Saint of the Day – 18 September – Saint Didier of Rennes (7th Century) Bishop and Martyr. Born in Rennes, in Brittany, modern France and died by being murdered by robbers, near what is now called Saint-Dizier-l’Évêque.
Didier was born in Rennes in the 7th Century, where he studied and became the Bishop of that City in about 660. We have his signature on the Decrees of a Synod held in Rheims in 682.
He resigned and went on a Pilgrimage to Rome in a group of clerics which included his Deacon, Saint Reinfroid. On their return they passed through German lands and then south of the Vosges, near today’s Saint-Dizier-l’Évêque and was welcomed in the local Church.
Having preached there, Dider proceeded on his journey but was soon attacked by robbers who killed him and his Acolytes, hoping to find holy vessels of the Church, near the village of Croix, Belfort. Didier was buried in the Church there and a cult arose around him as is attested in a 727 Charter in Murbach Abbey. Many miracles are ascribed to his intercession. His Feast Day is celebrated there today, 18 September.
A rock named “The Step of the Devil and the Feet of Saint Didier”, found near Saint-Dizier-l’Évêque, has indentations which are believed to be the remains of a struggle between the devil and the Saint, the devil being our Saint’s muderer!
Many Towns and Villages and presumably there would also be many Churches named for this Saint Didier including Saint-Didier, Ille-et-Vilaine (see the Church in the latter Village, dedicated to our Saint Didier below) but there are others which are named after other Saints of the same name.
AnaStpaul 