Saint Clodoald, better known as Saint Cloud, was a Merovingian prince and grandson of King Clovis I who preferred to renounce royalty and became a hermit and monk.

His father was King Clodomir and mother, Clotilde. King Clodomir died in a battle when his children were still quite young. His sons were raised in Paris, by their grandmother, Saint Clotilda, until an ambitious uncle murdered two of them in a power grab. Clodoald escaped, renounced all claims to the throne, and lived as a studious hermit.

He became the spiritual student of Saint Severinus the Hermit. At the age of twenty, Cloud left his hermitage and appeared before the Bishop of Paris. The bishop cut Cloud's long hair, which was a symbol of his royalty. Seeing him as no threat, his royal uncles left him undisturbed and even gave him some inheritances to live more comfortably.

After the death of Saint Severinus, Cloud left Paris and secretly retired to Provence. The inhabitants of the surrounding area came to him because they learned that Cloud had the gift of healing. Cloud remained there for eleven years, and then went back to his first hermitage.

At the people's request, he was ordained a priest by Bishop Eusebius of Paris in 551 and served the church for some time. Cloud was noted for his humility and charity. To avoid being noticed and honoured, he retired to a hill along the Seine, in a place called Novigentum (the present commune of Saint-Cloud). He led a life of solitude and prayer among the fishermen and farmers there, and built a church, which he dedicated in honour of Martin of Tours.

Later on, Cloud had a monastery with a chapel built in this place and lived there for seven years, with his brothers, giving them an example of all the virtues. He died there on September 7, 560 at the age of thirty-eight. 

According to legend, Cloud predicted his death in advance, which was followed by several miracles that occurred near his tomb. Saint Cloud was then canonized, and the hamlet quickly transformed into a place of pilgrimage.

Other Saints of the Day
1. Saint Alexander of Milan
2. Saint Evortius of Orleans
3. Saint Giovanni of Lodi
4. Saint Pamphilus of Capua
5. Saint Thomas Tsuji