Saint Gilduin

After he had completed his course of studies, his father and mother wished to marry him, and to find him a match that would be good and advantageous; but the holy young man would hear nothing of it, and let them know his intention, which was to embrace the ecclesiastical state, or, according to the old way of speaking, to become a man of the Church. His parents willingly consented, and from that moment, they dressed him in long robes, consecrating him to God at the hands of his uncle Junkeneus.

Gilduin, with the clerical tonsure, received a completely new spirit and was entirely changed into another man. His holy and exemplary life allowed the archbishop to confer upon him, notwithstanding his youth, a canonry in his cathedral. He was ordained deacon to the great satisfaction of the clergy and the people of Dol, who promised themselves something great from this young man. However, the church of Dol, flourishing and happy under Junkeneus, had the misfortune to fall into the hands of a bad shepherd, who, according to the acts of Saint Gilduin, deserved rather to be called an arch-wolf than an archbishop. He was one of those si Grégoire VII Pope during whose pontificate Saint Gausbert died. moniacal bishops who gave so much trouble to Gregory VII, the plague of the Church at that time and who would have destroyed it, if it could be destroyed. This wolf was seven years in the sheepfold of Jesus Christ; finally, at the end of their patience, the clergy and the people of Dol drove him from the city, and having assembled to elect another bishop, united all their votes on the young deacon Gilduin.

The latter, not wanting a position that forced him to renounce the humble and retired life he cherished above all else, a position that also seemed far too heavy for his young shoulders, did everything he could to persuade his fellow citizens to reconsider their decision; but, his efforts being in vain, he appealed to the Sovereign Pontiff, who was then Saint Gregory VII. He therefore prepared to leave for Rome, and asked Even, or Ivon, abbot of Saint-Mela ine-les-Reune Even, ou Ivon Abbot of Saint-Melaine-les-Rennes, appointed Archbishop of Dol in place of Gilduin. s, to accompany him on this journey. The chapter of Dol also sent its deputies to beg His Holiness to confirm the election that had been made.

Upon arriving in Rome, they all appeared at the Pope's audience. The deputies represented to His Holiness the fine qualities with which their elect was endowed, the needs of the church of Dol, which no one could better remedy than he, not only because of the holiness of his life, but also the nobility of his extraction, and they concluded by asking His Holiness, without regard for Gilduin's excuses, to confirm the election they had made of him. For his part, Gilduin begged the Holy Father not to place such a heavy burden upon his weak shoulders, pointing out his young age, his incapacity, and the other reasons that his humility provided him.

Admiring this humility, G regory VII c Grégoire VII Pope during whose pontificate Saint Gausbert died. omplimented Gilduin: "My son," he said to him, "your conduct is wise, because it conforms to the holy canons. Far from intruding imprudently, you excuse yourself with prudent reasons. Know then that I will willingly do what you ask of me, so as not to burden you with a load beyond your years." Then the Holy Father asked him to name the person from his company whom he judged most capable of occupying the episcopal see. Gilduin, having thanked him, returned to the deputies and declared the Pope's intention, according to which they consented that he renounce his election and that he nominate whomever he deemed appropriate. He, very pleased with this resolution, went to find His Holiness and asked him to consecrate Even, Abbot of Saint-Melaine -les Even Abbot of Saint-Melaine-les-Rennes, appointed Archbishop of Dol in place of Gilduin. -Rennes, a man of signaled virtue, doctrine, and holiness. The Pope approved this nomination and consecrated Even Archbishop of Dol, in the Lateran church, in the presence of the cardinals and prelates who were then at the Roman court, in the year 1076. The Holy Father, in dismissing Even and his company, gave him a letter of recommendation for all the bishops of Brittany, of which here are some passages:

"Gregory, bishop, servant of the servants of God, to all the bishops of Brittany, greeting and apostolic blessing. We believe that you are not unaware of how the clergy and people of Dol addressed to us a young man of sufficiently illustrious birth, according to what we were told, asking that he be ordained by Us to be their bishop. The cause being examined as was fitting, We recognized in him honest morals, with regard to his age, but not yet sufficiently matured and strengthened to support the weight of the episcopate. That is why We decided that it would be prudent, neither for himself nor for you, to charge him with such a heavy burden. But with the help of God, We found among those who accompany him a person much more in keeping with this dignity by his age, by his knowledge, and by the gravity of his conduct: it is Yvon, Abbot of Saint-Melaine, whom We have ordained, although against his will and somewhat constrained by obedience, upon the request and choice of the young man and the others. We have also granted him the honor and use of the *pallium* for your direction and for that of the whole province, on the condition, however, that he will not refuse to present himself in due time to discuss the complaint that our brother Rodolphe, Archbishop of Tours, has long made to the audi ence of our predecessors and Rodolphe, archevêque de Tours Archbishop of Tours who claimed jurisdiction over the see of Dol. to ours, touching the submission of this see of Dol to that of Tours, and touching the refusal of obedience, etc..."

With these letters and several beautiful relics which the Pope presented to them, our Bretons left Rome and returned to France. When they had crossed the Alps, Gilduin separated from the archbishop and headed towards Oceania to visit his maternal relatives. He fell ill at Puyseaux. Feeling his end approaching, he had himself carried to Chartres , to off Chartres Episcopal city of the saint. er prayers to Our Lady. From there, he went to lodge at the m onastery of Saint-Pierre-en-Vallée, monastère de Saint-Pierre-en-Vallée Benedictine monastery in Chartres where Gilduin died and was buried. located in the suburb of Chartres; he was cared for by the Benedictine monks during his illness, and God called him to Himself on the 27th of January, in the year of grace 1077. He was buried in the middle of the choir of the monastery church.

Miracles having occurred at his tomb, his bones were raised from the earth ninety years after his death, transferred to a chapel, and enclosed in a reliquary by Abbot Foulcher, the fourteenth abbot of Saint-Pierre-en-Vallée. A second translation of the holy relics took place in 1666; they were deposited very solemnly in the Cathedral of Chartres, where they remained until the Revolution. At that disastrous time, the relics of Saint Gilduin disappeared.

The former Diocese of Dol formerly celebrated his feast on January 27 with the rite of a major double, and the Breviary of Chartres mentions him on November 15, among the Saints of that diocese.