ADELPHUS OF METZ, ST.

Bishop; d. fifth century. Apart from the undoubted existence of his cult in Metz from an early date, everything about Adelphus is conjectural. He is believed to have succeeded St. Rufus as bishop of Metz in the fifth century, and to have ruled the diocese for 17 years, converting many pagans. The solemn translation of his relics to Neuweiler in 836 was an occasion of great popular rejoicing. Neuweiler became a center of pilgrimage. A great church was built in the eleventh century to enshrine the relics, but during the Reformation they were restored to their former repository in the abbey church.

Feast: Aug. 29; Sept. 1 in Neuweiler.

Bibliography: Acta Sanctorum Aug. 6:504–512. Bibliotecha hagiograpia latina antiquae et mediae aetatis (Brussels 1898–1901) 1:76. Pauli Warnefridi Liber de episcopis Mettensibus, Monumenta Germaniae Historica: Scriptores (Berlin 1826–) 2:260–270. Gesta episcoporum Mettensium, ed. g. waitz, Monumenta Germaniae Historica: Scriptores (Berlin 1826–) 10:531–551, esp. 536. Translatio et miracula S. Adelphi episcopi Mettensis, ed. l. de heinemann, Monumenta Germaniae Historica: Scriptores (Berlin 1826–) 15.1:293–296. l. duchesne, Fastes épiscopaux de l'ancienne Gaul (Paris 1907–15) 3:45–54. l. pfleger, "Zur Gesch. des Adelphikultus in Elsass," Archiv für elsässische Kirchengeschichte 2 (1927) 443–444. j. m. b. clauss, Die Heiligen des Elsass (Düsseldorf 1935). a. m. burg, Lexicon für Theologie und Kirche, ed. j. hofer and k. rahner (Freiburg 1957–65) 1:144.

[m. b. ryan]