Bl. Alain de Solminihac

Alain de Solminihac was born in 1593 into a noble country family near Périgueux, in southern France. His uncle passed him the abbey of Chancelade, a house of Augustinian canons that had been wrecked in the Wars of Religion and had only three canons left. Canons regular are priests who live in community under a rule. Alain accepted, made his vows in 1616 and was ordained in 1618. He rebuilt the church and the community, restored midnight prayer and daily meditation, and in five years Chancelade became a centre of reform for other houses. "Nothing is hard for someone who loves his vocation," he told his men.

He refused several offers of a diocese, but in 1636 he was named Bishop of Cahors and could not refuse again. He still wore his white canon's habit. Following the Council of Trent and the example of St Charles Borromeo, he held synods, reformed the clergy, cared for the poor and sick, and founded the diocese's first seminary. He visited each of his roughly eight hundred parishes nine times, despite illness and unrest. He died at Mercuès near Cahors in 1659.

Alain de Solminihac was beatified in 1981.

Beatification allows public veneration, usually in a particular region or religious family. Canonization extends it to the whole Church.