Saint Drogo was born into a noble family in Epinoy-Sebourg, France. His father died before he was born, and his mother
died in childbirth, leaving the newborn an orphan. He was raised by his relatives and at the age of ten was grieved to learn the circumstances of his birth. At twenty years of age, he gave his money and goods to the poor, renouncing his estates in favor of the next heirs to live a life of poverty and penance. He then set out, and after having visited several holy places was hired as a shepherd by a wealthy woman named Elizabeth de la Haire at Sebourg, two leagues from
Valenciennes. The retirement and solitude were most agreeable to him, on account of the opportunities they made for prayer. For six years Drogo kept sheep, busying himself with practices of prayer and penance. He was a skilled shepherd who could read the weather and knew how to cure the animals of their ills. He shared these skills with others. Despite his relative obscurity, his charity and spirit of devotion and prayer gained him the esteem and affection of all, particularly Elizabeth de la Haire. Many made him presents: but these he bestowed on the poor. This gave rise to a common adage among the rural folk of that region, "I'm not Saint Drogo; I can't ring the church bell for Mass and be in the procession!" To avoid the danger of praise and admiration, at length he left his place, and went on
pilgrimages. He is said to have journeyed to Rome nine times, From time to time he returned to Sebourg. At length, a
hernia stopped his pilgrimages, so he built himself
a small cell against the wall of the church. The cell had a window to the outside for limited contact to receive food and water from those seeking his prayers and counsel. A second window opened into the church so he could follow the liturgies and receive
Communion. Here he lived as an
anchorite for 45 years until he died in 1186, at the age of eighty-one. ==Veneration==