Gérard de Haméricourt (1504–1577) was the first

bishop of Saint-Omer The former French Catholic diocese of Saint-Omer existed from 1559 until the French Revolution. Its see at Saint-Omer, in the modern department of Pas-de-Calais, was created as a reaction to the destruction of the see of Thérouanne, by militar ...

Life

Haméricourt was born in

Binche Binche (; ; Dutch: ''Bing'') is a city and municipality of Wallonia, in the province of Hainaut, Belgium. Since 1977, the municipality consists of Binche, Bray, Buvrinnes, Épinois, Leval-Trahegnies, Péronnes-lez-Binche, Ressaix, and Waudrez ...

the son of Henri de Haméricourt and Elisabeth de Spanghen. His father was a courtier of

Mary of Hungary Mary, also known as Maria of Anjou (, , ; 137117 May 1395), queen regnant, reigned as Queen of Hungary and List of dukes and kings of Croatia, Croatia between 1382 and 1385, and from 1386 until her death. She was the daughter of Louis I of Hun ...

and provost and bailiff of Binche. Oscar Bled, ''Les évêques de Saint-Omer depuis la chute de Thérouanne, 1553-1619'' (Saint-Omer, H. D'Homont 1898), pp. 69-190. Gérard was clothed as a

Benedictine monk The Benedictines, officially the Order of Saint Benedict (, abbreviated as O.S.B. or OSB), are a mainly contemplative monastic order of the Catholic Church for men and for women who follow the Rule of Saint Benedict. Initiated in 529, they ...

on 27 May 1519 by his great-uncle Antoine de Berghes, abbot of St Bertin in

Saint-Omer Saint-Omer (; ; Picard: ''Saint-Onmé'') is a commune and sub-prefecture of the Pas-de-Calais department in France. It is west-northwest of Lille on the railway to Calais, and is located in the Artois province. The town is named after Sa ...

. He studied at the

Collège de Boncourt In France, secondary education is in two stages: * ''Collèges'' () cater for the first four years of secondary education from the ages of 11 to 14. * ''Lycées'' () provide a three-year course of further secondary education for students between ...

in Paris and was ordained to the priesthood on 25 September 1530 by

Richard von Greiffenklau zu Vollrads Richard von Greiffenklau zu Vollrads (also spelled Greiffenclau and Vollraths; 146713 March 1531) was a German clergyman who served as Archbishop and Elector of Trier from 1511 until his death in 1531. Biography Richard von Greiffenklau zu V ...

archbishop of Trier The Diocese of Trier (), in English historically also known as ''Treves'' () from French ''Trèves'', is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic church in Germany.Poperinge Poperinge (; , ; ) is a City status in Belgium, city and Municipalities of Belgium, municipality located in the Belgium, Belgian province of West Flanders, Flemish Region, and has a history going back to medieval times. The municipality comprises ...

. With the foundation of the diocese of Saint-Omer, Haméricourt was nominated as its first bishop on 11 March 1561. His appointment was confirmed on 31 March 1563, and he was consecrated by

Cardinal Granvelle Antoine Perrenot de Granvelle (20 August 151721 September 1586), Comte de La Baume Saint Amour, typically known as Cardinal Granvelle in English, was a Burgundian statesman, made a cardinal, who followed his father as a leading minister of th ...

in Brussels on 12 September 1563. He took possession of his see on 10 October the same year. On 20 October he carried out a

canonical visitation In the Catholic Church, a canonical visitation is the act of an ecclesiastical superior who in the discharge of his office visits persons or places with a view to maintaining faith and discipline and of correcting abuses. A person delegated to car ...

of the

cathedral chapter According to both Catholic and Anglican canon law, a cathedral chapter is a college of clerics ( chapter) formed to advise a bishop and, in the case of a vacancy of the episcopal see in some countries, to govern the diocese during the vacancy. In ...

. In 1565, together with

Martin Rythovius Martin Bauwens of Riethoven or Martinus Rythovius (1511 – 9 October 1583) was a Catholic theologian and the first Bishop of Ypres. He was a figure of some spiritual and political significance during the early decades of the Dutch Revolt. Life Ryt ...

bishop of Ypres The former Roman Catholic Diocese of Ypres, in present-day Belgium, existed from 1559 to 1801. Its seat was Saint Martin's Cathedral in Ypres. In 1969 it was reconstituted as a titular see. History The diocese was originally part of the Diocese ...

, and

Antoine Havet Antoine Havet, Latinized Havetius (died 1578), was the first bishop of Namur in the Habsburg Netherlands. Life Havet was born early in the 16th century, the son of a miller. Showing aptitude for scholarship, he received a better education than hi ...

bishop of Namur The Diocese of Namur () is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in Belgium. It is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Mechelen-Brussels. The diocese is a suffragan in the ecclesiastical province in the metrop ...

, he sat in a committee to advise the government on the suppression of heresy. In the same year, he applied to

Everard Mercurian Everard Mercurian (1514 – 1 August 1580) was the fourth Superior General of the Society of Jesus. Early life Born 'Lardinois' into a humble family in Marcourt, near La Roche-en-Ardenne in what is now the province of Luxembourg in 1514, in t ...

to send Jesuits to Saint-Omer, establishing a Jesuit college in 1569. He died in Saint-Omer on 17 March 1577 and in accordance with his final wishes was buried in the Jesuit chapel, despite the opposition of the cathedral chapter. In 1667 his tomb was opened so that his remains could be transferred to the new Jesuit church, and they were found to be in an unusually good state of preservation.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hamericourt, Gerard 1504 births 1577 deaths People from Binche Belgian Benedictines Bishops of Saint-Omer Benedictine bishops