ON ST. AGNES THE ABBESS AND ST. DISCIOLA THE NUN, VIRGINS AT POITIERS IN AQUITAINE.
VI CENTURY
CommentaryAgnes the Abbess, Virgin at Poitiers in Aquitaine (St.) Disciola the Nun, Virgin at Poitiers in Aquitaine (St.)
BY G. H.
CHAPTER I.
Cult of each Virgin. Acts of St. Agnes.
[1] The sacred veneration of the Holy Agnes and Disciola the Virgins, to be celebrated on this XIII May, is prescribed in the proper Offices of the Poitiers Church, Sacred cult. in which under semi-double rite they are venerated, and this Oration is recited: The supplication of your handmaids, God almighty and merciful, hear: that we who solemnly the festivity of your Blessed Virgins Agnes and Disciola humbly carry out, to you, whom as true God we worship, with them for us interceding, to come may we merit. Then for the second Nocturn are recited proper Lessons, of which the first about St. Agnes is of this kind. Of how great merit before God Blessed Agnes, Proper Lesson on St. Agnes. the first mother in spirit of the monastery of St. Radegundis, was; even from this it is allowed to gather, that her the most holy Queen, after so many austerities of fastings, ardors of prayers, outpourings of alms, and dowries of other virtues, after frequent conversations with holy men, after divine apparitions and illustrations, in such great prudence and so great desire of her own salvation and that of others, over the whole community set: at last that with many virtues illustrious her soul to God she rendered. She was buried in the church of B. Mary, which is now of B. Radegundis called.
[2] St. Radegundis is venerated XIII August, in whose testament or institution of last will, in John de la Haye after the Origines of Poitiers, and Charles le Cointe at year 587 num. 5 published, this illustrious testimony about St. Agnes the Abbess is held. Of fitting provision then strongly to effect tends the beginning, when of general Fathers with moderate from Pastors of the sheepfold committed to him cause is given to ears; under the Rule of St. Caesaria and to their senses is commended, by whose participation about charity counsel, about power suffrage, about prayer intervention may be administered. And since … to the Congregation through me with Christ providing collected the Rule, under which St. Caesaria lived, which the solicitude of B. Caesarius Bishop of Arles from the institution of holy Fathers fittingly collected, I have instituted; with consenting the most blessed both of this city and the rest Pontiffs, with the election also of our Congregation, Lady and my sister Agnes, whom from the beginning age in the place of a daughter I have cherished and educated, Abbess I have instituted, and myself after the Lord to her ordination regularly about to obey I have committed: first Abbess. and observing the Apostolic form, both I and the Sisters from the earthly substance, which we seemed to possess, with charters made we handed over, with fear of Ananias and Sapphira in the monastery placed nothing of our own keeping … This also asking, that when God shall order the said Lady and our Sister Agnes from this world to migrate, she always Abbess from that very Congregation should be ordained, who to God and to the Congregation itself shall please, keeping the Rule and nothing of the proposal of sanctity let her diminish, and never, what each one's proper will, this let her command. These and other things St. Radegundis, who to the Institution made by her with her own hand subscribed. But St. Caesaria is venerated XII January, where with her Life we have published the Rule written by her brother St. Caesarius Bishop of Arles, to whom XVII day of August is sacred.
[3] Henry Louis Castanaeus de la Rocheposay, in his Notes on the Pictonic Litanies composed by him, She is invoked in the Pictonic Litanies. which and separately published exist, and after his Exercitationes on various books of the Bible, and by Philip Labbe in volume 2 of the New Library among the Miscellanea of Aquitanian matters they were reprinted, these things he writes: XIII May, Agnes Abbess of holy Cross of Poitiers, to whom many verses Fortunatus Bishop of Poitiers inscribed in book XI of his Poems. she is commended to Bishops Auctor, Fortunatus had been received into the family of SS. Radegundis and Agnes already then Presbyter ordained, and accordingly them everywhere commends. Thus book 3 carmen 28 to Avitus Bishop of Clermont;
Commended likewise to your love of piety Agnes, with humble voice, with Radegundis equal.
Then book 5, carmen 2 to Martin Bishop of Galicia,
With humble Radegundis pious Agnes asks as suppliant, and to Martin. That commended may be to you, Holy Father. That with growing chorus through holy songs of the Sisters They may please the Lord, with you as gentle leader, theirs. And taken up to herself, may be preserved, from the city Genesis, The nourishing Rule of pious Bishop Caesarius.
