Gaugericus

He was born to Roman parents, Gaudentius and Austadiola, at Eposium (present Carignan). Tradition states that Bishop Magnerich, successor of Saint Nicetas as Bishop of Trier, was so impressed with the piety of the young man that he ordained him deacon, but not before Gaugericus had memorized the entire psalter. Magnerich entrusted Gaugericus with the pastoral care of the city of Cambrai. Bishop When the see of Cambrai-Arras fell vacant around 585, Gaugericus was elected bishop with the consent of Childebert II. Gaugericus was consecrated by Egidius, bishop of Reims. Bishop Géry devoted himself to fighting paganism, ransoming captives and visiting rural districts and villae. A legend holds that Géry built a chapel (to Saint Michael, later the Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula), which soon became a church and gave birth to the city of Brussels, from which he had chased a dragon whose lair was located where the impasse de la Poupée (formerly the impasse du Dragon) was later built. ==Veneration==

After serving as bishop for thirty-nine years, he died August 11, 619 and was buried in the church of Saint Médard, which he had founded at Cambrai. Veneration commenced immediately after his death. Relics of the saint were given to Carignan, to the church of Saint-Géry in Valenciennes, to the abbey of Saint-Sépulcre in Cambrai, which became a cathedral after the destruction of the old one after the Revolution, to the abbey of Arras, to the abbey of Liessies, to the collegiate church of Saint-Pierre in Douai, to the church of Saint-Donat in Bruges, to the church of Saint-Géry in Bierne, and to the church of Saint-Géry in Brussels8. His reliquary is still on display in the south transept of the church of Saint-Géry in Cambrai. Patronage During his wanderings he freed many prisoners, criminals, children taken into slavery. St-Géry is the patron of Cambrai, and of prisoners. Image:Blaregnies 051001 (2).jpg|St. Géry church at Blaregnies Image:040 Arras ( 62000 ).JPG|Church of St. Géry, Arras Image:Goriks kerk.jpg|Church of Saint Gaugericus in Sint-Goriks-Oudenhove Image:Rebecq JPG00.jpg|St. Gaugericus' church, Rebecq, Belgium ==References==