St. Ildefonsus

Last weekend at the Abbey gift shop I bought a Flash Drive with stories of Saints. I have been listening to the stories in my car and am discovering some Saints that I had not heard of before. Today, I will tell you about St. Ildefonsus (also spelled Ildephonsus or Ildefonso).

Ildefonsus was born to a prominent Visigothic family in Toledo, Spain, in 607. He was educated by his uncle Eugenius, who later became Bishop of Toledo, and was ordained a deacon about 632. He then became a monk at the Agali Monastery outside the city. In 650 he was elected Abbot of the Monastery. When his uncle, Bishop Eugenius, died in 657, Ildefonsus was elected his successor as Bishop of Toledo. He served in this capacity for the last ten years of his life.

There is a legend that Bishop Ildefonsus was visited by a vision of the Blessed Virgin who appeared to him and presented him with a priestly vestment to reward him for honoring her. Even during the Muslim occupation of Spain, when the Basilica was turned into a Mosque, the area where the vision occurred remained sacred and dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Ildefonsus was well known during his life as a scholar and theologian. Unfortunately, most of his writings have been lost to history. His feast day is January 23.