a year of prayer: 365 Rosaries

Today, June 10, we celebrate the feast day of Saint Landry (Landericus) of Paris (died 661), twenty-seventh bishop of Paris, France. Little is known of the life of this holy man prior to his bishopric which began in 650 and continued until his death. During that time, he demonstrated considerable care for the poor, sick, and needy of the city, worked many miracles, and greatly improved the healthcare available to those in need.


When Saint Landry was appointed bishop, he was confronted with a city in desperate need. Poverty and sickness was rampant, and many of the working poor were unable to meet their most basic needs. Every day, more and more poor and sick—unable to survive in the countryside—streamed into the city looking for shelter, healthcare, food, and work… and the few social services available were already stretched to their limits! Saint Landry worked tirelessly to serve the children of God—specifically those that no one else would serve. He sold all of his personal possessions, and then systematically began selling off the Church’s possessions to better serve the poor. He is reported to have melted down the extra sacred vessels stored in the Church, using the money to assist in times of famine and plague.

Saint Landry built the first hospital for the poor in Paris, dedicated to Saint Christopher, placing it directly beside the Cathedral of Notre Dame. This Cathedral hospital (which eventually became the famous hospital Hôtel-Dieu de Paris) would minister to anyone, through the love of Christ, the emerging science of medicine, and Christian charity. Not only did Saint Landry provide healthcare, but food, clothing, and basic needs to the poor of Europe. In time, the hospital and poorhouse became a model for bishops throughout Europe, making the love of Christ shine in the midst of the darkest period of the Dark Ages.

Saint Landry is also remembered for expanding available religious instruction and guidance to the citizens of Paris through his welcoming of a community of Benedictine monks, leading to the institution of the Abbey of Denis.

Upon his death, in 651, Saint Landry was buried in the church of Saint-Germain-des-Pres, then called Saint Vincent's, where his relics, except two bones given to the parish of Saint Landry in 1408, are kept in a silver shrine. His relics, hidden during the French Revolution, have been returned to their original burial place. Numerous miracles—both during his life and following his death at his tomb—have been reported.

The life and miracles of Saint Landry, as recorded in the Golden Legend:

“Saint Landry, of whom hereafter we joyfully shall make memory and solemnity, was right glorious bishop of Paris… He sat in the chair of the church cathedral of Paris in that time that the noble Clovis reigned king in France, which by the great and fervent love that he had to the church of Saint Denis gave to the same many gifts, and made the said church much rich, as the privileges of the religious there testify to this day, twenty-six bishops were in the chair of the church of Paris before Saint Landry as above is said, of whom the names be written in the privileges of the said church, and nevertheless none of them all was made archbishop. All the intention of Saint Landry whiles that he lived in this world was to accomplish misericord, and he himself departed or dealt the alms to the poor at all times.


We have seen and known that a man which men call Raoul Gracard was smitten suddenly, and had the head much great and swollen, and was so red in the face of him that all folk that saw him deemed and held him for a leper Which man with great haste came to the presence of Saint Landry, and there he confessed him much devoutly, receiving much benignly his penance, and after he came to the sudary of the saint and with great devotion kissed it, and when he had done his offering and vow with much great faith and hope he returned, and unnethe he was come to his house when he became as whole as ever he was. Be therefore the name of God praised, who for his good friend Saint Landry he healed so promptly the foresaid patient.


Upon another time a squire fell of palsy so much that he could not help himself with foot nor with hands. His friends seeing him so oppressed of this sickness made a bargain with a physician for to help him. It happed so that on a day as this poor man saw himself so oppressed with the said sickness and no remedy might be found to it, he began for to weep and to reclaim Saint Landry saying: "O blessed Saint Landry, vouchsafe to behold on my misery," and then he prayed that they would bear him unto the sepulchre of Saint Landry, which did as he prayed them. Then the bishop of Paris named Maurice, that was there, seeing the devotion of the said sick man, prayed to Saint Landry that health he would impetre unto God for him by his glorious merits, and with one of the teeth of the saint touched the places on his body that most grieved him, making the sign of the cross, and anon he became all whole.


Item, it is read of a knight named Gilbert that had a thorn within his knee, whereto he found no remedy by no manner of medicine and was as desperate, not only for the dolor and pain that he suffered, but also for fault of hope to be healed, the which knight made him to be borne into the church of Saint Landry, and with his sudary did to be made over him the sign of the cross, and anon after, the thorn issued out from his knee, and was all whole, healed by the merits of the saint, whom we beseech to pray God for us. Amen.”


Saint Landry was a practical man, filled with a love of the Lord that led him to service and charity. Not content to contemplate the plight of the poor and sick, as many leaders of the day were doing, Landry sacrificed and tirelessly worked to improve their lives. He sold his possessions and instituted a great center and model of healing and charity—ministering to both the practical and spiritual needs of his congregation. All too often we think or wonder or worry, rather than taking action. We wait for signs or certainty, rather than trying to make the change we would like to see. Saint Landry reminds us that action—inspired by the Lord and supported through prayer—can change the lives of those around us. In the process, it just might change our lives as well, bringing us closer to the Lord through charity and service!



Prayer for Charity:

O my Jesus, Thou who art very Love,
enkindle in my heart that Divine Fire
which consumes the Saints and transforms them into Thee.


O Lord our God,
we offer Thee our hearts
united in the strongest and most sincere love of brotherhood;
we pray that Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament
may be the daily food of our souls and bodies;
that Jesus may be established as the center of our affections,
even as He was for Mary and Joseph.
Finally, O Lord, may sin never disturb our union on earth;
and may we be eternally united in heaven with Thee
and Mary and Joseph and with all Thy Saints.
Amen.