Saint Emmeramus
Saint Emmeramus (also: Emmeram; born c. 650 AD, possibly in Poitiers, France; died September 22, c. 652 AD near Regensburg, Bavaria) was a Frankish or Aquitanian bishop-missionary who was martyred near Regensburg while on a mission to evangelize the Bavarians. He is the patron saint of Regensburg and Bavaria, and the great Benedictine Abbey of Saint Emmeram in Regensburg was built over his tomb. His feast day is September 22.
Stored in Cargo: Saint Emmeramus
| Saint Emmeramus | |
|---|---|
| Feast Day | September 22 |
| Profession | Bishop; missionary; martyr |
| Rel. Affiliation | Catholic Church; early Frankish/Bavarian church |
| Patronage | Regensburg; Bavaria; Diocese of Regensburg; horses (traditional) |
| Attributes | Bishop's vestments; palm of martyrdom; church |
| Birthplace | Possibly Poitiers, Aquitaine (modern France) |
| Death Place | Near Regensburg (Aschheim, Bavaria), Bavaria |
| Cause of Death | Martyrdom; killed by the servants of Duke Lantpert; details disputed but tortured and left to die |
| Primary Shrine | Abbey of Saint Emmeram (Schloss Thurn und Taxis), Regensburg — the Benedictine abbey built over his tomb; now a museum/palace but the crypt with his relics is still visited |
| Liturgical Class | Not in universal Roman Calendar; observed in Diocese of Regensburg; observed locally in Bavaria |
| Historic Class | Not included |
Biography
Emmeramus (Emmeram) was a Frankish or Aquitanian bishop who came as a missionary to Bavaria around the middle of the 7th century. Medieval accounts, particularly that of Arbeo of Freising (written c. 772), say he came from near Poitiers and was already a bishop when he arrived at the court of Duke Theodo I of Bavaria in Regensburg. He was warmly received and began missionary work among the Bavarians.
The hagiographic tradition is complicated by a story involving the duke's daughter Ota. According to the legend, Ota was with child through a secret affair; she accused Emmeramus falsely to hide her shame. Her brother Lantpert, enraged, had Emmeramus seized while he was traveling toward Rome, mutilated, and left to die. The bishop was found still alive, carried to a church at Regensburg (or a village called Kleinhelfendorf), and died from his injuries on September 22.
Emmeramus was immediately venerated as a martyr. A church was built over his tomb. Around 739 AD, Saint Boniface reorganized the Bavarian church and erected the Diocese of Regensburg, placing Emmeramus's shrine at its center. The Benedictine Abbey of Saint Emmeram, one of the most important monasteries of medieval Bavaria, rose over his tomb and became a center of learning and Carolingian manuscripts. Among the abbey's famous residents was Saint Wolfgang of Regensburg (10th c.).
The abbey was secularized in 1803 during the Napoleonic era and became Schloss Thurn und Taxis, now the seat of the Thurn und Taxis family; the crypt with his relics remains accessible.
Significant locations
Legend
Birth location: Possibly Poitiers, Aquitaine (modern France)
Death location: Near Regensburg (Aschheim, Bavaria), Bavaria
Notable location: The great Benedictine abbey built over his tomb; one of the most important monasteries in medieval Bavaria; now known as Schloss Thurn und Taxis; his relics were translated here (Abbey of Saint Emmeram, Regensburg, Bavaria, Germany)
Notable location: The Cathedral of Saint Peter in Regensburg; he is patron of the diocese; the city bears his veneration (Regensburg Cathedral, Regensburg, Bavaria, Germany)
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Parishes
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Shrines
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Known shrines
- Schloss Thurn und Taxis (former Abbey of Saint Emmeram), Regensburg — crypt with his relics; UNESCO World Heritage site (as part of Old Town Regensburg).
Feast day
September 22
Veneration
Saint Emmeramus is venerated in the Diocese of Regensburg with a feast day on September 22.
Prayers
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