Saint Januarius, and companions, Martyrs , A.D. 305.
by VP
Posted on Thursday September 19, 2024 at 01:42AM in Saints
The Martyrdom of St Januarius, by Artemisia Gentileschi (1636)
Prayer to St. Januarius
O holy martyrs, and thou especially, O Januarius, the leader no less by thy courage than by thy pontifical dignity, your present glory increases our longing for heaven; your past combats animate us to fight the good fight; your continual miracles confirm us in the faith. Praise and gratitude are therefore due to you on this day of your triumph; and we pay this our debt in the joy of our hearts.
In return, extend to us the protection, of which the fortunate cities placed under your powerful patronage are so justly proud. Defend those faithful towns against the assaults of the evil one.
In compensation for the falling away of society at large, offer to Christ our King the growing faith of all who pay you honor. The Liturgical Year: Time after Pentecost by Dom Prosper Guéranger
"Saint Januarius was bishop of Benevento in Italy, when the persecution of Dioclesian broke out. He was apprehended, and with several other Christians exposed to be devoured by beasts in the amphitheater: but none of the savage animals could be provoked to touch them. The people were amazed, but imputed their preservation to art-magic: and the martyrs were condemned to be beheaded. The city of Naples was so happy as to obtain possession of the relics of St. Januarius. That city has often owed its preservation from the fiery eruptions of Mount Vesuvius, to the intercession of the saint. His body still lies in the great church at Naples; where some of his congealed blood is kept in a phial, which being brought in presence of his head, begins to melt and grow fresh, as if newly spilt. Of this, great numbers of travelers have been frequent witnesses.
Adore the power and goodness of God, who is never wanting to his servants in the day of their distress. Let the help which they found, raise up your heart to an entire confidence in your God, as to all present troubles, and whatever are yet to come.
Trust in him; and though he seems to defer his help, yet be assured that he will not forsake you; but will either deliver you, or give you strength to suffer. Leave it to him to do what he knows best. It is his will that you should go through many trials: be not tired, nor faint under them: for by these rough ways he brings his servants to everlasting rest.
While you admire the courage of the martyrs, fail not to follow it. Live peaceably with all, whatever their persuasion be; and only then separate, when something is required which is contrary to your faith. Keep up a good correspondence, and be in charity with all neighbors; but never join in religious worship with those who are separated from the true Church; because it would in fact be acknowledging what your faith will not allow. Courage is necessary for this; but if you have principles, live up to them. Fear not what the world will say; if some revile, the more sober will commend your constancy." The Catholic Year; Or Daily Lessons on the Feasts of the Church by Rev. Fr. John Gother
St. Joseph of Cupertino, CONFESSOR, A.D. 1663.
by VP
Posted on Wednesday September 18, 2024 at 01:38AM in Saints
Ludovico Mazzanti (1686-1775)
"Mary, thou refuge of sinners, be mindful of me" St. Joseph of Copertino By Angelo Pastrovicchi
"The parents of this saint were poor, but virtuous. From his infancy he gave signs of extraordinary virtue. He was very attentive to the divine service, wore a hair shirt, and mortified his body by various austerities. Having finished his novitiate among the Franciscans near Cupertino, he made his vows as a lay brother. Though employed in the meanest offices, he performed them with perfect fidelity. He redoubled his fasts and austerities, prayed continually, and slept only three hours every night. His humility, sweetness and love of mortification and penance gained him so much veneration, that he was admitted among the religious of the choir, that he might qualify himself to receive Holy Orders.
Being ordained priest, he celebrated his first Mass with inexpressible sentiments of faith, love, and respect. He chose a retired cell that was dark and inconvenient. He divested himself of every thing that was allowed by his rule, and cried out, prostrate before his crucifix: "Behold me, O Lord, bereft of all earthly things: be thou, I beseech thee, my only good; I look upon every other thing as a real danger, and as a loss to my soul."
After having received the priesthood, he increased his austerities; and his desire of mortification made him invent different instruments of penance. He suffered many interior trials and severe temptations; and was treated with great harshness and severity by the superior of the convent at Assisium, where he was sent by the general of his order. But he soon experienced a return of heavenly consolations. His raptures were as frequent, as extraordinary. He had a singular talent for converting the most obdurate sinners, and quieting the minds of those who labored under any trouble. He explained the most profound doctrines of our faith with the greatest clearness; and this sublime knowledge he owed to the intimate communication which he had with God in prayer. His miracles were not less remarkable than the other extraordinary favors which he received from God. Many sick owed their recovery to his prayers.
