Felix of Valois

Felix of Valois (April 16, 1127 – November 4, 1212) was a pivotal figure in the history of a significant Catholic religious order. Born in the province of Valois, France, he is primarily remembered as a former Cistercian hermit and the co-founder, alongside John of Matha, of the Trinitarian Order, officially known as the Order of the Holy Trinity for the Redemption of Captives.

Life and Historical Context

Tradition holds that Felix renounced his worldly possessions early in life and retreated to a dense forest within the Diocese of Meaux. There, he dedicated himself to a life of prayer and contemplation. His secluded existence was interrupted when John of Matha, a young nobleman and doctor of divinity from Provence, sought him out. John proposed the ambitious project of founding an order specifically for the redemption of Christian captives. Despite being seventy years old at the time, Felix readily embraced this mission.

The Trinitarian Order

In January 1198, Felix and John journeyed to Rome, arriving at the beginning of Pope Innocent III's pontificate. They presented their proposal to the Pope, who, though generally hesitant about new religious orders, granted approval to their enterprise in a Bull issued on December 17, 1198. Pope Innocent III appointed John of Matha as the superior-general and commissioned others to draft a rule for the institute, which he subsequently confirmed. Felix then returned to France to spearhead the establishment of the Order. He was met with considerable enthusiasm, and King Philip Augustus officially authorized the institute in France, providing substantial support.

Legacy and Veneration

Margaret of Blois donated land where Felix had built his first hermitage, and upon this site, the Monastery of Brumetz, the motherhouse of the Order, was erected. Within four decades, the Trinitarian Order had expanded to encompass six hundred monasteries across Europe. Felix remained in France to oversee the Order's interests, establishing a house in Paris attached to the Church of Saint Maturinus. He died on November 4, 1212, at the motherhouse in Cerfroid.

Though no official canonization bull is extant, the tradition of his institute affirms his canonization by Pope Urban IV on May 1, 1262. His feast was observed in the Diocese of Meaux as early as 1215. Pope Alexander VII confirmed his sainthood in 1666 due to his long-standing veneration. In 1679, Pope Innocent XI transferred his feast day to November 20, but in 1969, it was restored to November 4, his date of death.