Saint Triaise
Originally from Troas, Saint Triaise joined Saint Hilary in Poitiers in the 4th century to dedicate herself to the life of a recluse. She lived in austere solitude, preparing hosts for the bishop without ever being seen by a man. She died at the age of twenty-five around 375.
Contemporaries
Figures and markers around the normalized period for this entry.
Guided reading
4 reading sections
SAINT TRIAISE, VIRGIN,
Vocation and departure for Poitiers
Originally from the Troad, Triaise met Saint Hilary during his exile and decided to follow him to Poitiers to dedicate herself to God as a recluse.
It is believed that the homeland of our Saint was the Troad, a small region of Asia Minor. While Saint Hilary of Poitiers was exiled in these lands, she heard of him. Triaise, still youn g, then left her family, who were rich and noble, and, following the example of Saint Florenc e, she came to Poitiers to find Saint Hilary, shortly before the death of the great bishop, and begged him to consecrate her to God, so that she might lead the austere life of a recluse. The Saint consented, after having subjected her to a trial.
The life of a recluse in Poitiers
Installed in a cell near the church of Saint-Jean and Saint-Paul, she led a life of absolute penance, refusing to see any man, including Saint Hilary.
There was then, outside the walls of Poitiers and to the south of the city, a church that Saint Hilary had just built in honor of the new martyrs Saint John and Saint Paul, beheaded in Rome in 363, and which he had enriched with their relics. It was near this venerated place, later replaced by the basilic a of Saint-Hilaire, that t he great bishop had a humble dwelling prepared for Triaise: a small hut and a very small garden became the voluntary exile of the young virgin. She enclosed herself there with joy and lived there in the practice of rigorous penance until her death. She had added to this voluntary obligation the formal vow never to allow herself to be seen by men, nor to seek to see a single one. This rule never suffered an exception, even for her spiritual father; and when Saint Hilary traveled to her to speak with her about the things of God, he spoke to her, without either of them seeing the other, through the narrow window of the cell. These visits, moreover, were as frequent as charity inspired them in Saint Hilary. For her part, Triaise was full of gratitude for his paternal care, and she strove to show it to him by preparing for his intention the hosts for the holy Sacrifice and chalices for the Body of the Lord.
Death, miracles, and cult
Having died at 25, she was buried by Bishop Pascentius; her cult developed through miracles and the foundation of a parish church on the site of her cell.
Saint Triaise fell asleep in the Lord on August 16, around the year 375, barely twenty-five years of age. Her body was interred by Bishop Pascenti us, the second of that name, the immediate successor of Saint Hilary. Placed first with great honors, which were justified by striking miracles, in the church of Saint John and Saint Paul, it was removed shortly thereafter and transferred to a new church, built under her name, on the very site where her cell had been located. This church, stripped of its title by the Revolution of ' 93, and abandoned today, existed as a parish as early as the 10th century; it appears to have been rebuilt in the 10th. It was a parochial benefice dependent on the Chapter of Saint-Hilaire, which conferred its powers.
Source of the life
The account is derived from the works of Abbé Auber on the saints of the Church of Poitiers.
Abbé Auber: Lives of the Saints of the Church of Poitiers.
Iconography
Signs and attributes
Entities
Narrative network
The names, places, and concepts most present in the entry, weighted by centrality in the text.
The supernatural in their life
The miracles of Saint Triaise
Frequently asked questions about Saint Triaise
Who was Saint Triaise?
Originally from Troas, Saint Triaise joined Saint Hilary in Poitiers in the 4th century to dedicate herself to the life of a recluse. She lived in austere solitude, preparing hosts for the bishop without ever being seen by a man. She died at the age of twenty-five around 375.
What is Saint Triaise the patron saint of?
Patronage of Saint Triaise: Sainte-Triaise Parish of Poitiers.
How is Saint Triaise depicted in Christian art?
In iconography, Saint Triaise is recognizable by: hosts, chalices and recluse's cell.
What miracles are attributed to Saint Triaise?
1 miracle are attributed to this saint, notably: Sign / wonder.
Which saints were contemporaries of Saint Triaise?
Contemporaries include: Saint Blaise, Saint Hilary of Poitiers, Saint Basil the Great (Archbishop of Caesarea) and Saint Baudilus.
When did Saint Triaise die?
Saint Triaise died around 400.
Annexes & related entities
Structured data for exploration: events, miracles, quotes, places, attributes, patronages, and important entities cited in the text.
Key Events
- Departure from the Troad to join Saint Hilary in Poitiers
- Consecration to God as a recluse after a trial
- Settled in a cell near the church of Saints John and Paul
- Vow of absolute enclosure (never to see a man)
- Preparation of hosts and chalices for Saint Hilary