Abbess Burgundofara with her staff representing the leadership of her monastery and Abbey. Stained Glass at Celle-sur-Morin Saint Sulpice. photo by G Freihalter.

Celts to the Crèche

Day 21

December 5

Abbess Burgundofara

of Faremoutiers

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On this 21st day of our journey with the Celts to the Crèche, we encounter St. Burgundofara (also known as St. Fara, St. Fare), the founding Abbess of the famous Faremoutiers  double monastery, in France, east of Paris, near modern-day Euro Disney. As a child she was blessed and dedicated to God by St. Columbanus (see day 9 of Celts to the Crèche) while he was visiting in her childhood home. She was a strong Abbess who was not afraid to speak her mind. She was both tender and tough. As a young woman, it is said that she spoke boldly to her father about becoming a nun. St. Burgundofara said to her father: “To lose my life for the sake of virtue, and fidelity to the promise I have made to God, would be a great happiness.”

In fact, it is recorded that a monk from one of Columbanus’ monasteries “felt called”  to mansplain Burgundofara about his thoughts on how she was using the Rule of Columbanus in her monastery. Well, let’s just politely say…he met tough. (read more about this encounter under “Tender and Tough” below.)

The original name of Faremoutiers was Brige, then later it was changed to Evoriacum. The name of Faremoutiers came after Burgundofara died and her monastery was renamed after her meaning “Fara’s Monastery”.

Several well-known Queens and Princesses of East Anglian royalty from England were sent to Faremoutiers to become nuns or to live in exile.

Burgundonfara is venerated for curing eye diseases. 

You may desire to continue reading more about  Burgundofara or go on to the Meditation towards the end of this page.

Her family: She was born at the villa of Pipimisiac, near Meaux, France. She was the daughter of Chagneric, who was  friend and an important official in the court of King Theudebert II. Her Mother was Leudegund. Burgundofara’s siblings were equally admired and held high positions in the religious and political realms: St. Chagnoald, who was a companion of St. Columbanus and a Bishop of Laon;  Faro who was the Bishop of Meaux; a sister Agnetrude; and another brother Chagnulf  who was the Count of Meaux who was murdered in 641.

We know about Burgundofara through her will and the writing of Jonas of Bobbio who wrote the life of the Irish monk St. Columbanus:

“Then Columban went to the city of Meaux. There he was received with great joy by a nobleman Hagneric (Chagneric, father of Burgundofara), who was a friend of Theudebert [King Theudebert II], a wise man, and a counsellor grateful to the king, and was fortified by nobility and wisdom. … Columban blessed his house and consecrated to the Lord his daughter Burgundofara, who was still a child, and of whom we shall speak later.”

Columbanus dedicates Burgundofara to God: Burgundofara’s childhood blessing and dedication to God by the Celtic Columbanus left such a deep  mark upon her soul that she resisted her parents’ attempts to force her to marry a few years later.

Probably through her brother Chagnoald, who was at that time a monk at Luxeuil (founded by Columbanus), she appealed to Eustachius, who was the Abbot of Luxeuil.  He came to her personally and then brought her to Meaux, where she took the veil and was consecrated with the approval of Bishop Gundoald of Meaux.

Building Faremoutiers: Eustachius then assigned two monks to help her build a nunnery named Evoriacum (after her death the name was changed to Faremoutiers in her honor) on some of her father’s vast holding of lands between the Grand Morin and Alba Rivers. These monks were also to instruct this newly established community in the rules of religious life. A short while later, a second house for men was added for the monks and Burgundofara was then Abbess over this double monastery of men and women. Faremoutiers was probably the first double monastery in France. Even though it was in Merovingian France, it held closer to the Celtic way since it used the Rule of St. Columbanus for the life of the monastery. Her will states that this monastery was built in honor of Mary, Lady and Saint, and of Saint Peter, Prince of the Apostles.

About 630 AD Bishop Faro of Meaux, the brother of Burgundofara asked one of the nuns of Faremoutiers named Theodechilde (see day 36 of Celts to the Crèche) to become the first Abbess of the updated Jouarre Monastery.

Tender and Tough: There is an interesting story of Abbess Burgundofara who “really gave it to” Agrestius, a former monk of Luxeuil who criticized the harshness of the Rule of St. Columbanus at Luxeuil at the Council of Macon in 626. His complaints were rejected by the Bishops at this Council. But, he was still determined that he was right, so, he promoted his modifications to the Rule of Columbanus at another convent. Agrestius then went to Burgundofara to try to insinuate (or as we would say in the 21st c., he was mansplaining her) that she was not a good Abbess for using the Rule of Columbanus at Faremoutiers and this is what Jonas of Bobbio records of this confrontation:

“Agrestius then made his way to Burgundofara to try if he might defile her with his insinuations. But the virgin of Christ confounded him, not in a feminine manner, but with a virile response: “Why have you come here, you confuter of truth, inventor of new tales, pouring out your honey-sweetened poison to change healthy food into deadly bitterness? You slander those whose virtues I have experienced. From them I received the doctrine of salvation. Their erudition has opened the way to the kingdom of Heaven for many. Recall the words of Isaiah: ‘Woe unto them that call evil good and good evil.’ Hurry and turn wholly away from this insanity.”

Burgundofara was known for not only her personal courage and strength, but also her care, counsel, and devotion for those at Faremoutiers.