The saint falling ill of a fever, foretold that his death was near at hand. The day before his death, he received the holy Viaticum, and after it Extreme Unction. He was heard often to repeat those aspirations of a heart inflamed with the love of God: "O that my soul was freed from the shackles of my body, to be reunited to Jesus Christ! Praise and thanksgiving be to God! The will of God be done! Jesus crucified, receive my heart, and kindle in it the fire of thy holy love." He died on the 18th of September, 1663, at the age of sixty. His body was exposed in the church, and the whole town came to visit it with respect; he was afterwards buried in the chapel of the Conception at Osimo, where he died; and his sanctity was attested by many miracles." The Catholic Year; Or Daily Lessons on the Feasts of the Church by Rev. Fr. John GOTHER 1861
Ember Wednesday: the day Christ was betrayed
by VP
Posted on Wednesday September 18, 2024 at 01:00AM in Saints
Prayer for Priests Who Have Become Unfaithful to Their Vocation
Divine Savior Jesus Christ, Thou are the
Good Shepherd who gives His life for His sheep. Oh, be in a very
special way the Good Shepherd of those poor lost priests who are also
appointed by Thee to be leaders of Thy people, but who have broken the
oath of their holy ordination and have become unfaithful to their
exalted calling. Bestow upon these poorest of the poor the very fullness
of that pastoral solicitude with which Thou dost so faithfully seek the
sheep that are lost! Touch their hearts with the irresistible ray of
grace which emanates from Thine all-merciful love! Enlighten their minds
and strengthen their wills, that they may turn away from all sin and
error and come back to Thy holy altar and to Thy people. O most
compassionate Savior! Remember that Thou didst once redeem the souls of
Thine erring priests with Thy Precious Blood and in infinite
preferential love didst impress upon them the indelible character of the
priesthood. Put wholly to shame those miserable helpers of Satan who
lay snares for the virtue of priests and endanger the holy ideal of the
priesthood. Most graciously accept our prayers and sacrifices for poor
priests who have gone astray and hear our earnest petition. Amen
St. Anthony of Padua, defender of the Holy Eucharist, obtain for us holy priests.
St. John-Mary Vianney, model of sacerdotal holiness, obtain for us holy priests.
St. Francis Xavier, patron of missionary priests, obtain for us holy priests.
St. Therese of the Child-Jesus and of the Holy Face, victim offered for the sanctification of priests, obtain for us holy priests.
Saints and Servants of God, obtain for us holy priests.
Imprimatur - Bishop John F. Null (April 18, 1948)
Source: Cure d'Ars Prayer Group DevotionsSaint Hildegard of Bingen, Benedictine and Doctor of the Church
by VP
Posted on Tuesday September 17, 2024 at 01:00AM in Saints
Saint Hildegard of Bingen, (Public Domain)
Under an allegorical image Hildegard condemns the sins and corruption of Church officials.
"In the year 1170 lying for a long time in my sickbed, fully awake in body and soul, I saw an exceedingly beautiful image of a woman. She was so delightful and so beautiful that the mind of man could never comprehend it, and in stature she reached from the earth to the heavens. She was clothed in a garment of dazzling white silk, over which was a cloak set with precious stones - with emeralds, sapphires, and pearls - and on her feet were shoes of onyx. But her face was smudged with dirt, and her dress was torn on the right side. Moreover, her cloak had lost its exquisite beauty, and the tops of her shoes were soiled.
She cried out in a loud, mournful voice to the heights of heaven: Give heed, O heavens, because my face has been smudged, and mourn, O earth because my garment has been torn, and tremble, O abyss, because my shoes have been soiled. "The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air nests" (Matt. 8,20), but I have no one to help or console me, and no staff to lean on for support.
And again she said: I lay hidden in the heart of the Father until the Son of Man, who was virginally conceived and born, shed His blood. And I was betrothed to Him through that blood, and dowered, so that through a pure, unsullied regeneration of spirit and of water, I could give new life to those who had been diseased and contaminated by the venom of the serpent.
