Áurea of San Millán
Saint Aurea of San Millán | |
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| Born | 1043 Roman Catholic Church |
| Major shrine | Monastery of San Millán de la Cogolla, La Rioja, Spain, Europe |
| Feast | 11 March |
| Patronage | Villavelayo, La Rioja, Spain |
Aurea or Oria (from the
Life
Aurea was born in 1043 in the village of
When she was aged nine, Amunia and Aurea decided to leave the world and to embrace a life of
Aurea completely applied herself to the contemplative life. By the age of 20, she was living in a cave where she received a vision of her three favorite saints and was encouraged to follow her chosen lifestyle with more zeal. Eulalia gave her a pigeon, which image became connected to her, instructing her to follow it as an example of how she was to seek God.[2] According to tradition, she performed many miracles and many people began to seek her advice and prayers. She supported herself by embroidering vestments for the monastery and baking hosts for the Mass.[1]
Aurea did not live long after her visions. During the winter of 1070 she contracted a painful disease, in the course of which she sent for her tutor, Munio. At the time of her death, Aurea was twenty-seven years old.[1] Her body was initially buried in her cave, which served as her shrine until 1609, when the bulk of her remains were enshrined at the monastery, with some being given to the parish church of her home town of Villavelayo, where a special chapel was built to house them and to honor her as the patron saint of the town.[2]
A confraternity established to honor her cares for the shrine at the church and organizes an annual trip to the shrine at the monastery.
Veneration
Gonzalo de Berceo, considered the first poet of the Spanish language, wrote an account of her life called the Vida de Santa Oria.[3]
References
External links
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