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AURELIEN
 
     In the 3rd century, Limoges, which at the time was called Augustoritum, was evangelized by bishop St Martial.The legend says that the roman emperor, worried by the extension of christianism, presumably sent a pagan priest by the name of Aurelius Cotta who was known for his zeal and eloquence. The latter, upon his arrival in Augustoritum, is alleged to have violently fought Martial.
 
      Martial, who was most irritated, alledgedly requested from God that his persecutor be struck by lightning, which was immediately granted. Martial immediately repented and presumably wished and obtained Aurelius’ return to life. He would then have converted himself to christianism.

      This can be seen as a symbol : the death to paganism of the persecutor, struck by Martial’s words, and his rebirth to real faith.
 
      Aurelius, who became Aurelien through christening, was, from then on, the faithful disciple of the one he had pursued, and he put his zeal and eloquence at God’s service.
 
      At St Martial’s death, the former priest of pagan idols was elected as a bishop. He ruled over the diocese of Limoges for five years until his death.
 
      He was alledgedly buried very close to st Martial’s tomb (on the present location of place de la République). Then, his remnants were transferred, at a date unknown, to a church in the suburbs of Limoges, Saint Cessateur.
 
      In 1315, the bishop of Limoges, Regnault de la Porte (1294-1316), discovered the relics of his glorious predecessor, in the crypt of this church. In 1475, they were carried to a chapel that had just been built on the ground of Saint Cessateur’s parish but within the walls of Limoges, in the area called la Pierre au Bois.
 
      Close to it were the town butchers, gathered in la rue Torte. They naturally adopted the 2nd bishop of Limoges as their patron saint.
 
 
BUTCHERS BROTHERHOOD
 
      The butchers, gathered together into a corporation, then founded a brotherhood, the existence of which, was first attested to in 1411. Since that time, it went on attending to the cult of Saint Aurelien.
 
      The butchers were at that time members of the brotherhood of the rue de la Boucherie and came most of the time from the six following traditional families :
  Cibot,
  Juge,
  Parot,
  and Pouret.
 
      At the Revolution, the « lois le Chapelier » ruled out all corporations and « jurandes », but the butchers corporation survived.

      It was only in 1887 that a decision was adopted by all butchers of the town, according to which the butchers corporation would, from then on, be known as "La  Confrérie Saint Aurélien".
 
      Also at the Revolution, when the catholic worship was ruled out, the brotherhood Saint Aurelien was dissolved by the law, the silver reliquary of the patron saint was sent to be melt. But when the chapel was sold at auction, a butcher, Maurice Malinvaud, bought it. Another butcher, Barthélémy Cibot, purchased both the sacristy and the other outbuildings. In fact both acted in the name of all.
 
      Thus, a deed signed before a notary public in Limoges on July 3rd 1798, acknowledges the butcher company as the owner of the chapel : it still is now.
 
      The brotherhood Saint Aurelien, which has, for a long time, been exclusively reserved to  professionals and men, has evolved through the centuries.
 
      First the sons in law of butchers were entitled to become members even though they were not professionals. In 1967, the first members who did not belong either to the six families or to the profession, were admitted. Eventually,in february 2009, women entered the brotherhood. Today it has around 60 members.
 
 
BROTHERHOOD TODAY
 
      The aim of the brotherhood is
*  to perpetuate the cult of saint Aurelien,
*  to maintain the chapel which is devoted to that patron saint,
*  to foster amongst its members a friendly relationship enabling mutual assistance. It also has a role of charity towards the poorest.
(article 1 of the statutes)

      To become a member, you must be a catholic, make an application and be introduced by two members. An investigation into the motivations and qualities of the applicant will then be carried out.