Saint Lugle and Saint Luglien

Burning with the desire to visit the places sanctified by the presence of Our Lord, the two brothers undertook this pilgrimage together, and after staying for some time in Palestine, they returned to their homeland, more inflamed with divine love. Upon their return, the two brothers resumed their holy and mortified life with more fervor than ever. The Archbishop of Ireland had died, and the suffrages of the people and the clergy united on S aint Lugle to succeed him. His humility was deeply alarmed by this unexpected choice; despite his protests of incapacity and unworthiness, he was compelled to accept the burden that it pleased God to impose upon him. Saint Lugle was a good shepherd to his flock, animated by the spirit of Jesus Christ, and like Him, devoted to the salvation of souls. He neglected nothing that could contribute to the sanctification of his people: instructions, exhortations, encouragements, reproaches, and corrections. He took care to place in all places priests animated by the Spirit of God, over whom he exercised a gentle vigilance. This vigilance was even greater over himself, and it ensured that his conduct was for all the most eloquent and persuasive preaching.

While Saint Lugle was entirely devoted to the works of his ministry, he suddenly felt penetrated by the desire to flee the honors rendered to him in his homeland, in order to go to other places to work for the salvation of souls. Having communicated this inspiration from heaven to his br other Saint L uglien, who lived in his solitude, entirely abandoned to the will of heaven, worked with ardor for his own sanctification, and prayed unceasingly for the sanctification of others, they sold together all the goods they still possessed from the inheritance of their parents, and having distributed the price to the poor, they left Ireland, so long edified by their virtues, never to see it again. They crossed Great Britain, preaching the word of Go d everywhere and bringing back many strayed souls to the good, and embarked secretly to come to the Gauls. Scarcely were they at sea when a frightful storm suddenly broke out and threatened to swallow the vessel; but the two Saints having begun to pray, the storm calmed immediately, and the ship docked in a short time at the port of Boulogne, which the two missionar ies prom ptly left to flee the testimonies of veneration that everyone vied to lavish upon them.

Having entered the city, they immediately preached the word of God to a crowd of pagans gathered around them; most asked to receive baptism. A blind man having recovered his sight by washing with water blessed by Saint Lugle, this miracle led a great number of idolaters to convert to the true God. After this healing, our two Saints headed toward the city of Thérouanne. As soon as they arrived, t heir first care was to go and worship God in His temple, and to venerate the august Mary, under whose patronage this church was placed. A fire having broken out in the house adjacent to the one where they were staying, Saint Lugle headed toward the place where the fire was spreading its ravages the most, and after a fervent prayer, he made the sign of the cross over the fire, and at that very instant the flames were extinguished before the eyes of the astonished spectators.

To avoid the honors that such a striking miracle could not fail to bring them, Saint Lugle and Saint Luglien left the city in haste and continued their journey. As they were crossing the valley of Seyrendal, singing the praises of God, they wer e surrounded by a b and of villains and put to death in the most cruel manner. This crime did not take long to become known: the bodies of the two brothers were buried with care by the faithful.

A small chapel was built at the place where they were put to death, and it was there that they were henceforth venerated by numerous pilgrims. Near this chapel was a miraculous fountain. It was especially on Fridays that people came to invoke the two Saints: they were invoked against fever, plague, fire, thunder, and storms. Their relics were transported to Lillers, probably in the 10th c entury; they were first deposited in the parish church, then in the collegiate church, which was built towards the middle of the 11th century. It was on May 20th that the memory of this translation was celebrated. The town of Lillers henceforth took the two saints Lugle and Luglien as its secondary patrons, its principal patron already being Saint Omer. In 1471, their relics w ere placed in a new reliquary given by Isabella, wife of Philip the Good, Duke of Burgu ndy. The two Saints were represente d on the sides of this reliquary: Saint Lugle dressed in his pontifical vestments, and Saint Luglien wearing his royal attire. The church of Montdidier, in the diocese of Amiens, pays speci al homage to these two Saints, because of the translation of a portion of their relics, which took place in that location in the 12th century.

Excerpt from the Lives of the Saints of the dioceses of Cambrai and Arras, by Abbé Dest ombes. — Cf. Acta Sanctorum B elgii.