AGIL, ST.

Missionary and abbot; b. Franche-Comté, c. 580; d. Abbey of Rebaisnear Meaux, France, c. 650. At the age of about seven, Agil (also called Aile, Ail, Aisle, Ayeul, Ely) was received at the abbey of Luxeuil by columban and trained there in the religious life by eustace of luxeuil. He probably followed Columban into exile in 610, returning to Luxeuil with Eustace, and after his ordination as a priest accompanying Eustace on a missionary journey to Bavaria c. 617. When elected bishop of Langres in 628, Agil refused the dignity. ouen of rouen chose him to be the first abbot of his new foundation at Rebais, and Agil was consecrated in the presence of Dagobert I at Clichy in 636, when the king also granted the abbey a charter of immunity (Monumenta Germaniae Historica: Diplomata 1:16). Agil died at the age of 66 and was buried in St. Peter's church at Rebais. There are two biographies of the saint, one from the late seventh century and the other a composite of the eleventh and twelfth centuries.

Feast: Aug. 30.

Bibliography: j. mabillon, Acta sanctorum ordinis S. Benedictii (Venice 1733–40) 2:301–320. Acta Sanctorum Aug. 6:574–597. Bibliotheca hagiographia latina antiquae et mediae aetatis (Brussels 1898–1901) 148–149. e. vacandard, Vie de saint Ouen, évêque de Rouen (Paris 1902) 61–69, 169. p. fournier, Dictionnaire d'histoire et de géographie ecclésiastiques, ed. a. baudrillart et al. (Paris 1912) 1:957–958. a. m. zimmermann, Kalendarium Benedictinum (Metten 1933–38) 2:634. r. aigrain, Catholicisme 1:245–246.

[b. j. comaskey]