Avitus of Micy

Who they were

Avitus was born in the Auvergne around the middle of the 5th century and embraced religious life at Menat near Clermont, later moving to the monastery of Micy near Orléans, where he lived as a hermit before succeeding the abbot Maximinus at the monks' request. Gregory of Tours records that Avitus, 'a great priest of that time', tried in vain to save the Burgundian king Sigismund from being put to death by the Frankish king Clodomir in 523.

He also withdrew at times to live as a hermit in the forest of Perche, in a place later called Celle-de-Saint-Avit, where he died around 530. He was buried at Orléans in the church of Saint-Georges, over which the faithful built a church once his sanctity became known. His feast is 17 June, though the martyrologist Ado, without clear reason, gave it as 19 December.

The miracles

There was never a formal cause: he has been honoured as a saint since before the Church's formal processes began.

Why that counted as sanctity

Abbot of the monastery of Micy near Orléans who interceded, unsuccessfully, for the Burgundian king Sigismund before the Frankish king Clodomir; feast 17 June (also given as 19 December).

Connected on this site

• Gregory of Tours Saint
  “Gregory of Tours records that Avitus, 'a great priest of that time', tried in vain to save the Burgundian king Sigismund from being put to death by the Frankish king Clodomir in 523.” — this site's research