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Breton church honours a saintly women who became a goose herder

Sainte-Onenna –April 30

- WCR photo by Ted Fitzgerald The Trehorenteuc church is flanked by a statue of renovator l'abbe Henri Gillard.

By TED FITZGERALD
Special to the WCR
Trehorenteuc, France

Dedicated to local Sainte-Onenna, it's an unusual church that displays a bewildering array of seemingly contradictory symbols representing hundreds of years of history from the time of sixth century St. Carantec, through the chivalrous days of fabled King Arthur, to the influences of the Second World War and the activities of a most dedicated pastor.

The ancient stone building is at the west edge of the enchanted Breton forest of Broceliande, in France's Morbihan Department.

It's in Trehorentuec, the village of Saint Crantec, named for a disciple of St. Patrick who came to Brittany to establish missions. He is said to have been a confidant of legendary Arthur in Cornwall, England, and reportedly slew a dragon at the request of the king.

A gentle soul

The parish church, originally in the realm of King Judicael, was dedicated by the people to his sister Onenna. Much admired by all, she divested herself of all her possessions to be with her Breton neighbours and share their lives.

Because of her sanctity, generosity and prayerfulness, Onenna was considered to be a saint during her lifetime and was buried with her brother, also a saint, in the Trehorenteuc church in the early seventh century.

Prominent in the church is a large painting of Judicael's court with his family and attendants. The king and his sister are also portrayed in hand-carved wooden statues that flank the court scene. Onenna shares a place of honour with members of the Holy Family in a prized processional banner, a gift from Anne of Brittany.

Stained glass windows in the church depict events in the life of the patron, Santez Onenn or Onenna in Breton. In particular, they recount how the saint, after parting with all her riches, became a humble goose-herder.

Villain's attack

One window illustrates a time when she was accosted by a villain, but was rescued by the people when her geese noisily defended her.

The town and church of Trehorenteuc are adjacent to the historic, famous and mysterious forest of Broceliande or Paimpont, supposed scene of many of the events associated with the Arthurian legends.

All Cornish claims aside, Bretons believe that this is the country of the fabled king and his contemporaries. In the forest are places identified, for example, as the Valley of No Return, Merlin's grave and Paimpont Pond, the lair of the Lady of the Lake.

In 1941, new pastor l'abbe Henri Gillard took over the decaying and neglected parish church of Trehorenteuc and over the next 21 years of incredible work, involving many personal sacrifices, restored the ancient shrine with the intention of returning in time to the days when church d‚cor was meant to tell stories of biblical people and events and convey subtle moral messages.

Everything he designed had significance, even if it included a little bit of questionable Arthurian history. So images of the legendary king's court, the Fountain of Barenton and the Valley of No Return alternate with scenes of the Last Supper with a prominent Holy Grail and Round Table and of the Crucifixion, the Virgin Mary and St. John the Baptiste.

Some of these artworks are the products of two available and talented German prisoners of war who were also responsible for wonderfully executed Stations of the Cross in which these artisans - an artist and a cabinet maker - are included as Roman soldiers.

Historically, pilgrims suffering from dropsy (edema) or those with eye problems solicit Onenna's intercession at her grave. Efforts are underway to reinstitute a yearly pilgrimage to the Trehorenteuc church and an included procession, traditionally led by a gaggle of geese, to a nearby privately-owned healing fountain.

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