Raymond of Toulouse, St.
RAYMOND OF TOULOUSE, ST.
Patron of Toulouse, France; d. Toulouse, July 3,1118. Raymond was born a free man of Toulouse and was dedicated by his parents to the service of St. Saturninus. He abandoned the religious life and married. His wife died within a few years, however, and Raymond thereupon devoted himself completely to charitable works. Prominent among these was the building and endowment of a hospital or college for 13 poor clerics, next to the Church of St. Saturninus, which he also rebuilt. Raymond later became a regular canon of this church. His cult was established in 1652, after an epidemic in Toulouse was believed to have been ended through his intercession. His life was apparently written by a regular canon in the 13th century.
Feast: July 8.
Bibliography: Acta Sanctorum July 1:589–603. j. l. baudot and l. chaussin, Vies des saints et des bienheureux selon l'ordre du calendrier avec l'historique des fêtes (Paris 1935–56) 7:70–72. a. butler, The Lives of the Saints (New York 1956) 3:43.
[j. a. brundage]