January 1
Clarus of Dauphiné (+ c.660)
Abbot
Roman Martyrology
At Vienne in Burgundy (now France), Saint Clarus, abbot of the monastery of Saint-Marcel, who left his monks an example of religious perfection.
Practical advice
Help another person with clear and kindly guidance.
Biography
(French: Clair du Dauphiné).
He was a native of Dauphiné in France. A hermit and later a Benedictine monk of the Abbey of Saint-Ferréol, he was chosen abbot of the small monastery of Saint-Marcel at Vienne by Archbishop Saint Caldeolus, who held him in high esteem. He was also spiritual director of the convent of Saint-Blandina, where his mother had entered and which especially received widows. He died while abbot of Saint-Marcel. He was buried in the monastery of Saint-Blandina, later named for the Holy Martyrs of Lyon.
Legend says that through his prayers he brought about a flooding of the Rhône and that he died by beheading; many miracles are also recounted. His cult has been restricted to local calendars and was confirmed by Saint Pius X in 1903.