St. Theobald of Provins

Camaldolese hermit and monk. Born in Provins, Brie, France, he was the son of Count Arnoul of Champagne and was raised as a soldier. From the age of eighteen, however, he abandoned the martial career of the males of the family and, with his father's permission, became a pilgrim and then a hermit at Pettingen, Luxembourg, with a companion named Walter. After several years, he settled at Salanigo, near Vicenza, Italy, where he was ordained a priest. Other hermits gathered around him, and his fame reached his own family. His parents eventually visited him, and his mother, Gisela, became a hermitess near his place of retreat. Before his death, Theobald became a member of the Camaldolese order. He was canonized in 1073 by Pope Alexander II (r. 1061-1073).