Honoratus was born in the north of
Gaul to a consular Roman family. He received an outstanding education. He converted to
Christianity with his brother Venantius and embarked with him from
Marseille about 368, under the guidance of a holy person named
Caprasius, to visit the holy places of
Palestine and the
lauræ of
Syria and
Egypt. The sudden death of Venantius at
Methone,
Achaia prevented the pious travellers from going further. They returned to Gaul through
Italy, and, after having stopped at
Rome, Honoratus went on into
Provence. Encouraged by
Leontius of Fréjus, he took up his abode on the wild
Lérins Island today called the
Île Saint-Honorat, with the intention of living there in solitude.
Lerins Numerous disciples soon gathered around Honoratus, including
Lupus of Troyes,
Eucherius of Lyon, and
Hilary of Arles. Thus was founded the
Monastery of Lérins, which has enjoyed so great a celebrity status and which was, during the 5th and 6th centuries, a nursery for illustrious bishops and remarkable ecclesiastical writers. His Rule of Life was chiefly borrowed from that of St.
Pachomius. It is believed
St. Patrick trained there for his missionary work in Ireland.
Archbishop of Arles Honoratus' reputation for sanctity throughout the southeastern portion of Gaul was such that in 426 after the assassination of Patroclus, Archbishop of Arles, he was summoned from his solitude to succeed to the government of the diocese, which the
Arian and
Manichaean beliefs had greatly disturbed. He appears to have succeeded in re-establishing order and orthodoxy, while still continuing to direct from afar the monks of Lérins. He died in the arms of Hilary, one of his disciples and probably a relative, who was to succeed him in the See of Arles. Hilary wrote the
Sermo de Vita Sancti Honorati probably around 430. Honoratus' various writings have not been preserved, nor has the Rule which he gave to the solitaries of Lérins.
John Cassian, who had visited his monastery, dedicated to him several of his "Conferences". ==
La Vida de Sant Honorat==