As a young courtier of the Frankish king Thierry II, Sulpice, of Vastinne, France, was an avid reader of religious books. In the night, he set aside his courtly garb to clothe himself as a penitent, hastening to the churches to carry out his devotions. Recognizing his sanctity, the bishop of Bourges, Saint Austregisilus, prevailed upon Sulpice to become a priest. Following Austregisilus' death, Sulpice was chosen to succeed him as bishop. He continued his deep prayer life, reciting the entire Psalter (all 150 psalms) daily. By his words and example, Sulpice persuaded all of Bourges' Jews to embrace the Catholic faith. After Sulpice's death, there arose the practice of keeping a lamp burning continuously over the saint's tomb. One night, as vespers was being recited in the church enclosing the tomb, the perpetual lamp went out. Thereupon a flash of lightning lit up the windows, in the wake of which the lamp resumed burning, having been somehow relit by the lightning. From that night onward, the oil dripping from this lamp has wrought many miraculous cures, including the restoration of sight and hearing.
