Feastday: May 13
Death: 586
Abbess and model of the conventual life. Agnes was a friend of the poet Venantius Fortunatus, who visited her in the Holy Cross convent in Poitiers, France. Recognized for her holiness and intelligence, she was named abbess of the convent by St. Radegund, a princess who erected the convent in 557. Holy Cross was a double monastery, having men and women living in enclosed separate structures. It was also known as a place of learning. When Agnes assumed the role of abbess, she introduced a rule of life given to her by St. Caesarius, the bishop of ArIes and apostolic delegate. Agnes ruled Holy Cross until her death in 586.
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