BERTRAND OF COMMINGES, ST.

Bishop; b. Isle-Jourdain (then in the Diocese of Toulouse), France, c. 1050; d. Oct. 16, 1123. He was born of a noble family, educated in the Abbey of La Chaise-Dieu, and chosen canon and archdeacon of Toulouse. In 1073 he was elected bishop of Comminges (now included in the Toulouse Diocese) and energetically served his see for 50 years. He reorganized his ravaged diocese, visiting every section of it. Several times he faced opposition to his preaching, but after one such incident the penitent men of Azon offered to his see in perpetuity all their butter produced during the week before Whitsunday. Apparently this pledge was paid annually until the French Revolution. The story called the "Great Pardon of Comminges," which relates Bertrand's deliverance of a certain thieving lord from Moorish exile and the apparition of the bishop to this prisoner who once vigorously opposed him, is commemorated locally every May 2.

Feast: Oct. 16.

Bibliography: Acta Sanctorum Oct. 7.2:1140–84. l. andrÉdelastre, Saint Bertrand de Comminges, qui nous appelle sur la montagne (Paris 1974). p. bedin, Saint Bertrand, évêque de Comminges, 1040–1123 (Toulouse 1912). l. de fiancette d'agos, Vie et miracles de saint Bertrand: avec une notice historique sur la ville et les évêques de Comminges (Nîmes 1994). l. mÉdan, Dictionnaire d'histoire et de géographie ecclésiastiques, ed. a. baudrillart et al. (Paris 1912) 8:1050–51. j. rocacher, Saint-Bertrand de Comminges (Paris 1982).

[e. j. kealey]