It’s a Feria, 4th Class, with the color of Green. In this episode: today in Church History: “The Emperor Who Put a Pope on Trial – 963”, the meditation: “The Silence of the Souls in Purgatory”, today’s news from the Church: “Lost Sheep”, and today’s thought from the Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre.
Have feedback or questions about the DD or our other shows? podcast@sspx.org
Sources Used Today:
- “The Silence of the Souls in Purgatory” — From the Assumption to Advent
- “Lost Sheep” (FSSPX.news)
- Spiritual Journey — Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre (Angelus Press)
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If you wanted to thank a saint for getting you out of prison, what would you leave at his shrine? For medieval pilgrims devoted to Saint Leonard, chains were an obvious choice.
November sixth is a feria on the traditional calendar, but the Roman Martyrology remembers this hermit of Noblac, near Limoges in France. His memory connects prison cells, difficult childbirths, and some beautifully decorated horses.
Leonard is traditionally placed in the sixth century. His surviving biography, however, was written centuries later, so its stories need to be introduced as traditions.
According to that account, he belonged to a noble Frankish family and could have enjoyed a comfortable position near the royal court. Instead, he chose religious life. He obtained the release of prisoners and eventually settled in solitude near Limoges.
Another story tells of his prayers helping a queen through a dangerous delivery. Grateful for her recovery, the king gave Leonard land for his monastery. That tradition helps explain why women in childbirth joined prisoners in seeking his intercession.
His reputation spread remarkably far. During the Crusades, captives called upon him for deliverance. Bohemond of Antioch, himself a former prisoner, visited Leonard’s shrine in 1106 and offered silver chains in thanksgiving for his freedom.
Then the story takes a turn toward the farmyard.
In Bavaria, Leonard became a beloved protector of horses and cattle. One explanation connects this patronage with the chains he carries in religious art: people associated them with the chains used for livestock. Whatever the precise route, the devotion became deeply rooted in farming communities.
At Bad Tölz, his feast brings a pilgrimage called the . Horses pull elaborately decorated wagons carrying pilgrims in traditional dress. Church bells ring as the procession climbs to the chapel on Calvary Hill, where horses and people receive a blessing.
This isn’t simply a parade with a religious name attached. The town explicitly describes it as living popular devotion. Families preserve the wagons, clothing, and customs, and younger generations continue taking their places in the procession.
There’s something very Catholic about that scene. The animals that help sustain a household, the work of the fields, the anxiety of a prisoner’s family, and a mother’s dangerous labor all find room in the Church’s prayer.
Leonard’s chains became signs of hope: reminders that suffering people could ask heaven for help.
Saint Leonard, friend of captives and helper of those in distress, pray for us.
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