St. Pardulphus

Born in 657, Pardulphus was from a family of Frankish peasants. He was a shepherd, but soon went to a monastery in Guéret, later becoming its abbot. He followed strict rules, never using the warmth from anything but the sun. One miracle, recorded in the Vita Pardulfi, says that some carpenters were cutting wood to build a new church near the monastery. They accidently cut the wood too short, and were supposed to be whipped as punishment. Pardulphus intervened, however, by miraculously making the wood even larger in size than was necessary. The excess was then sawn off and hung in the church as an object of veneration. Also, during the Umayyad invasion of southern France, Pardulphus remained in the monastery while everyone else evacuated. He continually prayed for the preservation of the monastery and so, even when the invaders reached him, the monastery was left untouched. His feast day is October 6.

Questions for Reflection:

  • Have you ever stepped in, when someone else made a mistake, and tried to help them correct their error? What happened?
  • Is your faith in God strong enough that you would stay behind in a dangerous situation, even after everyone else has run away? What examples of facing danger can you recall from recent news headlines or even personal experience?