December
10
/ 2023
Sometimes it really does seem that there is a saint for everything. For among the vast pantheon of saints stands Saint Drogo, a 12th-century Flemish nobleman who, after experiencing an inexplicable physical deformity, has become the unexpected patron for the unattractive. The tale of Saint Drogo sheds light on the diverse and sometimes unusual roles that saints play in the spiritual landscape. By piecing together historical records and Christian hagiography, it is believed that Drogo—also known as Druon, Dreux or Drogon—was born to a wealthy family in 1105 in Epinoy, Flanders. Tradition holds that his mother died in childbirth and that the young Drogo was riddled with guilt, leading to a life of religious penance. As a result, Drogo donated
