Saint Leonard of Noblac

According to the testimony of the anonymous author who wrote the ancient Life of Saint Leonard, Saint Remi, using the influence granted by his holiness, is said to have persuaded the kings of France to issue, in honor of God, a royal edict by virtue of which, whenever they entered the city of Reims, or passed through the vicinity, all those who were then held in prisons or burdened with chains would be restored to liberty. In imitation of his master, Leonard, a faithful disciple of Saint Remi, humbly asked the king that all those who were locked in dungeons be set free if, when he visited them, he judged them worthy of this grace. The king kindly granted him this signal favor. Happy with this privilege, as soon as Leonard learned that there were unfortunate prisoners somewhere, he would immediately hasten there, and apply all his strength to procure their deliverance. Already the fame of his kindness was making such progress throughout Gaul that a great number of the sick, drawn to him by the hope of healing, came to find him so that he might procure their health through his prayers. And he did indeed heal them by invoking the name of the Lord over them. Not only did he distribute alms to them to sustain the life of the body; but, knowing that man does not live by bread alone, and that the divine word is a necessary nourishment for his soul, and furthermore remembering the sacred proverb that a good word is better than an alms, he showed these poor afflicted people the advantages of Christian patience, and procured for their souls those ineffable consolations that the divine word gives when it is announced by a man of God. Faithful and true in his promises, liberal and magnificent in his alms, modest when he gave an account of his works, far from taking advantage of his high birth, he made himself small with the poor; he willingly lowered himself to help them; and, seeing his humble demeanor and his bowed head, one would have said, not that he descended from a noble family, but that he had come from the most obscure condition. The humility of his exterior, his gait, and his gaze recalled what Saint Paul, in his divine language, calls "the modesty of Jesus Christ." While Leonard, at the school of Saint Remi, meditated day and night on the law of God, and fueled by this meditation the sacred fire that burned in his soul, the good odor of his virtues spread far and wide, and the people vied with each other to publish his praises. The King of France sent deputies to him to beg him to come to his court; and, when he was in his presence: "Leonard, man of God," he said to him, "I pray you to always consider my palace as your home; I want you to remain here, near me, until I procure for you the dignities of the Church and the honors of the episcopate, until I can gird your brow with the pontifical miter, of which you are worthy." Leonard, who was then only a simple cleric, humble and pious, took great care not to welcome these flattering promises, and to accept this brilliant burden; he replied to the prince: "If I had wished, according to the custom of my parents, to serve in the army of the kings of France, I know very well, O my king, that I would not have occupied the last rank at your court; but I preferred to serve my God in an obscure condition than to serve an earthly king by rising to dignities, and living in the midst of honors. Give, prince, to those who desire it, the pontifical miter: as for me, I will be content to praise the name of the Lord by leading a solitary life. It is not, O great king, that I wish to blame those who accept the office of the episcopate; but I repeat to you what I have already said: I prefer to live ignored in the house of God than to dwell in the palace of the princes of this world."

After refusing the dignities and all the temporal honors promised to him by the king, he departed. Along his journey, as a heavenly farmer, he sowed the word of God. It was while exercising this sacred function that he arrived in Orléans. Not far from this city, a venerable man named M aximin Maximin Abbot of the monastery of Micy. directed the mo nastery of Micy, monastère de Micy Monastery near Orléans where Almire lived for a few years. where several religious men, whom the Church has since placed upon the altars, were then flourishing under his guidance. Leonard remained for some time in this monastery; and it is understood that, in this school of piety, he must have risen from virtue to virtue and formed himself in the holiest practices of monastic life.

The ancient Life of Saint Leonard does not enter into any detail regarding what he did during his stay at Micy; but another medieval legend, formerly preserved at the monastery of Meung, reports on this subject some facts that we cannot pass over in silence. This legend recounts that the abbot of Micy, Saint Maximin, seeing the virtues and spiritual progress of his disciple, led him to Orléans and presented him to Eusebius, bishop of that city, so that he might receive from the hands of this pontiff the sacred order of the diaconate. "Receive the Holy Spirit," the bishop said to him while laying his right hand upon his head, "receive the gift of strength, to resist the devil and all his assaults, in the name of the Lord!" Leonard accepted, out of obedience, this lower degree of the ecclesiastical ministry; but he did not wish to rise higher in the sacred hierarchy, he who had told a king that his only ambition was to live unknown in the house of the Lord. Ancient writers vouch for this tradition: Bernard Guidenis, who wrote in the early years of the 14th century, says that Saint Leonard was a deacon, and not a priest. This legend from the monastery of Meung also says that, on a Christmas day, Leonard, charged with assisting Saint Maximin at the holy sacrifice, was going to the church to fulfill his duties as a deacon, carrying in his hand, in a small vessel, the wine that was to be offered at the altar. A poor man presented himself to him, tired, panting, and asked him for this wine in the name of Jesus Christ. Leonard remembered the word of the Savior: "I was thirsty, and you gave me to drink"; and, without hesitating, he gave the poor man the wine he was carrying. The poor man told him to draw water from a fountain that was nearby, and the Savior, wishing to reward the faith and piety of Leonard, renewed in his favor the first miracle He performed in His apostolic life; and the water that the holy young man had drawn was changed into an exquisite wine which was offered at the altar.

Having known, through a revelation of the Holy Spirit, that he should not remain in that monastery, but that he should direct his steps toward the region of Aquitaine, Leonard left the monastery. While crossing the province of Bourges, where there were still pagans, he did not hide himself out of fear of death; but, like an intrepid soldier, girded with the weapons of faith, he exalted the name of the Lord, as much as he could, by his words and his works; and the Lord, who glorifies through the gift of wonders those who glorify Him by their holiness, confirmed his preaching with striking miracles. He put demons to flight, he restored hearing to the deaf, sight to the blind, walking to the lame, and health to all the infirm who had recourse to him. But this was not yet where God was calling him. After having performed such wonders, the athlete of Christ, armed with the helmet of salvation and the shield of faith, continued his journey, and, leaving the province of Bourges, he directed his steps toward the mountains of the Limousin. He was seeking a hermitage where he could live completely separated from the world, and give himself entirely to God.

At that time, the province of the Limousin was for the most part uncultivated and covered with forests; abandoned by men, it was eminently suitable for the solitary life: thus it was a rallying point for a few elite souls whom the Spirit of God prompted to separate themselves from the world. At a distance of ten miles, or about four leagues, from Limoges, on the side of the rising sun, one finds, while going up the steep banks of the Vienne, a mountain that was once covered with a thick forest and filled with wild beasts, called the forest of Pauvain (Pavum). Upon arriving in this wild-looking site, the blessed Leonard found this place favorable to his pious design: "This is where I shall dwell," he said with the Prophet, "this is the place I choose for my abode!" He built himself a cell with intertwined branches; and, richer in his poverty than the potentates of this world, by possessing God he possessed the universe. There, living on roots and wild fruits, he gave himself freely to prayer, to meditation, and to mortification; and he charmed his exile by singing the sweetness of that law which sanctifies souls. In the midst of this silent and recollected nature, nothing hindered the ascent of his heart toward God: on the contrary, everything raised his thought toward heaven. As much as the tumult and the noises of the world had inspired in his soul a profound disgust, so much did the solitude of this mountain fill his heart with a pure and profound joy. He had read in the holy books that one must anticipate the sun to bless God, and the first glimmers of dawn found him kneeling in prayer. At night, he thought of the beauty of God while contemplating the stars, and he cried out with the prophet-king: "I will see your heavens, the work of your hands; the moon and the stars, which you have created! What is man that you should be mindful of him? What is the son of man that you have deigned to visit him?" And what charm, what sweetness in these prolonged conversations with God and in these nights spent in prayer!

