Feast of Ste Clotilde

Ste Clotilde and
the Baptism of Clovis

Today is the Feast of St Clotilde, Queen of the Franks. She deserves the Eastern title of Isapostolos (Equal to the Apostles) for it was she who led Clovis, her husband, to the baptismal font at Rheims, where he received the laver of regeneration at the hands of St Rémi. Clovis' Baptism began the long journey in the Faith of Christ's Church of France, the Eldest Daughter of the Church.

From Tradition in Action

St Clotilde was Queen of France, daughter of King Chilperic, and wife of King Clovis. It was due to her prayers that France received the gift of the Catholic Faith. She was glorified by an outstanding spiritual motherhood, because on a Christmas Eve, from the baptismal fountain of Rheims, was born the primogenital nation of the Church. 

The violent death of her father Chilperic, dethroned by a fratricidal usurper; the sight of her brothers massacred, and of her mother drowned in the Rhone; her long captivity in the Arian court of the murderer who brought heresy with him to the throne of the Burgundians, developed in her the heroism that was to make this niece of Gondebaud become the mother of the whole nation to Christ. 

From Catholic Online

St. Clotilde (c. 474- 545) and her husband King Clovis (c. 466-511) founded the Merovingian dynasty, which ruled the Franks for over 200 years. They were married in 492 or 493, and she converted him to Christianity in 496. When Clovis died, Clotilde retired to Tours. Her sons' quarrels caused her great sorrow. She died at the tomb of St. Martin of Tours and was buried in Sainte-Genevieve in Paris, a church that she and Clovis founded. St. Clotilde at prayer was a popular theme in Medieval art.