St. Gerald, Bishop of Braga | Saint of the Day | December 5

Prayer to St. Gerald, Bishop of Braga

God, Light and Shepherd of souls, You established St. Gerald as Bishop in Your Church to feed Your flock by his word and form it by his example. Help us through his intercession to keep the Faith he taught by his word and follow the way he showed by his example. Amen.

St. Gerald, Bishop of Braga

In the latter half of the 11th century, the Archbishop of Toledo named Bernard was delegated by the Pope to bring about an ecclesiastical reform in Spain. He called in various French clerics and monks, among whom was St. Gerald, Abbot of Moissac, who was appointed choir director for the Cathedral of Toledo.

So well did this saintly man fulfill his duties and so much did he influence the people for good that when the See of Braga became vacant, Gerald was selected by the clergy and people of that city to be their Bishop. Gerald visited his diocese, eradicating the abuse that had cropped up, especially that of the administering of ecclesiastical investiture by laymen. This man of God was called to his heavenly reward on December 5, 1108, at Bornos, Portugal.