Opposite the hermitage of Pauvain, on the other side of the Vienne, a castle whose ruins can still be seen rose on the summit of a steep mountain, and dominated the deep valleys that the river has carved, and where it traces its winding course. As the ancient kings of the country and the dukes of Aquitaine were accustomed to go hunting in the forest of Pauvain, a royal house had been built long ago on this mountain, which overlooks the forest, which served as their residence. The king came every year to this castle with the officers of his retinue, and his spouse often accompanied him. In one of these journeys, and during the stay she was making in the royal residence, the queen was suddenly surprised by the pains of childbirth. Their excessive violence made them fear for her life, and soon they despaired of saving her. The king, sad and justly worried, quickly had recourse to the most skillful physicians; but they exhausted all the resources of art without being able to provide any relief to the august patient. All the prince's friends were in the greatest sadness seeing that the queen was going to die so miserably. The numerous servants, inside and outside the palace, let their grief break out in plaintive clamors; and the mountain and the neighboring valleys resounded with mournful cries and long groans. While these cries of pain were rising toward heaven, Leonard, having left his hermitage, was crossing the paths of the forest while praying. He stops, he listens, he hears these groans of mourning, and, touched with compassion, he wants to know the cause. He therefore turns from his path, and, crossing the Vienne, he directs his steps toward the royal residence, located on the mountain from which these clamors and plaintive cries were coming. As soon as the courtiers caught sight of him, they went without delay to announce him to the prince: the king went out immediately to meet him, and he introduced him into the castle. Upon seeing the face of the pious hermit transfigured by holiness and penance, he believed immediately in the power of his prayer, and he had full confidence in his goodness. He threw himself at his feet, and asked for his support in the midst of the immense sadness that overwhelmed him. The spectacle of this royal grief, of these sighs and sobs, moved the heart of Leonard, so inclined by nature to pity: he raised the prince, and, followed by some officers of the palace, they entered together into the queen's apartment. Then, raising his eyes to heaven, Leonard addressed to Him who holds in His hands the keys of life and death, a fervent prayer which was immediately answered.

Penetrated with gratitude, the king had gold vases and silver cups brought, purple garments woven with gold, and other ornaments in great number, and had them offered to the holy hermit as a gift of his recognition. But the valiant soldier of Christ, for whom the world with all its pomps was crucified, despised the riches of the century too much to accept this royal present. He asked only of the king a portion of the forest, and the prince immediately confirmed this donation by a royal decree.

In the middle of this solitary forest that the king had given him, Leonard built an oratory in honor of the Virgin Mary. On the left side of this oratory, he placed an altar dedicated to Saint Remi, his benefactor and his father in the faith, who, for some years, had received in heaven the palm due to his merits. Thus, this sanctuary was consecrated to filial love and gratitude.

The blessed Leonard lived for a long time in this forest, giving his body only the food he could not refuse it, macerating himself with fasts, and spending his life in vigils and prayers. He associated with himself two religious men of edifying life and exemplary manners, so that when he was absent from his hermitage to go and pray at the tomb of the Saints, the divine mysteries would be celebrated without interruption in the oratory dedicated to the Virgin Mary. He had, in fact, the praiseworthy habit of often going on pilgrimage to the basilica of the holy pontiff Martial, and he did not want his church to remain solitary when he himself went somewhere to pray.

As Saint Leonard's oratory was about a mile away from the Vienne River, the two religious companions of his solitude found it difficult to go down there every day to draw water. This river rolls its rapid waves at the bottom of the valley, while the oratory was situated at the top of the hill. That is why they one day begged Saint Leonard to provide them, near their church, with a spring where they could more easily draw the water they needed. They had confidence in the holiness of their master, they believed in his power before God, and they knew that the Lord does not disdain to perform miracles in favor of his children that make his goodness shine forth. Touched by their prayer, the man of God had a pit in the shape of a well dug not far from the oratory, and, standing in front of the empty cistern, he invoked the name of the Lord, and his prayer was immediately answered. Leonard changed the name of Pauvain, which this forest bore. In memory of the royal donation, he wanted this place to be called Noblac from then on, because, says the author of the legend, it was t he gif Noblac Site of the saint's hermitage and burial place in Limousin. t of a very noble king.

Although the holy hermit loved to lead a retired and solitary life; although it was his rule to keep away from the crowd and avoid the gathering of the people, nevertheless God, who wishes to be glorified in his Saints, and who takes pleasure in performing wonders through their hands in the midst of the nations, drew the peoples toward his pious servant. Through the secret influence of heaven, one saw numerous crowds of the sick running toward him, whom the grace of the almighty God healed by his hand. The reputation of his holiness spread throughout all of Aquitaine; it extended far into Brittany, and even penetrated into Germany. God glorified his pious servant so much that if anyone, held in prison, invoked the name of Leonard, he immediately saw his chains break, he was free, and no one dared to put shackles on his liberty. A great number of these prisoners, having departed from distant lands and delivered by him from the dungeon or from irons, came to Aquitaine and asked in what place the blessed Leonard dwelt. Moreover, they brought with them their irons and heavy chains, and, falling at his feet, presented them to him to pay him homage. Most wanted to remain with him, offering to be his servants and promising to fulfill all the duties thereof faithfully. But the man of God, who regarded himself as the servant of all, distributed to them a portion of his vast forest, so that, by clearing it and devoting themselves to the labors of agriculture, they would no longer be exposed to giving themselves over, as in the past, to habits of rapine, and to being locked up again in dark dungeons.

Following the example of the divine Master, full of compassion and goodness, Saint Leonard welcomed all these unfortunate captives with meekness. He encouraged them in good through his evangelical preaching; and all those who came to him, burdened with various infirmities, he healed by his holy prayers, and nourished each day with his word full of sweetness. He took pleasure in their midst like a father in the midst of his children, giving clothes to those who were naked, food to those who were hungry, providing them liberally with everything they needed. Beside their pious liberator, all these former prisoners, henceforth freed from the servitude of sin, a thousand times sadder than bodily captivity, recovered a liberty infinitely more precious, the liberty of the children of God. It is that he made them understand this great word of the Savior: "If the Son of God redeems you from the servitude of sin, you will be truly free." Thus, the pious solitary rehabilitated through religion these men whom human justice had withered; he transformed them through work and prayer.

