Porcarius

Who was Porcarius?

Saint Porcarius, known as Saint-Porchaire in French, was a Benedictine monk, governed the abbey of Lérins, off the coast of the French Riviera, at a time when the monastery included over 500 residents.

According to tradition, around the year 732, Porcarius was warned by an angel in a vision that the monastery was about to be attacked by barbarians. Immediately the abbot heeded the warning and sent off to safety by ship all the young students at the abbey and 36 of the younger monks. When the ship left fully loaded, he set about preparing the rest of the community for death and prayed with them for courage.

The community was attacked by the Saracens, probably Moors from Spain or North Africa, and were massacred, except four who were taken into slavery. Their feast is kept in the diocese of Fréjus, France, and the memorial day of Saint Porcarius and his companions is August 12.