Aredius

Saint Aredius (c. 510–591), also known as Yrieix, was Abbot of Limoges and chancellor to Theudebert II, King of Austrasia in the 6th century. He founded the monastery of Attanum, and the various French communes called St. Yrieix are named after him.

Aredius was from a prominent Gallo-Roman family of Limoges. Early in his career he served as chancellor to Theudebert I, King of Austrasia. Nicetius bishop of Trier persuaded Aredius to leave the court. Upon the death of his father, Aredius returned to the Limousin to care for his mother.

Aredius built churches on his estates, and founded a monastery at a place south of Limoges that is now called Saint-Yrieix. People in the area believed him to have the gift of healing. He supported the cult of Saint Medard of Soissons and probably built the church in his honor at Excideuil. He was a friend of Gregory of Tours, and bequeathed some of his wealth to the church at Tours.

He was the son of Jocundus, a wealthy Roman. As a young boy he was sent to monastery at Vigeois to study. At the age of 14, he was sent to Metz, under Theudebert. He became the chancellor. Aredius left the court, where life was dissolute, to join Nicetius, of Trier. He converted to Christianity; when he was singing psalms, a dove came down from the sky and flew around him, Aredius tried to shoo it away, but this one was placed above his head. The dove remained with Aredius during thirty days. When his father died, he joined his mother Pelagia in a villa in Attanum (Attane).