Saint of the Day – 1 April – Saint Valéry of Leucone (c565-c619) Priest, Abbot

Saint of the Day – 1 April – Saint Valéry of Leucone (c565-c619) Priest, Abbot, Founder of the Abbey of Saint-Valery-sur-Somme, a man of Miracles and Visions. Born around 565 in the Auvergne in France and died on 1 April c619 (?) in Leuconay, today St-Valéry-sur-Somme. Patronages – of horticulturists and gardeners, of Death Row Prisoners,fishermen and of of Saint-Valéry-sur-Somme. Also known as – Valery of Leuconay, Valery of Amiens, Gualaric… Valarico… Valerico… Valerio… Walaric… Walarich… Walarico…Walaricus… Waleric… Walerico… Walericus… Walric… Additional Memorials – 2 April (enshrining of Relics) 21 May (translation of Relics at the Quintinus Basilica) 24 August (translation of Relics at the Bertinus Monastery) 12 December (translation of Relics in Amiens, France).

The Roman Martyrology reads: “At Amiens, the Abbot, St Valéry, whose Tomb is made illustrious by frequent miracles.”

Valéry was born in the Auvergne into a peasant family. Nearby was a school for the children of the wealthy citizens and Valéry begged a teacher to teach him the letters which the teacher gladly did. He could soon both read and write and his first project was to write the entire Book of Psalms and with this in his possession, he used the time tending the sheep to memorise all the Psalms

Leaving his family home, finally having convinced his father to allow him to go, he joined the Abbey of Autumo., where apparently an uncle was a Monk, He later moved to the Abbey of Saint-Germain d’Auxerre and finally, the Abbey of Luxeuil under the famous Abbot Columban. At Luxeui,l he exelled and was honoured too for his horticultural skills. His ability to protect his vegetables from insects was regarded as miraculous.

When Theuderic II, King of Burgundy expelled St Columban from his domains, Valéry and a fellow Monk named Waldolanus, left the kingdom to preach the Gospel. He eventually settled down as a Hermit at a place called Leuconay near the mouth of the Somme River. A community of disciples grew up around him.

In 613, Valéry founded a Monastery in Leuconay – today’s St-Valéry-sur-Somme – whose Monks lived according to Columban’s Rule. He converted the population to Christianity by – like St Boniface later in Hesse – having a tree felled which had been worshiped by the pagans. Tradition tells how he cured a lame man, St Blitmund, who became the Abbot of the Monastery after Valéry’s death.

The Monastery was built on the site of the former pagan tree. The village which developed around the Monastery bears our Saint’s name — Saint-Valery-sur-Somme.

Valéry died on 1 April around 619 in Leuconay. Valéry’s Relics were taken to Corbie by Huguenots but were amazingly recovered and returned to Leuconay on 12 December which is a day greatly celebrated.

The Luxeuil Monastery was abolished in 1790 during the French Revolution, the Abbey Church of St-Colomban is now a Parish Church and a school is housed in the Monastery buildings.