Those who nurtured me - the priests, that is to say - were supposed to make my face glow like the dawn, my clothes flash like lighting, my cloak gleam like precious stones and my shoes to shine brightly. Instead, they have smeared my face with dirt, they have torn my garment, they have blackened my cloak, and they have soiled my shoes. The very ones who were supposed to beautify me with adornments have all failed miserably. This is the way they soil my face: They take up and handle the body and blood of my Bridegroom while defiled by the uncleanliness of their lustful morals, poisoned by the deadly venom of fornication and adultery, and corrupted by the avaricious rapine of buying and selling improper things. (That is, Church Offices, the sin of simony) They encompass His body and blood with filth, like someone putting a child in the mud among swine. For just as man became flesh and blood when God created him from the slime of the earth and breathed into him the breath of life (cf. Gen. 2,7), so too at the words of the priest, when he invokes the divinity over the altar, that same power of God turns the offering of bread, wine, and water into the real flesh and blood of Christ, that is, of my Bridegroom. But man cannot see this phenomenon with his physical eyes because he was blinded at Adam's fall.
As long as the wounds of man's sins gape open, my Bridegroom's wounds remain fresh and open. And the priests, who are supposed to make me resplendent, and serve me in the resplendence, are contaminating these wounds of Christ by running from church to church in their great avarice. They are tearing my garment because they are perverters of the law and the gospel and their own priesthood. In this way they are blackening my cloak because they are completely neglecting the precepts established for them. Moreover, they do not fulfill those precepts with good will and perfect work through abstinence (that is, the emerald), nor through generous distribution of alms (that is, the sapphire), nor with other good and upright works that brings honor to God (that is, the other kinds of gems). And they soil the tops of my shoes by not following the straight paths of righteousness, that is, those difficult and arduous ways. Furthermore, they do not set good examples for their subordinates, despite the fact that I preserve the splendor of truth below in my shoes, as in my secret place. False priests are self-deceived, because they want to have the honor of the priesthood without its work. This cannot be, because no one will receive the reward unless he has completed the work (cf. Cor 3.8) But when the grace of God touches a person, it causes him to perform his task so that he may receive his reward.
And so let heaven rain down all kinds of calamities upon mankind in the vengeance of God, and let a cloud cover the whole earth, so that its viridity withers and its beauty fades. And let the abyss tremble because, along with heaven and earth, it will be whipped into a frenzy in vengeance and grief. O you priests! you who have neglected me thus far, the princes of the earth and the rash mob will rise up against you, cast you out, and put you to flight. They will take your riches away from you, because you have not attended to your priestly office. And they will say about you: "Let us cast these adulterers and robbers of the Church, for they are full of every kind of wickedness." And in doing this, they believe that they have been obedient to God, for they say that the Church has been contaminated by you. This is why the Scripture says: " Why have the Gentiles raged, and the people devised vain things? The kings of the earth stood up, and the princes met together" (Ps. 2.1-2). For with God's permission many nations will begin to rage in their judgments against you, and many people will devise vain things against you, and will count your priestly office and your consecration as worthless. Then, the kings of the earth will aid them in casting you out, because they are greedy for earthly things, and the princes who will be your lords will agree in casting you out of their territory, for by your wicked deeds, you have put the innocent Lamb to flight."
And I heard a voice from heaven saying: This figure represents the Church. Therefore, O man, you who see and hear these mournful words, convey them to the priests, who were established and ordained to rule and teach the people of God, for that which was said to the apostles applies also to them: "Go ye into the whole world, and preach the gospel to every creature" ( Mark 16.15). For when God created mankind, he sealed every creature in him, just as on a single small piece of parchment, one can mark the time and reckoning of an entire year. For this reason God named all creation "mankind."
And again I, a poor little feminine form, saw an unsheathed sword hanging in the air, one edge of which was turned toward the heavens, the other toward the earth. And this sword was stretched out over the spiritual people, just as the prophet had long ago foreseen when he cried out in wonder: "Who are these, that fly as clouds, and as doves to their windows:" ( Is. 60.8)? For these were those who were lifted up from the earth and separated from the common people, and they were expected to live saintly lives in simplicity of morals and their works. And I saw that that sword was cutting off certain monasteries of spiritual men, just as Jerusalem was cut off after the Passion of the Lord. But still I saw that in that adversity God will preserve for Himself many priests who are devout, pure and simple, just as He answered Elijah, saying that there remained to him "seven thousand men in Israel, whose knees have not been bowed before Baal" (I King 19.18)
Now may the unquenchable fire of the Holy Spirit so infuse you that you will turn to the better part. (St. Luke 10.42)"
Source: The Letters of Hildegard of Bingen. (149 r. Hildegard to Wener, 1170. Pages 92 to 94)
Saints Cornelius and Cyprian, Pope and Bishop. Martyrs AD 252, 258
by VP
Posted on Monday September 16, 2024 at 01:41AM in Saints
Cornelius From the cloister of the Abbey of Mariawald, German (Lower Rhine), about 1520-1
"St. Cornelius was bishop of Rome, under the Emperor Gallus, and was a man of unblemished character, and virginal purity. He was remarkable for his humility; meek, modest, peaceable, and adorned with all the other virtues. He behaved in his pastoral charge with remarkable zeal and piety, and adhered to his duty in the most perilous times with great courage and steadfastness. St. Cornelius was the fist person apprehended at Rome, in the persecution of Gallus. He was first sent into banishment, and afterwards brought back to Rome, where he suffered death in 252.
