Idesbald

"Saint Idesbald" redirects here. For the hamlet, see Saint-Idesbald.

Saint Idesbald
250px Chapel at the back of the Onze-Lieve-Vrouw-ter-Duinenkerk. Ostend, Belgium. Stained glass representations of Saint Godelieve and Saint Idesbald.
Abbot
Venerated in	Roman Catholic Church
Beatified	1894
Major shrine	Bruges
Feast	April 18

Saint Idesbald (Idesbaldus) (ca. 1100-1167) was a Cistercian monk and abbot of the Ten Duinen abbey. He was a courtier and page to the Count of Flanders. It is believed that he was related to or proceeded from the noble family of Van der Gracht, lords of Moorsel.

He became a canon priest at Veurne in 1135. In 1150, he became a Cistercian at the abbey of Our Lady of the Dunes (Abbey of Ten Duinen), and abbot of this foundation from 1155 to 1167. This was located in the present-day municipality of Koksijde, located on the sand hills between Dunkirk and Nieuwpoort.

Veneration

Idesbald was buried in the abbey in a coffin of lead. In 1577, the Geuzen plundered the abbey, and the monks transported Idesbald's relics to a farm at Bogaerde. In 1623, official recognition of his relics was carried out in which his coffin was opened before many witnesses; the body was reported to be incorruptible. For days, the body was shown to visitors.

His relics were translated again to Bruges in 1796 to avoid having them destroyed by Revolutionary troops. In 1830, his relics were placed in a chapel associated with the abbey of Our Lady of the Potteries. His cult was officially approved in 1894 by decree issued by the Diocese of Bruges.

The hamlet of Saint-Idesbald, which gained fame as an artists' quarter, takes its name from him.

External links

• Idesbald
• (Italian) Beato Idesbaldo delle Dune