Aredius

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Aredius
Abbot
Born	c. 510, Limoges, France
Died	591
Venerated in	Roman Catholic Church
Feast	25 August
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Saint Aredius (ca. 510-591), also known as Yrieix, was Abbot of Limoges and chancellor to Theudebert II, King of Austrasia in the 6th century. He founded the monastery of Attanum, and the various French communes called St. Yrieix are named after him.

[edit] Legend

He was the son of Jocundus, a wealthy Roman. As a young boy he was sent to monastery at Vigeois to study. At the age of 14, he was sent to Metz, under Theudebert. He became the chancellor. Aredius left the court, where life was dissolute, to join Nicetius, bishop of Trier. He converted to Christianity; when he was singing psalms, a dove came down from the sky and flew around him, Aredius tried to shoo it away, but this one was placed above his head. The dove remained with Aredius during thirty days. When his father died, he joined his mother Pelagia in a villa in Attanum (Attane).