Benildus Romançon

The life of Brother Benildus is entirely merged with his mission as a Christian educator. From 1821 to 1841, he taught successively in several schools within the Brothers' network in Auvergne and the Limousin: in Aurillac, Moulins, Limoges, Billom, and Clermont-Ferrand. In 1841, he was appointed director of the new school in Saugues, an isolated village located on an arid plateau in the Haute-Loire. He would exercise his ministry there for twenty-one years, until his death. Under his leadership, the school in Saugues became a model of organization and pedagogy. Brother Benildus took care of everything: the classroom, the catechism, evening classes for adults, support for students in difficulty, as well as visits and prayers for the sick. To teach music and accompany liturgical chants at the church, he played the diatonic accordion. His dedication and kindness profoundly transformed the parish community. He proved to be an exceptional awakener of vocations: under his influence, the canton of Saugues became a true religious nursery, giving rise to more than 200 teaching brothers and 15 priests. Exhausted by work and illness, he died on August 13, 1862, in Saugues.

From the moment of his death, Brother Benildus's reputation for holiness spread rapidly. On the very day of his funeral, August 15, 1862, a first miracle was observed: a paralyzed woman regained the use of her legs as the funeral procession passed by. His tomb, located in the Saint-Médard church in Saugues, immediately became a highly frequented place of pilgrimage. The cause for beatification was officially opened at the beginning of the 20th century. On January 6, 1928, Pope Pius XI proclaimed him Venerable. On this occasion, the Sovereign Pontiff hailed him as "a hero of the terrible everyday," highlighting the greatness of a holy life lived in the perfect fulfillment of ordinary tasks.

Brother Benildus was beatified on April 4, 1948, by Pope Pius XII in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. During the ceremony, Pius XII summarized his spirituality with this famous phrase: "He did common things in an uncommon way." His canonization was celebrated on October 29, 1967, by Pope Paul VI. Due to the Pope's illness, the ceremony was performed by Cardinal Larraona, while Msgr. Benelli read the pontifical address. Two major miracles, which occurred after his beatification, were rigorously authenticated for this canonization: 1. In 1957, the unexplained healing of Madame Lucie Prat, residing in Nîmes, who was suffering from generalized cancer. 2. In 1958, the healing of Brother Agustin-Maria Subirana Piqué, of the community of Tarragona (Spain), suffering from stomach cancer. He is the first Brother of the Christian Schools to be canonized after the founder, Saint John Baptist de La Salle.

The spirituality of Saint Benildus is based on absolute fidelity to the Rule of his institute and on constant union with God through prayer. Nicknamed "the man of the rosary," he liked to repeat: "To be a saint, there is not much for us to do; one only has to observe the Rule." He conceived his profession as a teacher as a true priesthood, transfigured by faith: "Without faith, ours would be a harsh profession. But everything changes with faith." His legacy remains alive in Saugues, where a diorama retraces his life and where his relics are venerated in the Saint-Médard church. Because of his use of the accordion for teaching, he was officially proposed as the patron saint of accordionists by André Thivet and Brother Rolland. The first official celebration under this patronage was presided over on August 12, 1990, by the Archbishop of Chambéry, Mgr. Feidt. He is also invoked for the healing of cancer patients and as a protector of educators and vocations.