Ivo of Kermartin

Saint Ivo of Kermartin was born on October 17, 1253, at the manor of Kermartin near Tréguier in Brittany, the son of Helori, lord of Kermartin, and Azo du Kenquis. Sent to Paris to study civil law and later to Orléans for canon law, he lived with striking discipline—prayerful, austere, and attentive to the sick—while preparing to serve both Church and neighbor. Returning to Brittany, Ivo became an ecclesiastical judge, renowned for integrity, refusing bribes and defending widows, orphans, prisoners, and the poor with fearless impartiality. Ordained a priest in 1284 and associated with the Third Order of St. Francis, he united legal wisdom with pastoral charity. As a parish priest at Tredrez and later Louannec, he preached simply to ordinary people, built a hospital, and personally cared for the suffering, earning the title “advocate of the poor.” He died on May 19, 1303, and was canonized in 1347. Saint Ivo is venerated as patron of Brittany, lawyers, and abandoned children. His feast day is May 19.