Saint Doda of Reims

Saint Dode (born before 509) was an Abbess of Saint Pierre de Reims and a French Saint whose Feast Day is 24 April. She is reputed to be the daughter of Chloderic, King of the Ripuarian Franks and the sister of Munderic, making her a princess of the Ripuarian Franks. Doda lived in Reims in the 6th century, she was the second abbess of Saint-Pierre-les-Dames in Reims. There is some confusion regarding her parentage. Flodoard, in his Historia ecclesiæ Remensis says she was a niece of Balderic, Abbot of Montfaucon and Beuve, founders of the Abbey of Saint-Pierre-les-Dames de Reims and children of a king Sigebert. Flodoard identifies this king as Sigebert I (c. 535 – c. 575), king of Austrasia, when perhaps it is, in fact, Sigobert the Lame (died c. 509), king of Cologne. Although Doda is reputed to be the daughter of Sigobert's son Chlodoric, chronologically, it seems difficult to make of Doda a daughter of Chlodéric. She would more likely be Sigobert the Lame's granddaughter, the daughter of a younger sister of Chloderic, born some time shortly before their father's death. Doda is raised by her aunt, Beuve. Later, she was promised in marriage to a lord of the court of Sigebert I, but Doda refused the marriage. The lord tried to abduct her, but died as a result of a fall from his horse during the attempt. Dode then took refuge in her aunt's abbey. She succeeded Beuve as abbess. At the end of her life, she obtained from Pepin of Landen, an act designed to protect her community. She is venerated in the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches.