Saint Gobain

Saint Gobain was born in Ireland and, drawn early to the life of prayer, became a monk and a spiritual student of Saint Fursey at Burgh Castle in Norfolk, England. He was the brother of Saint Wasnon, and together their family is remembered for its quiet holiness. Gobain later accompanied Fursey across the sea to France, where tradition places him for a time in monastic communities in Picardy or in Champagne. Yet his heart was set on a more hidden path, and he eventually withdrew to a hermitage in the forest of Voas, near the place that now bears his name, Saint-Gobain. There, God’s care was shown through him in a simple wonder: when he thrust his pilgrim’s staff into the earth, a spring of water flowed forth, a sign of refreshment for travelers and a symbol of the living grace found in solitude with Christ. In the year 670, Gobain was seized and beheaded by marauders, and he was buried in his small oratory, which soon became a place of pilgrimage. He is honored as patron of Burgh Castle and Saint-Gobain. His feast day is June 20.