Born at the end of the sixth century, he was raised in a monastery, and, as a monk, studied herbal medicine. With his holiness and knowledge of medicine, Fiacre soon began to attract a following. He didn't like the attention, so he decided to sail to France for solitude.
Pleased to have Fiacre in France, the bishop there offered him a home at a nearby monastery and a gift of as much land as the monk could turn up with a shovel in a day. With the land, Fiacre set up a small home for himself, a herb and vegetable garden, and a hospice for travelers. The property eventually became the French village of Saint-Fiacre.
St. Fiacre's feast is August 30.
A garden in honor of St. Fiacre is a major tourist attraction in Kildare, Ireland. Statues of St. Fiacre can also be found in Cypress Gardens in Florida and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
- Little White Book, Diocese of Saginaw