Blessed Alphais of Cudot (also known as Alpais, Alpaida, Alpaidis) was born in 1150 at Cudot, diocese of Sens, France. Born to a poor peasant family, after the death of her father, she worked in the fields with her brothers. When her strength weakened, she looked after the sheep. It was discovered that she had contracted leprosy. She was relegated to a small hut where her relatives brought her food. One day her brothers decided to abandon her and stop feeding her. Some days later, her brothers, filled with remorse, returned to find all traces of leprosy had disappeared, which she attributed to the gentleness of the Virgin Mary. Although cured of the leprosy, she was paralyzed. She subsequently recovered the use of her right arm and hand. Alpaïs had frequent ecstasies during which she appeared as if asleep, almost dead. But when she woke up, she could describe her visions. The peasants from the surrounding area and then the Cistercian monks from a nearby abbey came to visit.
The Archbishop of Sens, Guillaume de Champagne, decided to investigate. He came himself to visit the girl and decided to replace the hut with a cell and build an adjoining church so that she could attend Mass every day.
Becoming known for holiness and penance, Alphais had the gift of inedia – subsisting solely on the Eucharist. She was a counselor to Queen Adela of France.
Her vita was written c. 1180 by the monk Peter of the nearby Cistercian monastery of Les Écharlis.
Patronage: against sickness; sick people, disabled, handicapped and physically challenged people.
And blessed Mary said to [Alpais]: “Because, dear sister, you bore long starvation in humility and patience, in hunger and thirst, without any murmuring, I grant you now to be fattened with an angelic and spiritual food. And as long as you are in this little body, corporeal food and drink will not be necessary for the sustaining of your body, nor will you hunger for bread or any other food because after you have once tasted the celestial bread and drunk of the living fountain you will remain fattened for eternity.” And so it was.
The Life of Alpais of Cudot
