If you enjoy this daily blog of lesser-known saints, see my book, which contains short biographies of saints for every day of the year.

A biography of Saint Amator (344-418) written more than a century after his death is our best source of information about the saint. Setting aside some of the extraordinary details in that account, it’s still not difficult to see why he would be acclaimed a saint.

Amator wanted to become a priest when he was a young man, but he agreed to marry to please his family. Shortly after the wedding, however, he and his bride mutually agreed to enter religious life.

Amator became a priest and then bishop of Auxerre, France, where he converted many followers of paganism to the faith, built churches for the new Christian communities, and even performed miracles through his prayers. Some say he ordained Saint Patrick of Ireland to the priesthood. Amator converted a somewhat frivolous and wealthy young man named Germanus to a deeper practice of the faith; Germanus not only succeeded him as bishop but is also known as a saint.

Saint Amator, show me how to lead others to a deeper faith.