Saint Ivo of Kermartin

Image: Saint Ivo portrayed by Rogier van der Weyden (15th century)

The 19th of May is the feast day of Saint Ivo of Kermartin (17 October 1253 – 19 May 1303). He is also known as Yvo, Ives, Erwan, Iwan, Youenn, Eozenn or Yves Hélory. He is the patron saint of Brittany, lawyers, and abandoned children.

Saint Ivo lived between 1253 and 1303 and was born to a noble family in Britanny, France. He studied civil and canon law, philosophy and theology. He practised law in both the civil and ecclesiastical courts. While he was practising, he made sure not to charge the poor when he defended them and would visit them in prison as they await trial. He would settle matters out of court to save litigants money as well as time. He was thus known as the “Advocate of the Poor.” He was a Franciscan Tertiary and wore a hairshirt and fasted regularly. He defended the rights of the Church in court, and eventually became a diocesan judge and was unable to be bribed. He then quit law and joined the priesthood, using the funds that he acquired while working to help build a hospital for the poor and fed them from the harvests of his land. Among his miracles, he was attributed with feeding hundreds from a single loaf of bread.