LEONARD, St. – Abbot of Noblac. He probably lived in the 6th century; however, nothing precise can be established about his life, since the earliest accounts date only from the first half of the 11th century and are interwoven with fanciful legends.
According to the account of his first biographer (BHL, 4862-62a), he was born of a most noble Frankish family in the time of Clovis I and had as his baptismal sponsor and educator St. Remigius (437-553), bishop of Reims. After obtaining from the king the pardon of many condemned persons and refusing the episcopate offered him by the same, he retired to the monastery of Micy, near Orléans, under Abbot Maximian. But soon afterward he made his way to Aquitaine, preaching the Gospel and performing miracles. When, through his intercession, the queen was delivered from the pains and dangers of a difficult childbirth, L. obtained from the king a possession at Noblac, near Limoges, where he founded a monastery that later became the destination of extraordinary pilgrimages.
The date of his death is unknown. From the 11th century onward the fame of this saint and of his remarkable miracles continued to spread, so that churches dedicated to his name arose everywhere—not only in France but also in Belgium, England, Italy, Germany, Poland, Switzerland, and Spain. His feast is celebrated on November 6.