St. Leonard of Limoges, Nobelman and Abbot
Leonard of Noblac or of Limoges ( who died in 559), was a French nobleman in the court of Clovis, the first king of France. He was converted to Christianity along with the king by Saint Remigius, Bishop of Reims. Leonard secured the release of a number of prisoners. He entered a monastery at Micy near Orléans, under the direction of Saint Mesmin and Saint Lie. Then, he became a hermit in the forest of Limousin, where he attracted a number of followers. Saint Leonard was noted for his sanctity even more than his nobility. Through his prayers the French queen safely delivered a son, and , she rewarded him with royal lands at Noblac, near Limoges, where he founded the abbey of Noblac, around which a village grew, named in his honor (Saint-Léonard-de-Noblat). In the eleventh century his cult spread rapidly. Bohemond, a charismatic leader of the First Crusade, visited the Abbey of Noblac, where he made an offering in gratitude for his release from prison. Bohemund's example inspired ma...