St. Theodard

From the Catholic Encyclopedia

Archbishop of Narbonne, b. at Montauban about 840; d. at the same place 1 May, 893. He seems to have belonged to a noble and wealthy family and to have studied with great zeal both ecclesiastical and secular learning in his youth. He gave proof of his education and skill when he was a subdeacon at a synod at Toulouse that was called upon to settle a dispute between the Jews of the place and Bishop Bernhard. In this way the presiding officer of the synod, Archbishop Sigebod of Narbonne (873-855), came to have so high an opinion of Theodard that he made him his archdeacon. In this position Theodard distinguished himself by faultless morals, modesty, piety, and charitableness, and was "eyes to the blind, feet to the lame, a father to the poor, and the consoler of all the oppressed". After Sigebod's death (885) Theodard was elected his successor, consecrated on 15 August, 885, and in 886 went to Rome to obtain the pallium from Stephen VI. Theodard maintained with energy the rights of his see and its suffragans, repaired the damages that these dioceses had suffered from the incursions of the Saracens, restored the cathedral, and gave up his revenues and the treasures of his church for the release of captive Christians. At a later date he was able to replace the treasures he had used. He died where he had lived in the Benedictine Abbey of St. Martin and was buried there. The abbey bore his name from 845. It was later plundered by the Huguenots; since then all the relics of St. Theodard, excepting a small remnant, have disappeared.

KLEMENS LÖFFLER