VINDICIANUS OF CAMBRAI-ARRAS, ST.

Early bishop in the Low Countries; b. Bullecourt, near Bapaume, Pas-de-Calais, France, ca. 620; d. Brussels, 712? Elected to succeed Bp. Aubert of CambraiArras (ca. 668), he supervised the translation of the relics of St. Maxellendis to Caudry, France, in 673. He blessed the abbey for nuns at Honnecourt (673). In 675 he consecrated the abbey church at Hasnon, and in 686 dedicated the abbey church at Hamaye (Hamage) and witnessed the elevation of its former Abbesses eusebia of hamay and Rictrude. He made donations to several monasteries, e.g., in 675 to Maroilles (made famous by St. humbert of

maroilles). About 682 he completed the Abbey of

saint-vaast (arras) begun by his predecessor, and appointed Hatto its abbot (685). He entrusted its temporalities to the protection of Theodoric III, King of Neustria (673–698). When rebuked by Vindicianus for the wanton murder of Bp. leodegar of autun by Ebroin, his mayor of the palace, Theodoric repented and made reparation—so the legend goes—by richly endowing Saint-Vaast. Vindicianus tried (681) to secure Leodegar's remains for his diocese but was forestalled by Bp. Ansoald of Poitiers. Vindicianus would frequently retire for prayer to Saint-Vaast or to Mont Saint-Eloi, where he asked to be buried. After numerous translations (the first in 1030 by Bp. gerard, to Cambrai), his remains now rest in the cathedral of Arras (since 1601).

Feast: March 11.

Bibliography: Acta sanctorum Belgii, ed. j. h. ghesquiÈre et al., 6 v. (Brussels 1783–94) 503–533. l. van der essen, Étude critique et littéraire sur les Vitae des saints mérovingiens de l'ancienne Belgique (Louvain 1907) 276–277. a. poncelet, Analecta Bollandiana (Brussels 1882–) 27:384–390. a. butler, The Lives of the Saints, rev. ed. h. thurston and d. attwater, 4 v. (New York 1956) 1:558–559.

[c. m. aherne]