Biography
Abrunculus of Trier
About Abrunculus of Trier
Abrunculus was bishop of Trier. The diocesan succession places him between Fibicius and Nicetius.
An account by Gregory of Tours, quoted in the Bollandist commentary, describes what followed his death. Trier’s clergy asked King Theuderic for Gallus as their bishop. The king refused because he intended Gallus for another appointment; Nicetius was then chosen. This episode concerns the succession rather than Abrunculus’s own activities.
Later evidence concerns his burial and veneration. The Bollandists reproduce early modern reports of remains attributed to him at Saint Paulin in Trier and of relics transferred to Springiersbach. These accounts document the history of devotion without providing a detailed biography. Their discussion also records April 22 as his principal commemoration.
His name survives in the dedication of the church at Beßlich. The parish guide explicitly identifies him as its patron and describes a later statue holding a model church. This devotional image is part of his reception, not a record of his appearance.
The Bollandists also report that he and Bonosus were patrons of the collegiate church at Bruchsal, formerly at Odenheim. That specific historical dedication should not be expanded into a claim that he was patron of the entire city.
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