ST VODALUS, HERMIT - 5 FEBRUARY

 

ALL SAINTS CELEBRATED IN FEBRUARY

Saints celebrated on the 5th of February

Prayer to the Angels and the Saints

Heavenly Father, in praising Your Angels and Saints we praise Your glory, for by honouring them we honour You, their Creator. Their splendour shows us Your greatness, which infinitely surpasses that of all creation.

In Your loving providence, You saw fit to send Your Angels to watch over us. Grant that we may always be under their protection and one day enjoy their company in heaven.

Heavenly Father, You are glorified in Your Saints, for their glory is the crowning of Your gifts. You provide an example for us by their lives on earth, You give us their friendship by our communion with them, You grant us strength and protection through their prayer for the Church, and You spur us on to victory over evil and the prize of eternal glory by this great company of witnesses.

Grant that we who aspire to take part in their joy may be filled with the Spirit that blessed their lives, so that, after sharing their faith on earth, we may also experience their peace in heaven. Amen.

ST VODALUS, HERMIT 

Saint Vodalus (Vodoalus, Votus), surnamed Benedictus (French: Voel), came from the land of the Picts (Scotland). He left his homeland, wandered through several provinces of France, and taught the people.

HE WANDERED THROUGH THE PROVINCES AND TAUGHT THE PEOPLE

At Soissons he settled in a small house which the abbess of the monastery of Our Lady had given him.  He may have been the monastery's confessor.

HE MAY HAVE BEEN THE MONASTERY'S CONFESSOR

He made it his duty to observe strict silence, and to follow all the practices customary among true hermits. His many alms brought him under suspicion of infidelity. To avoid the false accusations, he made up his mind to leave everything behind and to return to Scotland.

HE MADE UP HIS MIND TO LEAVE

But God thwarted his journey by afflicting him with an intermittent fever and causing him to be shipwrecked. He returned to Soissons, where he continued in his usual way of life, and died on February 5, 720. He is buried in the Church of the Holy Cross.

MIRACLES AT HIS GRAVE

When miracles occurred at his intercession, his body was transferred to the church of Our Lady at Soissons. Canisius, Ferrarius and others mention him on February 4. He is invoked as an advocate against intermittent fever.

(Information from Stadler's Complete Encyclopedia of Saints - 📷 The Abbey of Our Lady in Soissons)