Foillan

St. Foillan ( born October 24, at 600; † October 31 655 or 656 in the Sonian Forest in Belgium) is an Irish saint, also under the name Faelan, Feuillien, Faolan, Foelan or Foalan depends on the country known. Foillan was the brother of the Holy Ultanus and the Holy Fursa.

Foillan was a son of the King of Fyltan Mounster and was born in Ireland. His place of birth is not known exactly. He was probably influenced by his two brothers, a monk and later founded by his brother 634-650 English monastery Cnobheresburg Dept. This was in the territory of East Anglia. In the now-defunct monastery complex is likely to Burgh Castle near Great Yarmouth in Norfolk. Once there was a war between Penda of Mercia and the East- Anglo-Saxon King Anna, the monastery was looted. Foillan succeeded just to save the relics of the monastery and the church books, and he fled with two companions after Peronne in northern France. There he was received by Erchinoald, a senior official of the ruling family of Pepin.

Some sources state that Pope Martin I. Foillan for missionary bishop consecrated during a stay in Rome.

Foillan later went to Nivelles where Itta, had built the wife of Pepin the Elder, a monastery and lived as a nun. Foillan where he worked as a teacher and lived in the neighboring monastery. Ittas daughter Gertrude of Nivelles founded the monastery at Fosses Namur, gave Foillan 652 the task to build a monastery and a hospital. She sat him as well as the abbot. The contact to the monastery of Nivelles held Foillan always upright. For a return trip from Nivelles, where he had sung the Mass the night before, he was ambushed and killed on 31 October in the Sonian Forest in a place where there is now the city Roeulx, of robbers. His undressed body was found in a ditch of a stye.

Foillan was buried in the monastery of Fosses. His veneration spread rapidly, where he was especially known in Wallonia and in the Rhineland. Relics of saints Foillan are among others in the Aachen Church St. Foillan.

St. Foillan is considered the saint of the bridge builders, dentists, surgeons and pediatric nurses.