Saint Gibrian

His brothers and sisters often came to visit him as a master of holiness. They held him in great respect, both because he was the eldest and because he was invested with the priesthood. But what gave him even more authority was his extraordinary love for prayer and work; his admirable abstinence in eating, and his tireless activity in the exercise of all virtues. When a happy death had crowned his holy life, his body was buried in the place of his solitude. Soon God made the glory of his servant shine forth through various miracles: a small oratory was built over his tomb; a great concourse gathered there, especially on the anniversary of the celebration of his funeral.

This oratory having been destroyed during the ravages of the Normans, the religious Count Haderic obtained from Rodoald, Bishop of Châlons, permission to take the body of Saint Gibr ien wherever he wished. He transf erred it to Reims and deposited it in the Basilica of Saint-Remy, under t he episc opate of Foncques. It remained there until the Fre nch Revolution. Nothing of it remains. There is, in the diocese of Châlons, a village by the name of Saint-Gibrien; it is located not far from the ancient tomb. His brothers and sisters are also honored with public worship. There are, in the dioceses of Reims and Châlons, several churches dedicated under the invocation of Saint Véran, Saint Hélain, Saint Trésain, and Saint Possenne.

It is more than likely that these traveling saints stayed in Britt any befo re going to the Châlonnais region, for there are still several localities there that recall their names: one knows, in Brittany, a parish of Saint-Hélen; a parish of Saint-Vran; a parish and several places dedicated to Saint Abraham (probably the same as Abran); the beach of Saint Pétran; the cave of the same Saint in Trécilide.

Propers of Châlons and Reims, and local notes.