Saint Ivo of Kermartin

Saint Ivo Hélory was a Breton priest and church judge who devoted his whole life to defending the poor. The Roman Martyrology says of him that he administered justice without respect of persons and fostered harmony among people. The Church commemorates him on May 19.

He came from a noble family of Kermartin, near Tréguier in Brittany. His father, Hélory, was lord of Kermartin, and his mother was named Azo du Kenquis. He is most often said to have been born on October 17, 1253, but some historians give the year 1248, so the date of his birth is not certain. He studied the liberal arts, law, and theology in Paris, and then continued his legal studies in Orléans.

After returning to Brittany, while still a cleric in minor orders, he became official, that is, judge of the church court, in Rennes. Around 1284 Alan de Bruc, Bishop of Tréguier, appointed him official of his diocese. As a judge he was known for his integrity. For the love of Christ he defended the causes of orphans, widows, and the needy, and so he was called the advocate of the poor.

In the mid-1280s he was ordained a priest and became parish priest of Trédrez, and a few years later of Louannec. He tirelessly preached the word of God and traveled through the surrounding villages to bring the poor material and spiritual help. Little by little he gave up everything he owned in order to follow the poor Christ. In his family manor at Kermartin he took in those in need, fed them, and gave them shelter.

He died on May 19, 1303, in a manor near Tréguier and was buried in the cathedral there, where his relics are venerated to this day. His canonization process began as early as 1330. The testimonies of witnesses have survived, among them simple people from the nearby villages who had known him personally. Pope Clement VI declared him a saint on May 19, 1347.

Saint Ivo is the patron of Brittany and of lawyers. Every year in May a great pardon, a pilgrimage feast with an indulgence, is held in his honor at Tréguier, drawing pilgrims, among them judges and attorneys. In 2003, on the seventh centenary of his death, John Paul II sent his special envoy to the celebrations at Tréguier. The Pope called Saint Ivo a devout priest, a judge of perfect integrity, and a caring defender of the poor, and, for all who practice the legal professions, the voice of justice.