Eusebia of Hamay, St.

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EUSEBIA OF HAMAY, ST.

Benedictine abbess; d. March 16, 680 or 689. Eusebia, the daughter of St. adalbald, was elected abbess of Hamay at the age of 12 (perhaps 23), in accord with the medieval custom of thus gaining for the abbey the patronage of a powerful family. After the murder of Adalbald, Eusebia's mother, St. Rictrude, considering her too young for such responsibility, transferred the entire community of Hamay to Marciennes, whither she had retired with her two younger daughters, and where she was abbess. Eusebia's desire to return to the abandoned monastery induced Rictrude to reestablish the community at Hamay. Eusebia ruled wisely until her death at the age of 40.

Feast: March 16.

Bibliography: Acta Sanctorum March 2:445456. j. mabillon, Acta sanctorum ordinis S. Benedicti (Venice 173340) 2:944951. Analecta Bollandiana 20 (1901) 460463; 62 (1944) 159164. Bibliotheca hagiographica latina antiquae et mediae aetatis (Brussels 18981901) 1: 273638. g. bardy, Catholicisme 4:710. j. l. baudot and l. chaussin, Vies des saints et des bienheueux selon l'ordre du calendrier avec l'historique des fêtes (Paris 193556) 3: 351352. a. m.. zimmermann, Kalendarium Benedictinum: Die Heiligen und Seligen des Benediktinerorderns und seiner Zweige (Metten 193338) 1:333335.

[m. b. ryan]

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