Daily Saint

St. Adalbald of Ostrevant (also known as Adalbert) was a seventh-century nobleman in northern France. He lived a virtuous life as a Christian during an era when Christianity continued to spread into rural pagan territories. Although much of his life is known through local tradition, St. Adalbald is remembered as a model layman whose faith guided his public and private life.

Born into a noble Frankish family, St. Adalbald inherited lands in Ostrevant, a region situated between modern-day Arras and Douai in northern France. Rather than using his position for privilege, he devoted himself to the service of the Church and the poor.

St. Adalbald was known for supporting monastic communities and offering hospitality to travelers and people in need. His life reflects the early medieval ideal of Christian nobles who took accountability for the welfare of the less fortunate with humility and charity.

In 652, St. Adalbald implemented religious reforms in Gascony. Threatened that he was usurping their power in the region, his in-laws murdered St. Adalbald. His wife, Rictrude, rejected her family’s demands to remarry. She lived out her life as the abbess of the monastery she and St. Adalbald built together and is recognized as a saint by the Catholic and Orthodox Churches. Their four children are also venerated as saints.

St. Adalbald lived his lay vocation fully by serving his family, strengthening the Church, and showing compassion for the most vulnerable. His example encourages each of us to pursue holiness in the daily responsibilities entrusted to us.