Saint of the Day – 13 July – Saint Turian (Died c750) French Abbot and Confessor, Bishop

Saint of the Day – 13 July – Saint Turian (Died c750) French Abbot and Confessor, Bishop of Dol, Born in Brittany, France and died in c750 of natural causes. Also known as – Turiaf, Thivisiau, Tuien, Turiav, Turiave, Turiavus, Turien, Turiano, Turiavo, Turian of Dol.

The Roman Martyrology reads today: “In Bretagne, St Turian, Bishop and Confessor, a man of admirable simplicity and innocence.”

Turian was born in Brittany to French nobility in the Diocess of Vannes, in the neighbourhood of the Abbey of Ballon.

At a young age, Turian entered the Monastery at Dol where he was instructed in piety and learning and promoted to Holy Orders by Saint Thiarmail.

The then Bishop of Dol, St Samson, appointed him his vicar and and at his death, probably in 733, our Saint was placed in that Episcopal Seat.

Admirable was the austerity of his life, his zeal, his charity, his watchfulness, his fervour in prayer and his firmness in maintaining discipline.

A powerful lord named Rivallon having committed many acts of violence, the Bishop went to his castle at Lanncafrut and by his strong remonstrances made him sensible of the enormity of his crimes. By the Bishop’s injunction, Rivallon underwent a canonical penance for seven years and repaired all injustices and oppressions by a sevenfold satisfaction.

Saint Turian died on the 13th of July, probably about the year 750, although even the year is not certain. In the wars of the Normans, Turian’s Relics were brought to Paris and are still kept in the Abbey of Saint Germain-des-Prez. The new Paris Breviary mentions that dreadful fires have been sometimes miraculously extinguished by our Saints intercession wrought by prayer at the Shrine of his Relics.

There is a Town name for him wherein the Parish Church of St Turian resides.