Description
Saint Liborius of Le Mans is a 3cm tall pocket/handbag statue of a bishop with pebbles on a book. He is patron saint of a good death, abdominal pains, calculi, gravel, kidney stones or gall stones, against colic, against fever, of a good death, archdiocese of Paderborn, Germany, city of Paderborn, Germany, Paderborn Cathedral.
St Liborius of Le Mans 3cm Pocket / Handbag Statue
3cm tall - perfect for carrying with you.
9 April St Liborius of Le Mans (early 4th century 397)
Posted on April 9, 2018
Saint of the Day 9 April St Liborius of Le Mans (early 4th century 397) Bishop, Confessor, Reformer, evangeliser and shepherd of souls, builder of Churches and monasteries. Patronages abdominalpains, against calculi, gravel, kidney stones or gall stones, against colic, against fever, of a good death, archdiocese of Paderborn, Germany, city of Paderborn, Germany, Paderborn Cathedral. Attributes Bishop with pebbles on a book; Bishop with a peacock; episcopal attire.
St Liborius was born of an illustrious family of Gaul (a region in
the Roman Empire which extended to the area on the west bank of the
Rhine river of the present day Germany) and became Bishop of Le Mans,
France. He was a trusty companion and great friend to St Marinus
(Martin of Tours). They were both bishops, neighbours in office. St
Liborius was bishop for about 49 years and ordained 217 priests, 186
deacons and 93 sub deacons and other churchmen.
Much of the ministerial life of Bishop Liborius covered the second
half of the 4th century. By this time, the Roman Empire ended its
persecution of Christianity with Emperor Constantine the Greats Edict
of Milan in the year 313. Freed from persecution, the Christian faith
was now free to grow. However, during this time, foreign tribes roamed
the land. There was chaos and misery. Bishop Liborius Episcopal
area had been Christian for some time but heathen Druids were still
active and through their mysterious pagan rites were able to influence
the people. So, Bishop Liborius built many churches and celebrated the
Eucharist with piety and dignity. The well-trained priests in his
diocese finally triumphed over the Druids. Nowadays, we would call the
works of Bishop Liborius and his clergy at the time as primary
evangelisation.
In the year, 836 A.D., (9th century), the relics of Saint Liborius
were brought from Le Mans, France, to Paderborn, Germany. At this
time, relics of the saints were well guarded and venerated in churches
and dioceses which had them. The willingness of the diocese of Le Mans
to handover the relics of St Liborius to the diocese of Paderborn was a
true act of charity. The event forged a long lasting friendship
between the sister cities of Le Mans and Paderborn; it has existed for
over 1,000 years to this day.
Since St Liborius died in the arms of his friend St Martin of Tours,
he is looked to as a patron of a good death. Since the century he is
prayed to for assistance against that gallstones that are caused by the
water of the limestone area; the first account of a healing of this kind
concerns the cure of Archbishop Werner von Eppstein, who came on
pilgrimage to the saints shrine in 1267. This is the origin of the
saints attribute of three stones placed on a copy of the Bible. In
the same period he became the patron of the cathedral and the
archdiocese, rather than the Blessed Virgin Mary and Saint Kilian, who
were previously in first place. And he is often cited as a patron of
peace and understanding among peoples. He is invoked against colic,
fever, and gallstones.
As well as being shown as a bishop carrying small stones on a book,
Saint Liborious is also shown with the attribute of a peacock because of
a legend that, when his body was brought to Paderborn, a peacock guided
the bearers.
The popularity of the saint in Paderborn is shown in the week-long
yearly festival known as Libori, that begins on the Saturday after his
local 23 July feast day but his universal memorial is today, 9 April.
Today, many parishes across the world are named after this great man
and Saint, as their patron.
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