St. Cyprian was the illustrious bishop of Carthage, and Father of the Church. By his great charity to the sick and poor, by his zeal in all ecclesiastical discipline, by his faithful discharge of all pastoral duties, and by his learned writings, he has rendered himself eminent to all ages. He was apprehended at Carthage, under Valerian the emperor, and first sent into banishment. There he made a holy preparation for martyrdom, devoting his time to compunction and penance, and making heavenly contemplation his favorite employment. Being recalled to Carthage, he was soon after apprehended, and martyred by the sword, in the year 258.
Pray for his present holiness, and for all the pastors of God's Church, that in zeal for truth, virtue and discipline, they may follow the steps of these their ancient predecessors.
Pray for that vast country Africa, formerly Christian, now Mahometan: a severe scourge. If this be the punishment of sin, how careful ought you to be in all yours ways, that so you may escape the divine rigor, and have no hand in drawing down the like severity on your country or family.
Pray for all in trouble: ask patience for yourself. Though you are not called to martyrdom, yet you have frequent opportunities of suffering for Christ. The cause of truth, justice, and virtue, is the cause of Christ."
The Catholic Year; Or Daily Lessons on the Feasts of the Church by Rev. Fr. John Gother.
A Prayer for the Church (Holy Face Devotion)
O God, by Thy Holy Name have pity on us, protect us, and save us.
O Good Jesus, in thy sweet Name guard our Sovereign Pontiff; breathe into his soul the spirit of the Comforter.
Jesus, thy Church is menaced with great trials! Holy Father, by the
virtue of thy salutary Name protect the Church of Jesus Christ. This was
the last will of thy Divine Son; it is the holy prayer which love
prompted towards the end of His life. Holy Father, keep in thy Name
those thou hast given me (St. John Chap xxvii 11)
O most holy and worthy Mother, refuge of the Church, intercede for us and save us by the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
St. Michael and the Holy Angels, guard the bark of Peter, disperse its enemies by the Holy Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Venerable Marie de Saint Pierre, Holy Face Devotion, Work of Reparation 1885
Saint Amatus, Benedictine Abbot
by VP
Posted on Friday September 13, 2024 at 01:37AM in Saints
PERSECUTED VIRTUE.-Persecution seems to be the portion of virtue. God desires or permits it in accordance with His ever-wise designs, which it behoves us to adore without seeking to penetrate. Amatus gave himself up to all the fervor of piety in a cell attached to the monastery of Agaune, near which was built a little oratory that still exists, called "Our Lady of the Rock," whence he was drawn to be raised to the see of Sion, in the Valais. He discharged the functions of this high office for many years with such edification that his reputation for sanctity continued to increase day by day. But the weak-minded , Thierry III swayed by his mistresses and by the atrocious Ebroin, mayor of the palace, allowing himself to be influenced against him, condemned him without appeal, and banished him from his diocese. The pious bishop patiently bore this unjust treatment, and withdrew to a monastery, where he died a holy death towards the year 690. Thierry, having returned to better thoughts, reproached himself bitterly with his mode of dealing, and repaired the mischief by numerous deeds of benevolence.
