FILLIBERT, Saint. — Born between 616-20, died 20 Aug. 685. Apostle and patron of the Vendée. Of noble family, probably from Eauze, he was educated at the court of Dagobert I, where he enjoyed the friendship of St Ouen, Archbishop of Rouen. Disgusted by the worldliness of the court, at the age of 21 he became a monk at Rebais under Abbot St Agilus, whose successor he later became.
At the beginning of his government he supported an open rebellion by some monks. Perhaps influenced by his own experience, he proposed a plan for reforming monastic life and, leaving Rebais, visited several monasteries in France and Italy, especially Lussac and Bobbio, to study at first hand the rules and spirit of the different Orders. From then on he no longer concerned himself with Rebais and turned to new foundations. Around 650 he founded on the Seine the famous monastery of St Peter of Jumièges and became its first abbot; shortly afterwards he founded a monastery for women in an unspecified location, placing at its head Austreberta, formerly abbess of Port-le-Grand, who later settled definitively at Pavilly. In 677, fleeing the persecution of Ebroin, he took refuge with Ansoald, Bishop of Poitiers, who helped him found on the island of Her the monastery of Noirmoutier, later called St Filibert’s. In 683-84, after Ebroin’s death, he was able to return to Jumièges and founded another women’s monastery at Montvilliers. After the death of his friend St Ouen (684), he left Jumièges, left Abbot St Acardus in charge and retired to Noirmoutier.