SAINT OF THE DAY · SEPTEMBER 1

Who was Saint Giles?

Saintly Editorial 2 min read
In short

Saint Giles: A humble hermit sheltered by God. Lived circa 640 to 710. From Athens, lived in Gaul. Benedictine monk and hermit. Patron of beggars and the poor. Abbot and confessor. Saintly remembers this saint on September 1.

  • Lived circa 640 to 710
  • From Athens, lived in Gaul
  • Benedictine monk and hermit
  • Patron of beggars and the poor
  • Abbot and confessor

Who was Saint Giles?

Saint Giles was born in Athens to a noble Christian family. From his youth, he gave himself to prayer and acts of mercy. After his parents died, people praised his generosity and miracles. Their admiration troubled him. Giles left his homeland and sailed west toward Gaul. A hidden life awaited him.

Giles first lived near the mouth of the Rhône. He later moved beside the River Gard. Crowds kept finding him, so he entered a dense forest near Nîmes. He lived in a cave with almost nothing. A hind, a female deer, came to him and supplied milk. Then hunters discovered her trail.

King Flavius pursued the hind with hounds. The animal ran into Giles's cave, and the dogs stopped outside. On the third day, a hunter shot an arrow into the bushes. It struck Giles. The king found the wounded hermit holding the hind between his knees. The king then stepped forward.

The king regretted the injury and offered Giles gifts. Giles refused them. He asked the king to use his wealth for a monastery. The king agreed if Giles would become its first abbot. Monks gathered around the cave, and Giles placed their community under the Rule of Saint Benedict. The wilderness changed.

Giles was later summoned to the court of a Frankish king. The ruler carried a grave sin but could not confess it aloud. During Mass, an angel appeared and placed a scroll on the altar. The writing revealed the hidden sin and promised forgiveness through repentance. After Mass, Giles handed it to the king.

Giles returned to his monastery and later traveled to Rome for his monks. The pope granted the community privileges and gave him two cedar doors. Giles trusted God for their journey. He threw the doors into the Tiber. They later reached France before him, a sign remembered by the monks.

Giles became known for protecting the poor and welcoming people in distress. His life remained hidden beneath prayer, work, and mercy. Medieval pilgrims later came to his tomb at Saint Gilles. Churches across Europe took his name. His emblem remained the hind with the arrow, joining his wound to his compassion.

What can we learn from Saint Giles today?

  • Give discreet help today to someone poor, following Giles's care for beggars.
  • Refuse one opportunity for praise and quietly direct the credit toward God.
  • When someone confides a fault, respond with mercy and encourage sincere repentance.

Saint Giles shows how a hidden life can shelter many people. He left honor behind, protected a hunted creature, accepted suffering, and built a monastery for others. His memory endured because mercy shaped every stage of his life. Today, his quiet courage still gives refuge to the forgotten.

When is the feast day of Saint Giles?

Saintly remembers Saint Giles on September 1, when the story above is the saint of the day in the app. Read how the Church declares someone a saint, or how to choose a patron saint.

Sources

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