Adelelm of Burgos, St.

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ADELELM OF BURGOS, ST.

Known also as Lesmes and, in French, Aleaume, patron of Burgos and one of four famous Benedictine abbots in Castile in the eleventh century; b. Loudon, near Poitiers, date unknown; d. Burgos, Jan. 30, 1097. His vita was written soon after his death by Rudolph, a monk of Chaise-Dieu in Auvergne. Adelelm gave up wealth and a military life and at Chaise-Dieu became famous for asceticism and miracles. He sent the Queen of England (Matilda of Flanders) blessed bread that reportedly cured her lethargy. At the request of Alfonso VI and his wife, Constance, he came to Burgos about 1081 and ministered to pilgrims and the sick. He crossed the swollen Tagus River Moses-like (reputedly without getting wet) in front of Alfonso's army when it took Toledo in 1085. The miracles attributed to him in France and in Spain were chiefly cures of sickness effected by means of blessed bread or water.

Feast: Jan. 30.

Bibliography: a. de venero, Vida del confessor San Lesmes (Burgos 1563). l. serrano, El obispado de Burgos, 3 v. (Madrid 1935) v.2. k. lechner, Lexicon für Theologie und Kirche, ed. j. hofer and k. rahner (Freiburg 195765) 1:141.

[e. p. colbert]

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