RAYMOND OF RODA-BARBASTRO, ST.

Bishop; d. Huesca, Spain, June 21, 1126. The most reliable source for his career is the vita written by a contemporary canon, Elias of Roda. Raymond was prior of the monastery of St. Saturninus in Toulouse before he was made bishop of Roda and Barbastro in northern Aragon. He soon acquired fame as a zealous bishop of outstanding personal virtue, but he could not escape the political and ecclesiastical conflicts of the time. Stephen, bishop of Huesca, with the help of Alfonso I, the warrior king of Aragon, drove Raymond out of Barbastro and annexed the area of this see to his own diocese. Despite Raymond's appeal to Rome and the strong letters addressed to Alfonso and to Stephen by Pope Paschal II, Barbastro was not restored to Raymond. He accepted the situation and, at the request of Alfonso, accompanied him in the campaign culminating in the battle of Cutanda, and in Alfonso's famous expedition as far as Malaga. In returning from this second campaign, Raymond fell ill and died at Huesca. His body was subsequently transferred to Roda. Alfonso made amends for his earlier injustice and restored Barbastro to the jurisdiction of Roda.

Feast: June 21.

Bibliography: Acta Sanctorum June 5:110–115. Bibliotheca hagiographica latina antiquae et mediae aetatis, 2 v. (Brussels 1898–1901; suppl. 1911) 2:7074–78. h. flÓrez et al. España sagrada, 54 v. (Madrid 1747–1957) 46:149–157, 247–263. a. ubieto arteta, "Disputas entre los obispados de Huesca y Lerida en el siglo XII," Estudios de edad media de la corona de Aragón 2 (Saragossa 1946) 187–240. j. vincke, Lexikon für Theologie und Kirche, ed. j. hofer and k. rahner, 10 v. (2d, new ed. Freiburg 1957–65) 8:977–978.

[m. r. p. mcguire]