ST THEOFRID, ABBOT AND MARTYR - 19 OCTOBER

 

ALL SAINTS CELEBRATED IN OCTOBER

Saints celebrated on the 19th of October

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 THEOFRID, ABBOT AND MARTYR 

This saintly Abbot, known by the people as St Chaffre, otherwise also called Theoffroy, was the son of an official, named Leufredus, in Orange (Arausio, Colonia Aurosionum), France.

From an early age he showed great piety and contempt for the world, and with the consent of his father entered the Carmeliacum monastery, also known as monasterium apud Velaunos. which later was given his name: Monastier-St.-Chaffre.

His uncle Eudo was abbot there and wished him to be his successor. Since the nephew's leadership was excellent, the convent community gladly agreed. For a long time he was their teacher and role model. Through his sermons and his example,. St Theofrid had an excellent influence on the people around him.

Since women were not allowed to enter the monastery church, he designated a room outside the gate for their lessons. The zealous man died on October 19 as a result of the severe mistreatment inflicted on him by the Saracens. The attack happened in A.D. 728 (the Bollandists mention the date A.D. 732). Most of the monks had fled into the woods when the barbarians approached. The town of the same name was later built around the monastery. 

(Information from Stadler's Complete Encyclopedia of Saints)