(A.D. 512.)
[S. Genoveva is mentioned in almost all the Latin Martyrologies.
Her life was written by an anonymous learned man, in the reign of
Childebert, about eighteen years after her death. Three ancient
lives exist, but whether one of these is that then composed, it is
impossible to say.]
The blessed Genoveva was born at Nanterre, near Mont Valerien, on the
outskirts of Paris. Her father's name was Severus; that of her mother
was Gerontia. When S. Germanus, Bishop of Auxerre, was on his way to
Britain, to oppose the heresy of Pelagius, with his companion, S. Lupus,
they passed through Nanterre. The people went out to meet him, and
receive the benedictions; men, and women, and children in companies.
Amongst the children, S. Germanus observed Genoveva, and bade her be
brought before him. The venerable bishop kissed the child, and asked her
name. The surrounding people told him, and the parents coming up, S.
Germanus said to them, "Is this little girl your child?" They answered
in the affirmative. "Then," said the bishop, "happy are ye in having so
blessed a child. She will be great before God; and, moved by her
example, many will decline from evil and incline to that which is good,
and will obtain remission of their sins, and the reward of life from
Christ the Lord."
And then, after a pause, he said to Genoveva, "My daughter, Genoveva!"
She answered, "Thy little maiden listens." Then he said, "Do not fear to
tell me whether it be not thy desire to dedicate thy body, clean and
untouched, to Christ, as His bride?" She said, "Blessed be thou, father,
for thou hast spoken my desire. I pray God earnestly that He will grant
it me."
"Have confidence, my daughter," said S. Germain; "be of good courage,
and what thou believest in thy heart, and confessest with thy lips,
perform in work. God will add to thy comeliness virtue and fortitude."
Then they went to the church, and sang Nones and Vespers, and throughout
the office the bishop held his hand on the little maiden's head. And
that evening, after supper had been eaten, and they had sung a hymn, S.
Germain bade Severus retire with his daughter, but bring her to him very
early in the morning again. So when the day broke, Severus came back
bringing the child, and the old bishop smiled, and said, "Hail, my
daughter Genoveva. Dost thou recall the promise thou didst make
yesterday, about keeping thy body in integrity?" She answered, "I
remember what I promised to thee, my father, and to God, that with His
help I would preserve the chastity of my mind, and the integrity of my
body, unto the end."
Then S. Germain picked up from the ground a little brass coin with the
sign of the cross on it, which he had observed lying there whilst he was
speaking, and gave it her, saying, "Bore a hole in this, and wear it
round thy neck in remembrance of me, and let not any other metal
ornament, gold or silver, or pearls, adorn thy neck or fingers." Then he
bade her farewell, commending her to the care of her father, and pursued
his journey.
It has been supposed by some that the command of S. Germain not to wear
gold, &c., indicates that she was of wealthy parents, and they are
disposed to doubt the common tradition of the place, and the ancient
Breviary, which says that she kept sheep for her father on the slopes of
Valerien at Nanterre. But there need be no difficulty upon this point,
for the sons and daughters of men of some position, at that period, were
thus employed, and there was not supposed to be anything demeaning in
the office. Thus, S. Cuthbert, though of noble race, kept sheep on the
Northumbrian moors.
At the age of fifteen she was presented to the Bishop of Paris, to be
consecrated to the religious life. With her were two other virgins, and
though she was the youngest of the three, the bishop, moved by some
interior inspiration, placed her first, saying that heaven had already
sanctified her.
On the death of her parents, she moved to Paris, where she was remarked
for her sanctity and miraculous powers. When S. Germain was on his way
to Britain again, he passed through Paris, and asked after Genoveva,
when certain envious persons tried to poison his mind against her; but
he, despising their slanders, greeted her with great kindness openly, so
as to testify before all the people how highly he honoured her, as he
had done before at Nanterre.
The influence exerted by this holy woman must have been very great, for
she persuaded the Parisians to remain in the city, instead of flying
into the country, when the hosts of Attila, King of the Huns, threatened
it. Then Genoveva assembled the pious matrons, and with them fasted, and
prayed, asking God incessantly, with many tears, to avert the scourge
of the Huns from the city.
[Illustration: S. GENOVEVA, Patroness of the City of Paris.
From Cahier.
Jan. 3.]
