Saint Harvey
Saint Harvey (also: Hervé, Herve; born c. 521 AD in Leon, Brittany, modern France; died c. 575 AD in Lanhouarneau, Brittany, modern France) was a blind Breton monk, hermit, and wandering singer-monk who is one of the most beloved saints of Brittany. Though blind from birth, he was known for his gift of spiritual sight — he moved through the world guided by a child companion and a tame wolf. He is patron of blind people and of eye diseases. His feast day is June 17.
Stored in Cargo: Saint Harvey
| Saint Harvey | |
|---|---|
| Feast Day | June 17 |
| Profession | Monk; hermit; wandering singer; monastic founder; blind man |
| Rel. Affiliation | Catholic Church; Celtic/Breton monastic tradition; one of the Breton national saints |
| Patronage | Blind people; eye diseases; Brittany; music and singers; wolves (tamed wolf); bards; those born disabled |
| Attributes | Wolf on a lead (his tamed wolf); boy guide (Guiharan); lute or harp (wandering singer); dark or covered eyes (blindness); spring or fountain (healing well) |
| Birthplace | Leon, Brittany, modern France |
| Death Place | Lanhouarneau, Brittany, modern France |
| Cause of Death | Natural causes; died as a monastic founder at Lanhouarneau c. 575 AD |
| Primary Shrine | Chapel of Saint Harvey, Lanhouarneau, Finistère, France — his primary cult site; also chapels and parishes named for him throughout Brittany (Saint-Hervé, Saint-Herbot, etc.) |
| Liturgical Class | Not in universal Roman Calendar; feast June 17; observed throughout Brittany |
| Historic Class | Not in universal 1962 calendar; observed in Brittany |
Biography
Harvey (Hervé in French, Haerveu in Breton) was born around 521 in Leon (Léon), the northwestern tip of Brittany. His father Hyvarnion was said to be a bard (or poet-singer) from Britain who had come to Brittany, and his mother Rivanon was a Breton noblewoman. Harvey was born blind — a fact that his hagiography presents not as a misfortune but as a form of spiritual gift, since he possessed a corresponding interior sight that made him a man of exceptional prayer.
He was raised by his uncle Urfold and then wandered through Brittany as a monk-singer — part of the tradition of Celtic wandering monks who combined musical ministry with evangelization. He was always guided by a young boy (variously named Guiharan or Clement in the sources), since he could not see.
The most famous episode of his life involves a wolf that killed his guide's donkey. Harvey commanded the wolf to do penance by taking the donkey's place, which it docilely did — pulling ploughs and carrying loads for Harvey and his community. The tame wolf became his constant companion and his primary symbol in Breton iconography.
He eventually settled at Lanhouarneau in Léon and founded a monastic community there, which he governed until his death around 575 AD.
He is one of the most beloved of the Breton saints. Dozens of chapels, parishes, and healing fountains are dedicated to him throughout western Brittany, making his cult one of the most geographically extensive in the Breton Church.
Significant locations
Legend
Birth location: Leon, Brittany, modern France
Death location: Lanhouarneau, Brittany, modern France
Notable location: His monastery and the site of his death; a parish and chapel dedicated to him survive here; center of his cult in the Leon region of Brittany (Lanhouarneau, Finistère, Brittany, France)
Notable location: He wandered through Brittany as a singing monk (bardic tradition blended with monastic Christianity); the landscape of western Brittany is dotted with chapels, fountains, and parishes bearing his name — making him one of the most geographically diffused saints in the Breton calendar (Brittany broadly, France)
Notable location:
Notable location:
Notable location:
Dynamic content
Parishes
No parishes dedicated to Harvey have been added to the database yet.
Media
No media found for this saint.
Shrines
Dynamic shrines
No results
No shrines where this saint is the primary saint.
Known shrines
- Chapel of Saint Harvey (Saint-Hervé), Lanhouarneau, Finistère, Brittany — his primary cult site.
- Numerous chapels and healing fountains throughout Brittany dedicated to him.
Feast day
June 17
Veneration
Saint Harvey (Hervé) is venerated in the Roman Catholic Church with a feast day on June 17, observed throughout Brittany. He is one of the patron saints of Brittany.
Prayers
Authored
There are prayers authored by this saint in prayers list yet.
Intercessory
There are no prayers asking for this saint's intercession in prayers list yet.