SAINT OF THE WEEK

St Remigius (October 1)
Remigius, or Remi (c 437 to c 530), played a leading role in one of the key events in the history of Western civilisation, the baptism of the Frankish King Clovis, “the architect of France”, who reigned between 481 and 511.
The story loses nothing in its telling by Gregory of Tours, writing a century later. Clovis’s Queen, Clotilde, a Burgundian and Catholic princess, had badgered the king into allowing their first-born son to be baptised. Clovis, however, was not impressed when the child died shortly after his induction into the Church.
Nevertheless Clotilde, clearly a woman of strong character, insisted that their second son also should be baptised. This boy, too, immediately sickened, and once more Clovis feared the worst. This time, though, the child recovered.
Clovis remained apparently unconvinced by Christianity. In 496, however, he found himself hard-pressed in battle. “O Christ,” he cried out, “whom Clotilde invokes as the son of the living God, I implore thy help. I have called upon my gods, and they have no power. I therefore call on Thee. I believe in Thee. Deliver me from my enemies and I will be baptised in thy Name.” Victory duly ensued, and Clovis returned to Clotilde. “Clovis has vanquished the Alemanni,” he told her, “and you have triumphed over Clovis. What you had so much at heart is done.” Clotilde, however, wisely judged that a faith born in the exaltation of victory might be fragile. She therefore sent for Remigius, the Bishop of Reims, to instruct Clovis in Christianity.
At first the King felt that his chiefs would be unwilling to follow him in converting, believing them to be too attached to their pagan gods. When he summoned a council, however, the chiefs declared themselves eager to follow “the immortal God whom Remigius preaches”.
At the service for Clovis’s conversion Remigius instructed the King to “worship what you have burned, and burn what you have worshipped.” It was said that, when the anointing oil was found to be missing, Remigius prayed for another chrism, which was immediately delivered by an eagle. Certainly, a phial was preserved at the abbey of St Remi and used in the consecration of the kings of France until 1825. Remigius also conferred on Clovis the power of touching for “the King’s Evil” (scrofula).
Remigius had been born at Laon into a Gaulish family which was evidently influential, since at 22, before even being ordained, he was appointed Bishop of Reims. Nevertheless, he became known as a fine preacher and instructor. He even, at Clovis’s accession, presumed to send the king a letter dilating upon his royal duties. At that stage, however, he had not dared to suggest that Clovis should be converted.