Looking back, way back, to another time

July 12, 2018 -- Saint Sulpice the Good (540-647) was a contemporary with my 40^th great grandfather, Arnulf (582-640), the Bishop of Metz.  Like Arnulf, Saint Sulpice was also a bishop.  He had been called to be a priest and had been ordained by his bishop, Austrégésile, the Bishop of Bourges.  When Austrégésile (also called Outrille) died in 624, the Christians in Bourges demanded that Sulpice become the new bishop.

Inside the church of Saint Sulpice

Because Sulpice and my ancestor Arnulf have something in common (being bishops at about the same time) and because St. Sulpice is my favorite church in Paris, I thought I should learn something more about St. Sulpice.

Fortunately, I found a description of him posted in the church this morning.  Here’s what it says:

Saint Sulpice the Good . . . was born in Berry, a Gallo-Roman province, of a large landowning family.

Living side by side, though not always peacefully, were many tribes and diverse religions.  There were few Chistians.

When an adolescent he was sent by his parents to serve as a page to King Guntram, grand-son of Clovis.  

Subsequently he returned to the family farm where he cared for the poor, visited prisoners and built chapels.

Looking up the rue Ferou toward St. Sulpice

His bishop, Austrégésile, called him and ordained him priest at the age of 40 – thus making him the patron saint of late vocations . . .

On the death of Austrégésile, in the Cathedral the Christian people acclaimed:  Sulpice is worthy!  Sulpice must be our bishop!

Neighboring bishops heard this and Sulpice became Bishop of Bourges, which was an extensive diocese.

Until his death in 647, Sulpice had great concern for the poor and sick and he founded a Hotel-Dieu for them.  He evangelized the countryside, building churches and instructing the clergy.  He was to have a significant role in the regional councils, which wrote the civil and ecclesiastic laws.

An abbey was built on his tomb outside the city. 

His reputation became so great, even outside of his diocese, that the Church made him a saint.  And he became the patron saint of some
 thirty towns in France, and at least 340 churches.

The fountain in Place Saint Sulpice.

When at the beginning of the thirteenth century the Abbey of Saint-Germain des Pres built a parish church for its farmers, it was placed under the protection of this great saint.

Saint Sulpice is still, with Saint Peter, the patron saint of this church.  We celebrate his Saint’s day on the 17^th January.

Wait a minute, you say.  How could my 40^th great grandfather Arnulf be a bishop?  Well, I had to dig into Wikipedia for an answer to this. 

Arnulf was married to Dode or Doda, and they had at least two kids, boys named Chlodulf and Ansegisel.  Ansegisel is the important one, because he’s an ancestor of Charlemagne.

It was only after Arnulf helped to lead a revolt that unseated Queen Brunhilda and reunited Frankish lands under Clothacar II that Arnulf’s

A peaceful morning in the Luxembourg Gardens.

wife became a nun and Arnulf became a priest and, later, a bishop.

Arnulf was known for his administrative skills, and Sulpice was known for his humanitarian acts.  I’d say both attributes are important for bishops.

So how does Ancestry.com trace me back to Arnulf?  If you really want to know, here’s the path.   If you don't care, just look at the pictures.

 

Arnulf, bishop of Metz (582 - 640)

40th great-grandfather

v

Ansegisel (602 - 662)

son of Arnulf, bishop of Metz

v

Pepin of Herstal (635 - 714)

son of Ansegisel

v

Charles I Karl Martel The Hammer Carolingian of Palace in Austrasia France (676 - 741)

son of Pepin of Herstal

v

Pepin the Short (714 - 768)

son of Charles I Karl Martel The Hammer Carolingian of Palace in Austrasia France

v

Emp of The West Charlemagne (742 - 814)

Door on rue Canivet.

son of Pepin the Short

v

King Pepin of Italy (773 - 810)

son of Emp of The West Charlemagne

v

Bernard of Italy (797 - 818)

son of King Pepin of Italy

v

Pepin of Vermandois (818 - 854)

son of Bernard of Italy

v

Herbert I, Count of Vermandois (848 - 907)

son of Pepin of Vermandois

v

Beatrice of Vermandois (880 - 931)

daughter of Herbert I, Count of Vermandois

v

Hugues Magnus Capet (915 - 956)

son of Beatrice of Vermandois

v

Hugues Capet (939 - 1067)

son of Hugues Magnus Capet

v

"The Pious" King Robert II, House of Capet (972 - 1031)

son of Hugues Capet

v

Henry I, King of France, house of Capet (1008 - 1060)

son of "The Pious" King Robert II, House of Capet

v

Hugh Magnus (1057 - 1101)

son of Henry I, King of France, house of Capet

Beautiful door in the 7th arrondissement.

v

Isabel de Vermandois (1045 - 1148)

daughter of Hugh Magnus

v

Robert de Beaumont, 2nd Earl Leicester (1104 - 1168)

son of Isabel de Vermandois

v

Margaret de Beaumont (1125 - 1185)

daughter of Robert de Beaumont, 2nd Earl Leicester

v

Lady Ida Isabel Plantagenet Countess Norfolk (1154 - 1224)

daughter of Margaret de Beaumont

v

Margaret Bigod (1166 - 1237)

daughter of Lady Ida Isabel Plantagenet Countess Norfolk

v

Henry De Hastings (1194 - 1250)

son of Margaret Bigod

v

Sir Henry John De Hastings, Baron Of Hastings (1235 - 1269)

son of Henry De Hastings

v

Sir John De Hastings, Baron Hastings, MP (1262 - 1313)

son of Sir Henry John De Hastings, Baron Of Hastings

v

Lady Elizabeth De Hastings, Baroness Grey of Ruthin (1294 - 1353)

daughter of Sir John De Hastings, Baron Hastings, MP

At last I found a Velib station with plenty of Velib bicycles.  These
are brand new bikes!

v

Sir Reginald Grey, 2nd Baron Grey de Ruthyn (1323 - 1388)

son of Lady Elizabeth De Hastings, Baroness Grey of Ruthin

v

John Of Unstone Gray (1365 - 1431)

son of Sir Reginald Grey, 2nd Baron Grey de Ruthyn

v

Alice DeGrey (1395 - 1449)

daughter of John Of Unstone Gray

v

William LEEKE (1416 - 1475)

son of Alice DeGrey

v

John Leake (1454 - 1545)

son of William LEEKE

v

Francis SIR KNIGHT Leeke (1512 - 1580)

son of John Leake

v

Mary Leake (1538 - 1595)

daughter of Francis SIR KNIGHT Leeke

v

Gertrude Markham (1560 - 1635)

daughter of Mary Leake

v

Ralph Sadleir (1581 - 1660)

son of Gertrude Markham

v

Joseph Thomas Sudler (1660 - 1701)

son of Ralph Sadleir

Statue of General Garibaldi near the boulevard named for him.

v

Amey Sudler (1695 - 1757)

daughter of Joseph Thomas Sudler

v

James Tolson ( - 1772)

son of Amey Sudler

v

James Tolson (1757 - )

son of James Tolson

v

William Tolson (1820 - )

son of James Tolson

v

Mary Anne Tolson (1856 - 1944)

daughter of William Tolson

v

George Allen White (1891 - 1977)

son of Mary Anne Tolson

v

Winfield Wayne White (1923 - 2011)

son of George Allen White

v

Barbara Joy (White) Cooley

the daughter of Winfield Wayne White