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Icon of St. Claudius, Bishop
of Besançon (7th c.)
Feast: June 6
St. Claudius of Besançon (in
French, Saint Claude), sometimes called Claude the Thaumaturge
("wonderworker"), was a priest, monk, abbot, and bishop. A native of
Franche-Comté, Claudius became a priest at Besançon and later a monk.
Until the age of twenty, he served as a border guard, but in 627 he was
appointed as a canon by Donatus (Donat), bishop of Besançon. Donatus
had written regulations for his canon priests; Claudius followed them
assiduously. He became famous as a teacher and ascetic, eating only one
frugal meal per day. After serving as a priest at Besançon, Claudius
entered the abbey of Condat, at Saint-Claude, Jura (which was named
after him after his death), in the Jura mountains. He was then elected
to succeed as the twelfth abbot at Condat at the age of 34 in 641 or
642, during the pontificate of Pope John IV. He brought the Benedictine
Rule to Condat. He obtained support from Clovis II (whose wife,
Batildis, had persuaded him to do so), obtaining from the monarch an
annuity. Under Claudius' rule, the abbey thrived. Claudius had built
new churches and reliquaries, and fed the poor and the pilgrims in the
area. On the death of Saint Gervase (Gervasius), bishop of Besançon,
the clergy of that city elected Claudius as their archbishop in 685. He
thus served, rather reluctantly, as 29th bishop of Besançon, according
to the episcopal catalogues. However, upon seeing that discipline had
become lax at Condat, Claudius decided to abdicate his see and return
as abbot at Condat. He then reposed in Christ in the year 696 or 699.
After his death Claudius became one of the popular saints of France.
His relics were incorrupt. During the Arab invasions they were hidden
but rediscovered in 1160. The rediscovered relics were solemnly carried
throughout Burgundy. The wondrous relics of this Saints were burned in
March, 1794, by the godless, during the French Revolution.
Icon: unknown provenance.
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