ON ST. BLIDMUND, OR GOGUS, ABBOT IN GAUL.
Seventh Century.
CommentaryBlidmund or Gogus, Abbot in Gaul (St.)
BHL Number: 7014
[1] Hugo Menard, in the Benedictine Martyrology, on the third day before the Nones of January: "In the territory of Amiens, of St. Blidmund, Abbot, disciple of St. Waleric." He is treated of at length in the Life of St. Waleric, April 1. The same Menard, in Book 1 of his Observations, describes the life of Blidmund himself as follows, from the records of the monastery of St. Waleric:
[2] St. Blidmund, cured by St. Waleric, becomes a monk. St. Blidmund was born of noble parents in a certain castle of the Dauphiné on the river Isère. As a youth, crippled in all his limbs, he was wasting away with a long sickness, until, having been carried to St. Waleric the Abbot, whose fame had spread through all Gaul, he was healed by his prayers. Blithmund, not unmindful of so great a benefit, gave himself wholly to God under the mastership of St. Waleric.
[3] After his death St. Blithmund was put in his place by the suffrages and wishes of all. He is elected Abbot. But since wars were blazing up day by day, and the monks were scattered hither and thither, he came to St. Attala, Abbot of the monastery of Bobbio in Italy, He lives at Bobbio. where he remained for some years under the discipline of a stricter life. When the war had died out he desired to return to Picardy, to the tomb of his holy master; which St. Attala was unwilling to grant him, because he could not bear to be parted from so holy a man. Meanwhile it happened that St. Attala was deprived of the use of his limbs, so that he could not go into the church unless supported by St. Blithmund. And when they were walking together in this way, it seemed to St. Attala that he was lifted up into the air to a height of three feet and was walking with St. Blithmund. Moved by this, St. Attala granted him leave to go back to the tomb of St. Waleric.
[4] When, therefore, St. Blithmund had come to the place, he found it bristling with brambles and thorns. He restores the monastery of St. Waleric. Having cut these down, he built a cell, in which he led the eremitical life for some years. But when by the grace of God he was working not a few miracles, many, out of zeal for the monastic life, flocked to him, and having built a monastery, they elected him Abbot. There the monks, with their blessed Abbot, led a life as like as possible to that of the Angels.
[5] He roots out the remnants of paganism. Around the same place there were certain remnants of ancient superstition, which St. Blithmund with his monks rooted out, overthrowing also certain idols which remained there. At length, having endured many labors for Christ and for the salvation of souls, he was carried over into heaven. His sacred relics are still to be seen in the monastery built by him, He dies. which is called after the name of St. Waleric, and is situated on the shore of the sea in the diocese of Amiens. His feast is celebrated on January 3 in the same monastery, from whose ancient records this life has been drawn.