Saint for 1^st May 2004-04-28

Sigismund of Burgundy

Gunebald, ruler of the kingdom of Burgundy in the early sixth century, claimed to be a Christian but denied the divinity of Jesus Christ, His son and heir, Saint Sigismund, under the influence of the Bishop of Vienne, accepted the true faith

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But although intellectually he had become a Christian, his temper and savage ways remained those of a pagan. He had been king for scarcely a year when his son Sigeric fell out with his stepmother, Sigismund's second wife. The king took the stepmother's part. So great became his rage during the quarrel that he would hear any slander against Sigeric and eventually ordered his
officers to strangle the prince

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When Sigismund's temper had abated, he was appalled at what he had ordered to be done to his son. He strove to make amends. He founded anew the decaying monastery of St Maurice at Agaunum, bringing there enough monks to make sure that the voice of praise was silent at no time of the day or night.

The king became a lover of the poor, liberally distributing his goods to their service. But still he felt he had not properly made amends for the murder of Sigeric. Only some great calamity, he felt could atone such an action; and in his prayers Saint Sigismund welcomed any thing that might happen to him by way of punishment.

Gunebald had killed the grandfather of three royal sons of Clovis, King of the Franks. They decided not only to take revenge by attacking Sigismund; they also aimed at overrunning Burgundy too. The three men conquered Sigismund in battle.

For some time Sigismund escaped their swords, by living as a hermit close by the monastery of St Maurice. But he was eventually captured and taken to Orleans for execution. His was corpse flung down a well.

                                                                            
Richard F Sibley

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