Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Dijon - Saints

Saints

The following saints are specially honoured:

• Saint Sequanus (Seine), b. at Magny, d. 580, founder of the monastery of Réomé around which sprang up the little town of Saint-Seine
• St. William (961-1031), a native of Novara, Abbot of Saint Bénigne at Dijon in 990, and reformer of the Benedictine Order in the 11th century;
• St. Robert of Molesme, joint founder with St. Alberic and Stephen Harding of the monastery of Cîteaux in 1098
• St. Stephen Harding, who died in 1134, third Abbot of Cîteaux, under whose administration the monasteries of La Ferté Abbey, Pontigny, Clairvaux, and Morimond were established
• St. Bernard of Clairvaux (1090–1153)
• St. Jane Frances de Chantal (1572–1641), b. at Dijon, who, having heard St. Francis de Sales's Lenten discourses at Dijon in 1604, conceived a holy friendship for him
• the Venerable Bénigne Joly, canon of Saint-Etienne de Dijon (17th century)
• the Venerable Sister Marguerite of the Blessed Sacrament (1619–48), surnamed the "little saint of Beaune", noted for the apparitions of the Infant Jesus with which she was favoured, in consequence of which the pious association known as the Family of the Holy Child Jesus was organized and later raised by Pope Pius IX to the dignity of an archconfraternity.

Among the famous persons of the diocese the Seneschal Philippe Pot (1428–94) is remembered for his exploits against the Turks in 1452 and his miraculous deliverance from his captors.

The illustrious Bossuet was a native of Dijon. Hubert Languet, the Protestant publicist (1518–81), was born at Vitteaux.