Gerland of Agrigento

Saint Gerland of Agrigento was born in Besançon in France, and later came to be linked by family ties to the Norman ruler Roger I of Sicily. In the years following the expulsion of the Saracens from Sicily, Roger summoned Gerland to the island in 1088 (or 1093) and entrusted him with a delicate, hope-filled mission: to become the first bishop of Agrigento in the renewed Christian era and to help restore the life of the Church across the region. As shepherd of a people emerging from upheaval, Gerland is remembered for re-establishing ecclesial order and strengthening the faith of the local communities, laying foundations that would endure long after his death. He died on February 25, 1100, and devotion to him continued to grow until his canonization in 1159. His relics are kept with honor in a silver urn in Agrigento Cathedral, long dedicated to him. Saint Gerland is venerated as patron of Agrigento and Porto Empedocle. His feast day is February 25.