St. Rudesind

Saint Rudesind
Saint Rudesind, Saint Salvator Monastery, Celanova, Galicia (Spain)
Born	November 26, 907 Cela or Valdesalas, Galicia
Died	March 1, 977 Celanova
Venerated in	Roman Catholic Church
Canonized	1195 by Pope Celestine III
Major shrine	Celanova Abbey
Feast	March 1
Patronage	Pinar del Río, Cuba

Saint Rudesind (Galician: San Rosendo, Rudesindo; Latin: Rudesindus) (November 26, 907 – March 1, 977) was a Galician bishop and abbot. He was also a regional administrator and military leader under his kinsmen, the Kings of León.

Rudesind was born into the nobility; his father was Count Gutierre Menéndez (Latin: Gutiher Ermegildi), brother-in-law to Ordoño II and supporter of Alfonso III of León, and his mother was St. Ilduaria Eriz (Latin: Hilduara Erici), daughter of count Ero Fernández. His sister Hermesenda became wife of Count Pelayo González and mother-in-law of Gonzalo Menéndez, Count of Portugal. Rudesind was the grandson of Ermesenda Gatónez, sister of his predecessor in the see of Mondoñedo (Dumium), Bishop Sabarico II, and was also related to the abbess Saint Senorina. He became a Benedictine monk at a young age and became bishop of Mondoñedo at the age of 18 (as Rudesind II). He served as Bishop from 925 to 950, then after a hiatus in which his nephew Arias Núnez filled the role, again served briefly from 955 to 958, to be followed again by Arias. Another nephew, Arias Peláez, would later hold the see.

He founded, under the Benedictine Rule, monasteries such as Saint John of Caaveiro (San Xoán de Caaveiro) (934) and the Monastery of San Salvador de Celanova (September 12, 936).