MAMERTUS OF VIENNE, ST.

Bishop of Vienne, France, c. 461–475. Nothing certain is known of his early life or family except that he was the brother of claudianus mamertus. He was rebuked by Pope hilary for appointing a bishop to Die, a suffragan diocese of arles; he was condemned by a synod at Arles, and apparently submitted. In his own diocese he promoted the cult of St. ferreolus. Mamertus is best known for organizing rogation processions, or Minor Litanies, the prayers of the people in time of calamity. It is not known whether his Rogations were held before or after Ascension Day, but it is certain that they were continued by his successors and prescribed for all Gaul by the Council of Orléans in 511. He is buried in the church of St. Peter at Vienne.

Feast: May 11.

Bibliography: p. jaffÉ, Regesta pontificum romanorum ab condita ecclesia ad annum post Christum natum 1198, ed. f. kaltenbrunner, 2 v. (2d ed. Leipzig 1881–88; repr. Graz 1956) 1:76. l. duchesne, Fastes épiscopaux de l'ancienne Gaule, 3 v. (2d ed. Paris 1970–15) 1:205. Acta Sanctorum May 2:628–631. sidonius apollinaris, Epistulae, bk. 4, ch. 11; bk. 5, ch. 1 in Monumenta Germaniae Historica: Auctores antiquissimi (Berlin 1826–) v.8. hilary, Monumenta Germaniae Historica: Epistulae (Berlin 1826–) 3:28–32. gregory of tours, De passione et virtutibus sancti Iuliani martyris, ch. 2 in Monumenta Germaniae Historica: Scriptores rerum Merovingicarum (Berlin 1826–) 1:565. avitus, "Homilia de rogationibus," Patrologia Latina, ed. j. p. migne, 271v., indexes 4 v. (Paris 1878–90) 59:289–294. h. g. j. beck, The Pastoral Care of Souls in South-East France during the Sixth Century (Analecta Gregoriana 51; 1950) 104–108, 290.

[m. c. mccarthy]