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Severin of Cologne
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Severin of Cologne | |
|---|---|
| Bishop | |
| Born | unknown |
| Died | 403[1] |
| Feast | 23 October |
| Attributes | depicted coming from the cathedral to bless the poor[1] |
| Patronage | against bad luck and drought[1] |
 Saints Portal |
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- For Saint Severin of Noricum, see Severinus of Noricum.
Saint Severin of Cologne (in Latin, Severinus) was the third known Bishop of Cologne, living in the later 4th century. Little is known of him. He is said in 376 to have founded a monastery in the then Colonia Agrippina in honour of the martyrs Saints Cornelius and Cyprian, from which developed the later Church of St Severin. Severin is notable as a prominent opponent of Arianism.[1]
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The Vita Severini of the late 9th or 10th centuries states that Severin was active for a long period in Bordeaux and died there, and that his body was later taken to Cologne: this is doubtless due to a confusion with the Bishop of Bordeaux of the same name. The only certain information seems to be Severin's interment in a burial ground to the south of Cologne, where an archaeologically demonstrable cemetery basilica arose by his grave. The establishment of the Church of St Severin on this spot may be attributed to the 8th century.
According to Gregory of Tours, in the moment of death of the sainted bishop Martin of Tours, Severin, who was his friend, is supposed to have heard the celestial choirs of angels.
His bones are today preserved in a gold shrine in the choir of St Severin's Church in Cologne. That seen today is a reconstruction of 1819, as the mediaeval shrine was melted down for the gold in the period of French rule, c. 1795-98. Its opening in 1999 corroborated the documented transfer of the bones of bishop Wigfried of Cologne (924-953), as it was possible to date the old inner wooden shrine by the latest dendrochronological techniques to the year 948. An ancient cloth, probably Byzantine, was also discovered, with which the wooden box was lined. The saint's feast day is 23 October.
- (German) The wooden shrine of Saint Severin
| Preceded by Euphrates |
Archbishop of Cologne c. 348 (?) – c. 403 |
Succeeded by Ebergisil I (?) |