Clotilde

Who they were

Clotilde, daughter of King Chilperic of the Burgundians, was given a Catholic upbringing by her mother Caretena and married Clovis I, King of the Franks. For a long time she worked in vain for his conversion, but she persevered until he was baptised, and with him the Franks became Catholic.

She bore him five children. After his death in 511 she endured the violence of her sons and grandsons, living for thirty-four years of widowhood more as a religious than a queen, in good works and virtue. She died at Tours on 3 June 545 and was venerated as a saint from early times.

The miracles

There was never a formal cause: she has been honoured as a saint since before the Church's formal processes began.

Why that counted as sanctity

A queen whose patient faith brought her husband and his people to Christ.

Connected on this site

• Martin of Tours Saint
  “Kurth writes that she was "saddened by cruel trials." After Clovis died, she spent the rest of her life near the tomb of Saint Martin of Tours, "led a devout life," became "totally detached from politics and power-struggles except through prayer", and gave all her possessions to the poor.” — Wikipedia