As the noise of so many wonders performed by the man of God did not cease to be carried into France by the voices of fame, several members of his family and his relatives, some of his former servants, sold their domains and their other possessions, and came, with their wives and children, as far as the forest where the hut of the holy hermit was. The latter, having looked at them with astonishment and having recognized them: "How!" he said to them, "I moved away from you, and you have followed me!... Ah! may you follow me thus into the glory of paradise!" As soon as they recognized his voice, they prostrated themselves before him, face to the ground: "Venerable Father," they said to him, "we are yours, and, if you permit it, we will never separate ourselves from you. Show us your ways, teach us your paths." "Beloved sons," he replied to them, "I will repeat to you these words of the prophet David, and I urge you to engrave them deeply in your heart: I have been young, and I have become old; and I have never seen the just man abandoned, and his children reduced to begging for their bread. Fear then the Lord, and honor his Saints: for indigence will never reach those who fear him. The rich have fallen into indigence, and have felt hunger; but those who seek the Lord will never lack any good. Listen to me then, O my children, and I will teach you the fear of the Lord. God has withdrawn you far from the tumult of the crowds and the whirlwind of the century, so that, dwelling with me in this solitude, you may live there holily in justice and peace. For it is written: Mediocrity is better for the just man than the great riches of sinners; and again: A mouthful of dry bread eaten in the joy of a pure conscience is better than a house full of abundance where quarrels and divisions reign."

After these words of salvation and this sweet preaching, he distributed to them seven portions of his forest, for there were seven families. And he said to them again: "Man is born to work, as the bird is to fly. Work then with your own hands as the holy Apostles did, in order to procure what is necessary for your subsistence, and to be able, in addition, to help the indigent, and to give largesse to the poor in the name of Jesus Christ. Remember this well, and never forget this supreme recommendation: live always in perfect tranquility. If anyone dared to sadden you without cause, you or your successors, I have obtained from the Lord that he be torn with his own from the land of the living." The multitude of the faithful, having come from neighboring lands or from distant regions, had no other desire than to remain always with him; and Saint Leonard, with his piety full of charm, with his charity worthy of all praise, surrounded them with his affection, protected them, encouraged them. He was the support of the weak, the physician of the infirm; and, through his virtues and his eminent holiness, he shone in the temple of God like the morning star. It is thus that this Christian colony, directed by a pious solitary, already formed, in the middle of the woods, a nascent village. Later, this village will grow, and, surrounding itself with a wall, will become an industrious city, which, grateful, will glory in bearing the name of its beloved father.

Saint Leonard spent all the days of his life in the fear of God and in the exercise of evangelical virtues. He walked without blemish in the ways of the Lord; he advanced from virtue to virtue, and served his Creator without deserving a reproach. He fought valiantly, the noble athlete of Christ! and, in this struggle, he won glorious victories. He remained faithful until death, and thus deserved the crown of life. Finally, the hour arrived when he who had been the liberator of so many captives was to be delivered from his earthly prison. Mortification and frequent fasts had accustomed him to seeing death from close by: he saw it coming, saying to it like Saint Andrew at the cross: "O death so long desired, I salute you!" Feeling his hour approaching, he had himself carried into the oratory dedicated to Mary, in order to die in the arms of his mother. Lying on this sacred ground, he raised his eyes toward heaven. His venerable face, thinned by vigils and privations, radiated with that halo of joy that one sees shining on the brow of the Saints. His disciples, shedding tears of filial piety, leaned near him to gather his last words. Finally, he exhaled his beautiful soul on the 8th of the Ides of November (November 6), in the second half of the 6th century.

After his holy soul had been carried into heaven by the angels, his venerated body was buried by the troop of the faithful in the small church that he had built himself in honor of the blessed Virgin Mary. The Lord, who had granted him the gift of miracles during his life, continued this power after his passing. We are going to report a few of them: On May 6, 1611, Vincent Aubrousse, born in the diocese of Autun, while in Ostia, Italy, was taken by the Turks. These fierce enemies were already leading him to their ships with fourteen other prisoners, whom they intended to make into galley slaves. Along the way, Aubrousse commended himself to God, to the holy Virgin, and to Saint Leonard, of whom he had heard a thousand wonders recounted in favor of captives. As he remembered having passed sometimes, while returning from Limoges, through the city that bears the name of this Saint, and where his relics are venerated, he knelt down, and conjured him to intercede for him with God, and to deliver him from the hands of these enemies of the Christian name. His faith was immediately rewarded. He became so immobile that it was impossible for the Turks to move him from the place where he was; and, after many useless efforts, they were forced to abandon him.

As soon as they had left, he stood up with the greatest ease, and went to Rome to give Pope Paul V an account of what had ju Paul V Pope who approved the bull of erection of the Oratory. st happened to him. The sovereign Pontiff listened to him with kindness, and had a brief of indulgences dispatched to him, which he enjoined him to carry to Saint-Leonard. Aubrousse executed the Pope's orders on February 22 of the following year (1612), and a record of it was given to him at the town hall before the consuls and the principal inhabitants.

Louise of Lorraine, Princess of Ligne, being attacked by a type of paralysis, vowed herself to Saint Leonard, and was immediately cured. In recognition of this favor, she presented the Saint's chapel at Raches with a beautiful altar table that could still be seen there before the Revolution.

Louise of Mauville and Marguerite of Maulde, nuns of the abbey of Marquette, near Lille, both paralyzed and crippled in all their limbs, obtained the same favor there: the first, on April 24, 1606; the second, on January 22, 1607.

In 1653, Isabelle-Sabine Bullart, an Augustinian nun of Arras, whose left leg, due to a violent contraction of nerves, had folded up to her shoulder, had all imaginable remedies applied for six months without experiencing any relief. Finally, she ordered that she be carried to this chapel of Saint Leonard, where she heard it said that so many miraculous healings took place every day. She found there a healing so prompt and so perfect that she returned on foot to her convent.

In 1659, an accident befell a young man from Lille, named Barthélemy Caulié, which made him so lame that he could no longer walk except with the help of two crutches. He first addressed himself to the most skillful surgeons in the country; but, having received no help from them, he placed all his trust in Saint Leonard, well persuaded that his intercession would be much more effective than human remedies. His faith was rewarded by a miracle: he obtained what he had hoped for.

Anne de Marez, ten years old, daughter of Charles de Marez and Marie Rieulin, was attacked by a strange illness, which from time to time prevented her from breathing, and which caused such a retraction of nerves that her legs had folded upon themselves. Alarmed by such a distressing situation, her parents neglected nothing to pull her out of it. They had her treated for a long time by the most experienced and skillful doctors, but always without success. Finally, they had recourse to supernatural remedies. The sick girl was carried to Raches, to the chapel of Saint Leonard. She heard Mass there, which was celebrated in honor of the Saint. Then, having felt an extraordinary pain in her legs, she began to extend them, and announced to her father and mother, who were present, that she had recovered the free use of them.

The city of Liège was witness to a famous prodigy, performed by the intercession of Saint Leonard on February 25, 1605. In the parish of Sainte-Marguerite, located in one of the suburbs, lived Erasme Augustin and Léonarde de Lewe, his wife, who had a son, about ten years old, so weakened, for six or seven months, by a flux of blood, that he could neither walk nor even move except with the help of two crutches. Abandoned by the most skillful doctors and surgeons, who had declared his illness incurable, this child said one day to his mother that he wanted to go on a pilgrimage to the church of Saint Leonard. Surprised by this proposal, his mother began by pointing out to him the distance of the church and the harshness of the season as obstacles that stood in the way of his pious desire; then she asked him what reason he had to make such a difficult journey, he who had never heard of this Saint nor of his miracles. He replied that he believed he would certainly recover his health there. His parents regarded this plan as an inspiration from heaven, and allowed him to execute it. His sister, twelve years old, was tasked with accompanying him on this pilgrimage.

