Romanus of Condat
Born in Sequania around 390, he is one of the great “Fathers of the Jura” and the brother of Saint Lupicin. After withdrawing around 420 into solitude to live as a hermit, he attracted disciples and, together with his brother, founded several monasteries. He imbued the whole region with a spirit of prayer and evangelical discipline. He passed away around 460.
- Late Antiquity
- Feast day February 28
- † 460
- Monk
- Hermit
Saint Romanus of Condat, born in Sequania (present-day Franche-Comté) around 390, is a major figure of early monasticism in Gaul. At about the age of 35 (around 420), he left the world to live as a hermit in the inhospitable forests of the Jura, near a place called Condat. His ascetic way of life and piety quickly attracted disciples, among them his own brother Lupicin. Together, they founded several monastic communities, of which Condat was the first and most important, becoming a major spiritual and intellectual center. Romanus was the first abbot of Condat. His rule, inspired by the Eastern traditions and by Cassian, emphasized prayer, manual labor, and strict poverty. He died around 460, leaving a lasting monastic legacy that transformed the region.
Sayings for the day — February 28
- Soleil le dernier jour de février met des fleurs au pommier.
Places
- Church
- Monastère de Condat (futur Saint-Claude)