Saint-Lô, Monastery of
SAINT-LÔ, MONASTERY OF
Former abbey of canons regular of st. augustine, in Saint-Lô, Manche, France, in the diocese of Coutances. A college of canons had existed on this site in Normandy in the 9th century; the religious foundation was resurrected by Bishop Hugh in 990, as part of the process of reviving the diocese. Hugh transferred some canons there from the priory of Saint-Lô at Rouen. Then in 1132 Bishop Algar brought the Augustinian canons from Sainte-Barbe-en-Auge and provided an ample endowment. The canons served several churches in the town of Saint-Lô and in the rest of the diocese. Two abbots of the 16th century were coadjutor bishops. In the 17th century stricter discipline was reintroduced by an uncle and nephew, both called André Merlet, who introduced canons from the Congregation of saintegeneviÈve in 1659. In 1790 the canons were dispersed, and the abbey church, dedicated in 1202, was destroyed.
Bibliography: r. toustain de billy, Histoire ecclésiastique du diocèse de Coutances, ed. f. dolbet and a. hÉron, 3 v. (Rouen 1874–86). Gallia Christiana, v.1–13 (Paris 1715–85), v.14–16 (Paris 1856–65) 11:935–940. l. h. cottineau, Répertoire topobibliographique des abbayes et prieurés, 2 v. (Mâcon 1935–39) 2:2768–69.
[d. j. a. matthew]