September 7 | Saint Cloud

Welcome, young history buffs and curious minds, to My Daily Saint, the podcast that digs deep into the incredible lives of the saints, those remarkable people who shaped history and continue to inspire us today. Forget dusty old portraits and boring stories. Today, imagine being a royal prince. You have wealth, endless land, and immense power waiting for you. But there's a terrifying catch. Your own family wants you dead to steal it all. Your father has passed away, and your greedy uncles have just murdered your two brothers in cold blood.

You are next on their list. Today, we're diving into the thrilling, heartbreaking, and ultimately inspiring true story of a young prince who chose the ultimate escape route. Meet Saint Clodewald, better known as Saint Cloud. Let's set the stage. It's the year 522 in France. Cloud was the grandson of King Clovis I, who was the very first Catholic ruler of France. Cloud was born into a life of absolute privilege, destined for royal robes, gold, and power. But tragedy struck his family early on.

Cloud's father died when he was young, leaving Cloud and his two brothers, Gunthar and Thudevald, Without a dad. The boys were raised by their grandmother, Queen Clotilde, who, by the way, is also a saint. She loved them and cared for them, knowing they were supposed to inherit the lands that their father had promised them.

Cloud's two uncles looked at the land promised to the three young boys, and decided they wanted it for themselves. Instead of negotiating, they hatched a dark and evil plot. In a shocking betrayal, the uncles murdered Cloud's brothers, Gunthar and Theodovald, to steal their inheritance.

Suddenly, Cloud was the last brother standing, with a massive target on his back. If he stayed, his uncles would certainly kill him, too. So, he made a daring escape. He ran for his life and sought asylum, a safe hiding place, with the Archbishop of Reims, St. Remigius.

Imagine being a young kid, stripped of your family, your brothers gone, hiding out with a to avoid being assassinated by your own uncles. While hiding, Cloud realized that wealth and power were exactly what tore his family apart. So, he renounced his wealth entirely. He said goodbye to the royal robes and dedicated his life to God, choosing a path of penance and prayer instead of revenge. He became a student, a disciple, of a holy man named Saint Severinus. By the year 542, Cloud officially traded his royal clothes for a simple monastic habit, which he received from the Bishop of Paris.

Cloud wanted true peace to be with God, so he eventually left the city of Paris to live in the wilderness as a hermit for several years. But here's the funny thing about trying to hide out in the woods as a holy hermit. People notice. Word spread about this former prince turned holy man. Pilgrims started tracking him down, traveling from all over to ask for his prayers and seeking miracles of healing.

Cloud couldn't stay hidden forever because he had too much love and healing to give. Cloud eventually returned to Paris and was ordained as a French Catholic priest in the year 551. A few years later, in 554, he returned to the monastic life, but this time he wasn't alone. He founded an entire community of monks in a village near Paris. He spent the rest of his days leading this community in peace until he died at only 38 years old in the year 560.

In religious art, his attributes include the Eucharist, a chalice, a Bible, and royal robes to symbolize the crown he gave up. He is the patron saint of the Diocese of St. Cloud in Minnesota, as well as the patron saint of France. And get this, he's also the patron saint of nail makers and carbuncles, which are severe skin infections.

Today, think about someone who has wronged you. Maybe they spread a rumor, maybe they left you out, or maybe they were just completely unfair. It's natural to feel angry. But today, choose peace over a grudge. Forgive them in your heart, let go of the anger, and redirect your energy into doing something good for someone else. You might not have a royal crown to give up, but you can always give up. Thank you for joining us on My Daily Saint. We look forward to sharing another incredible story of faith and courage with you tomorrow.