Veremundus, St.
VEREMUNDUS, ST.
Benedictine abbot; b. Arelbano, Navarre, Spain, c. 1020; d. abbey of Irache, March 8, 1092. He came to the Abbey of Irache as a youth of ten during the regime of his uncle, Abbot Munius. Shortly after the abbot's death, Veremundus was elected to succeed him (c. 1052). During his tenure, Irache reached the height of its fame, both spiritual and temporal; in recognition of its abbot's sanctity, it was the recipient of gifts and privileges from King Sancho Ramírez. Commissioned by alexander ii to reform the Church in Spain, Veremundus was successful in promoting a liturgical renewal based on the texts and practices of his abbey. The discovery of the ancient image of Our Lady of Puy (1080) through the prayers of the abbot and his community led King Sancho to found the city of Estella on the site of the find. His relics, frequently translated (the latest in 1926), rest in the church of S. Juan de Estella; his cult was approved by Paul V in 1614.
Feast: March 8.
Bibliography: Acta Sanctorum March 1:793–798. j. pÉrez de urbel, Semblanzas benedictinas, 2 v. (Madrid 1925–26) 1:95–99. p. rodrÍguez gonzÁlez, San Veremundo (s.l. 1970). Enciclopedia universal ilustrada Europeo-Americana, 70 v. (Barcelona 1908–30; suppl. 1934–) 67:1480–81. a. m. zimmermann, Kalendarium Benedictinum: Die Heiligen und Seligen des Benediktinerorderns und seiner Zweige, 4 v. (Metten 1933–38) 1:300, 302.
[o. j. blum]