In his youth, Elzéar was given a thorough training in the Christian faith as well as in the sciences under the supervision of his uncle, William of Sabran, at the
Abbey of St. Victor in
Marseille, where his uncle ruled as the
Abbot. Acceding to the wish of King
Charles II of Naples, at the age of ten, Elzéar was betrothed to the twelve-year-old
Delphine of Glandèves, daughter and heiress of the Count of Puy-Michel. Three years later they were married at the castle of Puy-Michel. Upon their wedding night, Delphine advised her new husband that she had taken a private
vow of
chastity. Having grown up together, they regarded each other as brother and sister, rather than husband and wife. Even though he had the right in
canon law to make her abandon this commitment, Elzéar chose to respect her desire to live in virginity and even copied her example in making the same vow. Together they joined the
Third Order of Saint Francis. Elzéar and Delphine lived at a castle in
Ansouis where they vied with one another in the practice of
prayer,
mortification of the flesh and in
charity towards the unfortunate. At the age of twenty he moved with his wife from Ansouis to
Puimichel for greater solitude, and formulated for his servants rules of conduct that made his household a model of Christian virtue. He was sent as ambassador to the
King of France in 1323 to obtain the hand of
Marie of Valois in marriage for Charles, edifying a worldly court by his
heroic virtues. While serving in that post he died, shortly after accomplishing his mission. His body was returned to his
domain, and he was buried in the Franciscan
habit in the church of the
Friars Minor at
Apt, Vaucluse. The tomb was destroyed during the French Revolution. The decree of his
canonization was signed by his
godson,
Pope Urban V, and was carried out by his successor,
Pope Gregory XI about 1371.
Countess Delphine was also
beatified by Pope Urban at that time. Their
liturgical feast day, which they share, is celebrated by the Franciscan Third Order on 26 September. ==References==