Saint of the Day – 9 August – Saint Bandaridus (Died c545) Bishop of Soissons in France. A zealous shepherd of the people of God and Defender of the Church and of obedience to the Gospel, Miracle-worker. Patronage of – Saint-Bandry. Also known as – Banderik, Bandery, Bandry.
On the death of Bishop Loup de Soissons in around 535-540, acceded to the Episcopate records of Soissons, Bandaridus was elected and assumed the Office as the Bishop of the See of S oissons.
His Episcopate began under happy auspices but he had to face a revolt, perhaps due to his dogmatic rigidity om terms of obedience to the Word of God and of His Holy Church. Angry, Clotaire I chased him from his Kingdom and Bandaridus took refuge in England in a Monastery there.
In c543, Bandaridus returned to Soissons which had been decimated by the Plague but our Saint arrived in time to save his See from total destruction by this scourge:
“The inhabitants of Soissons came with great eagerness to meet him … to the Village of Arthèse which has since been called Saint-Bandry. The Prelate began to give proof of his credit with God by obtaining that a spring of water should spring forth in an arid place. His prayers obtained the cessation of the Plague.
Clotaire himself recognised Bandry’s credit with God; for the holy Bishop delivered one of his daughters from the devil.
The King offered him in gratitude the land of Celle-sur-Aisne and other goods which Bandry applied to the endowment of the Abbey of Saint-Crépin-le-Grand.”
Bandaridus, thanks to this endowment, was able to grace the Monastery of Saint-Crépin with the construction of am Abbey Church.
In c1044, during the reconstruction of the Church of Saint-Crépin-le-Grand, the Abbot tsolemnly transferred St Bandaridus’ remains to his restored Church.
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