ONORATO, bishop of VERCELLI, saint. – Born around 330, he was a disciple of St. Eusebio of Vercelli, whom he also followed into exile, having been driven there by Constantius II after the Council of Milan of 355.
In 396, through the intervention of St. Ambrogio, he was elected bishop of Vercelli. The following year he assisted St. Ambrogio himself as he lay dying and administered the last Sacraments to him. He died on 29 October 415 and was buried in the church of S. Eusebio, where in 1575 his tomb, bearing an inscription, was found beside that of his predecessors. In the Roman Martyrology he is commemorated on 28 October.
BIBL.: Acta SS. Octobris, XII, Paris 1867, pp. 577–82; F. Savio, Gli antichi vescovi d’Italia. Piemonte, Turin 1898, pp. 421–23; Lanzoni, p. 1039; Martyr. Romanum, p. 482 ff. Agostino Amore