Background
According to local tradition, he was born in 1150 in England or Ireland.
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Saint Roland
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In 1186 he succeeded the Abbot Guillaume at Chézery. Saint Roland died there around 1200. His feast day is on July 14.
Relics of Saint Roland are housed in the altar of the parish church of Chézery.
Prayers for Saint Roland"s intercession are said to be effective for curing eye, head and stomach ailments, and for alleviating drought. A local legend has Saint Roland encountering a thirsty reaper along the road to Lélex on a hot day.
He offers the reaper a choice of wine or water. The reaper replies that wine is not made for the lips of the poor, and he is very poor.
Saint Roland strikes the ground with his walking stick, and up springs fresh water.
Today the "Oratory of the Blessed Fountain" stands over the site. Locals will often comment: "If only the peasant had asked for wine."
Sometimes Saint Roland is also said to be patron saint of Riga, Latvia. The statue of Roland in Riga should however not be confused with a depiction of the saint, but is rather a symbol of the freedom of the city.