Leaning on his crutches, this child set out on the way, and arrived with great difficulty at the church of Saint Leonard. When he had entered it, and his sister had shown him the image of the Saint, he went to walk around it, following the custom observed by pilgrims, saying with all his heart: "Lord, restore to me the use of my legs. Good Saint Leonard, intercede for me!" Then, having knelt down, and repeating the same prayer several times, he fell into such great weakness that his sister was forced to call for help to lift him up. He then opened eyes bathed in tears, and, turning them toward a crucifix, he asked that he be led near the image of the Savior. Scarcely had he knelt there while pronouncing his customary prayer than he felt his strength return, and his legs consolidate. Finally, having been led again by his sister around the image of Saint Leonard, he exclaimed that he no longer needed crutches, and he had them hung in that place. And he returned without help and perfectly cured to his house, to the great astonishment of his parents and neighbors, who knew his previous situation.

This miracle, so apt to confound the iconoclasts and the heretics of the latter times, made a great noise in the city of Liège. A legal inquiry was made of it, and, as everything concurred to establish its truth, it was recognized as authentic by the superiors, who ordered that resounding acts of thanksgiving be rendered to God for it, as much in the church of Saint Leonard as in that of Sainte-Marguerite, by the celebration of the divine office and a solemn procession, which this child attended barefoot, dressed in a surplice and with a candle in his hand.

Painters and sculptors, faithful interpreters of tradition, have continued to represent him dressed in a deacon's dalmatic. — In the church of Saint-Léonard, he is depicted as a deacon, holding in his hand fetters, a sy mbol ceps Iconographic attributes and relics symbolizing the liberation of captives. of the protection he grants to prisoners. In other churches, he is represented as an abbot, because, in the Middle Ages, several writers, regarding him as the founder of the monastery of Noblac, gave him this title. — In the church of Saint-Pierre, in Limoges, he is depicted as a deacon, holding fetters in his right hand, and a book in his left. In the church of Saint-Michel, in the same place, the Saint is represented as a monk, with a white beard. Covered in a double tunic sown with gold ornaments, he holds a staff in his right hand, and an open book in the other. Suspended from his left arm is a chain ending in fetters. Above the altar, wall paintings recall the miracles of Saint Leonard. A captive on his knees pays him homage with his chains, and a queen, accompanied by her husband, thanks him for having obtained her deliverance and for having saved her child. In this same church, Saint Leonard is depicted in a 15th-century stained-glass window that occupies a window placed to the east, at the end of the north aisle. He is dressed in a white alb covered by a green dalmatic with yellow orphreys. His halo is of this latter color. He holds fetters in his right hand, and a book bound in violet in his left. The red damask drapery placed behind the Saint, instead of being simply attached to the canopy of the niche, is supported by an angel. The image of Saint Leonard can also be seen on the stained-glass windows of the church of Eymoutiers, in one of the windows of the central apse. He holds a book and fetters; his blue dalmatic is sown with gold fleurs-de-lis. These stained-glass windows date from the end of the 15th century (1480).

At the Limoges museum, a wooden panel shows Saint Leonard on one side, and Saint Catherine on the other. The Saint is represented as an abbot. Dressed in a black robe, he holds a long chain in his right hand, and a golden crozier in his left. We will not undertake to enumerate the enamel paintings, paintings, and statues of Saint Leonard found in Limousin. Almost always he is represented as a deacon, with his ordinary attributes. Often his dalmatic is sown with fleurs-de-lis, in memory of his noble origin. In two enamels at the Limoges museum, one or two prisoners are on their knees before him.

In the church of Bacqueville, in the diocese of Rouen, Saint Leonard is represented as a deacon; but his dalmatic is not sown with fleurs-de-lis. — In the church of Saint-Léonard, near Fécamp, one sees a statue and a banner that represent him without a stole, but with the dalmatic and the maniple; he holds a chain in his hand: a prisoner is on his knees at his feet. — Before the Revolution, one could see in a chapel located in the hamlet of Fresne, parish of Biville-la-Baignarde, an image of Saint Leonard holding three captives. This image was transported to Beaunay, a neighboring parish. In the church of Croissy, in the diocese of Versailles, one could see at the back of the church, before the Revolution, a statue of Saint Leonard, whose sculpture suggested the 14th century. He was dressed in a dalmatic whose orphreys were decorated with figures in the form of shackles or chains. On a reliquary kept in the same church, the Saint is represented as a deacon, having at his feet, to the right and left, two kneeling prisoners who pay him homage with their chains. He is dressed in a green dalmatic, ample and with gold fringes. — In the chapel of Saint-Léonard, in Corbeil, the Saint is represented surrounded by his religious, and presenting on his knees a petition to Clovis, seated on a throne, for the release and pardon of the prisoners.

The church of Obernai (Haut-Rhin) possesses a life-size statue of the Saint. He wears a black tunic with wide sleeves, with a sort of cape on his shoulders; he holds an abbot's crozier in his right hand; a chain of carved wood, of ordinary thickness and one meter in length, is suspended from the thumb of his left hand. The Saint's head is shaved; only a black tuft is preserved on the top of the head. At the Saint's feet is a man kneeling in a suppliant posture, dressed in a short red tunic: it is undoubtedly a prisoner imploring the protection of the patron of captives.

At the church of Saint-Mark, in Venice, one sees various representations of Saint Leonard. On the side facade, on the north side, is a sculpted, life-size image representing Saint Leonard, holding a cross on his chest. The head is surrounded by a diadem without fleurons, no doubt because of the princely quality of the Saint. The entire eastern transept, in the south chapel, is dedicated to him. He is represented on a gold background; his long blond hair is no longer held by a diadem. He holds a small cross on his chest, but his right hand is covered, in the Byzantine fashion, by a gold drapery. His white robe and dark blue cloak are richly embroidered. The history and main miracles of the Saint are represented in six large mosaic paintings, conceived and drawn in the pompous style of the Venetian masters of the Renaissance. One sees there: 1st A king, who is none other than Clovis, holding a child over the baptismal font; 2nd A princess in bed, surrounded by eight or ten other very eager women. Two men, one in civilian costume and a red tunic, the other, a monk, in a white robe and gray hooded cloak, reach out toward the dying woman. Above the monk, an inscription, illegible from below, undoubtedly indicates Saint Leonard brought to the aid of the queen in childbirth; 3rd the hermit heals a man with a wooden leg; 4th the Saint on his knees, accompanied by two other religious standing. Beside him, a man holding a spade, and other characters, one of whom is crouching to look into a pit; 5th the Saint, followed by another religious, receives the homage of five prisoners, delivered by his intercession, who present to him the irons from which their legs have just been freed; 6th an elderly and half-naked man, seated, with irons on his feet. The Saint, surrounded by a brilliant halo, leans toward him in the air, and takes him by the hand. At the same time the prison collapses, and its doors fall onto the soldiers on guard. That is not all. At the entrance to the academy or museum, a former scuola or charity association, an ancient statue of Saint Leonard stands in a trefoil ogival niche. This time the Saint is a monk, with a long beard and shaved hair; in his right hand he still holds a cross, but a cross with a double and even a triple crossbar; in his left hand he holds the irons of a prisoner. At his feet, two confreres, with the discipline in their hands, are kneeling.

