November 20 Celebration of Saints
November 20 Celebration of Saints
Saint Felix of Valois
Saint Felix of Valois was born in France on April 16, 1127.
Little is known about his early life, but as an adult he renounced his possessions and became a hermit. Living in a forest in Cerfroid, in the Diocese of Meaux, Felix dedicated himself to a pious life of meditation and prayer.
In 1282, after hearing about Felix, recently ordained Saint John of Matha found Felix and studied under his direction. Later, John of Matha proposed that they found an order for the redemption of captives, and Felix agreed.
The two received a letter of recommendation from the Bishop of Paris and traveled to Rome in 1298. There, newly installed Pope Innocent III received them and allowed them to stay in the Papal Palace.
Innocent III issued a Papal Bull on December 17, 1198 that approved the new Holy Order of the Holy Trinity for the Redemption of Captives. He approved a rule for the order, written by the Bishop of Paris and the Abbot of Saint Victor, and appointed John of Matha to be its Superior General.
Felix returned to France, where King Philip Augustus authorized the institute. Margaret of Blois donated 20 acres to the order, and Felix built its first hermitage there. Later he would build the Monastery of Cerfroid there, the main hermitage of the institute.
In the 40 years that followed the establishment of the first hermitage, the Trinitarians established 600 monasteries throughout Europe.
Saint Felix died in the company of his fellow Trinitarians at the Monastery of Cerfroid on November 4, 1212. He was canonized a saint on May 1, 1262 by Pope Urban IV.
Other Saints for Today
Other saints and the blessed beatified for this day include:
Saint Adventor, Saint Agapius, Saint Ampelus, Saint Autbodus, Saint Bassus and Companions, Saint Benignus, Saint Bernward of Hildesheim, Saint Dasius, Saint Edmund Rich, Saint Edmund the Martyr, Saint Eudo, Saint Eval, Saint Francis Xavier Can, Blessed Josaphata Michaelina Hordashevska, Saint Leo of Nonantula, Saint Maxentia of Beauvais, Saint Octavius, Saint Proclus of Constantinople and Saint Solutor.
