Eucherius

Eucherius bishop of Lyons in the 5th century, was born of a noble family at Lyons. He was a senator, happily married, and the father of two sons, Veranius and Salonius, who at an early age were sent to the monastery of Lerins (now St. Honorat) for education. In 422 Eucherius entered the same convent as a monk, having obtained the consent of his wife Galla, who likewise devoted herself to monastic life. Soon after, Eucherius retired into solitude on the island of Lero (St. Marguerite). In 434 he was, in consequenca of the reputation of his great piety, elected bishop of Lyons, and, as such, was present at the two synods of Orange (441 and 442). He died in 454 (according to others, in 450 or 449). He is commemorated as a saint on the 16th of November. He was followed on the see of Lyons by his son Veranius, while the second, Salonius, became bishop of Geneva. Eucherius wrote, about the year 427, Epistola paraenetica de contemtu mundi et secularis philosophie (edit. by Rosweid, Antwerp, 1621); in 428, Epistola de laude eremi seu vita solitaria (edit. by Rhenanus, Basel, 1516, and by Erasmus, Basel, 1520): — Liber formularum spiritalis intelligentice: — Institutionum libri II: — Exhortatio ad Monachos; and several homilies. Several other works are wrongly attributed to him. It seems that he sympathized with the Semiiarians. A collection of all his works was published by Brassicanus (Basel, 1531), in the Biblioth. Patr. Max. Lugd. tom. 6 and 27; and in Migne, Patrol. Lat. tom. 1. SEE HERZOG, Real-Encyklop. 19:490.