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St. Leander of Seville

He was born in the year 534 in Cartagena, now in modern Spain. His father Severianus was the Governor of Cartagena and his sister St. Florentina was an Abbess, who was directing about forty convents and about one thousand nuns. He first became a Benedictine monk and then became the bishop of Serville in 579. Leander was instrumental in the conversion of Visigoth Kings Hermengild and Reccared of Hispania. In the third council of Toledo, Spain renounced Arianism, a sect of Christians who deny the divinity of Jesus. The king Liuvigild exiled Leander for his preaching. But Hermengild, the eldest son of king Liuvigild, married a catholic Merovingian princess Ingunthis. Leander worked earnestly with the princess and converted Hermengild to catholic Christianity. But King Liuvigild killed his eldest son for his change of religious faith. Leander died on March 13, 600 in Serville, Spain. The younger brother of Leander succeeded him as the bishop of Serville. Leander�s sister St. Florentina was an Abbess and was directing about forty convents. Leander�s third brother became the bishop of Ecija.

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