I always look forward to the posting of saints' feasts and recently
thought it would be useful to compare it with those celebrated in the
13th century in Chartres Cathedral, about which I am obsessed. The
feast celebrated there on 19 January was not mentioned in the recent
listing (I have no idea of the rationale for choice), but St
Laudomarus or Laumer is also listed in Butler for this day.
According to Butler, as a lad he kept his father's sheep, and while
so doing not only maintained a rigorously ascetic existence but,
under the guidance of a priest, learned to read and pray. After
being ordained, he was made a canon and cellerer of Chartres
Cathedral, but later retired to a hermitage, perhaps on the site of
Bellomer, a later monastery of the order of Fontevrault. In c.575 he
founded the monastery of Corbion (currently called Moutier-au-Perche)
to house all the followers who had been attracted to him. He died at
Chartres in the bishop's palace on 19 Jan. 593. Before the
Revolution, various relics were scattered about: at Perly in
Auverne; his head at the Priory of Saint-Laumer at Maissac
(Moissac?); and in an Abbey of St Laumer at Blois. Many elements of
his life seem to be shared by other Chartrain saints, such as St
Lubin, also 6th century, who also learned to read among the sheep and
became a cellerer, before becoming bishop (as can be seen in a window
in the south nave aisle). St Laumer is one, I am sure, of a
tremendous number of fairly local saints, but I hope this is of
interest to someone on the list.
Cheers,
Jim Bugslag
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