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About Ss. Clair & Cyrinus of Normandy

Saint Clair of Nantes was a first-century missionary hierarch who, according to sacred tradition, became the founding bishop of Nantes in 69 AD. Consecrated and dispatched directly from Rome by Pope Linus—the immediate successor to Saint Peter—Clair arrived in Roman Gaul to evangelize the pagan populations of the Armorique region.

To establish his apostolic authority, he carried a highly revered relic: a holy nail from the cross of Saint Peter’s martyrdom. Upon his arrival, Clair erected a modest Christian oratory dedicated to Saint Peter, establishing a holy site that would eventually evolve over centuries into the grand Nantes Cathedral.

He spent the remainder of his life performing miracles, preaching the Gospel, and converting the local populace before passing away in Kerbellec (modern-day Réguiny), where his historical burial site and a sacred fountain remain objects of veneration.