Lesmes of Burgos
San Lesmes († 1097), known in medieval Spanish as Adelhem or Adelelme and in French as Saint Aleaume, was a Benedictine monk venerated as a saint in the Catholic Church.
History – San Lesmes
He was born in Loudun, Poitou (France), into a wealthy family. As a young man he distributed his possessions among the poor and, dressed as a servant, went on pilgrimage to Rome. He later became a monk and rose to abbot of the monastery of La Chaise-Dieu, in Auvergne.
Queen Constance of Burgundy, of French origin and wife of King Alfonso VI, summoned him to replace the Mozarabic liturgy with the Roman rite.
He founded the Benedictine monastery of San Juan Evangelista in Burgos, where he devoted himself to caring for peregrinos on Camino de Santiago Francés.
In 1085, during the reconquest of Toledo, he encouraged the Castilian army to enter the city by crossing the Tagus River.
He died in 1097 and was buried in the monastery of San Juan. His tomb was later moved to the Church of San Lesmes Abad.
His devotion to serving the poor and the sick earned him recognition as a saint. He is the patron saint of the city of Burgos.
Churches dedicated to San Lesmes
- Church of San Lesmes Abad, in Burgos.
- Church of San Lesmes Abad, in Alcobendas (Madrid).
- Church of San Nicolás de Bari, in Murcia. Inside the church there is an alabaster carving of San Lesmes Abad, made by the Burgos-born artist Andrés Martínez Abelenda, commissioned by the Hermandad del Santísimo Cristo de Burgos y San Lesmes (Brotherhood of the Holy Christ of Burgos and San Lesmes) in Murcia.
San Lesmes
| Birth | 1035 Loudun, Poitou |
|---|---|
| Death | 30 January 1097 Burgos |
| Venerated in | Catholic Church |
| Religious order | Orden de San Benito |
| Feast day | 30 January |
| Patronage | City of Burgos |
See also:
