Clodoald was a 6th-century Merovingian prince and the grandson of Clovis I. After surviving the murder of his brothers by his uncles, he renounced his royal lineage to pursue a religious life. He lived as a disciple of Séverin of Paris before serving as a priest. Seeking solitude, he eventually settled near the Seine in a location known as Novigentum, where he established a monastery and lived as a hermit. He died in 560 at the age of thirty-eight.
Life and ministry
After escaping the political violence that claimed his siblings, Clodoald abandoned his claims to the throne. He cut his long hair, a traditional symbol of Frankish nobility, to signify his transition to the clergy. Following a period of study and service in Provence, where he was known for healing, he returned to the Paris region. He founded a small monastic community in what is now Saint-Cloud, dedicating a church there to Martin of Tours.
Veneration and legacy
The settlement of Novigentum was renamed Saint-Cloud in his honor following his death. He is recognized as a saint in both the Catholic and Orthodox traditions, with his feast day observed on September 7. His relics are preserved in the Église Saint-Clodoald. The name of the French town has also inspired the naming of several locations in the United States, including cities in Wisconsin, Florida, and Minnesota.