Saint Gomer (Gumar) of Emblehem

Pepin, having become King of the Franks from Mayor of the Palace, had him come to the court. Gomer knew how to preserve his innocence there; faithful to all his duties, he had none of the vices that are so common among courtiers. Fasting and prayer strengthened him against the general corruption; he was generous, and in a way prodigal, when it came to assisting those in need. Far from doing the slightest harm to his neighbor, he sought to do good to everyone. Pepin, who, despite his faults, knew how to do justice to merit, entrusted him with the most important positions; he even proposed a considerable match for him in birth and fortune, in the person of Gwinmarie: the marriage was s oon concl Gwinmarie Wife of Saint Gomer, known for her difficult character before her conversion. uded and celebrated.

Shortly after their marriage, Gomer was obliged to follow the prince to war, and thus leave his house under the guidance of his wife. But Gwinmarie was far from resembling Gomer; she was a vain, capricious woman of an intractable character. Her conduct became for her husband a continual source of very sensitive and mortifying trials. Gomer suffered without complaining, awaiting his consolation from God alone. He employed every possible means to win over the one who, despite all her faults, was united to him by the most sacred bonds; but all his efforts were in vain. Having been obliged to follow King Pepin in the various wars he waged in Lombardy, Saxony, and Aquitaine, he was necessarily separated from her for a period of eight years. Upon his return, his troubles became even greater. He found the affairs of his house in the most deplorable state. His servants, his farmers, and his vassals complained of the unworthy treatment they had had to suffer. He granted them all the satisfaction they requested.

Having set out to visit Rome, our Saint, one evening, thought he could have a tree cut down on the edge of a forest to rest his head. The owner insulted him and threatened him because of the damage he had caused. Gomer apologized humbly and promised to repair it. Indeed, he spent the night in prayer, and the next morning he joined the two parts of the tree, which suddenly became as vigorous as it was before. The owner, having returned and seeing his tree standing and full of greenery as before, admired the virtue of Gomer, and, not believing himself worthy to possess a land where such a holy man had camped, he gave it to him along with the tree that was in it. An angel also appeared to our holy Confessor and declared to him that it was not God's will that he should go to Rome; but what He required of him was that, on his land of Nivesdonck, he should Nivesdonck Place where Gomer built his hermitage and his church. build a hermitage to serve as a retreat during his life and as a burial place after his death. The Saint obeyed the orders of heaven, built a church in honor of Saint Peter, with a hermitage, and chose this place for his dwelling.

He did not for that reason abandon the care of his family: he went from time to time to his land of Emblehem, where he rendered to the poor and the unfortunate all the duties of Christian charity. He clothed some, and gave food and drink to those who were hungry and thirsty. He had an extraordinary care for the sick, and did not suffer them to lack anything. He received pilgrims and treated them with every kind of kindness; he assisted widows and made himself their protector. In short, he was the common father of all those who were in need.

However, far from imitating such fine examples, Gwinmarie continued her ill-treatment of her servants. One day when her harvesters were tormented by thirst, she would not allow them to take a moment of rest to go and refresh themselves. But the holy man, who happened to pass by, struck the ground with his staff, and caused to gush forth, to quench their thirst, a spring that one can still see today in the village of Emblehem. His wife was seized with a fever so violent that she was on the point of death. She had the Saint notified, who restored her health as soon as possible by the sign of the cross and had her take a glass of water which he presented to her with his own hand. By his kindness and even more by his prayers, he converted her entirely: Gwinmarie spent the rest of her life in the exercises of penance and died the death of the righteous.

Saint Rumold Saint Rumold Former Bishop of Dublin, close friend of Saint Gomer. , who had left the bishopric of Dublin, in Ireland, to come to the Low Countries, enlightened all these provinces by his doctrine and his examples. He formed such a close friendship with our Saint that, in order to have more freedom to converse with him about divine things, he designated a place, called Stadek, between the dwelling of one and the other where both were to meet on a set day for this pious conference. The first time they gathered there, the dry staffs they had brought in their hands took root and bore flowers and leaves. The entire neighborhood was extremely edified by their union. A great crowd of people would gather every time they met. Finally, an oratory was built in that place, where, on the day of the conference, the holy Mysteries were celebrated. Saint Gomer died in peace and in the kiss of the Lord, on October 4, around the year 774.

He is depicted conferring with Saint Rumold on religious matters. He holds a staff that is sprouting leaves like that of his companion.

## CULT AND RELICS.

His body was first buried in the church of Emblehem, where he had died; but, God having revealed to a holy nun, named Vrachilde, that he should be buried in the church of Saint-Pierre, near his hermitage, he was placed in a boat to be transported there. And then the boat moved of its own accord, without sails, without oars, and without a boatman, against the current of the water, until it had arrived at the place that divine Providence had marked for it. This place, called Nivesdenck, was shortly after named Ledo or Ledi. This is the name that was given to it in the division of the kingdom that took place in 570 under Lothair, King of Austrasia. Finally, the influx of the faithful, whom piety attracted there to honor the memory of Saint Go mer, g Lierre City in Belgium whose origin is linked to the cult of Saint Gummarus. ave birth to the city of Lierre.

The Saint's relics were kept for several centuries in the chapel he had built. They were then transferred to the beautiful collegiate church of Saint John, which took the name of Saint Gomer, and which is today, as it was in the past, the parish church. These relics, the authenticity of which was verified in 1864 by the Archbishop of Mechelen, Jean-Armand de Roquelanre, are preserved in a magnificent silver reliquary, ma de in 1682, a m châsse d'argent Silver shrine from 1682 containing the saint's remains. asterpiece of chasing and ornamentation, which the religious spirit of the people of Lier managed to hide from the greed of the revolutionaries of the last century.

Acta Sanctorum Acta Sanctorum Monumental hagiographic collection by the Bollandists. ; Surius; Coessert.