Saint Arnould, also known as
Saint Arnold
THE LEGEND OF SAINT ARNOLD, PATRON SAINT OF BREWERS
Saint Arnold was born in 580 in the Chateau of Lay-Saint-Christophe in the French diocese of Toul. He married Doda with whom he had many sons, two of whom were to become famous: Clodulphe, later called Saint Cloud, and Ansegis who married Begga, daughter of Pépin de Landen. Ansegis and Begga are the great-great-grandparents of Charlemagne, and as such, Saint Arnold is the oldest known ancestor of the Carolingian dynasty.
Arnold was named bishop of Metz, France, in 612 at the age of 32 and spent his holy life extolling the virtues of drinking beer. Due to the lack of sanitation and spread of disease, beer was safe, while it was risky to drink the water. Apparently the public adored Arnold; wouldn't you adore someone who encouraged you to drink more beer? "From man's sweat and God's love, beer came into the world," is a quote attributed to him. In 627, Saint Arnold retired to a monastery near Remiremont, France, where he died on August 16, 640.
In 641, the citizens of Metz requested that Saint Arnold's body be brought from the monestary back to Metz for reburial in their Church of the Holy Apostles. During this journey a miracle came to pass in the town of Champignuelles. The crowd stopped for a rest and walked into a tavern for some rest and refreshment. Sadly, there was only one mug of beer left at the end of the day, but that mug never ran dry as all the thirsty mourners shared it around. Thus, the miracle came to pass and Saint Arnold is recognized by the Catholic Church as the Patron Saint of Brewers.