Saint Albino, Bishop of Angers

Saint Albino was born in 469, into a Christian family that was on the rise socially and financially. He was from Vannes, his hometown in Brittany, and was a reserved, intelligent, pious and generous child. When he reached adolescence, he felt a vocation for religious life. He became a monk at age 20 and, 5 years later, was chosen by his community to be the abbot of the monastery of Tintilante, also known as Our Lady of Nantili, near Saumur.

For 25 years, he exercised his ministry remaining faithful to the precepts of the Church, working to maintain the integrity of the sacraments and Christian traditions. During this period, all his human and spiritual qualities stood out, showing that he was a special person who walked in righteousness and holiness. He became the father and brother of the poor, the humble, the persecuted and the imprisoned. For this reason, he was elected as Bishop of Angers by the clergy and the population, demonstrating all the love and admiration for his great follower.

A bishop who fought for marriages

While bishop, he worked tirelessly to moralize customs, fighting against the incestuous marriages that were common at the time, when the rich at court married their sisters or daughters. To this end, he called the regional councils of Orléans in 538 and 541 and participated in both, risking his life. With the support of the Holy See, he was able to continue the difficult and dangerous campaign of Christian moralization. Later, at the council of 549, he was represented by his disciple and successor, the abbot Sapaudo.

Tradition attributes to Albino some prodigious situations covered by divine grace, such as the opening of the prison doors and the release of prisoners.

Your Easter

He died on the first day of March 550 and was buried in the church of St. Peter in Angers. In 556, a church was dedicated to him, with a crypt where his body was transferred. Next to the church, a Benedictine monastery was created, whose first abbot was Sapaudo.

The relics of Saint Albino were taken to the cathedral of Saint German in Paris in 1126, when his cult was already present in France, Italy, Germany, England, Poland and several countries in the East.

Because of his moralizing example, he was considered one of the most popular saints of the Middle Ages. His liturgical feast is celebrated on the day of his death.