Saint Trophime
Premier évêque d'Arles (✝ v. 250)
Depuis le synode d'Arles, l'Église en Provence l'a assimilé à un disciple de saint Paul (2ème lettre à Timothée 4.20et Livre des Actes des apôtres 21.29), originaire d'Ephèse, ce qui est pieuse fiction. Il aurait été du nombre des évangélisateurs de la Gaule, qui, selon la tradition, ont annoncé l'Évangile dès l'époque apostolique. Il serait ainsi le fondateur de l'évêché d'Arles qui l'honore en ce jour. Il est vrai que la vallée du Rhône connut très tôt des communautés chrétiennes d'origine grecque, comme l'attestent les "Actes" de la persécution de Lyon.
L'historien saint Grégoire de Tours en fait l'un des sept évêques envoyés de Rome au moment de la persécution de Dèce afin d'approfondir l'œuvre d'évangélisation.
saint Trophyme - Bormes-les-Mimosas (Histoire des saints de Provence - diocèse de Fréjus-Toulon)
À Arles en Provence, peut-être au IIIe siècle, saint Trophime, considéré comme le premier évêque de le cité.
Martyrologe romain
Trophimus of Arles B (RM)
Died c. 280. Trophimus, the first bishop of Arles whose cathedral of St. Trophime now honors his memory, is often confused with the Trophimus mentioned by St. Paul. The bishop Trophimus was sent from Rome to Gaul about 240-260. Saint Gregory of Tours (died 594) testifies that Trophimus was one of several bishops associated with Saint Sernin of Toulouse, who founded the famous sees of France.
The cultus of Trophimus is ancient. Writing to the bishops of Gaul in 417, Pope Zozimus mentioned him as being sent by the papacy to preach and found the church of Arles. His church contains a 3rd century crypt, which was discovered in 1835.
Paul's disciple was a gentile convert from Ephesus who accompanied the Apostle on his third missionary journey (Acts 20:4) and to Jerusalem, where his presence (as a gentile) in the Temple provoked violent protests against Paul that almost resulted in his death (Acts 21:26-36). Paul mentions him again in 2 Timothy 4:20, saying he "left Trophimus ill at Miletus."
Since the Synod of Arles in 452, the church of Provence has identified their first bishop with St. Paul's disciple, but this is clearly an impossibility. In essence, both are honored today because of the confusion (Benedictines, Delaney, Encyclopedia, Farmer).
In art, St. Trophimus is a bishop carrying his eyes. The picture may show (1) his eyes being put out, (2) him with lions, or (3) surrounded by the Apostles. (He was identified with the Trophimus who was a disciple of St. Paul.) He is the patron of children and invoked against drought (Roeder).
SOURCE : http://www.saintpatrickdc.org/ss/1229.shtml
Léon Levillain. « Saint Trophime, confesseur et métropolitain d'Arles, et la mission des Sept en Gaule [Étude d'un texte de Grégoire de Tours et d'un passage de la Passion de saint Saturnin.] ». Revue d'histoire de l'Église de France Année 1927 Volume 13 Numéro 59pp. 145-189