Gennadius of Astorga, St.
GENNADIUS OF ASTORGA, ST.
Bishop of Astorga (Spain) from 899 and patron saint, fostered Benedictine monasticism in Bierzo; date and place of birth unknown; d. Bierzo, 936. As a priest in 895 he restored the monastery of San Pedro de Montes. In 920 he built an oratory for hermits and resigned his see to lead the eremitic life. He is buried at Santiago de Peñalba, one of three hermitages he founded, where his feast was celebrated as early as 1311. There is no vita; data derive from documents. In his testament he left to his monasteries copies of liturgical books and other important manuscripts. His Benedictines flourished next to immigrant Mozarab monks from the south.
Feast: May 25.
Bibliography: Acta Sanctorum May 6:93–99. h. flÓrez et. al. España sagrada (Madrid 1747–1957) 16:129–147. a. lambert, Dictionnaire d'histoire et de géographie ecclésiastiques (Paris 1912) 4:1218–19; 8:1443. f. c. nock, Vita sancti Fructuosi (Washington 1946). c. m. aherne, Valerio de Bierzo (Washington 1949).
[e. p. colbert]