Saint Renatus

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For the 17th-century French-Canadian Martyr, see René Goupil.
Saint Renatus
Bishop
Venerated in
Roman Catholic Church
FeastOctober 6; November 12
PatronageStatue of San Renato (Saint Renatus) of Sorrento

Saint Renatus (Italian: San Renato, French: Saint-René) is the name of a French and an Italian saint of the Catholic Church who is claimed to be the same person. There are different stories of two saints with by the name Renatus, who were later merged into a single one based on their described similarities and contemporaneity. Both are venerated in Italy and France. They were: Saint Renatus of Sorrento (San Renato di Sorrento), and Saint Renatus of Angers (Saint-René d'Angers). Part of their stories seem to be a legend, part incomplete and part deficient historically documented.

Due to the Angevin domination of Naples from the 13th to the 15th century, and the fact that they were both bishops and saints from the same age, the personality of Renatus of Sorrento was linked with the figure of Renatus of Angers.[1]

Maurilius of Angers and saint Renatus of Angers

Saint Renatus of Angers (Saint-René d'Angers)

The first story of the lesser known Saint-René began when the Italian

expiate it, and left Angers in secret and embarked upon a ship, throwing the keys to the cathedral's treasury into the high seas. He then went further to England, to work as the royal gardener. Meanwhile, the inhabitants of Angers had found the keys inside the liver of a big fish which was caught by the local fishermen. They traced the whereabouts of the bishop to England and convinced him to return to their city. Arriving at Angers, Maurilius prayed at the dead child's tomb, and, in a miracle, the child resuscitated, smiling, "fresh as the flowers growing on the tomb". Because of this Maurilius baptized the boy as Renatus. The tradition is based on a late life of St. Maurilius written in 905 by the deacon Archinald, and circulated under the name of Gregory of Tours, and it seems to have no real foundation. [2]

Renatus later succeeded Maurilius as the

bishop of Angers, and came to sainthood himself, later as Saint René
(French for reborn).

Saint-René is mostly venerated in France on November 12.

Saint Renatus of Sorrento (San Renato di Sorrento)

The second story of the better known San Renato is about a

Sorrentine Peninsula.[1]

A

cathedral of Sorrento.[3] In this work, Renatus is depicted as an old man and appears with the patron saints of Sorrento: Antoninus of Sorrento, Athanasius of Sorrento, Baculus of Sorrento, and Valerius of Sorrento.[1] In the narrative, the saints appear to Duke Sergius I of Naples on the eve of battle against Moorish forces in 846 AD.[1]

Renatus' place of prayer (oratorio) became the city's first

Benedictines of Monte Cassino, during a time of renewed interest in the relics associated with Renatus and Valerius of Sorrento.[1]

Renatus’ cult was diffused throughout Campania.[1] In Sorrento there was a chapel in the cathedral dedicated to the saint, where he is venerated with the title of Confessor of the Faith.[1] On Monte Faito, in the Municipality of Vico Equense, there was a small church dedicated to Renatus.[1]

Several centers for Renatus’ cult appeared in Naples, and are mentioned in documents dating from July 1276 and March 1367.[1] There were also centers of his cult in Capua, Sarno, and Nola in the fourteenth century.[1]

The present-day Duomo of Sorrento has a chapel dedicated to San Renato. He was also venerated on October 6.

Fusion

The story goes on when in 1262,

Bishop of Sorrento
. Thus, Renatus of Angers and Renatus of Sorrento were identified as being the same person. Although plausible, no historical and documental proof of this identity ever came to light, however.

Veneration

Saint Renatus of Angers, by confusion of his name with reins, "

phallic saints.[4]

Trivia

About a

castle of Angers became King René I of Naples (near Sorrento). He was known as the Good King René (French
Le bon roi René).

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Antonio Borrelli (2002). "San Renato di Sorrento". Santi e beati. Retrieved February 24, 2011.
  2. ^ Goyau, Georges. "Angers." The Catholic Encyclopedia Vol. 1. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1907 Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  3. ^ a b Antonio Balducci (2008). "San Bacolo di Sorrento". Santi e beati. Retrieved February 23, 2011.
  4. ^ The Minor Themes

Sources

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