Saint Gunthiern

Memorial

Profile

Prince who became a hermit in Brittany. The local lord, Grallon, gave Gunthiern land on the Isle of Groie, near River Blavet to found a monastery. It survives today as the Benedictine house of Kemperle.

Legend says that insects once threatened to destroy the region’s crops. Count Guerech I of Vannes, France, requested the saint‘s help. Gunthiern blessed some water and had it sprinkled over the fields. The insects fled, and the crops were saved.

Born

Died

  • c.500 in Brittany (in modern France) of natural causes
  • his body was hidden during the Norman invasions, and was lost for a while
  • remains re-discovered in the 11th century
  • relics were translated to the Kemperle monastery

Canonized

Additional Information

MLA Citation

  • “Saint Gunthiern“. CatholicSaints.Info. 30 June 2020. Web. 1 May 2024. <>