Saint Germanus of Paris

Germanus was born in Autun at the end of the fifth century, into a well-off family. He had a good education, became a priest and then abbot of the abbey of Saint Symphorian in Autun. In 555, at the wish of King Childebert, he was made bishop of Paris. He was a bishop who said no to kings. In those years the sons of Clovis were tearing each other apart, and Germanus stood in their way more than once: he excommunicated King Charibert for his private life, and wrote letters to Queen Brunhild that no one else dared to write. At the same time he ransomed prisoners and freed slaves. The first version of the Gallican liturgy is attributed to him: the rite used in much of Europe until the reform of the eleventh century. It was related to the Ambrosian rite of Milan and the Mozarabic rite of Spain, and kept a link with the liturgies of the Middle East, especially the Syriac one. Then the Roman rite took over everywhere, and little of it was left. In 558 he consecrated a church dedicated to Saint Vincent of Zaragoza, with a monastery attached. He died in 576 and was buried in the chapel of Saint Symphorian. In 756 his body was moved to that church of Saint Vincent, which has borne his name ever since: it is Saint-Germain-des-Prés, and the Paris neighborhood around it is named after him. If your name is Germano, today is your name day.