Saint Corentin: Life, Evangelization, and Prayers
Saint Corentin was a Breton hermit wholived a simple life before becoming the first bishop of Quimper and the founder of a monastery. He is one of the seven founding saints of Brittany. Quimper is thus part of the pilgrimage route of the seven saints of Brittany, known as Tro Breizh. Saint Corentin is celebrated on December 12 and is the patron saint of the city of Quimper (which is actually called Quimper-Corentin, not just Quimper).
Biography of Saint Corentin
Saint Corentin was born around 375 in Locmaria (a town now located on the island of Belle-Île-en-Mer) in Armorican Cornouaille. The hagiographer Albert the Great recounts the following about his birth and childhood: Saint Corentin was born “thirteen years before the tyrant Maximus invaded Gaul, and was, from childhood, instructed by his parents in the Christian faith; and, by God’s special grace and protection, was spared during the wars that King Conan Meriadec waged against the Roman garrisons, which he drove entirely out of Brittany.” As he grew up, he became a hermit in Plomodiern (in Finistère), at the foot of Ménez-Hom (a mountain in the region), where he was already well known for his great holiness and piety. One day, the king of Armorica and Cornwall, Gradlon (father of Dahut in the legend of the City of Ys), summoned Corentin because he wished to establish the Diocese of Quimper and appoint the future saint as its head. The hermit accepted and set out for Tours to be consecrated as bishop by the future Saint Martin.
Afterward, the king gave him a palace in Quimper, on the site of the city’s current cathedral. He became the spiritual mentor of the future Saint Winwaloe and the future Saint Tudwal (also known as Tudgual).
In 453, Saint Corentin participated in the Council of Angers, where he signed the canons. The exact year of his death is unknown, but sources report that he passed away on December 12. His body is said to have been buried beneath the high altar of Quimper Cathedral. However, during the Norman invasions of 878, his relics were transported to the Abbey of Saint-Magloire in Léhon before being distributed throughout the Paris region between the Abbey of Saint-Corentin in Mantes—where a royal abbey was built in his honor in 1201 by King Philip Augustus—and the Abbey of Marmoutier in Tours.
The Legend of Saint Corentin’s Fish
Legend has it that when Saint Corentin was a hermit in Cornouaille, he ate almost nothing. Indeed, every day, a miraculous fish would appear in a river or fountain near the future saint’s hermitage. He would cut off a small piece of the fish each day to eat. He would then release it, still alive. The piece he had cut off would always grow back. This continued for as long as Saint Corentin lived as a hermit.
Legend also has it that the saint shared a little of his fish with a starving hunter who had lost his way in the Névet Woods. Some see this as an allusion to the fish that symbolized the early Christians during the Roman persecutions.
Prayer to Saint Corentin for Healing Frostbite
“My God, through the intercession of Saint Corentin, grant me healing from this frostbite that hinders my work and impedes my walking. Saint Corentin, most worthy bishop of the Church of God, intercede on my behalf. Saint Corentin, protector of the poor and the lowly, pray for me. Saint Corentin, support of the widow and father of the orphan, intercede for me.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.”
Make three signs of the Cross over the affected areas.
Hymn of the Seven Saints – Kantik ar seiz sant
Composed by Father Jacques Le Maréchal, this hymn was first sung to a traditional tune in Erdeven, where the seven saints are honored.
“Chorus : Malo, Brioc, Tudwal, Paul, Samson, Padarn, Corentin.
1. You sought the face of your Savior without pretense,
You followed Him ceaselessly with quiet faith. For Him, you left everything behind.
2. You bore the sorrows of others with a good heart, without losing hope. You were devoted to hope, which sustains the path that leads to the Father.
3. You lived out mercy for every person in a chaotic world. Share with us the love that enriches both humanity and the entire world.
4. For you are still like beacons for your brothers and sisters on the path to peace, when the burden of misfortune suddenly falls,
We sing of you in the depths of our sorrows.
5. You have never ceased to pray fervently for the people of this land. Teach us, pilgrims following in your footsteps, the way to your true homeland.”
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Saint Anne, the mother of the Virgin Mary, is widely venerated in Brittany, especially by sailors. Here is a wonderful to pray with Saint Anne and Saint Corentin!