A tumult, however, arose; many people saying that she was a false
prophet, and that she would bring ruin on the citizens by dissuading
them from escaping with their goods to places of greater security. The
mob, headlong and cruel--as a Parisian mob has ever been--came upon her
to stone her, or drown her in the Seine, and they would have carried
their ferocious purpose into execution, had not her ancient friend and
father in God, S. Germain, stood by her in her extremity. He was then
dying at Auxerre, and his thoughts turned to the little girl he had
consecrated to God in bygone years, in the humble church of Nanterre.
Then, he bade the archdeacon take to her the _Eulogae_, or blessed
bread,[17] in token of love and regard.
The archdeacon arrived when the feeble woman was in greatest peril.
He had heard the prophecy of S. Germain of old; and, running among
the people, he exhibited the Eulogies sent by the holy bishop, and
told them how highly he had venerated her virtues; so he appeased the
multitude and dispersed them.
The saying of the Apostle was fulfilled, "All men have not faith; but
the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil;"
for by the prayers of S. Genoveva the city was preserved, and the army
of Alaric came not near it.
S. Genoveva lived on a little barley bread, and a few beans stewed in
oil; but after she was aged fifty, at the command of the bishop, she
ate also fish, and drank milk. Feeling a great reverence for S. Denis,
she desired greatly to build a church in his honour, and she, one day,
urged some priests to undertake the work. But they hesitated, saying
that they were not able to do so; one reason being that there was no
means of burning lime. Then S. Genoveva said, "Go, and cross the city
bridge, and tell me what you hear." The priests left her, and as they
passed over the bridge, they heard two swineherds in conversation. One
said to the other, "Whilst I was following one of my pigs the other
day, it led me into the forest to a large limekiln."
"That is no marvel," answered the other, "for I found a sapling in the
forest uprooted by the wind, and under its roots was an old kiln."
On hearing this, the priests returned and told Genoveva what the
swineherds had said, and she rejoiced, and set the Priest Genes over
the work; and all the citizens, at the instigation of S. Genoveva,
assisted; and she encouraged the workmen, till the church of S. Denis
was built and roofed in. This incident is not a little curious, as it
exhibits the fall and prostration of the arts at this period, when,
apparently, the science of building was forgotten, and old Roman
limekilns had to be used, because the Gauls, owing to the incursions of
barbarians and civil war, had lost the art of building them.
Childeric, though a heathen, had a great respect for Genoveva, and was
unable to refuse her, when she requested him, to spare the lives of his
prisoners. On one occasion, when he was about to execute, outside the
city, a large number of captives made in war, he ordered the gates to
be closed behind him, lest Genoveva should follow, and obtain pardon
for them. But when the saintly woman heard that the blood of so many
men was about to flow, in a paroxysm of compassion, she hurried through
the streets, and reaching the gates, put her hand to them, and though
locked and barred, they unclosed at the touch of charity, and she
pursued the king; and, falling down before him, would not be comforted
till she had obtained pardon for all those whom he had ordered to be
executed. After Paris was blockaded by the Franks, the neighbourhood
suffered greatly from famine, as the harvests had been destroyed and
the country laid waste. Genoveva, seeing that many died of want,
conducted vessels to Arcis, and procuring sufficient supplies, returned
with them to Paris.
Every Saturday night, Genoveva was wont to watch in prayer, that the
Lord coming in the Holy Eucharist of His day, might find his servant
watching. It fell out that one stormy night, as the Sabbath drew
towards Sunday morn, and the cock had crowed, she left her home to
betake herself to the church of S. Denis, with the virgins who were her
fellows, and the lantern that was carried before her was extinguished
by a puff of wind; then the maidens were frightened at the pitch
darkness, the howling of the storm, and the rain, and the road was
so muddy that, without a light, they could not pick their way. Then
Genoveva took the lantern in her hand, and the candle lighted of itself
within; and holding it, she entered the church.
She performed several pilgrimages to the shrine of S. Martin, at Tours,
in company with those holy women who lived with her, and imitated her
virtues. She died at the age of eighty-nine, probably in the year 512;
but the date is not to be ascertained with certainty.
Patroness of Paris.
Relics, in the church of S. Etienne du Mont, at Paris.
In art, S. Genoveva is represented, (1), with a devil blowing out her
candle, and an angel rekindling it. Sometimes, in old sculpture, the
devil is provided with a pair of bellows; or, (2), she is restoring
sight to her mother with the water of the well of Nanterre; or, (3),
guarding her father's sheep; or, (4), with the keys of Paris at her
girdle, as patroness of the city; or, (5), holding bread in her lap;
or, (6), with the well of Nanterre at her side.