St. Oudoceus, Bishop

[Third Bishop of Landaff, in England.] THIS saint, dedicated to God from his infancy by his parents, was reared in Christian principles under the inspection of his uncle St. Theliau, bishop of Landaff; and succeeded him in this see about the year 580. 1 Mauric, king of Glamorgan, held him in the highest veneration, and assisted him in all his endeavours to promote the glory of God; being, however, excommunicated by the saint for assassinating a prince called Cynedu, he, by his humble submission and penance, was at length restored to the communion of the church. St. Oudoceus dying about the end of the sixth century, is mentioned in the English Calendars on the 2nd of July. See Usher, Antiquit. Britan. p. 291; Wharton, Anglia Sacra, t. 2, p. 669; Alford, in Annal. and Lobineau, Vies des SS. de Bretagne, p. 89.

Note 1. According to the Registers of Landaff, quoted by Usher, St. Oudoceus was son of Budic II. prince of Cornwall, in Armorica; and was committed to the care of St. Theliau, when he removed to Armorica. But Usher is mistaken, as he dates this fact at 596. For we learn from St. Gregory of Tours that Thierri, son of Budic, was made prince of Cornwall in 577, and that his father was dead a long time before. [back]

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