Maura of Troyes
Saint Maura of Troyes | |
|---|---|
| Virgin | |
| Born | 827 Troyes, Francia |
| Died | 21 September 850 (aged 23) West Francia |
| Honored in | Anglican Communion Catholic Church Eastern Orthodox Church |
| Major shrine | Troyes, France |
| Feast | 21 September |
Maura of Troyes was a French virgin and Christian saint. Born into nobility in Troyes, she devoted herself to prayer, remaining chaste, and is credited with at least two miracles.
Biography
[edit]Maura was born to a noble family in Troyes, Francia, in 827, and from a young age devoted herself to prayer.[1][2] As a young girl, she converted her father Mauranus who had previously lived a worldly life, to Christianity.[1][2][3][4] After his death, Maura continued to live at home, praying, serving the poor, and caring for her mother, who was named either Seluca or Sedulia.[1][2][4] Her example was also credited with her brother Eutropius' strong faith, and he later went on to become bishop of Troyes.[1][4]
When not praying or serving the poor, Maura greatly enjoyed meeting the material needs of local priests and the Troyes Cathedral: she would make sacred vestments, trim the candles, fill oil lamps and prepare wax and other things for the altar.[3][5] In fact, Bishop Prudentius of Troyes, a personal friend, wore an alb spun and woven by her.[3]
Maura spent every morning in church, praying.[2] She fasted Wednesday and Friday, sustaining herself only on small amounts of bread and water.[1][2][5] Sometimes, she would walk several miles to visit her spiritual director at his monastery.[1][2][5] She was known to produce copious amounts of tears while praying, considered a gift from God.[2][5] She was also said to have performed miracles, but asked the people she helped not to make her gifts known.[1][2][4][5]
She died on 21 September 850, at the age of 23.[1][2][4][5] She was buried in the cemetery of Château-Nore-de-Troyes.[1]
Miracles and sainthood
[edit]At least three posthumous miracles are attributed to Maura of Troyes. After her death, her body was washed with water, but the water was claimed to have changed into milk.[3] A young man was believed to have been cured of "a burning fever" after drinking the milk.[3] A young woman, whose husband disliked a large birthmark on her cheek, also drank the milk and the birthmark disappeared.[3] She was declared a saint by the community, as was the normal process before the establishment of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints.[4]
St. Maura of Troyes is honored in the Anglican Communion, Catholic Church, and Eastern Orthodox Church.[2][4][6][7] Her feast day is celebrated on 21 September.[4][6]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g h i Butler, Alban; Burns, Paul (2016-12-18). Butler's Lives of the Saints. Liturgical Press. p. 202. ISBN 9780814623855 – via Google Books.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "St. Maura Troyes - Saints & Angels - Catholic Online". Catholic Online. Retrieved 2016-12-18.
- ^ a b c d e f Maréchal, Sylvain; Delany, Sheila (2012-03-24). Anti-Saints: The New Golden Legend of Sylvain Maréchal. University of Alberta. p. 112. ISBN 9780888646040 – via Google Books.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Saint Maura of Troyes". CatholicSaints.Info. 2010-09-20. Retrieved 2016-12-18.
- ^ a b c d e f "St. Maura". Catholic Exchange. 2016-11-07. Retrieved 2016-12-18.
- ^ a b Phillips, Fr Andrew. "Latin Saints of the Orthodox Patriarchate of Rome". www.orthodoxengland.org.uk. Retrieved 2016-12-18.
- ^ Veitch, Donald (2015-04-06). "Reformed Anglicans: 6 April 861 A.D. Prudentius of Troyes—A Medieval Predestinarian; The Man Semi-Pelagobates Want You to Forget". Reformed Anglicans. Retrieved 2016-12-18.