Saint Berchaire of Aquitaine

God inspired him to retire to the monastery of Luxeuil monastère de Luxeuil Former Roman fortress that became a major monastic metropolis under Columbanus. , in Burgundy, which was then flourishing under the leadership of Saint Walbert. Although this house was filled with Saints, Berchaire did not fail to be one of its finest ornaments. His historian confesses that he has no words to express the excellence of his humility, his modesty, his meekness, his obedience, and his charity. He considered himself the last of all, and, in this sentiment, there was no office so lowly in the house to which he did not apply himself with joy for the love of Jesus Christ. God made his obedience shine forth through a great miracle, reported by all those who have spoken of him: one day, while performing the office of cellarer, his abbot called him and commanded him to come and speak to him. Prompt to obey, he did not even take the time to stop the liquid he was transferring, and flew to where his duty called him, still holding in his hand the instrument used to plug the opening through which the liquid was escaping; but the liquid did not spill for all that, for, after having filled the vessel, it rose above it in the form of a column, without having anything to support it. All the spectators admired this prodigy and the one who was its author; but the Saint attributed to the merit of his superior's command what was due to the merit of his prompt and blind obedience.

When he had rendered himself perfect in all the practices of monastic life, he returned to find Saint Nivard, who ardently desired to have excellent religious in his diocese to establish new monasteries there. One day, as they were going together to Epernay to seek a place suitable for this purpose, the blessed prelate felt so overcome by sleep that he was obliged to rest under a tree near Hautvillers and fall asl eep there. Hautvillers Site of the foundation of an abbey by Nivard and Berchaire. During his sleep, Berchaire perceived a white dove which, after perching for a moment on this tree, circled three times, as if to mark the site of an edifice. Saint Nivard also saw the same thing in a dream; which led these holy personages to believe that God had chosen this place for the construction of the abbey. It was therefore built there with the liberality of the holy archbishop; Saint Berchaire was its first abbot, and governed it for some time with great prudence and holiness.

Soon after, Saint Nivard finished his life and went to receive in heaven the reward for his alms and his wise governance. His body was buried in this monastery and became radiant with miracles. Saint Berchaire, whose zeal and charity knew no bounds, also founded on the Voire—others say: Vogre, Vègre, Laine—a monastery for nuns, the first of whom were eight captives he had ransomed.

It was commonly called Puellemontier. Furthermore, he had various oratories erected in the forest of Der, among others one at Louze. Finally, he built on the same river and in the same forest a second abbey for religious, called Montier-en-Der. It was there that, after a journey to J erusalem, he c Montier-en-Der Abbey founded by Berchaire, where he was martyred and buried. hose his dwelling place until the end of time. But, when he was thinking only of leading his dear disciples to the perfection of monastic life through his examples, his remonstrances, and his paternal corrections, he found in his very cell the honor of a glorious martyrdom. He had declared shortly before in an exhortation to his dear daughters of Puellemontier that his death was near, and that this was the last time he would speak to them. The outcome soon showed the truth of his prophecy. There was among his religious a young man named Daguin, whom he had lifted from the baptismal font, and to whom he had pa Daguin Religious and godson of Berchaire, perpetrator of his assassination. rticularly applied himself to make him a servant of God. He was, however, a hypocrite. It happened that he committed a considerable fault that well deserved correction. The holy abbot reprimanded him for it according to his duty and made him undergo penance for it. Daguin, unable to suffer this just severity, entered his room secretly at night and, driven by a diabolical fury, gave him a knife blow that wounded him mortally. He then went to throw his knife into the abbey's fishpond, thinking to hide his parricide by hiding the instrument that had served him to commit it; but the knife, instead of sinking, floated on the water as if that element had a horror of participating in such a detestable crime. This prodigy so terrified the assassin that, losing his senses and judgment at the same time, he ran himself to the church to ring the bell to call the religious. It was an undue hour when the community was not supposed to assemble. Everyone was surprised by it. They rose as quickly as possible and ran to their abbot's room to know the cause of this signal. Then they found him swimming in his blood and ready to give up his soul. A part of them ran to the church to see who had rung, and having seized Daguin, who immediately confessed his sin, they brought him to their blessed abbot to know from him what they should do about it. The Saint, seeing in his presence the one who was taking his life, was not moved by it, but forgave him his parricide with all his heart; he only warned him to go to Rome to be absolved by the Pope. He showed by this that he was the true disciple of Him who recommends forg Pape The authority in Rome to whom Daguin is sent for absolution. etting injuries and forgiving one's enemies, and who, being on the tree of the cross, prayed with such insistence for those who had crucified Him. He survived his wounds for two days and rendered his soul to God on the night of Easter. It was March 27, towards the end of the 6th century.

He is represented: 1° pierced by a sword; 2° sometimes near a barrel or cask from which the drink spills and overflows the edges of the vessel placed under the tap.

## CULT AND RELICS.

Saint Berchaire was buried in the common cemetery behind the church; people flocked from all parts to his funeral. The miracles that occurred at his tomb later determined that he should be transferred to the basilica he had dedicated to the holy apostles Peter and Paul. He was placed under an arch hollowed out in the wall, behind the altar, to the east. For a long time, an oil flowed from it, which was collected in a vase and restored health to the sick.

In the 9th century, at the approach of the Huns and Normans who were ravaging Gaul, pillaging and burning monasteries, the religious of Montier-en-Der removed the relics of their glorious founder and secretly transported them to the banks of the Saône, to a place that is not specified. After the conversion of the Normans, they were solemnly returned to the monastery. Today his body still rests almost intact in the conventual church, which has become the parish church of Montier-en-Der.

A considerable part of the Saint's head was given to the church of Châteauvillain (Haute-Marne), which is under his Châteauvillain Location housing a relic of the saint's head. invocation. This distinguished relic disappeared during the Revolution, and in Châteauvillain, there remains only a regularly authenticated stained-glass window of the Martyr.

The church of Montiéramey (canton of Lusigny, Aube) also possesses several bones of this holy religious. He is the patron of La Chaise (canton of Soulaines, arrondissement of Bar-sur-Aube), in the diocese of Troyes.

As Saint Berchaire died on Easter day, and as this solemnity excludes any Saint's feast, it was decided, during the reinstallation of his relics, that the very day it took place, which coincided with the dedication of the monastery church, would be consecrated to the memory of the martyrdom of Saint Berchaire. This is why his name is mentioned on October 16 in the martyrologies, even though he died during the Easter season. Under King Robert, his relics were solemnly brought to a Council of Aire, following a custom of the time, which tended to give more pomp and authority to these types of assemblies. This fact proves how much the Saint's name was venerated.

We have completed this biography with the Lives of the Saints of Troyes, by Abbé Defer; the Lives of the Saints of Haute-Marne, by Abbé Godard; and the Lives of the Saints of Franche-Comté, by the professors of the Saint-François-Xavier college in Besançon.