Aldric of Le Mans
Bishop of Le Mans and saint
Feast: 7 January (not on the universal Roman calendar; kept in the Roman Martyrology or local calendars)
Who they were
Aldric, born about 800, grew up at the courts of Charlemagne and Louis the Pious; at 21 he withdrew to Metz and became a priest, but Louis recalled him as his confessor. Nine years after ordination he became Bishop of Le Mans.
Conspicuous for virtue, he built aqueducts and churches, restored monasteries and ransomed captives. Expelled in the civil wars for his loyalty to Charles the Bald, he went to Rome and was reinstated by Gregory IV. He died at Le Mans on 7 January 856.
The miracles
There was never a formal cause: he has been honoured as a saint since before the Church's formal processes began.
Why that counted as sanctity
A courtier-bishop who used his office to build, restore and ransom captives.
- Catholic Encyclopedia (1913), via New Advent - St. Aldric
- Wikidata Q592129 — dates, feast day and identifiers (CC0)
- English Wikipedia — Aldric of Le Mans (CC BY-SA)
Checked against the sources listed on 21 September 2026. Corrections welcome.