics, preserved from the Normans and the Revolution, are the object of a pilgrimage for the health of children.
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SAINT BOETIEN, SOLITARY AT PIERREPONT (668).
Origins and solitary life
Boetius, an Irish nobleman and disciple of Saint Fursey, established himself as a hermit at Pierrepont, near Laon.
Boetius Boétien Irish nobleman, hermit, and martyr at Pierrepont. , a companion o f Saint Goba saint Gobain Companion of Saint Boetius. in and disciple of Saint Fu saint Fursy Spiritual master of Saint Algis. rsey, was an Irish nobleman. He retired to Pierrepont Pierrepont Place of the saint's retreat, martyrdom, and veneration. , a village located fifteen kilometers from Laon Location of Gelduin's first monastery. Laon (Aisne).
Martyrdom of the saint
Due to his austere life and his reproaches against local vices, Boetius was murdered by barbarians in 668.
The poor and austere life he led in his solitude gave authority to his speeches; but some barbarians, irritated by the freedom with which he spoke out against their vices, killed him on May 22, 668. His relics were carefully collected and placed in the church of the village that adopted him as its patron.
Translations and protection of the relics
His remains, protected from the Normans in the 9th century, were transferred between the Abbey of Saint-Vincent in Laon and a fortified castle in Pierrepont.
Twelve canons served this church. The fear of the Normans forced them in the 9th century to take refuge in the Abbey of Saint-Vincent in Laon, and they took with them the body of Saint Boetius; but they later returned to Pierrepont where Bishop Bidon had bu évêque Bidon Bishop who had a fortified castle built to protect relics. ilt a fortified castle to keep the relics of the Saint in a chapel dedicated to the Blessed Virgin. This castle was occupied until the 13th century by lords allied with the counts of Rethel and Roucy.
When the castle had been ruined, the Chapter of the canons of Saint Boetius died out, and the remains of the Saint were transported to the parish church contiguous to the castle.
Contemporary cult and pilgrimage
Having survived the Revolution, the relics are the object of a pilgrimage for the healing of children.
The French Revolution, which profaned or destroyed so many relics, did not lay its sacrilegious hands upon those of Saint Boetien. The church of Pierrepont still venerates them today (1872), enclosed in a reliquary in which the head can be very clearly distinguished. The rest of the body is wrapped in a silk veil. The authentic documents are enclosed in a tin box.
Saint Boetien is espec ially invoked Saint Boétien Irish nobleman, hermit, and martyr at Pierrepont. for the healing of young children who are sick or who have difficulty beginning to walk. He is the object of a pilgrimage. The faithful from neighboring parishes come to venerate his relics on the day of his feast, May 22, and throughout the novena.
Hagiographic sources
The text is based on the works of H. Congnet and D. Lelong.
H. Congnet H. Congnet Dean of the chapter of Soissons and source author. , dean of the chapter of Soissons; D. Lelong.
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Key Events
- Retirement to Pierrepont to lead a life of solitude
- Preaching against the vices of the barbarians
- Assassinated by angry barbarians in 668
- Temporary translation of relics to the Abbey of Saint-Vincent in Laon in the 9th century due to the Normans
- Return of the relics to Pierrepont in a fortified castle built by Bishop Bidon