Saint Opportuna
Saint Opportuna (born c. 710 AD in Seez, Normandy, France; died c. 770 AD in Montreuil-sur-Layon (Almenèches), Normandy, France) was a Frankish abbess who governed a Benedictine monastery in Normandy and was murdered by a retainer of her brother. She is venerated as a martyr in the Norman tradition. Her feast day is April 22.
Stored in Cargo: Saint Opportuna
| Saint Opportuna | |
|---|---|
| Feast Day | April 22 |
| Profession | Benedictine abbess; martyr (traditional); Norman holy woman |
| Rel. Affiliation | Catholic Church; Diocese of Seez; Benedictine Order; Normandy; Norman saints; early medieval French monasticism |
| Patronage | Almenèches; Normandy; the Diocese of Seez; abbesses; those killed by violence; widows and unmarried women in the Benedictine tradition |
| Attributes | Abbess's habit and crozier; palm of martyrdom; her brother Bishop Chrodegang (sometimes depicted together); Norman Romanesque church; lily |
| Birthplace | Seez, Normandy, France (traditional) |
| Death Place | Almenèches (Montreuil-sur-Layon), Orne, Normandy, France |
| Cause of Death | Martyrdom (traditional); she was murdered by a retainer of her brother Chrodegang, who killed her shortly after killing her brother; the motive and circumstances are unclear in the sources; she is venerated as a martyr by local tradition though the circumstances make her more of a victim of violence than a martyr for the faith in the strict sense; she is classified as a martyr in the Norman liturgical tradition |
| Primary Shrine | Almenèches Abbey, Orne, Normandy — the site of her monastery and death; her principal relics; local pilgrimage site; the medieval Benedictine community maintained the cult |
| Liturgical Class | Optional Memorial (Roman Rite); April 22; Feast in the Diocese of Seez and Alençon |
| Historic Class | Not in universal 1962 calendar; observed locally in Normandy |
Biography
Opportuna was born c. 710 in Normandy, of a noble family. Her brother was Saint Chrodegang of Seez (Bishop of Seez). She entered the Benedictine monastery of Almenèches (Montreuil-sur-Layon) and eventually became its abbess.
Her brother Bishop Chrodegang was murdered by an assassin c. 770 AD. The murderer then came to the abbey and killed Opportuna as well. She offered no resistance and is venerated as a martyr by the local Norman tradition.
Miracles were reported at her tomb and her cult spread throughout Normandy and, through relic distribution, to Paris, where a church dedicated to her stood in the first arrondissement until the French Revolution.
A Latin Life was written c. 864 AD by Adrevald of Fleury at the request of the Bishop of Seez, confirming the vitality of her cult nearly a century after her death.
Significant locations
Legend
Birth location: Seez, Normandy, France (traditional)
Death location: Almenèches (Montreuil-sur-Layon), Orne, Normandy, France
Notable location:
Notable location:
Notable location:
Notable location:
Notable location:
Dynamic content
Parishes
No parishes dedicated to Opportuna have been added to the database yet.
Media
No media found for this saint.
Shrines
Dynamic shrines
No results
No shrines where this saint is the primary saint.
Known shrines
- Almenèches Abbey, Orne, Normandy — her principal relic site; pilgrimage site.
Feast day
April 22
Veneration
Saint Opportuna is a Benedictine abbess and martyr of 8th-century Normandy. Her cult spread from Almenèches to Paris, where a church was dedicated to her until the French Revolution. Her feast is April 22.
Prayers
Authored
There are prayers authored by this saint in prayers list yet.
Intercessory
There are no prayers asking for this saint's intercession in prayers list yet.