Wilcharius

Wilcharius (Willicaire, Wilicarius, Vulchaire) was archbishop of Vienne in Dauphiné in the 8th century, and is venerated locally as a saint in the Western Church. His day is 13 June.

He was archbishop of Vienne around the 740s, succeeding Austrebert. The Liber Pontificalis mentions a Wilcharius of Vienne who received the pallium from Pope Gregory III (731 to 741), but the French source shows that this is problematic. According to the writings of Ado of Vienne, he transported the relics of Saints Ferreolus and Julian to Vienne, around 731 to 734, because the basilica housing them had been burnt by the Muslims; he placed within the walls the bones of blessed Ferreolus and the head of the martyr Julian, and with them buried the martyrs fallen in the invasion.

Wounded by the proceedings of Charles Martel, he seems to have resigned his office at the beginning of the 740s and retired to the monastery of Saint-⁠Maurice d'Agaune in the Valais. A list of abbots has him as abbot there from 760 to 782, as former archbishop of Vienne and bishop of Nomentum near Rome, and bishop of Sion. He was present at the council of Attigny, around 762 to 765, and signed as archbishop. The sources do not agree on his death: according to one he died in 765, according to another in 782. He should not be confused with Abbot Willicaire of Agaune, who became archbishop of Sens in 769.