Catmon Church & Patron Saint... CatmonanonSabAko: St. William of Gellone

AKA Duke William of Aquitaine … Knight and Benedictine Monk.

His Story:

St. William of Gellone was regarded as the exemplar of Christian knighthood and was said to be related to King Charles the Great or King Charles the 1^st. King Charles was the King of Franks from 768, the King of Italy from 774, and the first Roman Emperor in Western Europe since the collapse of the Western Roman Empire three centuries earlier. St. William spent at least most part of his youth at King Charles’s court as courtier.

St. William was chosen by the Great Emperor to lead his army in a campaign against the invaders from Moors in France and Spain, He fought with distinction. William defeated the invaders at Orange, as a result King Charles named him Duke of Aquitaine to repay him for his service.

Throughout his military career, he displayed exemplary chivalry and was honored as the ideal knight. However, he gave up the sword and became dedicated to the promotion of the faith. In 804, William founded a monastery at Gellone, and assigned the direction of this monastery to the famed St. Benedict of Aniane, father of Western monks. In 806, with King Charles permission, William entered the monastery as a monk, practicing the angelic habit until his holy death in May 28, 812. He was canonized in 1066 by Pope Alexander II.

Facts:

Born: 755 AD, France
Died: 28 May, c. 812 AD, Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert France

Founder: Benedictine Monastery, he himself became a Monk until his death.

Beatified in 1066

Feast Day: May 28, the day of his death.

Children: Bernard of Septimania, Bera, Count of Barcelona, Gaucelm, Teodoric III d'Autun

Parents: Aldana, daughter of Charles Martel, Thierry IV

Monk of St. Benedictine Order

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