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Saint Maurice. What Is St Maurice The Patron Saint Of?

It was thought that this Passio was written in the Carolingian period for a long time. However, recent studies have shown, historically and linguistically, that this second Passio was written no later than the middle of the 6th century. Who was Saint Maurice?

Saint Maurice, also called Mauritius, was a Roman officer and commander of the 22nd Roman legion, named Theban, after the province of Thebes in Upper Egypt, where it was founded.

Indeed, information about this Theban Legion is provided by two sources: on the one hand, the Passio Acaunensium martyred, written by Bishop Eucherius of Lyons in the 5th century, is long considered the only source worth considering, and an anonymous Passio, long neglected.

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What is St Maurice the patron saint of?

Maurice was a Roman officer in the Theban Legion during the reign of Roman Emperor Maximian, who was Roman Emperor of the Western Roman Empire from 286 to 305. 

Saint Maurice is the patron saint of the Foot Soldiers, Cramps, and Swordsmiths. Indeed, as the Berbers invaded the western borders of the Roman Empire, Maximian requested the help of Emperor Diocletian,  Emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire. So the name of the people of North Africa was The Berbers, west of the Nile Valley.

Indeed a patron is considered a defender of a particular group of people or a nation, so there is a pattern for every occasion, profession, or specific interest. It is also understood that prayers are more likely to be answered if a patron is asked to intercede for them. It is helpful to recognize Saint Maurice in paintings, stained glass windows, illuminated manuscripts, architecture, and other forms of Christian art. The artistic depictions reflect the life or death of the saint or some aspect of life with which the person is most connected, in a close relationship. 

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Biography of Saint Maurice

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Biblical places from the times of Saint Maurice

  1. Thebes, Egypt
  2. The Eastern Desert

What was Saint Maurice known for?

The study of the legend was stimulated by the excavations (1944-1949) at Saint Maurice in Valais. In 1956 an analysis of the Passio appeared by D.van Berchem, a specialist in the history of the Roman army, who found that the primary source for the authorship of the Passio was an oral account by a 4th-century Eastern bishop, Theodore von Octodurum, who brought from the Orient the legend of a particular Saint Maurice, who was martyred with 70 soldiers under his command. Van Berchem claimed it was the soldiers, neither the Thebans nor a whole legion.

Saint Maurice was known for being a Christian soldier whose alleged martyrdom with his comrades inspired a cult that is still practiced today.

So among those martyred with him were SS. Vitalis, Candidus, and Exuperius. Indeed he is the patron saint of the Vatican Swiss Guard. Saint Maurice and the Theban Legion cult is found in Switzerland, along the Rhine, and in northern Italy. So the Abbey of Saint-Maurice was probably founded around 524 around the Theodorus Basilica, which is said to have been built by Theodorus of Octodurum. 

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How did Saint Maurice become a saint?

Therefore, the holy person Maurice was an Egyptian military pioneer who drove the mythical Theban Legion in Rome in the third hundred years. And also is quite possibly the most cherished and loved holy people of this gathering of a saint. He is the benefactor divine person of different callings, spots, and realms.

On July 19, 1941, Holy person Maurice, the benefactor holy person of the Alpini, became a saint because he suffered martyrdom. (Mountain infantry corps) of the Italian armed force. Also, the Alpine has consistently observed Mauricio’s party from that point forward.

The Synaxarium of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria overlooks Saint Maurice, albeit a few Coptic temples are named after him. Maurice was likewise the supporter holy person of a Catholic area and church in New Orleans’ ninth Ward and was an involved piece of the town of Arabi in St. Bernard Parish. The congregation was worked in 1856 however was annihilated on August 29, 2005, by the breezes and flooding brought about by Hurricane Katrina. Also, the copper-hued ringer tower tumbled off the structure.

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Key Verse related to St. Maurice

For A Long Time, Maurice Rubbed His Shaved Head Until, At Last, He Looked Up At His Student. Teo, I Think You Have To Let Deu Be The God He Is, Not The God You Want Him To Be.

Saint Maurice

Where is St. Maurice from?

According to hagiographic material, Maurice was an Egyptian born in AD 250. C. Thebes was an ancient city in Upper Egypt that was the capital of the New Kingdom of Egypt (1575-1069 BC). He grew up in the  Thebes area. (Luxor).

As already mentioned, Saint Maurice was a pioneering tactician from Egypt who was the leader of the most famous Theban legion in Rome in the 3rd century and one of the most popular saints of the congregation.

The holy person Maurice became a devout supporter of the  Holy Roman Emperors. In 926, Henry the Birdcatcher (919936) even gave what is now the  Swiss canton of Aargau to the monastery in exchange for Maurice’s spear, sword, and feathers. Some rulers were also buried in front of the altar of San Mauricio in St. Peter’s Basilica. In 929, Henry the Birdcatcher held an imperial assembly in Magdeburg. 

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Where is the statue of St. Maurice?

It isn’t wholly sure that St. Maurice was a genuine individual; however, as per the hagiography, he was the commandant of the Theban Legion in the late third century CE. 

This sculpture of St. Maurice can be found in Magdeburg Cathedral and dates from around 1240 and was most likely made by the mysterious artist of the notable Magdeburg Rider.

The chiseled elements of Maurice’s face and the shading unambiguously recognize him as an individual of color. However, this is no belittling cartoon. This realistic, exact figure is an outstanding hero outfitted with his trademark stick, which he once held in his right hand. But, in this sculpture, the earliest portrayal of St. Maurice as an individual of color, we see a development in ancient depictions of darkness that tested hostile generalizations and demanded a Christian populism that rose above any variety of contrast.

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Primary Takeaways

  • In Switzerland, there are more than 50 churches whose patron saints are Saint Maurice and his soldiers. Therefore, this year the Catholic parish of Halle (Germany), whose patron saint is St. Mauritius, celebrated its 600th anniversary.

Conclusion

Also, the Mhonoredans honored Saint Maurice, and during the Carolingian period, the saint was elected patron saint of the military of the Frankish Kingdom. Indeed the German Emperor Otto I († 973) received relics of St. Maurice for his cathedral in Magdeburg, dedicated to the commander of the Theban Legion. Indeed as a wedding gift from his father-in-law on the occasion of his Adelheid, the daughter of the Burgundian king, on Christmas Day 960.

So, Emperor Otto, I blamed his victory at Lechfeld against the Hungarianhis help he received from Saint Maurice. He also asked to recognize his feast day, which corresponds to canonization.

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I hope you have a good day, and we recommend playing the following trivia to test your knowledge about Saint Maurice.

Quizlet about Saint Maurice and the other saints

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Bibliography

  • Samson, R. (1998). Les Forges du Saint-Maurice: les débuts de l’industrie sidérurgique au Canada, 1730-1883. Presses Université Laval.
  • Laborde, F., Noirhomme, P., Karam, J., Batisse, A., Bourel, P., Saint Maurice, O., & Fontan, F. M. (1993). A new video-assisted thoracoscopic surgical technique for interrupting patent ductus arteriosus in infants and children. The Journal of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery105(2), 278-280.
  • Saint-Maurice, P. F., & Welk, G. J. (2015). Validity and calibration of the youth activity profile. PloS one10(12), e0143949.
  • Saint‐Maurice, P. F., Troiano, R. P., Berrigan, D., Kraus, W. E., & Matthews, C. E. (2018). The volume of light versus moderate‐to‐vigorous physical activity: similar benefits for all‐cause mortality? Journal of the American Heart Association7(7), e008815.
  • Adams, R. M. (1984). Saints. The Journal of Philosophy81(7), 392-401.