Saint Landelin (

Dutch Dutch or Nederlands commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands ** Dutch people as an ethnic group () ** Dutch nationality law, history and regulations of Dutch citizenship () ** Dutch language () * In specific terms, i ...

and ; ; 625 – 686 AD in what is now

Belgium Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...

) is a saint in the

Eastern Orthodox Church The Eastern Orthodox Church, officially the Orthodox Catholic Church, and also called the Greek Orthodox Church or simply the Orthodox Church, is List of Christian denominations by number of members, one of the three major doctrinal and ...

and

Roman Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

Life

Landelin was born to a noble family at Vaux near

Bapaume Bapaume (original Dutch name Batpalmen) is a Communes of France, commune in the Pas-de-Calais Departments of France, department in the Hauts-de-France Regions of France, region of northern France. Geography Bapaume is a farming and light indus ...

in 623-625 AD, and educated in learning and piety under the care of St. Aubert, bishop of Cambrai. Through the seduction and example of certain relations, whose flatteries unfortunately struck in with his passions, he insensibly began to walk in the broad way of the world, and from a life of pleasure and diversions, fell at length into great disorders and became a

brigand Brigandage is the life and practice of highway robbery and plunder. It is practiced by a brigand, a person who is typically part of a gang and lives by pillage and robbery.Oxford English Dictionary second edition, 1989. "Brigand.2" first record ...

.Butler, Alban. "St. Landelin, Abbot", ''The Lives of the Saints''. 1866
The sudden death of one of his companions caused him to reconsider his path and he underwent a

Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...

conversion. Bishop Aubert placed him in an austere monastery to do penance for some years, and later ordained him deacon, and, when he was thirty years of age, priest, and appointed him to preach to the people. But Landelin begged leave to retire in solitude to Laubach, now called Lobes, a desert place on the banks of the Sambre. Several persons resorting to him and imitating his manner of life, though at first they lived in separate cells, gave rise to the great

abbey of Lobbes Lobbes Abbey () was a Benedictine monastery in the municipality of Lobbes, Hainaut, Belgium. The abbey played an important role in the religious, political and religious life of the Prince-Bishopric of Liège, especially around the year 1000. The ...

, about the year 654. when he had laid the foundation of this house, Landelin, left his disciple, St. Ursmar, to finish the building, and constituted him the first abbot. As a result of this, in about 650 he founded a

monastery A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of Monasticism, monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in Cenobitic monasticism, communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a ...

Lobbes Lobbes (; ) is a municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Hainaut, Belgium. On 1 January 2006 Lobbes had a total population of 5,499. The total area is 32.08 km2 which gives a population density of 171 inhabitants per km2. The m ...

in Hainaut -

Lobbes Abbey Lobbes Abbey () was a Benedictine monastery in the municipality of Lobbes, Hainaut, Belgium. The abbey played an important role in the religious, political and religious life of the Prince-Bishopric of Liège, especially around the year 1000. The ...

- in order to make amends to the area which he had formerly injured. He also founded

Crespin Abbey Crespin Abbey () was a Rule of St Benedict, Benedictine monastery in the commune of Crespin, Nord, Crespin in the Nord (French department), department of Nord, France, founded around 648 by the reformed brigand Landelin, Landelin of Crespin, also ...

, and is credited with the foundation of

Aulne Abbey Aulne Abbey () was a Cistercian monastery located between Thuin and Landelies on the river Sambre in the Bishopric of Liège, Belgium. It is now a Walloon Heritage Site. History Aulne Abbey was originally founded as a Benedictine monastery in 6 ...

. Once the number of monks had increased and the future of the community was assured Landelin resigned as abbot, in order to dedicate his life to the practice of austerities. His feast day is June 15. Landelin has been linked to the 7th-century

Merovingian The Merovingian dynasty () was the ruling family of the Franks from around the middle of the 5th century until Pepin the Short in 751. They first appear as "Kings of the Franks" in the Roman army of northern Gaul. By 509 they had united all the ...

carved belt buckle, named the Landelinus buckle, by Italian scholar Paolo Serra.

Notes

{{Authority control 686 deaths Belgian Roman Catholic saints 7th-century Frankish saints category:Benedictine abbots 7th-century Christian clergy Year of birth unknown 7th-century Christian abbots