Saints and Holy People

Find out about their lives and how they changed the world

Saint Conrad (d. 975)

Saint Conrad (d. 975)

Patron saint of the Diocese of Constance, Switzerland, and the Archdiocese of Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany

Feast day: November 26




Saint Conrad was born into the prominent Guelph (or House of Welf) family. This European dynasty included many German and British monarchs from the 11th to 20th centuries, as well as Emperor Ivan VI of Russian in the 18th century.

Conrad attended the Cathedral School at Constance Switzerland and was ordained a priest. He was appointed provost of the cathedral and was then selected bishop of Constance. He was very generous and charitable, giving away his inheritance to the Church and to the needy.

Conrad made three pilgrimages to the Holy Land and accompanied Emperor Otto I to Rome. He was able to disregard the matters of the secular world to focus more deeply on ecclesiastical matters. Legend has it that Conrad had a great fear of spiders. However, when a spider fell into the chalice of Precious Blood, Conrad's love of Communion overpowered his fear and he drank the Precious Blood, spider included.

Saint Conrad was canonized in 1123.

(Image National Gallery of Art, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons)