Paternus of Avranches was a 6th-century bishop and missionary who served the diocese of Avranches in France. Born into a noble family in Poitiers, he initially pursued a monastic life, serving as a cellarer in a Gallic monastery. Seeking greater solitude, he briefly established a monastery in Wales before returning to Gaul. There, he lived as a hermit alongside his companion Scubilo, eventually dedicating decades to spreading Christianity and founding numerous monasteries across northern Frankish territories.