Saint Fara
Saint Fara (also: Burgundofara; born c. 595 AD in Meaux, France; died April 7, c. 657 AD at Faremoutiers, Seine-et-Marne, France) was a Frankish noblewoman who founded the double monastery of Faremoutiers (Eboriacum) in Brie, one of the great monasteries of the Merovingian era. Faremoutiers received many Anglo-Saxon noblewomen and trained several saints including Saint Ethelburga of Faremoutiers. She was directed and advised by Saint Columban and Saint Eustace of Luxeuil. Her feast day is April 7.
Stored in Cargo: Saint Fara
| Saint Fara | |
|---|---|
| Feast Day | April 07 |
| Profession | Noble virgin; abbess; monastic foundress |
| Rel. Affiliation | Order of Saint Benedict; Columban Rule; Faremoutiers Abbey |
| Patronage | Faremoutiers; Brie (Seine-et-Marne); abbesses; Frankish monasticism |
| Attributes | Abbess's staff; Frankish cross; lily; book; group of nuns |
| Birthplace | Meaux, Seine-et-Marne, France (Île-de-France) |
| Death Place | Faremoutiers, Seine-et-Marne, France |
| Cause of Death | Natural causes; died at her monastery of Faremoutiers |
| Primary Shrine | Abbey of Faremoutiers, Seine-et-Marne — the abbey she founded; still an active Benedictine monastery; her feast observed here |
| Liturgical Class | Not in universal Roman Calendar; feast April 7; observed in Diocese of Meaux |
| Historic Class | Not included |
Biography
Burgundofara (Fara) was born around 595 AD into the Frankish aristocracy near Meaux. Her father Agneric was a nobleman at the Merovingian court. When she was a child, the Irish missionary Saint Columban visited the household and blessed her, prophesying her consecration to God. As she grew older, her father arranged a marriage for her. She refused, fell ill, and her biographer Saint Dado of Rouen (Audoin) records that Columban visited again and restored her to health while confirming her vocation to the religious life.
Her father, convinced by the divine signs, gave her land at Eboriacum in the Forest of Brie, and there she founded her monastery around 617 AD. She was guided spiritually by Columban's successors, particularly Saint Eustace of Luxeuil, who helped her organize the community under the Irish-Benedictine mixed rule then common in Frankish monasticism.
Faremoutiers became one of the most prestigious monasteries in the Frankish kingdom. Anglo-Saxon noblewomen were sent there for formation: Saint Ethelburga of Faremoutiers, daughter of King Eorcenberht of Kent, died there as a young nun around 664. Several other English saints passed through. Fara governed the community for about forty years until her death in 657.
The Abbey of Faremoutiers, refounded in the Middle Ages and re-established as a Benedictine community in modern times, still exists near Meaux. Her feast is April 7.
Significant locations
Legend
Birth location: Meaux, Seine-et-Marne, France (Île-de-France)
Death location: Faremoutiers, Seine-et-Marne, France
Notable location: The monastery she founded (c. 617 AD); it became one of the great Merovingian monasteries; it attracted Anglo-Saxon noblewomen including Saint Ethelburga of Faremoutiers; the Abbey of Faremoutiers (now Benedictine) survives to the present day (Faremoutiers, Seine-et-Marne, France)
Notable location: Her birthplace; the family home of her father Agneric, a Frankish noble at the court of King Theodebert II; she was from the Frankish aristocracy of the Île-de-France (Meaux, Seine-et-Marne, France)
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Parishes
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Shrines
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Known shrines
- Abbey of Faremoutiers, Seine-et-Marne, France — the monastery she founded; an active Benedictine community; her feast observed here.
Feast day
April 7
Veneration
Saint Fara is venerated in the Diocese of Meaux with a feast day on April 7.
Prayers
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