St Sigismund of Burgundy

Sigismund is one of the royal saints whose story cannot be told honestly without sin, remorse, and penance. A Burgundian king converted from Arianism to the Catholic faith, he showed real signs of Christian rule in his support of the Church, especially the abbey of Agaune. Then came the terrible crime that darkened his life. Misled by false suspicion, he caused the death of his own son. This life does not hide the horror of that act, and the life is stronger for that honesty.

Sigismund was shattered by what he had done. He embraced penance with grave sincerity and is remembered as praying that punishment might come in this life rather than be reserved for the next. His later downfall, capture, and death are therefore seen in the light of repentance rather than mere political tragedy. He is not honored as a king who never failed, but as one who turned back to God with painful earnestness after a terrible fall.