## CULT AND RELICS. — MONUMENTS.

At the beginning of the 20th century, as the town of Noblac gradually grew and the church became too small to contain the inhabitants and the numerous pilgrims who traveled there, another was built with more ample proportions, and the body of the holy confessor, which rested in the chapel of Notre-Dame-de-sous-les-Arbres, was transported to this new basilica. This translation took place on October 17, during the reign of Louis the Pious, and every year, on the same day, its memory was celebrated with a solemn feast.

Around the year 832, the relics of Saint Leonard were taken to Limoges where they were received with extraordinary honors. The bishop came to meet them with all his clergy; he first led them to the basilica of Saint-Etienne, from there to the tomb of the apostle of Aquitaine, Saint Martial, and no sooner had they been deposited there than they began to perform various miracles. They were then taken back to Noblac, to the singing of hymns and canticles. Around the year 1010, the relics were transferred with great pomp to Saint-Jean-d'Angely: striking miracles were performed on this occasion. There were likely other translations of the Saint's relics, although we have no documents to support the fact, for example in 994, in 1027, and in 1094, when the relics of the most illustrious Saints of the Limousin were brought to Limoges, near the body of Saint Martial.

In the Romanesque church of Saint-Leonard, there was a crypt, or underground chapel, at the bottom of which was the Saint's sepulcher. In the 11th and 12th centuries, this place, called the sepulcher, was frequented by a large number of pilgrims. In 1191, it was decided between the bishop of Limoges and the prior of the chapter of Noblac that this place would be destroyed, and that all its avenues would be carefully walled up; this was so well executed that today it is no longer possible to even know where it was located. In closing this crypt, the relics of Saint Leonard were left there in a stone sarcophagus, and the sculpted tomb that covered this sarcophagus was transported to the middle of the chapel of Notre-Dame-de-sous-les-Arbres, where it could still be seen before the Revolution. — The site of Notre-Dame-de-sous-les-Arbres is occupied today by a house with a terrace, at the corner of the public square, almost opposite the bell tower. All that remains of the tomb that was there is the lid, in black marble, with two slopes, and covered with imbrications. This mutilated fragment appears to be from the 11th century. It is deposited in one of the side chapels of the nave, where it can still be seen.

Amidst political upheavals and continual fears, devotion to Saint Leonard diminished; and, since the time when the holy relics had been hidden to protect them from profanation, the place where they had been deposited had been lost sight of. Even among the canons, the tradition on this point no longer existed; so that, at the beginning of the 20th century, when they wanted to restore to the sacred relics the honor that was their due, they did not know where they could find them. The excavations that were made near the altar led to the discovery of a stone sarcophagus. The two-sloped lid that closed it was removed, and three reliquaries covered with inscriptions were found: one in lead, and in the shape of a tomb, contained the precious ashes of the body of Saint Leonard; the other, of a kind of terracotta, contained his head and his bones; the third was made of wood, and almost entirely in pieces, so that what it might have contained had mingled with the dust of the coffin. When these precious relics were pulled from the sarcophagus, a sweet perfume exhaled from them that amazed those present. These relics were carried to a suitable place until they could be offered for public veneration with more splendor and honor.

It was February 17, 1403. Every year, since that time, the memory of this glorious invention was celebrated by a special feast. The bishop of Limoges went to Noblac on the following Easter Monday, April 10, and took the head of Saint Leonard from its reliquary; then, having placed it in a vermeil cup, he ordered that this sacred head be exposed to the veneration of all from Easter Tuesday until Trinity Sunday. Thus began this solemnity of the Ostension, which was later to be celebrated regularly every seven years, by a periodi c return. Ostension Periodic religious ceremony for the exposition of relics. The relics were from then on placed in the place where they are seen today, that is to say above the high altar, in a kind of iron-grille cupboard, the door of which is masked by an altarpiece, and the base of which is a small ogival construction placed behind the altar.

The King of France Charles VII presented the town of Noblac with a magnificent reliquary to place the bones of Saint Leonard: it was a sh Charles VII King of France reconciled with the Duke of Burgundy. rine representing the Bastille castle, the most famous prison in France, in order to honor the patron of prisoners; he added a cup and a small chest, all in vermeil. The dedication of this shrine and the translation of these sacred bones was performed on September 10, 1449, by the bishop of Limoges, Pierre de Montbrun, assisted by the prior and the regular canons of Saint-Leonard and an innumerable crowd of the faithful. Besides the beautiful reliquaries given by Charles VII, the church of Noblac possessed a large vermeil shrine, in which the sacred bones of the Saint were deposited in 1503 by Jean Barton de Montbas, bishop of Limoges. Towards the end of the 16th century, the richness of these reliquaries tempted the sacrilegious greed of the Calvinists, who held a garrison at Saint-Leonard: they formed the guilty project of seizing these treasures, and of ruining the town after having massacred its inhabitants; but their project failed, thanks to the measures taken by the inhabitants. At the request of the Infanta of Spain, Anne of Austria, wife of Louis XIII, on April 20, 1628, the prior of Saint-Leonard and the deputies of the town went to present the queen with a relic of the Saint: it was a part of the jaw, placed in a silver box, sealed and stamped with the seal of the bishop and the town of Saint-Leonard.

We have seen that, in 1403, after the invention of the relics of Saint Leonard, they were shown to the people. From that time until the 16th century, the Ostensions took place from time to time; but the return of this pious solemnity had nothing regular or periodic about it. It was only in 1519 that the septennial return of the Ostensions was established regularly in the diocese of Limoges. Today, it is a custom from which one cannot deviate. Every seven years, for seven weeks, from Quasimodo Sunday until Trinity Sunday, the relics of the Saints are shown and exposed to the veneration of the faithful. At Saint-Leonard, during the course of this solemnity, one sees, every Sunday, neighboring parishes, to the number of ten, come in turn in procession to venerate the sacred relics. The clergy go to receive the pious procession at the entrance to the town. Outside of the times of Ostension, the holy relics are sometimes opened. It is especially in calamitous years, when extreme drought or persistent rain threatens the harvests, that public supplications are made before the relics of the Saint. Sometimes they have even been carried in procession to further excite the piety of the faithful and to obtain more effectively the intercession of Saint Leonard.

In the iron-grille cupboard of which we have already spoken, and which is placed above the high altar, one finds: 1° in a large sculpted shrine, in gilded wood, a yellow copper cup which contains the precious head of Saint Leonard; 2° another shrine, in gilded wood, of the same size as the previous one, contains a lead chest which contains the bones of the Saint, to the number of twenty-nine, as well as fragments; 3° in this same shrine one also finds a small terracotta pot, all perforated, which contains a small sachet of crimson taffeta, and a small wooden box, painted on the outside, containing a tooth wrapped in paper, ash, and some bone fragments; 4° one also sees in the relic cupboard a lead chest, in the shape of a shrine or tomb, containing ashes of the Saint; 5° two gilded reliquaries, in the shape of arms, ending in a silvered hand, contain fragments of the bones of Saint Leonard.

