Born
c. 410; died in
Normandy,
c. 474. In
Wales his feast
is kept on July 31 or October 1 (because of the confusion with another Germanus
whose feast was on that day)...
Tradition
tells us that Saint Germanus was a nephew of Saint Patrick. We are
also told that when Saint Germanus of Auxerre (f.d. July 31) visited
Britain
in 448 AD to refute the Pelagians, he met an Irish colonist whose son became
his disciple and chose his master's name for himself. Baring-Gould reports that
Germanus of Man was born in
Brittany and went
to
Ireland
to work with Saint Patrick.
He was
a missionary monk in
Ireland,
in
Wales under Saints Brioc
(f.d. May 1)and Illtyd
(f.d. November 6), and
Brittany.
Germanus left
Brittany to meet Patrick in
Britain about
462. There he engaged in a magic contest with Gwrtheyrn. After that he returned
to
Ireland (c. 466)
eventually to become the bishop of the
Isle of Man
during the lifetime of Patrick.
After
evangelising in
Wales, his
name is traced in
Spain and
Gaul. His martyrdom
is recorded in
Normandy.
His memory is preserved in place names, such as Jarman and Gremain, in areas
such as Caernavonshire, Denbighshire, Montgomeryshire, and Radnorshire. His
name is also found in the Acts of Kieran and those of other early Irish saints.
Leland mentions a pilgrimage to Garmon ("Armon") at Llanarmon yn Ial,
where votive offerings were made to a statue in sacerdotal vestments (Baring-Gould,
Benedictines, D'Arcy, Farmer, Leland, Moran).
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