Saint Landulph

This holy prelate lived at the end of the 6th century and the beginning of the 7th; his history teaches us that he was a canon of the cathedral church of the city of ville d'Évreux Episcopal see of Aquilin and the site of his primary ministry. Évreux, and that he was subsequently made its bishop; but, in whatever capacity we consider him, it is affirmed that he always led a life on earth more angelic than human. His greatest occupation was to contemplate God in Himself, concerning himself more with the greatness of Him who was the author of all things, than with even the most excellent things He had created, imitating in this God Himself, who is the principal object of his knowledge and his love.

This holy priest was so strongly drawn to the contemplation of divine perfections that he found satisfaction only in retreat and in distancing himself from every creature; it was with this view that, while a canon, he chose for his dwelling a cave in a solitary place, a good league away from the city of Évreux. The other canons lived, in truth, in places that were also somewhat distant from the cathedral church; but our Saint had chosen the most remote and least frequented spot, to have fewer relations with men and more familiarity with his God. He was never even seen leaving his cave except at times when he was obliged by his duty to attend the divine offices; he assisted at them with extraordinary attention and modesty, for he had nothing that could distract him from the thought of his God, and he withdrew with extraordinary caution from all objects that could diminish the fire of divine love with which he was inflamed.

His faithfulness in the service of God, and the favors he received from Him, never gave him vain confidence in himself; but he practiced all kinds of mortifications to always remain master of his senses and to have a perfect conformity with Jesus Christ. He had no other place to rest at night than the bare earth of the cell where he lived; and it was no small penance for him to be obliged to go from his cave to the cathedral church to attend the divine offices; for he had to endure, during the winter, all the insults of the weather and the excessive heat of the summer; the most rigorous seasons were never an obstacle to prevent him from going to faithfully render his duties to his God. His devotion increased at the thought that the church to which he went with such exactitude was dedicated to God under the invocation of Our Lady, whom Saint Taurin, first bishop of Évreux, had given as patroness and special protectress to this diocese from the earliest centuries.

The fasts and abstinences of our Saint were extraordinary, and he took pleasure in lacking even the things necessary for life. The terrain where he had arranged his cave being then uncultivated, and producing no food suitable for the needs of men, he found himself obliged to rely only on the care of divine Providence, and to be content with a few raw herbs: the spirit of penance and mortification made him find them as good as the most exquisite dishes. His poverty was extreme, having in his small cell only the four walls that composed it, without any comfort or ornament. He found inestimable riches in this deprivation of all the comforts of life. He was persuaded of this great maxim of the Saints, that the treasures of grace abound where the goods of nature are lacking, and that one never enjoys God better than when one is deprived of all human support. This fervent solitary was always so far removed from the commerce of creatures that no one could be a witness to a multitude of beautiful acts of virtue that he practiced in his solitude; but what he hid with such care from the eyes of men was noticed and admired by the angels: these celestial spirits, charmed by his faithfulness and the holiness of his life, descended to earth to keep him company, and to publish, in concert with him, the divine perfections of their common Lord. It was on the occasion of the praises that these angelic spirits sang in honor of Saint Taurin, ancient bishop of Évreux, that he formed the design of seeking where the body of this great prelate was, which had been hidden until then. To better succeed in this enterprise, he told Viateur, who then governed the diocese, that he had heard the celestial spirits singing the praises of Saint Taurin. The prelate, who knew the merit of Saint Lau, had no difficulty in putting faith in what he told him, and joined with all his heart with him to search for a treasure so dear to the whole diocese; many prayers were ordered for this purpose, so that it might please the divine Goodness to favor the piety of the people in such a pious des saint Lau Bishop of Évreux in the 7th century, known for his eremitic life and the discovery of the relics of Saint Taurinus. ign; but, although these prayers and vows were very pleasing to God, they did not nevertheless have their effect as soon as was then wished, divine Providence wishing to reserve the discovery of this precious deposit for the episcopate of Saint Lau.

Indeed, Viateur having passed away, they proceeded to the election of a new pastor in his place; it was believed that no more worthy personage could be found to govern this church than the pious Saint Lau, so well known to everyone for the conduct of his life, which was always equally exemplary: he was elected unanimously to fill this dignity. Scarcely had he become acquainted with the affairs of his diocese than he renewed his vows to obtain from heaven what had only been deferred for him, we mean to learn the place where the body of the blessed Saint Taurin rested. His prayers were finally answered; for, one day when he was praying with greater fervor, he perceived a column entirely brilliant with light and shining like a sun, which appeared of a prodigious height, and remained upright over a certain spot, which was the true location of the sepulcher of Saint Taurin. He immediately had excavations made; a coffin was found there upon which were written these words: "Here rests the blessed Taurin bienheureux Taurin First bishop of Évreux whose relics were rediscovered by Landulph. , first bishop of the city of Évreux."

The news of this discovery having spread, an innumerable multitude came to implore the help of this great Saint; many miracles occurred, and so many wonders prompted Saint Lau to have a chapel built at the place where this holy deposit had been found; but, as the miracles multiplied from day to day, this chapel was later changed into a large church. Finally, Saint Lau, having holily fulfilled all the duties of the episcopate, being favored with a great abundance of blessings from heaven, having been as powerful in works as in words, and having always shown a very lively faith in all his conduct, passed away in the peace of the Lord to go and receive the reward due to his labors. Had he taken less care to hide himself from the eyes of men, we would not have been deprived of the knowledge of so many beautiful actions that his humility inspired him to perform in the secret of solitude and silence. As he desired throughout his life only to please God alone, he was also always content to have only God as a witness to what he did for His love alone.

Cf. Acta Sanctorum Acta Sanctorum Monumental hagiographic collection by the Bollandists. , August 13.