Verena of Zurzach
Saint Verena | |
---|---|
Roman Catholic Church Pre-Congregation | |
Major shrine | Bad Zurzach, Verena Gorge Hermitage |
Feast |
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Attributes | jar and bread, comb |
Patronage | virgins, sick and lepers, nurses, fishermen, housekeepers, millers, mariners |
Verena of Zurzach, mostly just called Saint Verena (c. 260 – c. 320) is an early Christian
Legend
The oldest tradition of the life of Verena is found in the so-called Vita prior by Hatto, the abbot of Reichenau (and later bishop of Mainz), written in c. 888. The younger Vita posterior was most likely written by a monk in Zurzach in the 11th century, the oldest extant copy dating to the 12th century.
According to Hatto's account, Verena was born in Thebes as the daughter of a notable Christian family. She was educated by a bishop named Chaeremon (Vita prior, ch. 3). A bishop Chaeremon of Nilopolis is mentioned by Eusebius as martyred in 250, which would place Verena's birth before that date.
After the death of Chaeremon, Verena travelled to Lower Egypt with a group of Christians, where the Theban Legion was being recruited. With the Theban Legion, she then travelled to Milan (Vita prior ch. 4). While still in Milan, she heard of the martyrdom of the Theban Legion (an event of uncertain historicity, traditionally dated to 286, during the reign of Maximian) and travelled to Agaunum (Saint-Maurice). In later sources, she is said to have buried the martyred legionnaires.
Verena then moved on to Salodurum (Solothurn) in a hermitage, and spent her days in fasting and prayer, and working miracles. Hatto presents her as a prototype of the consecrated virgin, saying that she attracted a following of young virgins. She was at one point imprisoned by a local governor, and Saint Maurice appeared to her in jail to console and strengthen her. After she was released, she continued her good works. At the end of her natural days, she retired into a narrow cave.
The year of her death was calculated as 344 by Johannes Laurentius Huber (1812–1879),
Veneration
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f9/Verena_Zwiefalter_Chorbuch.jpg/235px-Verena_Zwiefalter_Chorbuch.jpg)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/41/Barmherzigkeit_der_Hl_Verena_1524.jpg/235px-Barmherzigkeit_der_Hl_Verena_1524.jpg)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/12/Zentralbibliothek_Solothurn_-_S_VERENA_KIRCH_In_dem_Canton_Solothurn_A_S_Martins_Kirch_B_Einsidlers_Wohnung_C_H%C3%B6le_in_welcher_das_Bild_der_H_Verena_steht_D_%C3%96lberg_E_St_Maria_Magd_H%C3%B6le_l_CHAPELLE_DE_Ste_VERENE_Dans_l_-_a0347.tif/lossy-page1-220px-thumbnail.tif.jpg)
The Verena Minster in Zurzach was built over the grave of Saint Verena in a Roman cemetery.[3]
Her cult became widespread from the 12th century, and Verena was one of the most venerated saints in
Verena is often portrayed as a
The given name Verena is not recorded outside of the context of this saint; it has been associated with the name Berenice (i.e. Veronica). In reference to the saint, Verena came to be a commonly given feminine name in Switzerland, in
The
The municipality of
In 1986, a delegation from Saint Verena's Church in
In October 2004, a delegation from the
References
- ^ Johannes Huber, Das Leben der heiligen Jungfrau Verena (1878).
- ^ Landesmuseum Württemberg, Stuttgart, inv. nr.1928-89.
- ^ "Verena Minster", Switzerland Tourism
- ^ a b Borrelli, Antonio. "Santa Verena di Zurzach", Santi e Beati, November 20, 2002
- ^ Adolf Reinle, Die heilige Verena von Zurzach: Legende, Kult, Denkmäler (1948), p. 129.
- ^ Saint Mary & Saint Verena Coptic Orthodox Church, Yorba Linda, CA
- ^ Saint Verena and the Three Holy Youth Coptic Orthodox Church, Orange, CA
There are numerous references to her as a paragon of Christian patience in the face of adversity in Charlotte M. Yonge's romantic novel'The Heir of Redclyffe' (1853).
External links
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)