Leontius of Fréjus, St.
LEONTIUS OF FRÉJUS, ST.
Bishop, patron of Fréjus (France); b. probably Nîmes, late fourth century; d. Fréjus, c. 432. He was consecrated bishop of Fréjus before 419 and remained there until his death. The local tradition that holds that he went as an apostle into Germany (432–442) is historically doubtful. He supported St. honoratus of arles in the foundation of the monastery at lÉrins. John cassian dedicated the first ten Collationes to him. He is among several bishops of Gaul who received a joint letter from boniface i in 419 (P. Jaffé, Regesta pontificum romanorum ab condita ecclesia ad annum post Christum natum 1198 ; 349) and from celestine ii in 431 (Jaffé 381).
Feast: Dec. 1 (Fréjus); Dec. 5 (Nîmes).
Bibliography: s. le nain de tillemont, Mémoires pour servir à l'histoire ecclésiastique des six premiers siècles, 16 v. (Paris 1693–1712) 12:468–470, 476–477, 676–679. Gallia Christiana v. 1–13 (Paris 1715–85) v. 14–16 (Paris 1856–65) 1:420–421. j. b. disdier, Recherches historiques sur saint Léonce (Draguignan 1864). l. duchesne, Fastes épiscopaux de l'ancienne Gaule, 3 v. (Paris 1886–92; 2d ed. Paris 1907–58) 1:285. j. l. baudot and l. chaussin, Vies des saints et des bienheureux selon l'ordre du calendrier avec l'historique des fêtes, 12 v. (Paris 1935–56) 12:25–27.
[g. e. conway]