GUARINUS (GUÉRIN) OF SION, ST.

Bishop of Sion; b. Pont-à-Mousson, Lorraine, France, c. 1065; d. Aulps (near Geneva), Savoy, Aug. 27, 1150. Guarinus entered the benedictine Order in the Abbey of molesme c. 1085. In about 1094, he joined a group that had left Molesme for a more retired life at Aulps in Savoy, and he became second abbot of the new foundation c. 1110. St. bernard of clairvaux visited Aulps c. 1133–35 and later wrote a fine letter of congratulations to Guarinus, who had his monastery incorporated into the cistercian Order in 1136. In 1138, Guarinus became bishop of Sion in Switzerland. He died during a visit to Aulps and was buried there. He is still venerated extensively in Savoy and the Valais.

Feast: Jan. 6, Aug. 30 (Diocese of Sion), Jan. 14 (Cistercians).

Bibliography: Acta Sanctorum Jan. 1:347–348, 730. j. f. gonthier, Vie de saint Guérin (Annecy 1896). u. chevalier, Répetoire des sources historiques du moyen-âge: Topobibliographie (Paris 1894–1903) 1:1919. a. dimier, "San Guarino, abad de los Alpes y obispo de Sion," Cistercium 4 (1952) 89–95. m. b. brard, Catholicisme. Hier, aujourd'hui et demain, ed. g. jacquemet. bernard of clairvaux, Epistolae 142 and 254, Patrologia Latina, ed. j. p. migne (Paris 1878–90) 182:297–298, 459–462. j. l. baudot and l. chaussin, Vies des saints et des bienheureux salon l'ordre du calendrier avec l'historique des fêtes (Paris 1935–56) 1:125–128. c. lugon, "Une Étape vers l'indépendance du Valais. Saint Guérin chef temporel," Bulletin du Diocèse de Sion 6–7 (1965) 271–302; Saint Guérin, abbé d'Aulps, évêque de Sion (Geneva 1970).

[m. standaert]