May 29, 2014

β›ͺ Saint Maximinus of Trier

Saint Maximinus,
Pray for us !
β›ͺ Saint of the Day : May 29

β›ͺ Born :
β€’ At Silly near Poitiers, France

β›ͺ Died :
β€’ 12 September 349 or 29 May 352 (records vary) β€’ In autumn 353, he was buried in the church of Saint John near Trier β€’ In the 7th century the Benedictine abbey of Saint Maximinus was founded there, which flourished till 1802

β›ͺ Patronage : Trier, Germany

β›ͺ Symbols : Bishop with a Bear

Bishop of Trier, born at Silly near Poitiers, died there, 29 May 352 or 12 September 349. He was educated and ordained priest by Saint Agritius, whom he succeeded as Bishop of Trier in 332 or 335. At that time Trier was the government seat of the Western Emperor and, by force of his office, Maximinus stood in close relation with the Emperors Constantine II and Constans. He was a strenuous defender of the orthodox faith against Arianism and an intimate friend of Saint Athanasius, whom he harboured as an honoured guest during his exile of two years and four months (336-8) at Trier. He likewise received with honours the banished patriarch Paul of Constantinople in 341 and effected his recall to Constantinople. When four Arian bishops came from Antioch to Trier in 342 with the purpose of winning Emperor Constans to their side, Maximinus refused to receive them and induced the emperor to reject their proposals. In conjunction with Pope Julius I and Bishop Hosius of Cordova, he persuaded the Emperor Constans to convene the Synod of Sardica in 343 and probably took part in it. That the Arians considered him as one of their chief opponents is evident from the fact that they condemned by name along with Pope Julius I and Hosius of Cordova at their heretical synod of Philippopolis in 343. In 345 he took part in the Synod of Milan and is said to have presided over a synod held at Cologne in 346, where Bishop Euphratas of Cologne was deposed on account of his leanings toward Arianism. (Concerning the authenticity of the Acts of this synod see the new French translation of Hefele’s β€œConciliengeschichte”, I, ii (Paris, 1907), pp. 830-34.) He also sent Sts. Castor and Lubentius as missionaries to the valleys of the Mosel and the Lahn. It is doubtful whether the Maximinus whom the usurper Magnentius sent as legate to Constantinople in the interests of peace is identical with the Bishop of Trier (Athanasius, β€œApol. ad Const. Imp.”, 9). His cult began right after his death. His feast is celebrated on 29 May, on which day his name stands in the martyrologies of Saint Jerome, Saint Bede, Saint Ado, and others. Trier honours him as its patron. In the autumn of 353 his body was buried in the church of Saint John near Trier, where in the seventh century was founded the famous Benedictine abbey of Saint Maximinus, which flourished till 1802.

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