Genevieve of Paris

From OrthodoxWiki
Revision as of 13:50, January 3, 2008 by Hans (talk | contribs)
Jump to: navigation, search
Icon of Ss. Geneviève and Simeon the Stylite at her tomb in Paris
Inscription at the tomb of St. Geneviève in Paris: "Consolation of exiles, you have manifested yourself to the Russian Orthodox emigrees. In all times, at your tomb, they venerate you. O Holy Geneviève, pray for us, Apostle of Unity."

Our venerable mother Geneviève of Paris was a nun originally from Nanterre who lived in France circa 500 A.D. She is considered the patron saint of the city of Paris, together with St. Denis. Her feast day is celebrated on January 3.

Fight for vocation

Bishop St Germain, going to England to combat the heresy claiming one can be saved without baptism, passed by Nanterre. He laid his hands on eight year old Geneviève, and asked her if she wanted to give herself to the Lord, she said yes. Her mother opposed the vocation, she was angry with her mother, who went blind, but was healed when she forgave her.

Ascetism

When old she ate only bread with milk and only sundays and thursdays. The milk was added by insistance of the bishops.

St Symon the Stylite

Sent her a letter after seeing her in a vision.

Saving Paris

When Attila the Hun approached, she upbraided the cowardly men who wanted to leave town: they stayed, and Attila did not come there.

Exorcisms

She worked them using holy oil blessed by the bishop.

(source for additions: Latin Vita Stae Genovefae, Jan 3 in Acta Sanctorum, by Bollandists, citing from memory)


This article or section is a stub (i.e., in need of additional material). You can help OrthodoxWiki by expanding it.


External Links

A picture of her tomb, across from the Pantheon in Paris. Most of her relics were dumped into the Seine by the radical atheists of the French Revolution, but others were collected from churches around France that they had already been distributed to.