MORAL REFLECTION.-The just man when persecuted resembles our Savior more nearly: "Let him then take up his cross, and follow" the divine model.-(Mark viii. 34.) Half Hours Pictorial with the Saints by Fr. Lecanu
St. Paphnucius, Bishop of Egyp
by VP
Posted on Wednesday September 11, 2024 at 01:00AM in Saints
"HONOURABLE WOUNDS. - St. Paphnucius, the disciple of St. Anthony, and one of the most holy bishops of Upper Egypt, nobly confessed the faith during the persecution of Maximinus. He was grievously wounded in the ankle and thumb, and had his right eye torn out previous to being sent to labor in the mines with the other martyrs. On peace being restored to the Church by Constantine the Great, he reappeared in his diocese with all the more authority, because the halo of the martyr surrounded him. This glorious title, as well as his personal sanctity, attracted towards him the reverent homage of the fathers of the Council at Nicea, where he was anxious to be present, despite his state of suffering. Constantine, who loved to converse with him and consult him as a parent, never parted from him without respectfully kissing his cheek or the scars in his hand. Paphnucius was present likewise at the council of Tyre, and there brought about a reconciliation between Maximus, patriarch of Jerusalem, and St. Athanasius, who had been calumniated by the enemies of the faith. The precise date of his death is not recorded.
MORAL REFLECTION.-If to fight for one's country be
glorious, "it is likewise great glory to follow the Lord," saith the
Wise Man.(Eccles. xxiii. 38.)" Pictorial Half Hour with the saints by Fr. Augustine Lecanu
St. Nicholas of Tolentino, CONFESSOR, A.D. 1306.
by VP
Posted on Tuesday September 10, 2024 at 01:00AM in Saints
- Weekly Devotion to St. Nicholas of Tolentine (Perpetual Novena) For the suffering Souls in Purgatory
- Prayer to St. Nicholas of Tolentino (Augustinian order, Philippines)
"THIS saint received his surname from the town which was his residence for the greater part of his life, and where he died. He was piously educated, and gave early signs of a virtuous life. In his childhood, he spent hours together at his prayers, with wonderful application of his mind to God. He had a tender love for the poor, and from his tender age had a habit of fasting three days in the week on bread and water. When grown up he became a religious of the Order of the reformed Augustins; and here he lived a wonderful example, not only of great austerity, but also of charity, patience, and humility. He suffered very much in his devotions from the malice of a subtle enemy, without being discouraged. Thus he went on, till he was called to a better life, in the year 1306.
What can you now learn from the method of this
saint? You are not to oblige children at his tender years to fast. But
if you will be kind to them, flatter not their appetites with choice
bits; give them what is wholesome, but teach them not to be nice. For by
courting their palates, you would teach them to love themselves, make
them unfit for the penitential way of the Gospel, and very miserable, if forced at any time to struggle with the difficulties of the world. Observe the rigors of this
saint: for though you cannot follow them, they will yet serve as a
reproach to your selfish way, in seeking every thing that pleases. Did
he think Heaven worth all his self-denials; and will you suffer nothing
for it? Reflect well on this point: for all who follow Christ being commanded to deny themselves, he can be no true disciple, who is a stranger to the practice of self-denial. Learn something as to prayer. Be not discouraged with the distractions of wandering thoughts; and let no temptations frighten you from your usual exercise. Do the best you are able, and hope that God will pardon your weakness. Endeavor to prevent the growth of tares; but do not think your labor unprofitable if there be some tares among the corn.The harvest may turn to good account notwithstanding this mixture." The Catholic Year by Fr. John Gother
St. Peter Claver, of the Society of Jesus.
by VP
Posted on Monday September 09, 2024 at 01:00AM in Saints
"At the beginning of the seventeenth century the Jesuit College of Majorca was blessed with the presence of a holy lay brother, called Alphonsus Rodriguez, whose name has lately been added to the catalogue of the Saints. Though holding the humble office of college porter, he was able by his admirable example and burning words, issuing from a heart inflamed with Divine love, to exercise a powerful influence for good upon the students. Among these was a youth of noble birth, a native of Catalonia, named Peter Claver, whom he inflamed with so ardent a zeal for the salvation of the poor abandoned negro slaves in the Spanish colonies of South America, that the labours and sacrifices of this painful apostolate became the object of his longing desires and his highest ambition. Almighty God responded to his generous aspirations, and in the year 1615 he was sent by his superiors to reinforce the mission at Carthagena, the principal seaport of Peru.
