Saint Siviard of Saint-Calais

All the fine knowledge of this young man served only to convince him more strongly of the vanity of earthly things, and of the sweetness tasted by those who dedicate themselves entirely to the service of Jesus Christ. He resolved to follow the counsel of the Gospel to the letter, and to embrace the religious state in the monastery that S aint Calais saint Calais Founder of the monastery of Anisole. had founded the previous century, on the Anisole river, in rivière d’Anisole Site of the foundation of Saint Calais's main monastery. the land of Maine: preferring to live hidden in a cloister, to please God alone, rather than to be exposed to the storms in which persons of high station often suffer shipwreck.

As soon as he saw himself clothed in the holy habit of religion, he redoubled his fervor, and he made such great progress in virtue that the religious, who looked upon him as a model of perfection, chose him to be ordained a priest, so that he might serve them all as a spiritual father. Indeed, an extreme gentleness, joined to a profound humility, made him lovable to God and to men. He was always of an even temper, composed in all his actions, edifying in his conversation, zealous for the observance of the rule, and prompt to render service to everyone; he sympathized with the sufferings of his brothers, and tried to console those he knew to be in sadness; he was assiduous in prayer, and performed it with such fervor that he sometimes shed torrents of tears; he visited the sick and encouraged them so much to patience that they remained entirely consoled by his pious conversations; his abstinence was almost continuous; he often spent the nights in prayer; he was so restrained in everything he said that he never offended anyone with his words. His care to keep his chastity inviolable was so great that it can be compared to that of the angels. Finally, to use the terms of his historian, all the virtues, like so many precious stones, seemed to be united in him to make his holiness shine forth.

Whatever effort the blessed Siviard made to remain hidden from the eyes of men, the great graces with which God had anticipated him, and the talents that made him capable of governing others, could not remain undiscovered; this is why, after the death of Saint Sigiram, his saint Sigiram Father of Siviard and his predecessor as abbot. father, who was abbot of this same monastery, where he had retired after the death of his wife, and where he had lived so holily that his memory has since been marked in the Martyrologies of several churches in France on December 4th, the religious cast their eyes upon our Saint to give him the leadership of this house. History teaches us nothing particular about what he did during this superiorship; but it tells us in general that he discharged it very worthily, by nourishing the souls of his brothers with entirely heavenly food, and by embellishing the monastery with the splendor of a very exact observance. It was in the exercise of these holy functions that he happily completed the course of his life, at a very advanced age. At his death, one of the brothers saw his holy soul, all shining with light, between the princes of the Apostles Saint Peter and Saint Paul, who were leading it to heaven.

He passed away on March 1st, in the 8th year o Thierry III King of the Franks who made donations to Saint Condedus. f the reign of Theuderic III, son of Clovis II, and in the year of Our Lord 687.

The body of Saint Siviard was buried at th e monastery of Savonnièr monastère de Savonnières Monastery founded by Siviard and the site of his first burial. es which he had founded, in the place where a chapel bearing his name could be seen long afterwards, at the southern extremity of Saint-Georges-de-Couée. As for his relics, they were transported t o Se Sens Archiepiscopal see occupied by Saint Aldric. ns at the time of the Norman invasion.

Saint Siviard distinguished himself by his taste for letters; he left a life of Saint Calai vie de saint Calais Hagiographical work written by Siviard. s, a remarkable monument among all the legends written in the 6th century, and one of the most beautiful pages in the history of Maine.

The Roman Martyrology and those of several churches and monasteries make mention of Saint Siviard on this day. His life was written by a religious of Saint-Calais, who had been an eyewitness to his virtues. Su rius r Surius Hagiographer and compiler of saints' lives. eported it in his second volume of the Lives of the Saints; and the continuators of Hollandus in the 1st of the month of March.