St. Medard

The saint of the day is St. Medard.

Saint Medard, one of the most illustrious prelates of the Church of France in the sixth century, was born of a pious and noble family, at Salency, about the year 457.

From his youth St. Medard was known for his piety and learning, quenching his deep hunger for knowledge by studying Sacred Scripture as well as philosophy and the sciences.

His practice of Christian virtue was evident as a youth and his commitment to the poor so pronounced that he had difficulty in walking by a poor man in the street and not giving him what he had, either his cloak or shoes, and one time even his horse.

He was ordained a priest in about 490 and was consecrated bishop of Vermand in 530.  He moved the see of Vermand to Noyons a year later because it was a city better defended against invasion, the Huns and Vandals being the threats in that epoch.

Pope Hormisdas appointed Medard to the See of Tournai which he presided over along with that of Vermand, and had great success in converting the remaining pagans in the area to Christ.

Medard died of an illness in 545 at the age of 89 and his cult has been very popular historically in northern France.

Patron: against bad weather; against imprisonment; against sterility; brewers; captives; harvests; for good weather; for rain; imprisoned people; mentally ill people; peasants; prisoners; toothache; vineyards.

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