Spiritual origins
Around the middle of the 7th century, the abbot of the monastery of Saint-Aignan, a man named Aigulphe, was sent to the Abbey of Lérins to restore monastic discipline amongst the monks of that famous island. Through his zeal and virtue, Aigulphe was so successful that several young women from the most illustrious families in Provence begged him to establish a refuge for them where they could follow, under his guidance, the Rule of Saint Benedict.
Opposite the Lérins Islands, Aigulphe found the ideal spot to found his convent towards the end of the 7th century. He summoned the nun Angarisme from his hometown of Blois to appoint her as abbess of this convent, which from then on bore the name of the Monastery of Saint Cassian. A host of young women flocked to this new institution, renouncing their families’ wealth. Saint Maxime was one of them.
Having taken her vows, Maxime, through her kindness, obedience, gentleness and respect for religious discipline, very quickly became a model for her community.
For these reasons, she was chosen to lead the new foundation that the Fathers of Lérins had established in Callian. In this monastery, she was to fulfil her potential to the full, inspiring the young women with the outstanding virtues she had so skilfully practised at Saint-Cassien. It was there that she spent the rest of her days.
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