List of Breton saints

Breton saints refers to one of two groups, the innumerable people who lived, died, worked in, or came to be particularly venerated in the nine traditional dioceses of Brittany (Cornouaille, Dol, Léon, Nantes, Rennes, Saint-Brieuc, Saint-Malo, Tréguier, Vannes) who were accepted as saintly before the establishment of the Congregation of Rites (now the Congregation for the Causes of Saints), or those saints, blesseds, venerables, and Servants of God who have come to be recognized since that time.

Armorican saints

Before the Bretons came, the land now known as Brittany was known as Armorica within the Roman province of Gallia Lugdunensis. The earliest saint associated with this region is Anne, mother of Mary (mother of Jesus), said by tradition to have been Armorican, and she is the patroness of Brittany. She also appeared to Yves Nicolazic, to whom she spoke in Breton.

After her, the earliest saints in what is now Brittany have dates which are sometimes unclear, but tradition holds they go back to the earliest days of the church. Maxime, said to have been the disciple of Philip the Apostle, was sent to preach among the Gauls and was made the first Bishop of Rennes. He may have been accompanied by saints by the names of Clarus and Justus. Pope Linus, the second Bishop of Rome, sent Clair and Adeodatus; this is said to be Clair who became the first Bishop of Nantes around AD 280 and died early in the third century, though the dates make this suspect, and Adeodatus preached especially in the area of Vannes. Other Armorican saints include Similien, the third Bishop of Nantes in the early fourth century, and the brother-martyrs Donatian and Rogatian. Palladius may also have had an Armorican connection.

The Seven Founders

The Bretons, coming from the British Isles, brought Christianity with them. With the coming of the Bretons, the seven ancient dioceses were established by the seven founding saints.

The other two dioceses of Brittany were founded by Clair de Nantes and Maxime de Rennes.

Medieval saints

Monarchs

Bishops

  • AEmilien, Bishop of Nantes
  • Alain, 4th Bishop of Quimper
  • Alori, Bishop of Quimper
  • Amand, Bishop of Rennes
  • Amandus, Bishop of Maastricht, born near Nantes
  • Armand, 5th Bishop of Vannes
  • Armel, 6th Bishop of Dol
  • Aubin (or Albinus), Bishop of Angers (529–550), born near Vannes
  • Bilius I, 16th Bishop of Vannes
  • Bilius II, 33rd Bishop of Vannes (891–908)
  • Budoc, 3rd Bishop of Dol
  • Budoc, 12th Bishop of Vannes
  • Catuodus, 15th Bishop of Vannes
  • Clement, 3rd Bishop of Vannes
  • Didier, Bishop of Rennes
  • Dominius, 2nd Bishop of Vannes
  • Enogat, 7th Bishop of Saint-Malo
  • Felix, sixth century Bishop of Nantes
  • Gaud, Bishop of Évreux
  • Germanus of Man, first Bishop on the Isle of Man
  • Genevee, 4th Bishop of Dol
  • Gobrien,21st Bishop of Vannes (720–725)
  • Goennoc, Bishop of Quimper
  • Gouesnon, Bishop of Leon
  • Goulven de Léon, Bishop of Leon
  • Guenin, 10th Bishop of Vannes
  • Hinguethen, 13th Bishop of Vannes
  • Ignoroc (or Vigorocus), 11th Bishop of Vannes
  • Jumael, 7th Bishop of Dol
  • Justoc, 22nd Bishop of Vannes
  • Magloire, 2nd Bishop of Dol
  • Maelmon, Bishop of Aleth
  • Melaine, Bishop of Rennes
  • Meldroc, 17th Bishop of Vannes
  • Meriasek, 14th Bishop of Vannes (650–666)
  • Moran, Bishop of Rennes
  • Oudoceus, Bishop of Llandaff
  • Pasquier, 20th Bishop of Nantes
  • Pergat, 3rd Bishop of Treguier
  • Restoald, 5th Bishop of Dol
  • Ruelin, 2nd Bishop of Treguier
  • Saturnin, 6th Bishop of Vannes
  • Tenenan, Bishop of Leon
  • Turian, 8th Bishop of Dol

Others

Modern saints

The "modern" in modern saints refers to the process, not the person, and groups those whose status has been recognized by Rome.

Saints

Blesseds (by beatification)

Blesseds (by confirmation of cult)

  • David, cult confirmed in 1120
  • Françoise d'Amboise, cult confirmed 1863
  • John of the Grating, Cistercian Bishop, cult confirmed in 1517
  • Yann Divotou, Franciscan priest, cult confirmed in 1989
  • Ralph de la Futaye, unclear when cult confirmed

Venerables

Servants of God

Other saintly Bretons

  • Corentin Cloarec, killed by the Nazis
  • Joachim Nio, killed by the Gestapo

See also

References

  • "The Catholic Encyclopedia"
  • "Hagiography Circle"
  • M. de Garaby, Vie des bienheureux et des saints de Bretagne, éd. J.-M. Williamson, Nantes, 1839. Réédition 1991.
  • P.T. de S. Luc, C. L'Histoire de Conan Mériadec Qui Fait le Premier regne de l'histoire generale des souverains de la Bretagne Gauloise, dite Armorique. Paris, 1664.
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