Picture: Véronique PAGNIER · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
Bénézet of Avignon
French saint
SaintResearchedFrancePre-congregation
Feast: 14 April (not on the universal Roman calendar; kept in the Roman Martyrology or local calendars)
Born
1165
Died
1184
Beatified
—
not needed: before formal processes
Canonised
By tradition
recognised before formal processes began
Who they were
At Avignon in Provence, in France, Saint Bénézet, a young shepherd, thanks to whom, with God's help, a bridge was built over the Rhône of great use to the citizens.
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
The Roman Martyrology remembers him on 14 April as the young shepherd through whom, with God's help, the bridge over the Rhône at Avignon was built.
Sources
- Roman Martyrology, 14 April (Italian Bishops' Conference, Santo del giorno)
- Wikidata Q972075 — dates, feast day and identifiers (CC0)
- English Wikipedia — Bénézet (CC BY-SA)
Checked against the sources listed on 22 September 2026. Corrections welcome.