Blessed Charles of Blois

Blessed Charles of Blois – September 29th

Charles was a French prince who would have liked to be a Franciscan friar, but spent most of his life on the battlefield. He was a nephew of King Philip VI of France, and when he was seventeen, he married Joan of Brittany. But there was another man who claimed he should be Duke of Brittany, instead of Charles. That is how all the fighting began, and it lasted his whole life.

Blessed Charles hated wars, for he saw how much suffering they bring. Once he offered to settle the whole matter by fighting alone against his rival, but the wars went on. The holy prince did all he could to help the wounded after every battle and to take care of the poor people in the towns he conquered. Barefoot he made pilgrimages and he built religious houses where monks and nuns would pray for him and for the soldiers who were killed in battle. Once, he held up a big battle in order to go to Mass first. One of his officers was angry at that, but Blessed Charles answered, “We can always get towns and castles. If we lose them, God will help us get them back again. But we cannot afford to miss Mass.”

Even while in prison for nine years in London, Charles won the admiration of his jailers because of his calm patience and his spirit of prayer. When he was set free, he went back to fight for his land again, and was finally killed on the battlefield. So many miracles took place at his tomb that the people of Brittany began calling him a saint right away.

Do I easily find excuses to miss Mass? How do I assist at Mass? Let us often remember the example of this Saint, who even held up a big battle in order to go to Mass first.