Anglo-Saxon Royalty at Faremoutiers: It is my belief that Queen Hereswith of East Anglia (see day 3 of Celts to the Crèche),  the older sister of St. Hilda of Whitby (see day 2 of Celts to the Crèche) was a nun at Faremoutiers, not Chelles as Bede states or she was later transferred to Chelles when this new Abbey was founded by Bathilde.

Two other Anglo-Saxons also went to Faremoutiers and became the Abbesses after Burgundofara died:  St. Æthelburga, the natural daughter of King Anna of East Anglia succeeded Burgundofara. St. Sæthryth, the step-daughter of King Anna became the third Abbess, yet some researchers say that Sæthryth was the Abbess following Burgundofara with Æthelburga being the third Abbess.These were likely nieces of St. Hereswith. Eorcengota, daughter of King Eorcenberht of Kent became the fourth Abbess.  There were some significant connections between Merovingian France and East Anglia and Kent in England. 

Place of Resurrection: According to her will (Testamentum) dated October 6, 633/4  Burgundofara left all her lands to Faremoutiers, except for a share in a villa of Louvres (an area in the Val-d’Oise that now holds the Roissy-Charles-De-Gaulle International Airport) that she gave to her siblings in exchange for their agreement not to interfere with her bequest.  Burgundofara likely died at Faremoutiers after serving as Abbess for 37 years. Jonas wrote that Burgundofara had a fever and “died.” She came back to life after visiting the heavenlies and was told she had to make restitution with three nuns whom she had hurt. She received their forgiveness, lived six more months, and then prophesied of her date and  time of death. When she died, her body smelled of balsam. A solemn mass was held 30 days after her resurrection. Her will confirmed that all the servants she had freed in her lifetime would continue to be free.

After her death: While Abbess Burgundofara’s relics were being transferred, it was reported that some miracles occurred, which gave rise to a renewed interest in her. She is not only venerated in France for curing eye diseases, but also Sicily and Italy.

The French Revolution destroyed the monastic buildings and then Faremoutiers’ monastic lands served as a stone quarry. In 1931, a group of Benedictine nuns came to reoccupy a building on the very spot of the ruins of the old abbey. According to the Diocese of Meaux, there are currently eight nuns at Faremoutiers. Her monastery has been on the same piece of property for over 1400 years!

Meditation

Feast Day April 3,
but celebrated on December 7 in France

Just as St. Columbanus showed up at the home of Chagneric and Leudegund and prayed a blessing and prayer of dedication over the little girl Burgundofara that marked her life, one person can make an important and lasting impression on our own life. Our lives can be forever touched by  a person’s words or blessing.  Who has been that one in your life who has brought blessing, encouragement, or counsel that has effected your calling,  your life’s work, your personal ministry?

Prayer: Thank you God for people who are sent our way to bring us good counsel, recognize our gifts, and give us hope for the future. Amen.

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© Brenda G. Warren and http://www.saintsbridge.org, 2018-2029. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Brenda G. Warren and http://www.saintsbridge.org (Celts to the Creche) with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

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Some Resources:

Abbaye de Faremoutiers. Saint Fare et Faremoutiers. Deuxieme Partie.

Abbaye de Faremoutiers. Sainte Fare et Faremoutiers: Treize Siècles de Vie Monastique.

Ames Saintes du Grand Siècle: Abbesses et

Bouchard, Constance Brittain. Rewriting Saints and Ancestors: Memory and Forgetting in France, 500-1200. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania, 2015.

Effros, Bonnie. Caring for Body & Soul: Burial and the Afterlife in the Merovingian World. University Park, PA: The University of Pennsylvania Press, 2002.

__________ and Isabel Moreira, eds. The Oxford Handbook of the Merovingian World. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press, 2020.

Faremoutiers Abbey. 

Fletcher, Richard. The Barbarian Conversion: From Paganism to Christianity. Los Angeles: University of California, 1997.

Fox, Yaniv. Power and Religion in Merovingian Gaul: Columban Monasticism and the Frankish Elites. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2014.

Geary, Patrick J. Before France & Germany: The Creation & Transformation of the Merovingian World. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press, 1988.

Harrison, Dick. The Age of Abbesses and Queens: Gender and Political Culture in Early Medieval Europe. Lund, Sweden: Nordic Academic Press, 1998.

Jonas of Bobbio. Life of Columbanus.

___________. Iona Vitae Sanctorum Columbani. Vedastis, Johannis. Recognivit Bruno Krusch. (note: 34 mentions of Burgundofara). Digitized 2011 by Internet Archive with funding from the University of Toronto.

Lebeuf, Jean. Histoire de la ville et de tout le diocese de Paris, vol. 2. 

Les saints moines et moniales. “St. Fare, abbesse de Faremoutiers.”

McDermott, William C, ed. and trans. Peters, Edward, ed. Monks, Bishops, and Pagans. University of Pennsylvania Press, 1975.

McNamara, Jo Ann. Sainted Women of the Dark Ages. Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 1992.

“Testamentum Burgundofarae” in Sainte Fare et Faremoutiers: Trieze Siècles de Vie Monastique.

Warren, Brenda G. Abbess Burgundofara of Faremoutiers; Tough and Tender. April 2, 2022. Godspacelight. 

Wemple, Suzanne Fonay. Women in Frankish Society: Marriage and the Cloister 500-900. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania, 1981.

The Will of Burgundofara, Will written in Latin at Faremoutiers, 633/4.David Lambert, Cult of Saints, E07793 – 

Yorke, Barbara. Nunneries and the Anglo-Saxon Royal Houses. UK:Bloomsbury Academic, T&T Clark, 2003.