FIACRE, SAINT (Celt. Fiachra), an anchorite of the 7th century, of noble Irish descent. His Acta, which have little his torical value, relate that he went to France and with the permis sion of St. Faro, the bishop of Meaux, built a monastery at Pi o dious (Brodolium), the modern Breuil, in the province of Brie. Here he received St. Chillen (? Killian), who was returning from a pilgrimage to Rome, and here he remained until his death. In 1568, at the time of the religious troubles, his remains were trans ferred to their present shrine in the cathedral of Meaux. St. Fiacre is the patron of Brie, and gardeners invoke him as their protector; his feast is kept on Aug. 3o.
See O'Hanlon, Lives of the Irish Saints, viii. (Dublin, 1904).