Saint Arbogast

Infobox Saint
name=Saint Arbogast
birth_date=
death_date=678
feast_day=21 July
venerated_in=Roman Catholic Church


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birth_place=Ireland
death_place=Austrasia
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Saint Arbogast (Gaelic Arascach) has been claimed as a native of Scotland, but this is owing to a misunderstanding of the name "Scotia", which until late in the Middle Ages really meant Ireland.

Biography

Arbogast lived about the middle of the seventh century. Leaving Ireland, as so many other missionaries had done, he settled as a hermit in a German forest, and then proceeded to Alsace, where his native Celtic name, Arascach, was changed to Arbogast. This change of name was owing to the difficulty experienced by foreigners in pronouncing Irish Christian names; thus Moengal, Maelmaedhog, Cellach, Gillaisu, Gilla in Coimded, Tuathal and Arascach were respectively transformed into Marcellus, Malachy, Gall, Gelasius, Germanus, Tutilo, and Arbogast. St. Arbogast found a warm friend in the Merovingian King Dagobert II of Austrasia, who had been educated at Slane, in Meath in Ireland, and was restored to his kingdom on the demise of King Childeric II. Monstrelet authenticates the story of King Dagobert in Ireland; and the royal exile naturally fled to Slane in order to be under the ægis of the Ard-Righ (High ­King of Ireland) at Tara. On Dagobert's accession to the throne of Austrasia, Arbogast was appointed Bishop of Strasburg, and was famed for sanctity and miracles. It is related that the Irish saint raised to life Dagobert's son, who had been killed by a fall from his horse. St. Arbogast died in 678.

Veneration

At his own special request, he was buried on the side of a mountain, where only malefactors were interred. The site of his burial was subsequently deemed suitable for a church. He is commemorated on 21 July.

ource

* [http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01686a.htm]