His cult spread not only through the various provinces of France but also through the various regions of Europe. It is very popular in Limousin, where a large number of the faithful receive his name at the baptismal font. We shall review some of the churches that have been dedicated under his invocation. Among the churches of the diocese of Limoges, we can cite that of Marcille, today an annex of Sous-Parsat, canton of Saint-Sulpice-les-Champs (Creuse), and that of Barsanges, an annex of Ambrogesc, today in the diocese of Tulle, canton of Meymac (Corrèze). The church of Saint-Pierre, in Limoges, possesses an altar of Saint Leonard. Before the Revolution, it occupied the current chapel of the Red Penitents: today it is set against a pillar of the south aisle, opposite the altar of Saint Vincent de Paul. — In the church of Saint-Michel, in the same place, there is also an altar: it is the first on the right when entering the church through the west door.

In the diocese of Cambrai (Nord), there was at Raches, near Douai, the chapel of Saint Leonard which, because of its smallness and age, gave way to a large and beautiful church dedicated in honor of the Saint and consecrated by Mgr Régnier, Archbishop of Cambrai, on June 26, 1860. This church possesses a relic of Saint Leonard sent by Mgr Desprez, Archbishop of Toulouse, former Bishop of Limoges. There is a pilgrimage in this church that is still very well attended.

In the diocese of Rouen (Seine-Inférieure), one sees, at Bacqueville, a chapel dedicated to the Saint: it occupies the south transept in the church. The cult of Saint Leonard is very ancient at Bacqueville and very popular in the region. Pregnant women invoke him to obtain a happy delivery; mothers pray to him so that their children may walk sooner. During the summer, and especially in the spring, one sees mothers every day carrying their small children before the image of Saint Leonard, and who, after having piously kissed the image, make them kiss it in their turn, and have gospels said to place themselves under his protection. Young conscripts also invoke Saint Leonard from the day of the drawing of lots until the day of the revision: there are some who travel several leagues, barefoot, and during the night, to go and prostrate themselves before the cross of Saint Leonard, called Croix Mangea-là; and they wait for daybreak to go to the church and perform their devotions before the image of the Saint. On November 6, from time immemorial, a mass is sung in honor of the Saint, and at this mass, small, well-baked loaves are blessed, which are piously kept in families. On the third Sunday of October, there is a procession, with a large influx of people, to the Cross of Saint Leonard. — At Saint-Léonard, near Fécamp, as well as in the surroundings, there is a great devotion to our Saint. People frequently come to his church to invoke him, especially in favor of the dying. — At Beaunay, canton of Totes, arrondissement of Dieppe, there is a pilgrimage every first Tuesday of the month. Children aged one to fifteen months who are still too weak to walk are brought there, and one asks God, through the intercession of the Saint, for the strength they need. Mothers attend mass, have a gospel said, and burn a small candle before the image of the Saint. — At Doudeville, arrondissement of Yvetot, there is a new church under the title of Saint Leonard.

In the diocese of Bayeux (Calvados), one sees, at Honfleur, a church of Saint Leonard. It has all the characteristics of 13th-century architecture; burned by the Calvinists in 1562, only the portal and the first bay remain of the ancient building. The patronal feast is celebrated there on the third Sunday of November. At Courcy, near Yvort, there exists a very frequented pilgrimage. Several healings have been performed there through the intercession of Saint Leonard. The parish of Saint-Léonard of Honfleur depended, in 1741, on the priory of Beaumont-en-Auge, Order of Saint Benedict, diocese of Lisieux (today canton of Pont-l'Évêque, Calvados). — At Courcy (canton of Coulibœuf), a large number of pilgrims come every year to prostrate themselves before the statue of Saint Leonard, to venerate a relic of the Saint, and to place on their sick limbs a chain, which is called in the country the choine of Saint Leonard. Trinity Sunday is especially the day of the pilgrimage: one sees many small children there.

In the diocese of Sées (Orne), at Alençon, the church is dedicated to Saint Leonard, whom it recognizes as its patron. In the wall of one of the chapels of this church, one sees the very visible remains of a low, narrow, and unadorned fireplace, which the Blessed Marguerite of Lorraine, Duchess of Alençon, had had built there to be able to warm herself during her long morning devotions. — Saint Leonard is also honored at Martrée and at Bailleul (canton of Trun). In this latter church, there is a fairly frequented pilgrimage.

In the diocese of Evreux (Eure), the priory of Saint-Léonard, in Les Andelys, is entirely destroyed today: it was situated at the foot of the hill of Château-Gaillard.

In the diocese of Coutances and Avranches (Manche), one finds in the parish of Vains (canton of Avranches) a hamlet that bears the name of Saint-Léonard.

In the diocese of Paris (Seine), one sees a chapel dedicated to our Saint in the church of Saint-Méry, in Paris. It is the first one upon entering the apse on the south side. There was also one at Saint-Jean en Grève, founded in 1260; another at Saint-Sauveur; another at Saint-Jacques la Boucherie. There was in the church of Saint-Eustache a chapel of Saint Leonard known before 1336: this chapel no longer exists. There was also in the church of Notre-Dame a chapel of Saint Leonard, endowed in 1221. — The parish of Lay (canton of Villejuif, arrondissement of Sceaux) also recognizes Saint Leonard as its patron. There was also a chapel of Saint Leonard near the Pont-de-Saint-Maur (canton of Charenton-le-Pont), erected as a benefice at the full collation of the Archbishop of Paris.

In the diocese of Versailles (Seine-et-Oise), the church of Croissy (canton of Saint-Germain), on the banks of the Seine, fifteen kilometers from Paris, recognizes Saint Leonard as its patron. This church was formerly dedicated under the title of Saint-Martin; but the cult of Saint Leonard, which was introduced there in the 13th century, entirely eclipsed that of the first patron. He was invoked especially for children with scrofula (a disease that causes one to linger and waste away imperceptibly). Today, a beautiful reliquary of the Saint is kept in the sacristy at Croissy. There was a very well-attended pilgrimage in this church until about 1830. From time to time, one sees some families who bring their children who do not speak or who cannot walk there out of devotion. — The church of Saint-Léonard, in Corbeil, has been, since 1791, only a simple chapel, where, every Sunday, a low mass is said for the convenience of the elderly or infirm of the neighborhood. This building, which consists of a single nave and a south aisle, was suitably restored in 1844. The feast of the Saint is celebrated on the Sunday following November 6; and on that day, the entire parochial office takes place at Saint-Léonard. — The parish of Videlle (canton of La Ferté-Alais) celebrates its patronal feast on October 15, the day consecrated to the memory of Saint Leonard of Vendouvre; however, the statues and paintings in the church prove that the true patron is Saint Leonard of Limousin. On the day it is celebrated, mothers go there to bring their small children who are too slow to walk, invoke Saint Leonard, and have gospels said. Several miracles were performed there from 1710 to 1722. — The church of Granges-le-Roi (canton of Dourdan) is also dedicated under the invocation of Saint Leonard.

