Saint Bain

He was animated by such a great desire to win souls for God that, when he saw hardened fishermen, especially those of the higher classes and less susceptible to being touched by grace, he afflicted his body and practiced numerous mortifications, in order to bend the justice of the Lord, and to be himself a means of supernatural healing for his beloved uncles. It was especially to snatch from the terrible places of the concupiscence of the flesh those who were miserably entangled there, that he gave himself over to these holy rigors, and his ardent prayers, joined to these heroic acts of penance, rarely remained without achieving their goal.

One day, while he was praying with his accustomed fervor, an angel appeared to him in the form of a young man and told him to make preparations to go to Rome, adding that he would have no reason to repent of this journey. He set out immediately, after having entrusted the administration of his diocese to Ravenger, and soon arrived safely in the capital of the Christian world. Pope Sergius , who then occupied the See of Saint Peter, received him with great distinction and conceived a very high esteem for him. He returned laden with precious gifts, among which shone above all the relics of the blessed Silas, a disc iple of Saint Pau l. The greatest solemnities accompanied the reception of these relics in the church of Notre-Dame de Thérouanne, and every year since then, July 13, the anniversary of this translation, was a feast day celebrated by the numerous pilgrimages of the pious faithful. Saint Bain buried with great honors the bodies of the blessed Lugle and Luglien, whose lives we shall have to recount later. Yielding to the prayers of the holy abbot Mauront, he transferred the body of Saint Amé from the church of Sa int-Pierr e de Nerville to the church of Notre-Dame, which had just been built a short distance away. This translation was accompanied by wonders and numerous healings; it took place on April 28, 697.

However, Saint Bain, overwhelmed by the fatigues of pastoral ministry and eager to imitate so many other holy bishops, resigned his office and dignity as Bishop of Thérouanne in that same year 697, and chose as the place of his retirement his dear Abbey of Fontenelle, where he had once spent days so full of recollection and peace. He had, moreover, fought valiantly and nobly fulfilled his task; he deserved in every respect to have this favor of a few years spent in the presence of God alone to prepare himself to appear before Him. Three years after his retirement, he had to yield to the insistent supplications of the monks and accept the office of Abbot of Fontenelle. In 705, he transferred the bodies of Saint Wandrille and Saint Ausbert from the church of Saint-Paul to tha t of Saint-Pier re, which were found intact and emitting the most sweet odor. These precious relics remained in this church of Saint-Pierre until the invasion of the Normans; they were then transported to Boulogne.

However, Saint Bain, overwhelmed by the fatigues of the pastoral ministry and eager to imitate so many other holy bishops, resigned in that same year 697 from his office and dignity as Bishop of Thérouanne, and chose as the place of his retirement his dear Abbey of Fontenelle, in which he had formerly spent days so full of recollection and peace. He had, moreover, valiantly fought and nobly fulfilled his task; he deserved in every respect to have this favor of a few years spent in the presence of God alone to prepare himself to appear before Him. Three years after his retirement, he had to yield to the insistent supplications of the monks and accept the office of Abbot of Fontenelle. In 705, he transferred the bodies of Saint Wandrille and Saint Ausbert from the church of Saint-Paul to that of Saint-Pierre, which were found intact and emitting the most sweet odor. These precious relics remained in this church of Saint-Pierre until the invasion of the Normans; they were then transported to Boulogne.