Humbert of Maroilles, St.
HUMBERT OF MAROILLES, ST.
Benedictine abbot; b. Mezières-sur-Oise, beginning of the seventh century; d. Maroilles, March 25, c. 680. According to tradition, he became a monk and priest at Laon, from which he retired upon the death of his parents to claim an inheritance. Having made two pilgrimages to Rome, he became first abbot of Maroilles and, according to a later working of the legend, bishop. The document by which he ceded (675) his villa at Mezièressur-Oise to Maroilles has survived [J. M. Pardessus, Diplomata 2:155f; Monumenta Germaniae Scriptores 7:412]. His cult was already widespread in the Frankish kingdom in the eighth century.
Feast: March 25.
Bibliography: j. mabillon, Acta sanctorum ordinis S. Benedicti, 9 v. (Paris 1668–1701; 2d ed. Venice 1733–40) 2:767–772. Acta sanctorum Belgii selecta, ed. j. h. ghesquiÈre et al., 6 v. (Brussels 1783–94) 4: 146. Acta Sanctorum March 3:557–565. j. l. baudot and l. chaussin, Vies des saints et des bienheueux selon l'ordre du calendrier avec l'historique des fêtes (Paris 1935–56) 3:547–548. p. gazeau, Catholicisme 5:1088. a. m. zimmermann, Kalendarium Benedictinum: Die Heiligen und Seligen des Benediktinerorderns und seiner Zweige, 4 v. (Metten 1933–38) 1:370–372.
[b. f. scherer]