In the diocese of Meaux (Seine-et-Marne), one finds, in the parish of Jossigny (canton of Lagny), a very frequented chapel of Saint Leonard. It is situated in the locality of Mauny, one and a half kilometers from the town. Every year, on Whit Monday, the parish of Jossigny goes in solemn procession and with great devotion to the chapel of Saint Leonard. Mass is sung there, in the midst of a considerable influx of pilgrims. The Saint is invoked there to obtain speech for children struck by mutism. — The Abbé Le Bœuf, in his History of the Diocese of Paris, mentions an ancient chapel of Saint Leonard, situated near Champeaux (canton of Mormant), where the gathering of the faithful was considerable at the beginning of the 13th century. He also speaks of the chapel of Saint Leonard of Quiers (canton of Mormant) which was united, towards the end of the 16th century, to the mass of the chapter of Champeaux, for the maintenance of the choirboys.

In the diocese of Beauvais (Oise), the church of the parish of Saint-Léonard (canton of Senlis) was built at the end of the 19th century. The solemnity of the patronal feast is held there on the first Sunday following November 6.

In the diocese of Rennes (Ille-et-Vilaine), at Fougères, there is the church of Saint-Léonard. A part of this church is from the first half of the 12th century; the other part is in the 15th-century style. One goes there to Saint Leonard with the general cult with which patron saints are honored. One also finds in the same diocese the parish of Saint-Léonard (canton of Dol, arrondissement of Saint-Malo). The patronal feast is celebrated there on September 6.

One sees at Guingamp, in the diocese of Saint-Brieuc (Côtes-du-Nord), a chapel of Saint Leonard, very ancient, which, especially during the month of May, is frequented by an extraordinary gathering of people.

In the diocese of Vannes (Morbihan), the church of Larré (canton of Questembert) is under the title of Saint Leonard.

The city of Nantes (Loire-Inférieure), in the diocese of the same name, possessed before the Revolution a church under the invocation of Saint Leonard. It was erected as a parish and dedicated under the name of the Saint in 1628. At the time of the Revolution, this parish was suppressed and united to the cathedral. The church was ransacked by the revolutionaries, and then sold by them. It serves today as a warehouse for a merchant, who destroyed its facade and replaced it with a house where he makes his home. The people give no other name than that of Saint-Léonard to the remains of this church, to the small square that adjoins it, to the well that is found there, and to the street that leads to it. In this street, one sees a very ancient house, in the facade of which is a small niche, where pious and faithful hands take care to preserve, and, on certain days, to adorn with flowers the statue of this great Saint. On the day of Corpus Christi, a magnificent altar of repose is set up by the faithful on the square of the old church, and the procession of the cathedral comes there with all its pomp to make a station; this pious monument is called the altar of repose of Saint Leonard. This is all that remains now of this cult, so ancient and so venerable.

In the diocese of Angers (Maine-et-Loire), the cult of the Saint is also in honor. In one of the suburbs of Angers, there is a parish of Saint-Léonard where pilgrims come at all times, but in greater numbers on Whit Monday. The popular devotion consists of taking a chain that hangs on each side of the arms of the statue of the Saint and applying it to sick limbs. — At Chemillé, another city of the diocese, there was a collegiate church under the invocation of the Saint: situated at the end of the city, on the road to Cholet, it is today nothing but a ruin. It was burned in 1793. — In the same diocese, at Durtal, one still sees a chapel of Saint Leonard. Before the Revolution, it was a priory at the presentation of the Abbot of Saint-Serge-lès-Angers.

In the diocese of Laval (Mayenne), the priory of Saint-Léonard of Bourg-Philippe is now a chapel situated in the parish of Chemazé, canton of Château-Gontier.

In the diocese of Tours (Indre-et-Loire), the priory of L'Île-Bouchard was under the invocation of Saint Leonard. This priory is now nothing but a ruin: the church was destroyed in 1792 by the Protestants and by the Revolution. The arches of the sanctuary, the pillars that support them, the wall of the transept, the nave of the apse, and the apsidal chapels alone escaped destruction.

The diocese of Poitiers possessed, before the Revolution, the abbey of Saint-Léonard of Ferrières, situated a league from Thouars. One finds today on the site of the ancient abbey only the hamlet of Ferrières, parish of Bouillet-Lauret: it is one more name to add to the already long list of ruins caused by the Revolution. The old Pouillés (tax registers) of the diocese mark only two chapels under the title of Saint Leonard: that of Crissé, parish of Fayel-Vineuse near Richelieu (today diocese of Tours), and another of the very name of Saint-Léonard, parish of Brioux, near La Mothe-Saint-Heraye (department of Deux-Sèvres).

In the diocese of La Rochelle (Charente-Inférieure), one saw, before the Revolution, the abbey of Saint-Léonard of Chaumes, possessed by monks of Cîteaux: it was situated a league from La Rochelle. In the 17th century, this monastery was destroyed by the fury of the Calvinists, precursors of the Vandals of '93; only two bays of the refectory remained standing, which were later converted into a chapel. One still saw, in the last century, in the garden of the convent, a high column of the ancient church, a sad monument to the disasters caused by the wars of religion. — A hamlet of a few houses, on the territory formerly occupied by the abbey, bears the name of Saint-Léonard and is part of the parish of Dompierre-sur-Mer (east canton of La Rochelle). — Three churches of the former diocese of Saintes were under the title of Saint Leonard: 1st, a priory at the collation of the prior of Saint-Gemme, which is today the parish of Pisany (canton of Saintes, arrondissement of Saintes); 2nd, in the archpriestship of Chalais, the parish church of Saint-Léonard of Cressac (today canton of Blanzac, diocese of Angoulême); and the parish church of Saint-Léonard of la Garde, at the collation of the Abbot of Saint-Etienne of Baigne: this parish, today suppressed, is united to the neighboring parish of La Garde, near Barret, canton of Barbezieux, diocese of Angoulême.

In the diocese of Orléans (Loiret), the church of Meung, founded by Saint Liphard, has always rendered a particular and solemn cult, on November 6, to Saint Leonard, whom it regarded as the brother of Saint Liphard, its patron.

In the diocese of Chartres (Eure-et-Loir), the church of Meaucé (canton of La Loupe) recognizes Saint Leonard of Limousin as its patron. — One finds two hamlets by the name of Saint-Léonard in the parishes of Germignonville (canton of Voves) and Saint-Maixme-Haute-Rive.

In the diocese of Arras (Pas-de-Calais), there was an abbey of Benedictine nuns, named the abbey of Saint-Léonard: it was founded in the 12th century, at Guines (arrondissement of Boulogne), under the title of the Holy Trinity and the invocation of this Saint. This abbey was destroyed under English rule in 1346. — There is in the canton of Samer (arrondissement of Boulogne) a parish that bears the name of Saint-Léonard-et-Echinghen.

In the diocese of Strasbourg (Bas-Rhin), one saw, before the Revolution, two monasteries by the name of Saint-Léonard. The first, near Boersch, two kilometers from Obernai (Haut-Rhin), was a Benedictine convent founded in 1169 and converted into a collegiate church in 1215. At the time of the Revolution, the collegiate church and the capitular houses were sold, as well as the property that depended on them. The church of Saint-Léonard no longer exists, and the ruins that the Revolution had left have entirely disappeared. The three altars that were in the collegiate church are today in the church of the college of Obernai, also called the church of the Capuchins. Saint Leonard is not forgotten in the parish of Boersch. There still exists, in the hamlet that bears his name, and where the collegiate church was once located, a small chapel dedicated to the Virgin; and every year, on November 6, a mass is sung there in honor of Saint Leonard. — Besides the collegiate church of Boersch, there was also a convent of nuns near Pfaffenheim, canton of Rouffach (Haut-Rhin). Near there still lie the ruins of the chapel of Saint-Léonard, which was demolished in 1793. The convent had been burned by fire from heaven in 1186. Rebuilt later, it was pillaged and destroyed during the Peasants' Wars. — There are today in the diocese only two churches dedicated under the invocation of Saint Leonard: that of Dannemarie (Haut-Rhin) and that of Dossenheim, canton of La Petite-Pierre (Bas-Rhin).

