Perpetuus of Tours, St.
PERPETUUS OF TOURS, ST.
Bishop; d. 491. Perpetuus, of a senatorial family, was bishop of tours for 30 years (461–491). He zealously restored discipline in his diocese, regulated fasts and vigils, and built churches, including the magnificent basilica of St. martin of tours described by gregory of tours (Hist. Franc. 2; 10) and by the fifth–century poet–bishop, sidonius apollinaris (Epist. 4). St. Martin's body was transferred to the apse of this basilica, and Perpetuus himself was buried there. His presence at the provincial councils of Tours (461) and Vannes is attested to, but his epitaph and will were proved to be 17th–century forgeries of Jérôme vignier.
Feast: April 8, Dec. 30.
Bibliography: Acta Sanctorum April 1:744–748. l. duchesne, Fastes épiscopaux de l'ancienne Gaul, 3v. (2d ed. Paris 1907–15) 2:300–301. e. griffe, La Gaule chrétienne à l'époque romaine (Paris 1947). h. leclercq, Dictionnaire d'archéologie chrétienne et de liturgie ed. f. cabrol, h. leclercq and h. i. marrou (Paris 1907–53) 15, 2:2619–20. j. l. baudot and l. chaussin, Vies des saints et des bienheureux selon l'ordre du calendrier avec l'historique des fêtes, (Paris 1935–56) 4:182–188. a. butler, The Lives of the Saints. rev. ed. h. thurston and d. attwater (New York 1956) 2:53. h. delehaye, "Saint Martin et Sulpice Sévère," Analecta Bollandiana 38 (1920) 5–136.
[l. m. coffey]