A Frankish nobleman who left the Austrasian royal court to become a monk and, with Saint Amatus, founded the abbey that grew into Remiremont.

Saint Romaric de Remiremont was a nobleman of the Frankish kingdom of Austrasia who, moved by the preaching and example of the monk Saint Amatus, a disciple of the Irish missionary Saint Columbanus, renounced his position at the royal court to embrace monastic life in the early seventh century. Together with Amatus, he established a monastic community on a mountain then called Habendum, in the Vosges region of eastern France, which developed over time into the great abbey of Remiremont. Romaric served as its abbot, guiding a community shaped by the austere spirituality associated with the Columbanian monastic tradition then spreading across Frankish Gaul. He was also the uncle of Saint Adelphus, who entered the abbey Romaric had founded and succeeded him as abbot. He died in 653.

Quick Facts

• Born: c. 583, Austrasia (Frankish kingdom)
• Died: 653, Remiremont (Habendum), France
• Feast Day: December 8
• Canonized: no formal canonization process applies (he predates the modern process); venerated through ancient local cultus
• Role: Frankish nobleman; monk and abbot; co-founder, with Saint Amatus, of the monastery that became Remiremont

Who Was Saint Romaric de Remiremont?

Saint Romaric de Remiremont was a nobleman of the Frankish kingdom of Austrasia who, moved by the preaching and example of the monk Saint Amatus, a disciple of the Irish missionary Saint Columbanus, renounced his position at the royal court to embrace monastic life in the early seventh century. Together with Amatus, he established a monastic community on a mountain then called Habendum, in the Vosges region of eastern France, which developed over time into the great abbey of Remiremont. Romaric served as its abbot, guiding a community shaped by the austere spirituality associated with the Columbanian monastic tradition then spreading across Frankish Gaul. He was also the uncle of Saint Adelphus, who entered the abbey Romaric had founded and succeeded him as abbot. He died in 653.

Historical Setting

Romaric’s conversion took place during the seventh century, a period when the missionary journeys of Irish monks, chief among them Columbanus, were transforming monastic life across the Frankish kingdoms. These Irish monks brought with them a rigorous ascetic tradition and a network of new foundations that drew heavily on the support of the Frankish nobility, many of whom, like Romaric, abandoned positions of worldly power to embrace the monastic life themselves or to endow new communities on their family lands. The abbey Romaric helped establish in the Vosges mountains would, over the following centuries, grow into one of the most prominent religious houses of the region, eventually taking its name, Remiremont, from the very mountain (Mont Romaric) associated with its founder.

Why the Church Venerates Saint Romaric

Romaric is venerated for his radical renunciation of aristocratic privilege and power at the Austrasian court in favor of a life of prayer and ascetic discipline, and for the enduring religious community he helped establish. His example, alongside that of Saint Amatus, reflects the broader Catholic conviction that true nobility is found not in worldly rank but in humble service to God, and that the wealth and standing of the powerful can be most fruitfully used when placed entirely at the service of the Church. The abbey he helped found became, for centuries afterward, a significant center of monastic and later canonical religious life in the region.

Canonization and Feast Day

As with most saints of the early medieval period, no formal canonization process, in the sense later developed by the Church, applies to Romaric; his recognition as a saint arose through longstanding local veneration in the region of Remiremont, reinforced over time by the continued prestige of the abbey associated with his name. His feast is kept on December 8.

What Catholics Can Learn Today

Romaric’s willingness to abandon a position of power and privilege at the royal court in response to the witness of a humble monk is a striking reminder that conversion often begins with encountering someone else’s authentic holiness. His life invites Catholics today to remain open to the influence of faithful people in their own lives, whoever they may be, and to consider that true greatness may be found not in status or wealth but in a life poured out in prayer, discipline, and service to a community of faith.

A Prayer to Saint Romaric de Remiremont

Saint Romaric, nobleman who set aside the honors of the royal court for the humility of the monastery, you were moved by the witness of a holy monk to change the whole direction of your life. Intercede for those whose hearts are stirred toward conversion by the example of others, that they may have the courage to answer that call fully. Help me to recognize true greatness where it is found: not in power, but in a life given over to God. Amen.

Sources

• the Acta Sanctorum (Bollandists)
• Bibliotheca Sanctorum
• the Roman Martyrology