Urban of Langres

Infobox Saint
name= Saint Urban of Langres
birth_date= 327
death_date= ca. 390
feast_day= April 2; 23 January in Langres
venerated_in= Roman Catholic Church


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attributes= bishop with a bunch of grapes or a vine at his side; a book with a wine vessel on it; grapes on a missal as he holds the triple cross [This is because he was confused with Pope Urban I in southern Germany.]
patronage= Langres; Dijon; vine-growers, vine-dressers, gardeners, vintners, and coopers; invoked against blight, frost, storms, alcoholism, and faintness
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Saint Urban of Langres (327-ca. 390) was a French saint and bishop. He served as the sixth bishop of Langres from 374 until his death. Saint Lodegaria was his sister. [ [http://www.forum-orthodoxe.com/avril0.php Forum Orthodoxe Francophone ] ]

A legend states that he hid from his persecutors in a vineyard. The vine-dressers who concealed him converted to Christianity. Urban is thus the patron saint of all those who work in the wine industry and is invoked against blight and alcoholism.

Veneration

The feast day and cult of St. Urban of Langres were closely associated with the weather. Several old German sayings reflect this:

:"Pankraz und Urban ohne Regen / bringen großen Erntes
[http://www.heiligenlexikon.de/BiographienU/Urban_von_Langres.html Urban von Langres - Ökumenisches Heiligenlexikon ] ]

Pancras, one of the so-called Ice Saints, was a saint closely associated with the weather.

:"Das Wetter auf St. Urban zeigt des Herbstes Wetter an." :"The weather on St. Urban's Day will indicate what the autumn weather will be like." [ [http://www.heiligenlexikon.de/BiographienU/Urban_von_Langres.html Urban von Langres - Ökumenisches Heiligenlexikon ] ]

These are sayings that are similar to those said of the feast days of Swithun, Medardus, Godelieve, and other "weather saints." Another saying ties more closely to Urban’s particular patronage of wine growers:

:"Ist Sonnenschein am Urbanstag / gedeiht der Wein nach alter Sag":"If there is sunshine on St. Urban's Day/ the wine thrives afterwards, they say"

Notes

References

* [http://www.saintpatrickdc.org/ss/0402.htm#urba Saints of April 2: Urban of Langres]
* [http://www.catholic-forum.com/SAINTS/saintu04.htm URBAN of Langres]
*de icon [http://www.heiligenlexikon.de/BiographienU/Urban_von_Langres.html Urban von Langres]
*de icon [http://www.heilbronn-neckar.de/Heilige/urban.htm Urban von Langres]