In Lyon, a house of refuge, founded in favor of repentant released prisoners, has been placed under the patronage of Saint Leonard.

We pass over in silence a large number of churches dedicated under the invocation of the Saint in other dioceses of France.

In Belgium, the church of Saint-Léonard, near Brecht, province of Antwerp, dates back to the year 1419. Three times a year, that is to say on Whit Monday, the Sunday of July following the feast of Saint James, and November 6, there is a great gathering of people; but it is especially on Whit Monday that one sees pilgrims flocking. There is a considerable number of ex-votos. The church, erected as a parish since 1843, was separated in 1846 from the commune of Brecht. — The church of Saint-Léonard, at Léau (South Brabant), was built in the first half of the 13th century. It is in the beautiful ogival style of that era. Relics of the Saint enclosed in a silver turret are kept there. This church was formerly served by a chapter of twelve regular canons, whose prior was one of the twelve prelates of Brabant. On Whit Monday, there is a solemn procession in honor of the Saint. On that day, from one o'clock in the night, thousands of pilgrims arrive. The Saint remains exposed in the middle of the church, in a closed space, until the Sunday after the octave of the Blessed Sacrament; every day a solemn mass is sung where one notices foreigners; there is not even a day in the year when some pilgrim does not come. When someone is gravely ill, nine people from the neighborhood come in procession to the church, and, while praying, walk around the statue. Formerly, in churches dedicated to Saint Leonard, there was above the porch or the sacristy a room where pilgrims were housed. This room still exists at Léau, with a fireplace, chest, seat, cellar, and attic. The same fact still exists in two very remarkable churches of the diocese of Malines. — One saw at Liège, before the Revolution, a church dedicated to Saint Leonard; it had been built around the year 1093. It no longer exists today: a cannon foundry was built on its site. But opposite this foundry rises the church of Sainte-Foy, where one finds a statue of Saint Leonard which is in great veneration. On November 6, the feast of the Saint is celebrated in Liège with a very particular devotion. The coal miners who work in the pits, in the surroundings of the city, go on pilgrimage to this church, from the day of the feast until the following month of December. Their piety does not stop there. Each time they descend into the pit, they invoke Saint Leonard, and address their prayers to him, which they call the litanies of Saint Leonard, and which they sing while descending into the mine shafts.

Saint Leonard has been in great honor in England, where one still counts today one hundred and fifty-two churches dedicated in his name, as well as a large number of priories, abbeys, convents, hospitals, and hermitages. What shows the antiquity of his cult in this region is that his feast is found in the runic calendars, in use in the time of the Danish kings: Canute and his two successors (14th century). These are small square pieces of wood, the four surfaces of which are marked with notches that correspond to the days of each month, and where the feasts of the Saints are indicated by various symbols or figures. The symbol that designates the feast of Saint Leonard is a sort of battle-axe.

In Italy, the cult of Saint Leonard is very famous, as one can see by a large number of churches dedicated under his invocation. His feast was celebrated in Sicily as early as the year 1185. In Milan, in Venice, or to better say, in all of Italy, it has been and is still universally observed. It was kept in the diocese of Gaeta in 1356. One sees in Rome, in the Trastevere district and in the Via della Lungara, a church of Saint Leonard and a hospice of the Camaldolese Hermits of Monte Corona. The feast of the Saint is celebrated under the semi-double rite in the church of the Vatican. — Saint Leonard had his own particular church in Venice. It had been rebuilt in these last centuries, but it is no longer consecrated to worship; however, it still exists, almost intact, next to the railway station. Its painted and gilded ceilings shelter a coal shop. One sees in the church of Saint Mark a chapel that is dedicated to him: he is in a way the patron of the Venetian basilica, judging by the eminent place granted to his altar. — The city of Lucca possesses an ancient church of Saint Leonard, founded in 1188. — Besides these churches, there are still a large number of others in Italy dedicated under the invocation of the Saint; one also sees there abbeys, monasteries, and hospitals, the enumeration of which would take us too far.

In Germany, in Poland, in Switzerland, in Spain, one finds churches and monasteries placed under the invocation of Saint Leonard. One sees by the details that precede that there are few Saints whose cult has been as widespread and as popular; and that a writer of the 13th century, Geoffrey of Vigenis, was right to say that "the universe almost entirely celebrated his praises."

There exists at Saint-Léonard, in the diocese of Limoges, a confraternity of the Saint. If this association is not as faithful as it once was to religious practices, it has at least preserved a custom that recalls the good old days: it is the game of the Quintaine.

Every year, on a Sunday after November 6, the confreres of Saint Leonard, mounted on horses adorned with ribbons, practice running at the Quintaine. The curious crowd gathers on a corner of the boulevards where a post rises, at the top of which pivots a fortified castle made of painted wood, flanked by elegant turrets. This fortified castle, which represents the prisons whose doors Saint Leonard opened to the unfortunate captives, is the goal designated for the skill of the riders. Armed with massive sticks, the confreres launch their horses and strike the symbolic prison with a vigorous arm. It is a matter of who will signal their strength and skill. Those who remove the turrets with a victorious blow, those whose nervous hand forces the door or breaks the walls of the prison, are greeted by the applause of the audience. When the fortified castle is in pieces, the crowd disputes its precious debris, and the confreres leave the theater of their exploits to the sound of popular music that repeats a traditional tune with spirit. This symbolic game, a remnant of the naive customs of the Middle Ages, always attracts a large gathering of strangers to Saint-Léonard.

At Saint-Léonard, near Fécamp, in the diocese of Rouen, is established a confraternity of Saint Leonard, whose act of foundation is dated Thursday, October 24, 1413. This confraternity, to which a large number of inhabitants are associated, is represented by seven members, who wear the surplice and the hood in the choir, and who make it a duty to carry the dead to the grave for the space of two years, and this without any remuneration. The two years elapsed, these seven members (of whom the first has the title of mayor, and the others, that of brother), are replaced, on the very day of the feast of Saint Leonard, by seven other persons who present themselves voluntarily to succeed them, and to fulfill the same office equally for two years, so that almost all the inhabitants thus do two years of confraternity: there are even a large number who do four years; for, to be mayor, one must beforehand have been a brother.

At the head of the statutes of this confraternity, one sees that an Abbot of Fécamp had presided over its erection.

At Saint-Omer, in the diocese of Arras, there is a confraternity called that of Saint Leonard. This confraternity takes care of prisoners, accompanies those condemned to death, and enjoys a certain consideration.

We have extracted this biography from the remarkable work of M. the Abbé Arbellot, curé-archpriest of Rochechouart, entitled: Life of Saint Leonard, hermit in Limousin.