Ivo of Kermartin

Born in 1253 near Tréguier, he studied civil law at Orléans and canon law at Paris, then returned to Brittany as official — judge of the ecclesiastical court — first at Rennes, then at Tréguier. His reputation came from the way he held that office: he refused gifts, heard the poor without keeping them waiting, attempted conciliation before trial, and pleaded himself for those who could not pay an advocate, which earned him the name of advocate of the poor. Ordained priest in 1284, he became parish priest of Louannec and gave his house to the destitute, sleeping on a mat. He died in 1303 at Kermartin. His canonisation process, opened in 1330, gathered dozens of testimonies from ordinary people, making him one of the best-documented medieval saints. Patron of lawyers, he is commemorated on 19 May — a day when advocates from several countries still gather at Tréguier.