VIGILIUS OF TRENT: Bishop of that see; d. at Trent June 26, 400. The actuality of his existence and that of his circle is of great importance in the history of the Christianizing and Catholicizing of the Rhxtian Alps district. His predecessor Abundantius, the first known bishop 'of the place, took part in a synod at Aquileia (q.v.) in 381 which was directed against the Arians. Vigilius arrived at Trent about that time with his mother Maxentia and his brothers Claudianus (Confessor; ASB, Mar. i. 427) and Majorianus (Martyr; ASB, Mar., ii. 398); and though he was but twenty years old, he was consecrated bishop, and received the insignia from Ambrose of Milan with the letter of induction (Epist., xxix., in MPL, xvi. 982). He built the churches of Gervasius and Protasius at Trent, and carried on energetic missions in his diocese and in those of Verona and Brixen. Great excitement attended the martyrdom of the three missionaries who hailed from Cappadocia, Sisinnius, Martyrius, and Alexander, of whom Vigilius speaks in two letters, one to Simplician of Milan, successor of Ambrose, and the other to Chrysostom at Constantinople. Because of these letters he appears in the work of Gennadius (De vir. ill., xxxviii., Eng. transl. in NPNF, 2 ser., iii. 392). Vigilius himself suffered a martyr's death. The dogmatic writings ascribed to him are not his, but be-
ong to Vigilius of Thapsus (q.v.), with whom he was confused.Bibliography: ASB, June, v.16b-188, of. the material collected in ASB, May vii. 143 sqq., under the names of Sisinnius and Alexander; J. G. Sulzer, Die Wiederauffindung der Urne des plorretchen Mtlrtyrera Vipilius Bischofa . von Trient, Trent, 1863; Tillemont, Mémoires, a. 542-552; Benedict, Count o_ Giovanelli, in Beiträge zur Geschichte von Tirol and Vorarlberg, iv. 1-152, Innsbruck, 1828; AL, xii. 962-964.
VIGILS: Services, originally consisting of hymns, prayers, lessons, and processions, held on the eve of high festivals, for which they form the preparation. Religious meetings were held at night even in the primitive Church, but the only night in the church year which then was wholly passed in fasting and vigil was Easter eve. Somewhat later the eve of Whitsunday was observed with special solemnity. In the fifth and sixth centuries the vigil of Easter was deemed the most appropriate time for baptism, the Eucharist, and ordination, and next in honor were the vigils of Whitsunday and Christmas. After the twelfth century special vigils preceded the feasts of the Virgin. After the fourth century vigils were celebrated with magnificence, and occasionally were marred by conduct which rendered it necessary in places to debar women from them. By the end of the same century vigils in honor of individual martyrs seem also to have been fully developed. In the Middle Ages vigils proper were celebrated only in the monasteries, the celebration of the vigils in the churches being either included in matins or vespers or transformed into fasts. In the Roman Catholic Church the vigil is now celebrated chiefly on the morning before the festival, except at Christmas and Easter Eve. Nominal vigils occur at Epiphany, Ascension, Whitsunday, the Annunciation, and the Purification of the Blessed Virgin, St. John's Day, All Saints', St. Laurence's Day, and the days of the apostles Matthew, Peter, Jude, James, Simon, Thomas, and Andrew. Services among Protestants which correspond in some degree to vigils are the Moravian observances at Good Friday and Easter, and the very common "watch-meetings" lasting until midnight on the last night of the year.
[The Anglican Church has the following vigils, on which abstinence is enjoined: the evens of the Nativity, Purification, Annunciation, Easter, Ascension, and Pentecost, and the days of Saints Matthias, John the Baptist, Peter, James, Bartholomew, Matthew, Simon and Jude, Andrew, Thomas, and All Saints. If any of these feasts falls on Monday, the vigil is held on Saturday. The celebration of the midnight Eucharist at Christmas, frequent in the Anglican communion, is not a vigil.]
Bibliography:
Bingham, Origines. VII., .a. 1. XIII., ix.
4, XVI. xi. 17, XX., vii. 9; J. C. W. Auguati, Denkwitrdigkeiten, i. 131, vii.
170 sqq., viii. 138-139, is. 413, x. 319,
12 vols., Leipsic,
1717-31; S. B>
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