Saint Opportuna of Montreuil

Memorial

• 22 April

Profile

Sister of Saint Chrodegang of Metz. Niece of Saint Lanthilda. Benedictine nun and abbess at the convent near Almenêches, France, receiving the veil from her brother. Legend says that a peasant stole a donkey from her convent and refused to acknowledge his crime. Opportuna turned it over to God; the next day the farmer‘s field was sown with salt. The peasant returned the donkey AND gave the field to the nuns.

Born

• at castle of Exmes, Argentan, Normandy, France

Died

• 22 April 770 from a brief illness compounded by grief from the death of her brother
• relics taken to the priory of Moussy, France, in 1009, and then to Senlis, France
• in 1374 her right arm and a rib were taken to Paris, France to a church built in her honor
• part of her head remains at Moussy
• her left arm and part of her skull are at Almenêches
• one jaw is in the priory of Saint Chrodegang of Metz at Isle-Adam

Canonized

• Pre-Congregation

Additional Information

• Book of Saints, by the Monks of Ramsgate
• Lives of the Saints, by Father Alban Butler
• Our Sunday Visitor’s Encyclopedia of Saints

MLA Citation

• “Saint Opportuna of Montreuil“. Saints.SQPN.com. 22 April 2013. Web. 19 June 2013. <>