Saint of the Day: Giles

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Saint Giles
Feast Day: September 1
Stories of this saint made him a well-loved figure in the Middle Ages.

Closeup of work titled “Saint Giles and the Hind”, oil on oak, National Gallery. (Wikimedia Commons)

Saint-Gilles in southern France, where he built a monastery, was a popular place of pilgrimage.
Legend says Giles was Athenian by birth, generous with his family’s wealth, cured a sick beggar by giving him his cloak, and lived as a hermit.
After his death he was celebrated for many miracles and named patron of the lame, beggars and blacksmiths.
He is one of the 14 Holy Helpers, saints known for response to prayers of petition, especially for the sick.