Biography
Liborius of Le Mans
About Liborius of Le Mans
Liborius of Le Mans is remembered as a fourth-century bishop in Roman Gaul. The Archdiocese of Paderborn acknowledges that little is known about his personal life, even though his later religious memory is extensive.
The received account places his episcopal ministry at Le Mans from 348 and remembers a friendship with Martin of Tours. Paderborn's church tradition places Martin beside him at his death. These personal details belong to the early devotional account, not a continuous surviving biography.
His death is traditionally placed at the end of the fourth century. A Paderborn diocesan brochure gives 397.
The Norwegian church notice gives 390, so the competing dates do not establish an exact chronology.
The better documented later story links Le Mans with Paderborn. In 836, a delegation received his relics from the church of Le Mans. The transfer helped establish a lasting relationship between the two churches, described as a bond of brotherhood.
The Norwegian calendar lists July 23 as his commemoration and identifies his patronage in Paderborn. It also records traditional invocation against colic, fever and gallstones.
Wondering how to weigh the stories and sources? Learn how to read a saint biography.