In book 8 also exists a long poem 4 on Virginity, which the same Fortunatus near the end to St. Agnes offers in this manner:
These to you, dear to God, by merits venerable Agnes, I offer, that they may please, by your doing cherish. That by the Judge's order a gift be granted to both, the poem on Virginity is offered. When a crown to you, then to me at least pardon.
[4] But others omitted, twenty-eight poems are to St. Radegundis and especially to St. Agnes inscribed, of which we excerpt one, since with the author the rest can be read. And it is the second to St. Radegundis, on the Birthday of the Abbess, of this kind.
Mother bountiful, becoming with happy vow rejoice, Be glad, the natalis your sweet daughter has. Spiritual daughter of St. Radegundis. This not by your womb daughter, but grace made: Not flesh, but Christ this in love gave. That she may be in eternity with you: to you the author has conferred, Perpetual offspring, the Father gives without end. Happy posterity, which fails in no age Which with mother together not about to die remains … Hence may long-distance safety hold you bound in body, Again in eternal light may love join. Moreover everywhere shine in the adjoined poems indications of chaste and strong love, with which Fortunatus these illustrious in Sanctity matrons attended: it appears also that he not far from their monastery lived, when he composed these verses, their domestic affairs describing, and small gifts of milk and flowers, which to and fro were carried. Fortunatus himself is inscribed in the Pictonic Litanies, and on XIV December in the Notes of Castanaeus reported: on which day under double rite to be venerated in the Poitiers Church is indicated in the proper Offices.
CHAPTER II.
Acts of St. Disciola
[5] Henry Louis Castanaeus de la Rochepozay, in the above-indicated Pictonic Litanies, invokes St. Disciola, of whom in the Notes thus he indicates: XIII May Disciola, From St. Gregory of Tours she is known, niece of B. Salvius Bishop of Albi, to the nuns of holy Cross of Poitiers once was numbered: of whose happy death treats Gregory of Tours, book 6 of the history chapter 29, from which account two following lessons are assigned in the proper Offices of the Poitiers Church, to be recited for the second Nocturn on this day XIII May. In the monastery of B. Radegundis a certain girl, named Disciola, who was niece of B. Salvius Bishop of Albi, died in this manner. When she had begun to be sick, and to her assiduously the other Sisters were serving; came that day, on which she would migrate from the body: and about the ninth hour she says to the Sisters: in what manner by him appearing thrice holy summoned; Behold now lighter myself I feel: behold I have no pain. Now however depart from me, that more easily for sleep I may be relaxed. These things hearing her Sisters, withdrew a little from the cell: and after a little came back. Indeed standing they before her, were waiting what from her of speech they might hear. She however with hands extended, asking blessing from I know not whom, said: Bless, said she, me Holy one, and servant of the most high God: for behold now thrice you are wearied today on my account. And why, Holy one, for an infirm little woman frequent injuries do you sustain? But asking they, to whom these words she was uttering, she did not at all express. Then with made a small interval, she sent forth a great voice with laughter, and so she sent forth her spirit. And behold a certain possessed, who then to the glory of blessed Cross to be cleansed had come, with his hair seized in hands, dashed himself against the ground, saying: Alas! alas! alas for us! who such loss have suffered. At least it had been permitted earlier the causes to investigate, and so from our power had been taken away this soul. Asking those who were present, what was this word which he was speaking, he responded: Behold the soul of the girl Michael the Angel has received, by St. Michael to heaven she is led. and he her to the heavens carries up. But our Prince, whom you call devil, in her takes no part. After these things the body washed in waters with so snowy whiteness shone forth, that no linen could the Abbess find at hand, which than the body whiter would be seen. Clothed however in clean linens to burial she was committed. Thus far Gregory of Tours. This Virgin inscribed to the Sacred Gynaeceum Arthur du Monstier on day X March in these words: At Poitiers St. Disciola the Virgin of B. Radegundis the disciple, by merits of virtues notable. But the said Arthur is often caught at his pleasure defining the Natalises of many, when he was ignorant of the proper ones. memory 10 March. Mentions her Charles le Cointe in the Ecclesiastical Annals of the Franks at year DLXXXIII num. LI. But because Tours soon in the following chapter XXX writes, in the same year Tiberius the Emperor migrated from the world, rather we refer the death of each to year DLXXXII. But St. Salvius Bishop of Albi, of whom this Virgin niece was, died X September in year DLXXXV.