Benignus of Dijon
Benignus of Dijon ( benignus (Latin) = kind, friendly) († in Dijon ) is a missionary and martyr from Asia Minor . As a missionary he was active in Burgundy in the 2nd or 3rd century . His feast day is November 1st . He is the patron saint of Dijon and Lombardy .
Legend
According to legend, Benignus was a student of Polycarp , Bishop of Smyrna , who sent him to missionary work in Gaul , where he worked in Autun , Langres and Dijon . He is said to have been martyred under Marc Aurelian or Aurelian . Since the dogs that were supposed to tear him apart had spared him, his skull was broken with an iron rod and his body was pierced with a lance.
After his death, Léonille, a Christian, is said to have embalmed him and buried him in a stone sarcophagus . The sarcophagus in Dijon, in which the body is said to have been, is empty. A church and later Dijon Cathedral was built over the site of his martyrdom, which became a popular pilgrimage destination .
According to tradition, the Saint Servatius treasure and healing chamber in Siegburg contains relics of the saint in a shrine made in the 12th century .
iconography
Benignus is depicted as a priest with tonsure , as an abbot on an abbot's throne, with a key in hand, with a dog by his side, with an iron bar in his skull or with lances.
literature
- The actes de saint Bénigne, apôtre de la Bourgogne. In: Bibliothèque de l'école de chartes , vol. 21. 1860. pp. 228–240. Full text
- Friedrich Wilhelm Bautz : Benignus. In: Biographisch-Bibliographisches Kirchenlexikon (BBKL). Volume 1, Bautz, Hamm 1975. 2nd, unchanged edition Hamm 1990, ISBN 3-88309-013-1 , Sp. 500.
Web links
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Benignus of Dijon |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Missionary and martyr |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 2nd century |
| DATE OF DEATH | 2nd century or 3rd century |
| Place of death | Dijon |