St. Frediano of Lucca

**Fridianus** (Italian: *Frediano*), an Irish prince who abandoned royal succession for the monastic life, became Bishop of Lucca around 560 and served until his death in 588. 📜 **Life** Born in Ireland to royal lineage, Frediano renounced his inheritance to become a hermit. He traveled to Italy on pilgrimage and settled near Lucca, where his reputation for holiness attracted followers. The clergy and people of Lucca elected him their bishop. St. Gregory the Great, writing in his *Dialogues* (Book III), records Frediano's most celebrated miracle: when the River Serchio threatened to flood Lucca, the bishop walked to its banks with a simple rake. Drawing the tool through the water, he diverted the river's course, saving the city from destruction. The river followed the new channel Frediano had traced, as if obedient to his command. Frediano founded the church that would later bear his name and established a community following the Rule of St. Benedict. He is credited with organizing the diocese and strengthening the Church in the region. ☩ **Veneration** St. Frediano's relics rest beneath the main altar of the Basilica of San Frediano in Lucca. The 13th-century golden mosaic on the basilica's façade—depicting Christ's Ascension—testifies to the enduring devotion to this Irish bishop who made Lucca his home. 🕯️ **Feast Day:** March 18 📍 **Principal Shrine:** Basilica di San Frediano, Piazza San Frediano, Lucca, Italy