Didier, or Gery

Didier, or Gery (in Latin DESIDERIUS), bishop of Cahors, was born at Albi in 595. He was of a noble family in Aquitania, and was educated at the court of king Clotaire II, who appointed him treasurer of the crown. Dagobert, the son and successor of Clotaire, gave to Didier, in addition to his office of treasurer, that of governor of Marseilles. In 629, when his brother Rusticus, bishop of Cahors, was assassinated, Didier was chosen his successor. As bishop he became very rich, and made himself popular by a judicious use of his wealth. Didier is a popular saint in Southern France under the name of Gery. His works have been lost; only sixteen epistles, addressed to prominent persons of his time, as the kings Dagobert and Sigebert III, are still extant. These epistles have been published by Canisius (Antiquae Lectiones, tom. 5), in Migne, Patrologia Lat. vol. 87, and by Bouquet, Collection des Historiens de France, tom. 4. — Hoefer, Biog. Generale, 14:102.