St. Ivo of Kermartin

Ivo (or Yves) Helory was born Oct. 17, 1253 to the lord of Kermartin in Brittany. As a teen, he was sent to the University of Paris to study law. He was a serious student. He studied civil law, prayed, and visited the sick. He abstained from meat and wine. In 1277 he went on to study canon law in Orleans and become an ecclesiastical judge, serving in Brittany.

Ivo was known for his impartiality and rendering fair verdicts as a judge. He refused bribes, which were common at the time. He would even help parties settle disputes out of court to help them save money of court costs. He also defended widows, orphans, and the poor in other courts and paid their expenses.

While working as a judge, he continued to study, this time Scripture. He joined the Franciscans and was ordained a priest in 1284. He spent the rest of his life serving as a parish priest.

St. Ivo died of natural causes on May 19, 1303 in Louannec. He is the patron of Brittany, lawyers, and abandoned children. His feast day is May 19.