Friday, July 30, 2010

St. Leonard of Noblac (? to 559)


After writing five articles about convenience store robberies for the daily newspaper that I worked at, I decided to take matters into my own hands.
I called the police department, identified myself, and affirmed, "I know when and where the burglar is going to strike next."
The detective-lieutenant on the other end of the line laughed it off.
Then, I said, "If you don't listen to me, I'm going to put the confidential information that you told me not to print in the newspaper."
In order to help the police find the thief, I refrained from identifying his clothing such as a team baseball cap and a hooded sweatshirt which were visible on each store's security cameras.
Although I'm not a detective or private investigator, I had figured out the modus operandi of the guy and it followed a specific pattern. It was always on the same night of the week between midnight and 2 a.m., the clerk was a female, and he would make his approach after going to the milk cooler.
Since I had an excellent rapport with the police including having a reputation for being the most accurate journalist ever, the detective-lieutenant agreed to have an officer available to make the arrest at the place and time I indictated.
Thankfully, I helped solved the crime. But, still, once in a while when I am in a convenience store late at night, I think I might see a guy in the same baseball cap and hooded sweatshirt.
And although St. Leonard of Noblac never set foot in a Cumberland Farms or Piggly Wiggly convenience store, he is the patron saint against robbers, robberies, and burglaries.
He was a French courtier who became a convert of St. Remigius. St. Leonard of Noblac lived as an abbot and hermit.
After moving to Limoges, he was given land by the royal court on which he founded the Noblac Abbey. St. Leonard of Noblac died in 559 and his feast day is Nov. 6.

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