Saint Gohard of Nantes

Now, a month after these events, in the month of June, the Normans, a ferocious nation, entered the waters of the Loire with a numerous fleet. Soon, favored by the wind, and led by the perfidious Lambert, who ha conduits par le perfide Lambert Servant of Bertolf and one of the assassins. d taken care to have the place reconnoitered beforehand by spies, they sailed up, by force of sails and oars, to the city of Nantes. The enemies disembarked and surrounded the place, and, encountering no resistance, they seized it, pillaged it, and devastated it.

Gohard Gohard Bishop of Nantes and martyr during the Norman invasion of 843. , a man of innocent and pure life, was bishop of Nantes; all the clergy, as well as the religious of a neighboring monastery named Antrum, carrying with them the treasure of their church, had taken refuge in the city; the walls of N murs de Nantes Episcopal city and principal site of the saint's cult. antes contained, moreover, a great multitude of people whom the fear of the enemy had drawn there, as well as the feast of the Nativity of Saint John the Nativité de saint Jean-Baptiste Biblical figure cited in comparison for his early sanctification. Baptist, not only from the surrounding regions, but also from distant cities.

Seeing the enemy within the city walls, the entire crowd rushed en masse to the church of the apostles Saint Peter and Saint Paul, to implore the help of heaven, which alone could deliver them. But the pagans, breaking down the doors and windows of the sacred edifice, threw themselves like wolves thirsty for blood upon this defenseless flock. The sword struck all it encountered, discerning neither sex nor age. Goha rd himself, the bishop of Christ, w Gohard lui-même, l'évêque du Christ Bishop of Nantes and martyr during the Norman invasion of 843. as struck and massacred during the holy sacrifice he was offering, at the moment he was saying: Sursum corda.

Many religious were killed, some outside the church, others inside, and most around the altar. When the Barbarians were sated with c les Barbares Invaders responsible for the sack of Nantes and the martyrdom of Gohard. arnage, they thought to take prisoners, whom they transported onto their ships and whom the survivors ransomed for a large sum. Then they pillaged and sacked the city, and set fire to the church before withdrawing.

The body of Saint Gohard, transferred to Ang Angers Location of the foundation of a second monastery. ers, was kept with great veneration in the collegiate church of Saint-Pierre. It was solemnly recognized in 1523; next to the body were found two lead plates bearing this inscription: Humilis Gohardus Nannetensium Pater et martyr. All the bones of the blessed Martyr, as well as several notable relics possessed by the Church of Nantes, disappeared during the revolutionary turmoil of the last century.

Proper of Nantes.