FRAGAN or Fracan, father of this saint, was nearly related to Cathoun,
one of the kings or princes of Wales, and had by his wife Gwen three
sons, Guethenoc, Jacut, and Winwaloe, whom they bound themselves by vow
to consecrate to God from his birth, because he was their third son. The
invasions of the Saxons, and the storms which soon after overwhelmed his
own country, obliged him to seek a harbor in which he might serve God in
peace. Riwal had retired a little before, with many others, from Wales
into Armorica, and had been there kindly received; several Britons, who
had followed the tyrant Maximus, having settled in that country long
before. Fragan therefore transported his whole family, about the middle
of the fifth century, and fixed his habitation at a place called from
him to this day, Ploufragan, situated on the river Gouct, which ancient
British and Gaulish word signifies blood. All accounts of our saint
agree that his two elder brothers were born in Great Britain, but some
place the birth of St. Winwaloe, and of his sister Creirvie, much
younger than him, in Armorica. The pious parents brought up their
children in the fear of God, but out of fondness delayed to place
Winwaloe in a monastery, till he was now grown up. At length, touched by
God, the father conducted him to the monastery of St. Budoc, in the isle
of Laurels,[1] now called Isleverte, or Green Island, not far from the
isle of Brehat. St. Budoc was an abbot in Great Britain, eminent for
piety and learning, and flying from the swords of the Saxons, took
refuge among his countrymen in Armorica, and in this little island
assembled several monks, and opened a famous school for youth. Under his
discipline Winwaloe made such progress, that the holy abbot appointed
him superior over eleven monks, whom he sent to lay the foundation of a
new monastery. They travelled through Domnonea, or the northern coast of
Brittany, and finding a desert island near the mouth of the river Aven,
now called Chateaulin, they built themselves several little huts or
cells. From these holy inhabitants the name of Tibidy, that is, House of
Prayers, was given to that island, which it still retains. This place is
exposed to so violent winds and storms, that after three years St.
Winwaloe and his community abandoned it, and built themselves a
monastery on the continent, in a valley sheltered from the winds, called
Landevenech, three leagues from Brest, on the opposite side of the bay.
Grallo, count of Cornouailles, in which province this abbey is situated,
in the diocese of Quimper-Corentin, gave the lands, and was at the
expense of the foundation of this famous monastery. St. Winwaloe, from
the time he left his father's house, never wore any other garments but
what were made of the skins of goats, and under these a hair shirt; day
and night, winter and summer, his clothing was the same. In his
monastery neither wheat-bread nor wine was used, but for the holy
sacrifice of the mass. No other drink was allowed to the community but
water, which was sometimes boiled with a small decoction of certain wild
herbs. The monks ate only coarse barley-bread, boiled herbs and roots,
or barley-meal and herbs mixed, except on Saturdays and Sundays, on
which {505} they were allowed cheese and shellfish, but of these the
saint never tasted himself. His coarse barley-bread he always mingled
with ashes, and their quantity he doubled in Lent, though even then it
must have been very small, only to serve for mortification, and an
emblem of penance. In Lent he took his refreshment only twice a week;
his bed was composed of the rough bark of trees or of sand, with a stone
for his pillow. From the relaxation in the rule of abstinence on
Saturdays, it is evident that this monastic rule, which was the same in
substance with that received in other British, Scottish; and Irish
monasteries, was chiefly borrowed from Oriental rules, Saturday being a
fast-day according to the discipline of the Roman church. This rule was
observed at Landevenech, till Louis le Debonnaire, for the sake of
uniformity, caused that of St. Benedict to be introduced there in 818.
This house was adopted into the congregation of St. Maur, in 1636. St.
Winwaloe was sensible that the spirit of prayer is the soul of a
religious state, and the comfort and support of all those who are
engaged in it: as to himself, his prayer, either mental or vocal, was
almost continual, and so fervent, that he seemed to forget that he lived
in a mortal body. From twenty years of age, till his death he never sat
in the church, but always prayed either kneeling or standing unmoved, in
the same posture, with his hands lifted up to heaven, and his whole
exterior bespoke the profound veneration with which he was penetrated.
He died on the 3d of March, about the year 529, in a very advanced age.
His body was buried in his own church, which he had built of wood, on
the spot upon which the abbatial house now stands. These relics were
translated into the new church when it was built, but during the ravages
of the Normans they were removed to several places in France, and at
length into Flanders. At present the chief portions are preserved at
Saint Peter's, at Blaudinberg, at Ghent, and at Montreuil in Lower
Picardy, of which he is titular patron. In Picardy, he is commonly
called St. Vignevaley, and more commonly Walovay; in Brittany, Guignole,
or more frequently Vennole; in other parts of France, Guingalois; in
England, Winwaloe or Winwaloc. His name occurs in the English litany of
the seventh age, published by Mabillon.[2] He is titular saint of St.
Guingualoe, a priory at Chateau du Loir, dependent on Marmoutier at
Tours, and of several churches and parishes in France. His father, St.
Fragan, is titular saint of a parish in the diocese of St. Brieuc,
called Plou-Fragan, of which he is said to have been lord, and of
another in the diocese of Leon, called St. Frogan; also, St. Gwen his
mother, of one in the same diocese called Ploe-Gwen, and of another in
that of Quimper. In France she is usually called St. Blanche, the
British word Gwen signifying Blanche or White. His brothers are honored
in Brittany, St. Guethenoc, on the 5th of November, and St. Jacut or
James, on the 8th of February and the 3d of March; the latter is patron
of the abbey of St. Jagu, in the diocese of Dol. St. Balay, or Valay,
chief patron of the parish of Plou-balai, in the diocese of St. Malo,
and a St. Martin, are styled disciples of St. Winwaloe, and before their
monastic profession were lords of Rosmeur, and Ros-madeuc. Some other
disciples of our saint are placed in the calendars of several churches
in Brittany, as St. Guenhael his successor, St. Idunet or Yonnet, St.
Dei, &c. See the ancient life of St. Winwaloe, the first of the three
given by Bollandus and Henschenius; that in Surius and Cressy not being
genuine. See also Baillet and Lobineau, Lives of the Saints of Brittany,
pp. 43 and 48.
Footnotes:
1. Laureaca.
2. Mabil. in Analect.
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