Upon his arrival at his destination, Father Claver was moved with the most tender compassion on beholding the sufferings of the poor negroes who were landed at this port from the slave ships, and bought and sold like cattle. Their fate was indeed a hard one, for no sooner were they discharged from the vessel where they had been crowded together for weeks beneath the hatchways, enduring all the horrors of hunger, thirst and foul air, than they found that their sufferings were just commencing. The silver mines where they had to labour in the bowels of the earth, and the plantations where they had to toil beneath the burning sun, were to be the scene of their life-long misery; and when exhausted by excessive labours and debilitated by hardship and disease, they became no longer of service to their brutal masters, they were often thrust aside and left to perish uncared for either in soul or body. It was to alleviate the cruel sufferings of these poor outcasts and ensure them the enjoyment of eternal happiness hereafter that Claver devoted the forty years of his missionary life.
During the long course of his laborious apostolate the following was the routine of his daily life. As soon as a slave ship anchored in the harbour, Father Claver hastened on board, carrying with him a supply of biscuits, lemons, brandy and tobacco, for the use of the unhappy negroes. Upon these poor creatures, already half brutalized by the hardships and cruelties which they had endured during the course of their long voyage, he lavished the most tender affection. He spoke to them-exiles from their native land and dearest friends of their Heavenly Father who loved them tenderly, and of a happy home beyond the skies which was still within their reach. He nursed the sick, he baptised the infants, he encouraged every one, assuring them that he would be ever at their service, ready to share their sorrows, to advise and instruct them, and in a word to devote to them his time, his means, his labour and his whole existence.
To supply their wants he was not ashamed to beg from door to door, and to stand with his hand stretched out in the public places. But he was not content with assisting them on their first arrival. With staff in hand, and bearing on his shoulders the supplies intended for them, he followed them to the mines and plantations, enduring incredible hardships, and braving every danger in order to bring them consolation and relief.
Upon his arrival at a slave settlement, his first care was to visit the quarters of the sick, whom he considered to have the earliest claim upon his charity. After washing their hands and faces and dressing their wounds, he would distribute among them remedies for their ailments, and various little delicacies, at the same time raising their thoughts and hearts to God, and exhorting them to bear their sufferings patiently for the love of Jesus who had shed all His Blood for them. When he had soothed and calmed the minds of all, he assembled them before a little Altar which he had set up and decorated, and over which he had placed a picture of Jesus crucified. He arranged the men on one side and the women on the other upon seats or mats which he had prepared, and then in the midst of these degraded beings, naked and covered with vermin, he with a smiling countenance and in simple and loving words began to explain to them the truths of our holy Faith, especially the mystery of the Blessed Trinity, and that of a God made man who shed his Precious Blood for the salvation of all, master and slave, negro and European.
When taking his four final vows Father Claver added
a fifth, intended to bind him more closely to his heroic work. It is
expressed by the words in which he signed his solemn act of profession, "Peter,
slave of the negroes for ever." Faithful to his vow he wore himself out
by his unceasing labours in their behalf, until at length, utterly
exhausted in body and paralysed in all his limbs, he breathed out his
soul to God on September 8, A.D. 1654, at the age of seventy-four." Short lives of the saints, for every day in the year, Volume 3,Catholic Truth Society By Rev. Fr. Henry Gibson, 1897 p. 29
St. Cloud, Confessor
by VP
Posted on Saturday September 07, 2024 at 01:00AM in Saints
"St Cloud, or Clodoald, was the only son of Clodomir, king of Orleans, the brothers of the young prince having been murdered by their uncle clothaire in his guilty desire to become master of their possessions. Brought up in retirement, Saint Cloud was so impressed with the nothingness of all earthly things, that, even when he reached the age to assert his claim to the throne, he declined to embrace the favorable opportunities of success which were offered to him. He renounced the world, and placed himself under the direction of St. Severinus, then living as a recluse near Paris. Later, having been ordained priest, St. Cloud spent a few years in the exercise of his holy ministry but again mastered by the charms of a secluded life, he withdrew to the spot which now bears his name, founded a monastery there, and died in the year 560, after having edified all by a career of prayer, preaching, and good deeds." source: Short lives of the Saints by Eleanor C. Donnelly 1910
Prayer
Collect: O God, who didst exalt Blessed Clodoald thy confessor, humbled for thy sake in this world, both by raising him to the dignity of the priesthood and by enduing him with the splendor of many virtues: grant unto us, following his example, to do thee worthy service and, helped by his prayers, ever grow in virtue and merit.
Secret: With thy Holy priest, Clodoald, we confess thee, O Lord, to be the author of our faith and of our salvation: and we beseech thee mercifully to receive at our hands this sacrifice of praise; and to grant that with the same fervor as he, we may render our vows to thee.
